Escherichia coli: 1, Giardia lamblia: 1, Me: 0

Monday, 8 Novembre 2010

I haven’t written in such a long time – I technically had time, but I didn’t choose to use it because I had access to 1^st world luxuaries again: TV, movies, running water, shower, toilet, A/C, internet (not all the time), refridgerator. 1^st world luxaries I didn’t ever think to appreciate when I had them 24/7. So – to say the least, I was distracted. Why was I graced by all these niceties? I was in Ouaga for one thing and then on top of that I got sick (again) and stayed the night in the med unit. Wednesday, 27 Oct. I left for Ouaga due to doctor’s orders.

Here’s a breakdown:

• Wed. Leave for Ouaga (PCMO’s orders): catch 14:00 bus from Sapouy
• Thu. Meet with Sylvie again: found nothing in stool sample: gave me metemucil. Released from doctor.
• Fri. Leave Ouaga due to no housing: catch 17:00 bus, stay night in Sapouy
• Sat. Leave Sapouy @ 12:30. Go back at 16:00
• Sun. Catch 7:00 bus for Ouaga to go to SIAO
• Mon. Banks closed. No SIAO
• Tue. SIAO!! // get fever that night
• Wed. Call Sylvie because of persistent fever. Bacteria found in stool
• Thu. See Jean Luk because still feel sick. One more stool sample
• Fri. Parasite found!!
• Sat. Stay in med unit
• Sun. Get back to site.

So a week of that was for medical purposes. Now I have the lovely task of explaining to all the people in my village as to why I was away from site for 10 nights and too many days. I got sick in Ouaga, damn it! So in reality: I used 4 TAC (time away from community) days and should be reimbursed for the other days I was in Ouaga because of those medical purposes.

Next big news: Dr. Claude (the APCD, or the head cheese of the Community Health sector in Burkina Faso) is supposidly coming to my site Wednesday! But I don’t know if that’s a good idea… I need to call her today and see what she thinks – but first I need to figure out what my major was saying about another village & tomorrow (are we going somewhere?!)

Aside from all this, I feel healthy now – Finally! I want & need to start training for this damn marathon come this hot season. That’s 7 months from now (I think) and if I don’t start now I’m not going to be able to run it.