Ok, so I start another blog by noting that there has been a fair lapse between entries and again I say I’m sorry. I know that there are some people that read this blog and that it’s an easy way to track along with my trip. On the other hand it’s pretty well the only way I’m going to remember what happens here, and well gosh golly I’m going to be really peeved with my past self in the not too distant future when I start to forget about this trip. But this entry is my attempt to remember every detail of the events I shall now share. Behold: the story of my very first kidney stone!
So Naomi, Hannah (in country service workers with MCC, my own personal consulate) and I were travelling for a little vacation with another SALTer(service and learning together, it’s the program I’m here with (how many people are reading this and don’t know this already? A lot? In which case I feel like a jerk now)) working in Moundou. Moundou is about 6 and a half hours by bus and it’s one of the most interesting 6 and a half hours I’ve ever spent. I may even upload a pic (sceptical, I’m super tired right now and need to go to bed, so I press on). The bus it’s self wasn’t in horrible condition, it’s a pretty tight fit with everyone (5 across in each row) but it’s not bad. They have the little fold down half a seat that they use in every row that looks like it could really ruin your six hours. So we left pretty early in the morning, just before 7 when the day is still quite cool.
The road between hither and yon is much more the Africa I had anticipated, or at least the Africa you see in a magazine. Plains, not a single hill or bump, just straight horizon with the odd tree populating the grassy view. After we had passed a river and traveled further we then passed these little shanty towns that were incredible. Round mud walls with thatched roofs, all built round with thatched walls as barriers. And they’re so form the towns, it’s mind boggling. Yeah, I was just looking for a pic and realized that I took video’s cause they pass by the van too fast for me to get a decent picture timed. Sorry, I’ll have a big upload pictures day soon, not today, but soon. Today is almost over.
SO we arrived in Moundou around 230 (with stops and everything) and get our luggage from the top of the bus (people will carry anything on a vehicle if they have to, amazing, so interesting. There are people that cruise around with a goad in their lap while driving a moped, or a 20foot boat balancing on the roof of a flatbed truck… stack it up, or just hold on to it, but it will work) and walk to where we expect to find a ride. After we discover there has been some miss communication we are left to observe some rural life. This is the time when the president was in town (huge deal) and cops were driving around singing songs and such. They are usually so intimidating but that day they were so happy and a few waved at us, it was pretty much the coolest interaction I have ever had with an officer of the law (not that I have a lot of them or any more severe than some form of traffic violation), so needless to say we were happy to wait a bit and take in Moundou. Our ride did finally come and we found our way to the place we were staying. Dropped our bag in our rooms, and started planning the rest of our day. Naomi had an hour meeting so me and my other MCC peeps (Hannah, and Lisa) watched some Dr. Horrible (great musical, watch it…). Naomi finished, and we started planning dinner options when I decided that would be a sometime for one of my famous movements. I sat down, and within seconds started to feel this brutal pressure in my back. It’s crazy how fast the pain set, and shortly thereafter we had called for a doctor, found none, and instead called a local friend to drive us all to the doctors home.
Let me say that our driver was awesome. He was trying to get my there in the best time he could, but the roads there are dirt road and a roller coaster at 40kph. We were flying, all of us bumping off the doors and seats, all of which don’t agree with an angry kidney. We arrived at the doctor’s, but before we could even exit the car we were told that the doctor was not there and that we would have to try something else. Back across town, like a rally car we made it to another doctor’s home. We were ushered inside where someone told us that this doctor was also unavailable. To the hospital, another joyous drive across town.
We arrived at the hospital and were led to a room. Where I was greeted by a nurse who told me I’d have to wait, the ONLY doctor they had working was currently in surgery and… well, the other patient had priority. By this point I was unable to keep myself from displaying my discomfort. Really looked stupid. Anyhow, I was wheel chaired across the grounds to a private room. I’m not sure how long I actually waited for the doctor, but it felt like forever. MCC has some sweet emergency care systems set in place and were ready to have me medevaced out if it was deemed necessary. It was not. But through all of those wires crossing we heard about an American doctor who was in the area. Really kind guy who drove out and prescribed some medication (he later returned to check up on me, really nice guy). This was a source of tension when the incredibly overworked surgeon showed up. I felt bad that we went around him, but at the time I wasn’t really considering his reaction.
The next three days were a lot of fun, off and on again pain, a ton of IV and good times. After I passed the MICROSCOPIC(SO anticlimactic) stone it got easier. There are a TON of bathroom stories, but I’ll save those for face to face convo’s. There was one point then a nurse came in to drain the blood out of my IV ( I was standing too much) and chose to drain it into my bed pan. As he did so he dropped the line into the pan, and proceeded to try and put the line back in my arm without cleaning it. I am glad Naomi was there for that, she would have started throwing first before shed let that happen. I don’t kow how beig of a deal that actually was, but I was a little thrown by it.
SO we were ready to leave on the third day, the end of our trip. We left in the afternoon after the doctor gave me the green light, and I spent the evening enjoying a lovely meal with my now very well acquainted friends. The next morning we were up early and caught the bus back home. We were a bit late and suffered the midday heat all the more this time. Just to add to the experience on the ride home Naomi was stuck behind a very large woman in the half-a-seat and shoulder to shoulder with a breast feeding mother who did not stop feeding her child for the entire trip and our driver was Muslim, which meant we stopped several times for prayers, which was actually pretty cool. Saw mosques in different settings, different gatherings. They were pretty short.
After we had gotten well into the middle of nowhere we popped a tire. I started to run through the lion attack in my mind, but in no time at all the driver and friends ( in know a car like I know open heart surgery, I’ve seen some general actions modeled on TV) had the tire changed and we were on our way. After another half hour the bus dies completely. SO far from town I start to get uncomfortable, but we wait. I am looking out my window when I see our driver on the back of a moto driving the direction we had just come from. A brief wave of panic flushed over me but I realized that there is no danger, just inconvenience, so we waited for his return…spark plug I think, new one worked fine. We arrived after a little over nine hours a little stiff and pretty tired.
That is my kidney stone story, sorry it was so long, if you read it all you’re incredible, if you didn’t that cool, I wrote it all out to remind me of any details I’ll forget with time. It is night and I’m bagged. I’m getting baptized this Sunday which will also be a huge event, deserving a blog and photos and yadda yadda. Sleep.
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