Monday 5 March 2007

Officially a Kenyan

Ok, sorry for the email silence but have been very sickly. Turns out that having gone for blood test last week I have malaria - so I am now a true Kenyan. At least I know what is wrong with me. Having taken some tablets which made me feel like the 'walking dead', mind you after how I was feeling it didn't really matter. Four days on and I am feeling so much better, my joints are no longer aching, no more vomiting and I am starting to eat again. The boys got really worried and said they were praying for me to get better, it made me cry!

I am making sure I am well for my sisters visit as we are planning a real 'girlie trip' with my friend Ailsa from Scotland - we are hiring a jeep and taking off for five days, should be fun. Ailsa came to visit me while I was sick and I know she has been under the weather for a few weeks. I told her to get a blood test too as it could also be malaria, she left me and went to be tested, turns out she has Typhoid! She has been here a year and no problems, I was here for four months last year no one had any problems. This year we are dropping like flies - crazy.

I was advised to continue taking the Larium as I really don't want the cerebral malaria which is the killer - I agreed!!

Even whilst lying sick on Friday I rushed into action as one of our boys was involved in a bike accident and had a bad fracture of his elbow, blood was everywhere. As we have no vehicle and ambulances are none existent I called my friend Nick who acted as ambulance and we shot the boy to the nearest hospital. He was seen two hours later and admitted. He is in surgery today to have the arm set, out here they don't do things quickly, it would be unheard of to wait so long in Uk, especially as they sent him back to the dorm on Saturday afternoon to wait for his operation. I was in charge of looking after him, nightmare that was. He was worried that they would make him loose all his blood in the operation so I sat him down and we had a long talk about how I thought the operation would be carried out and what he would expect.

Yesterday, Fabian (a volunteer from Germany) and I had a dance party in the dining hall for all the boys, needless to say I was totally exhausted by the time I fell into bed last night, I had forgotten to sew one of the older boys trousers with a patch on his bottom as he had gone through his trousers, so I sat in my kitchen before I went to bed and completed that little task - it was done badly as most of the time I struggled to keep my eyes open, he was very grateful that I did them though, so I was pleased.

I have changed bedrooms as the one I had was a shoe box, we did this on Thursday when I was feeling particularly bad and had visited the doctors in the morning and was awaiting my blood test results. The room I have now used to be used as a storage room, it was packed from floor to ceiling with blankets, pillows, towels, curtains, etc etc, but the room was big enough to take two beds for when Nathalie visits next week. The alternative of two in a diddy single bed was not appealing!!

I am still settling in but the room is so much better, much quieter and more storage. Still must sort out a bed for Nats though!

OK we are busy practicing for our boys Fund raising event on the 17th March, and evening of entertainment.... I look forward to it.

I haven't been out partying recently or even to Hotel Merica - am very behind and need some chilling time, so look forward to my sisters visit.

Ok will leave you all now. Take care, speak to you again soon.

Susannah

ps. Apologies so much to write as I haven't been on line its probably all over the place!

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