Dana's Malaria Part II
We’re in amsterdam now and I’m mostly recovered from my staph infection (started on my ankle with some infected mosquito bites and spread to my chin, nose, and hairline). Lets just say, Cameroon has been very generous to me. Antibiotics rock – never thought I would say that – yet another reason to love cheese. Amsterdam is great, it’s been fantastic being here, eating salad and having a comfortable place to rest, heal and recoup. I’m looking forward to coming home.
So, here’s the rest of my malaria story:
I went into the doctors office, sat down at his desk, said hello and then waited for what seemed like five minutes for him to take a ruler and make straight collums in his patient log book. He made a column for the Date, Name, Place, Ailment, Diagonis . . . He didn’t say anything to me the entire time and I think I was kind of stunned because it seemed so silly to me that this doctor was painstakingly taking time to use a ruler to make lines in a book it was, like, So 7th grade. But then again, he didn’t have an administratitve staff and nurses to make the lines for him so I guess it makes sense. Once he had his columns made to his satisfaction (he erased twice), he asked me what my trouble was. I told him about my fever and other symptoms, showed him my fever log. He said, “well, the diagnosis is clear, simple malaria, but to be certain, lets take a test.” He asked me if I had allergies and then wrote everything in my 100 CFA book, my diagnosis, what test i needed, and the treatment should the test prove positive. He showed me a doctors sample of the drug he proscribed, and told me I could get it at a pharmacy or I could by the “not for sale” sample for 4,000 CFA. Hey, even doctors gotta make a little extra cash – at least it’s direct.
He sent me to get my blood test and then come back to show him the results. So I walked to the lab – big open room, crowded with people, various lab equiptment and two cashiers with floresent bill readers to detect counterfits. I paid 7,000 CFA for the malaria test, then was directed to sit on the bench with a bunch of other people to wait for my turn. I have to admit, this is really the only part that freaked me out. Anything with blood and needles, especilly around a bunch of other sick people with who knows what illnesses was my one “african nightmare”. I had clean needles with me just incase, but it turned out that when they called me and I went to sit in the “draw your blood chair” they had a canister of packaged clean needles. I paid 100 CFA for my needle and watched the nurse like a hawk. I was so focused on making sure nothing contaminated touched me that it was kind of like an out of body experience, I’m not sure if I’ve ever concentrated so hard. The nurse took out a clean packaged needle, washed her hands with an anticeptic, washed my arm with anticeptic, put a tournocate around my arm and jamed the needle into my vein. Not surprising, not much blood came out because if felt and looked like she had stuck th needle straight into my arm at a 90 degree angle. Plus I was probably dehydrated. This however was no deterint. She asked her assistant for a clean vile (like the old fashioned kind that’s just like a small test tube with no fancy rubber top) – I watched him open the clean vile, give it to the nurse. She pulled out the needle, and held the vile a half a inch from my newly poked hole and just let the blood squirt in. It was like some cool horror movie special effect. Now that’s efficency. But, it wasn’t enough and she unfortunately had to poke me again. The second time proved more sucessful and I was on my way to wait for the results. For two weeks I had the most amazing brusies on my arm, they kinda looked like Ghana and South Africa.
I waited outside on the veranda across from a guy who was crashed out sleeping on the bench. Paul showed up with extended visas, I filled him in, he filled me in and we both fell asleep on the bench. When my results were ready, about 45 minutes later, we went back to the doctors office. Having learned my lesson I didn’t even bother sitting down with then 15 other patients who were waiting to see the doctor. I stood up by the door so I could quickly go in, show him my results and be on my way. When in Rome. But as time went on the young boy in a suit (maybe 10 years old) that was with his mom who was “next” caught on to my tactics and he stood up too. When the door opened and the patient came out, both of us darted for the door. He was a little quicker and got in front of me and tried to close the door behind him, but I was bigger and I kept the door open, and walked in behind him. Here I was edging a 10 year old kid out of line. It was worth it because the doctor told us to come in and asked the kid to wait. He stood in the middle of the room and waited like a statue, never moved. The doctor looked at my results, said, yep I had malaria, to start to medication and come back thursday for a check up. When we came back thursday we had a nice conversation with him about becoming a doctor in Cameroon. He said he was hoping to go to the US or Euroupe to study surgery. He asked us if blacks can do surgery in the US.
