Had some rays today

Hi there,
I was so happy today whilst out walking to the hospital the sun was shining, it was warm and I was happy........

Well, what a week, started with Yasmin and her family (Chairman and Trustee of the board) all returning from Canada, it was nice to have them back to take up some of the 'slack' or should I say 'slacking' from the staff!!

I have managed to be at PGH (Provincial General Hospital) everyday this week other than Wednesday. Boys have been coming down with most things mainly chest problems with the bad weather, so I find myself walking (40mins) uphill to the hospital sitting in painfully slow Q's bearing in mind these are not really Q's they are merely there to confuse the untrained. I now pride myself as being a trained Kenyan Q person. I check who is in front of me, what they are wearing, where they are off to and also keep a weary eye on all the other Q jumpers! it is very exciting, the goal is to see who can outsmart who and get to the doctor first.

We now have one boy with TB - Dickson who started his treatment about 2 months ago but I have to take him for regular checkups. One boy with Pneumonia he is 10 and was given to me to take to the hospital 'as I was going'. The boy I took for three days this week, mornings and afternoons, has been cleared for TB but has a bad chest infection. I managed to take myself to the 'Family Care Centre' for my ailments, they wanted chest X-ray and sputum tests.

This morning I woke at 6.30, spat in pot, checked that Samuel had done the same at 4.30 and 6am (he needed 2 samples today) then we left by foot to take firstly my sample to Family Care Clinic who said come back in an hour and then drop his off at PGH, where we were told his wouldn't be ready until 2pm!

On the way back to SCANN I waited for a chest X-ray at an X-ray specialist, (we were early and sat whilst they washed the floor). I was worried when I looked at the equipment looked like something out of an old Frankenstein movie. Took X-ray and results to Family Care, picked up results of sputum test and sat waiting for the doctor. Whilst waiting Samuel who was sat outside on the steps had a major nose bleed so I had to leave my place in the 'Q'. Luckily when I returned no one wanted to question that I was next in....... my x-ray was clear and the sputum showed that I was indeed having problems that needed antibiotics (I knew this as my chest has been really hurting and the coughing getting bad). Went to pharmacy for three lots of meds and walked back to SCANN, Samuel and I looked sad as we were both carrying our 'DO NOT BEND' enormous envelopes with our X-rays!!! A bit like wearing matching tank tops!!! Ahhhh.

Had just enough time at SCANN to pack an overnight bag, grab some lunch so I could take my pills and harvested some of my crop of beans before heading back to PGH for Samuels results, OR SO WE THOUGHT! Being well practiced in the process, I sent Samuel (17 years) to the lab for his results whilst I went and sat in the Q for the doctor. An hour and a half later after falling asleep and being nudged by the now very familiar doctor, I sat alone waiting as ...... THERE WAS NO Q!. I left my bags with the doctor and went in search of Samuel, who was just approaching along the corridor............... the doctor saw us and laughed when I told him that I was growing so old at PGH........... I think I should pitch a tent in the corridor. Luckily Samuel has not got TB which was suspected, we went from there to pick up his two weeks worth of meds.

Now the reason why I didn't go to PGH on Wednesday was because it was the day I spent sitting in immigration in Nairobi, waiting..................................and waiting................... and going from one floor to another as requested as I was a difficult case!! I have now after a crazy wait, got my passport stamped with my work permit for a year - valid until June 2008!!!!!! Wishful thinking on their part I think!

Immigration process in itself is fun, you arrive, look dazed, go to window 1 who sends you armed with forms to window 5, who takes your forms and sends you to window 4, who stamps a form and sends you back to window 5. From there you are to go to window 2 (this was not occupied, but as told to go to it, I duly waiting for person to return, they didn't, eventually I asked window 3 if I could see him, apparently it was no problem, I had waited 15 mins and he hadn't said please come here I will deal with you!!!

From there you sit and wait for your name to be called, you go to the window 3 where you sign your name and wait, you are then herded to a room ....... you wait. A man who was NOT HAPPY, shouted your name at you, unfortunately for me, he called my middle name 'Pamela' and I didn't realise, so he got even more unhappy. When I realised what he had done I got up and tried to explain it was my middle name and I was not used to hearing it, he got huffier. He then grabbed my fingers, not too gently and finger printed me, I actually think he was trying to break off my fingers. It turns out it was his lunch time and he didn't have any money, in view of his attitude I didn't offer to help!! I then went to another window who asked for my work permit, I didn't have it, I looked everywhere for it, in all the pockets of my bag, in the big envelope I had with documents in it, so she sent me away. I went back and said I didn't think I had a work permit with me. It turns out she wanted my immigration application form, simple mistake -= work permit, immigration application form same thing obviously!! I left exhausted but now confident that I am here legally!!!! Yippee.

Apologies for spelling etc, don't have time to re read today as time has flown by.......... there is more to tell but ................... some things just don't go down on paper well.

I love you all, take care, hopefully my husky, sexy voice will depart soon as it scares the kids!

Happy birthday to all the birthday'ers.... hope the weather there improves and the parties are great.

Hugs all round,

Susannah

xxxxxxxx