Oh what a week

Hi All,

where to begin. Hope you are all well is always a good start, and happy would be good!

About a month ago I took one of the older boys to the doctors with a chest infection, he was given the usual round of antibiotics and that was it. His chest insisted on not getting better. On Monday I wandered back to the doctors who requested a chest x-ray. In this country this is not an easy thing...... You go to the hospital and 'q' this is a very lose affair and you have to watch out as everyone 'jumps'! After the x-ray was done we asked for the radiographer to 'read' the x-ray, he wasn't in till Wednesday!

We walked into town to get it read privately at an X-ray clinic. Another 'Q' with a 2 hour wait. Results were not good, shadows on the lungs. Back to the doctor with the results which were in short hand and difficult for me to understand. The doctor said he needed to go to the TB clinic at the hospital. As it was late in the day this would have to wait until the next day.

Bright and early we set off, book, bottle of water, x-ray in hand. When we arrived walking to where we had been told Block A, we heard the voice of a preacher giving a sermon. Unfortunately for us he was preaching in the waiting area we were to sit in. Apparently when the preacher is preaching nothing else happens, everything stops. We waited for 20 minutes, it was so long, he had already been there for 20 mins apparently! When he had finished we were asked to sit and wait to see the Daktari. We did, however, being 'hospital doctor waiting room virgins' we were not aware of the antics performed by other patients when the doctors door is opened, apparently pushing, shoving, tripping are all part of the system for getting to see him. There is no system at all. Eventually I got my head round the system and glared down the woman who tried to push in front of us.

The doctor then looked at the x-ray, gave us a sputum container and asked us to take a sample to the lab NOW! The lab would then give us two more containers one for 5 am the next day and one for 6 am, then back to the lab, with the x-ray and sit and wait for the results.

Unhappy we duly complied with this request, the next day we also did as requested. We were told that the results were not going to be ready until 3pm, it was then 9am! I took Dickson into town we had chai and a cake and went back to the centre. In the afternoon the doctor confirmed he had TB. Dickson took this as a death sentence, it took a lot of talking to him to make him understand that because he was not very sickly the treatment would be fast acting on his complaint, although it is an 8 month treatment of 4 tablets at a time. They also request an HIV test to confirm there are not additional problems. He refused, but has since agreed to go back and have it done after a long long long long talk to put his mind at rest!

The doctor told me to take the boys who sleep in the beds beside Dickson for screening and also any boys that have any chest problems. I duly did this the next day, he suggested early. We were there by 9am, I had 4 older boys in tow. We were greeted by the preacher again..... at least it was a short sermon this time, but the Q was bigger. I was now versed in the antics of 'q-ing' no one was going to 'jump in'. Except for the soldiers who kept appearing with guns and prisoners in tow..... I decided I wouldn't argue with them it would not be appropriate!

We eventually went in, all he did was talk to the boys telling them if they feel ill go and see him! So much for screening, what a waste of time, as if I have nothing else to do. I gave him the glare from hell, when he said he wasn't going to test them.

We all went into town and had chai and cake then back to SCANN........

I now go into the dorm and wake Dickson everyday at 7.15 so that he takes his 4 pills at 7.30 as the doctor said without fail at the same time of day between 7.30 and 8.30! Dickson being a usual 22 year old sleeps late! I will invest in an alarm clock for him!

Ok that is all for now think that is enough reading for you.......... maybe more another day.


Love to all
Susannah