So, that was my cameronian health care adventure – three days of malaria, drugs, resting and cabbage and I was mostly better but had some pretty intense fatigue and dizziness for about 5 days after from the medication. Overall not so bad as malaria goes.
So, here’s the rest of my malaria story:
I went into the doctors office, sat down at his desk, said hello and then waited for what seemed like five minutes for him to take a ruler and make straight collums in his patient log book. He made a column for the Date, Name, Place, Ailment, Diagonis . . . He didn’t say anything to me the entire time and I think I was kind of stunned because it seemed so silly to me that this doctor was painstakingly taking time to use a ruler to make lines in a book it was, like, So 7th grade. But then again, he didn’t have an administratitve staff and nurses to make the lines for him so I guess it makes sense. Once he had his columns made to his satisfaction (he erased twice), he asked me what my trouble was. I told him about my fever and other symptoms, showed him my fever log. He said, “well, the diagnosis is clear, simple malaria, but to be certain, lets take a test.” He asked me if I had allergies and then wrote everything in my 100 CFA book, my diagnosis, what test i needed, and the treatment should the test prove positive. He showed me a doctors sample of the drug he proscribed, and told me I could get it at a pharmacy or I could by the “not for sale” sample for 4,000 CFA. Hey, even doctors gotta make a little extra cash – at least it’s direct.
He sent me to get my blood test and then come back to show him the results. So I walked to the lab – big open room, crowded with people, various lab equiptment and two cashiers with floresent bill readers to detect counterfits. I paid 7,000 CFA for the malaria test, then was directed to sit on the bench with a bunch of other people to wait for my turn. I have to admit, this is really the only part that freaked me out. Anything with blood and needles, especilly around a bunch of other sick people with who knows what illnesses was my one “african nightmare”. I had clean needles with me just incase, but it turned out that when they called me and I went to sit in the “draw your blood chair” they had a canister of packaged clean needles. I paid 100 CFA for my needle and watched the nurse like a hawk. I was so focused on making sure nothing contaminated touched me that it was kind of like an out of body experience, I’m not sure if I’ve ever concentrated so hard. The nurse took out a clean packaged needle, washed her hands with an anticeptic, washed my arm with anticeptic, put a tournocate around my arm and jamed the needle into my vein. Not surprising, not much blood came out because if felt and looked like she had stuck th needle straight into my arm at a 90 degree angle. Plus I was probably dehydrated. This however was no deterint. She asked her assistant for a clean vile (like the old fashioned kind that’s just like a small test tube with no fancy rubber top) – I watched him open the clean vile, give it to the nurse. She pulled out the needle, and held the vile a half a inch from my newly poked hole and just let the blood squirt in. It was like some cool horror movie special effect. Now that’s efficency. But, it wasn’t enough and she unfortunately had to poke me again. The second time proved more sucessful and I was on my way to wait for the results. For two weeks I had the most amazing brusies on my arm, they kinda looked like Ghana and South Africa.
I waited outside on the veranda across from a guy who was crashed out sleeping on the bench. Paul showed up with extended visas, I filled him in, he filled me in and we both fell asleep on the bench. When my results were ready, about 45 minutes later, we went back to the doctors office. Having learned my lesson I didn’t even bother sitting down with then 15 other patients who were waiting to see the doctor. I stood up by the door so I could quickly go in, show him my results and be on my way. When in Rome. But as time went on the young boy in a suit (maybe 10 years old) that was with his mom who was “next” caught on to my tactics and he stood up too. When the door opened and the patient came out, both of us darted for the door. He was a little quicker and got in front of me and tried to close the door behind him, but I was bigger and I kept the door open, and walked in behind him. Here I was edging a 10 year old kid out of line. It was worth it because the doctor told us to come in and asked the kid to wait. He stood in the middle of the room and waited like a statue, never moved. The doctor looked at my results, said, yep I had malaria, to start to medication and come back thursday for a check up. When we came back thursday we had a nice conversation with him about becoming a doctor in Cameroon. He said he was hoping to go to the US or Euroupe to study surgery. He asked us if blacks can do surgery in the US.
So, that was my cameronian health care adventure – three days of malaria, drugs, resting and cabbage and I was mostly better but had some pretty intense fatigue and dizziness for about 5 days after from the medication. Overall not so bad as malaria goes.
posted by Paoulo | 10:25 PM
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