The Storm is Over Now

It all started when we all went to Kanda so that Greg could get his hair braided. There was a lady at Max Mart with a style that he liked and so after much negotiating (which is a completely different story) we went to her house so that her sister could braid his hair. Well once we got there Adom was playing his game boy and seemed to be fine and getting along with the other children there. Only 30 minutes earlier he began complaining of headache, neck pain, and tummy ache. He was also running a slight fever. Adom had to urinate like 3-4 times within 30 minutes. He also began crying and his fever quickly began to rise (I had a thermometer in my purse)… Greg by now had a huge afro (we had all taken the braids down and she was about to wash it) I looked at Greg and said we need to go…so we took a cab to 37 military hospital. Because we are not from Ghana we had to pay more for the services. They make you purchase a identification card 150,000 then lab work 40,000 then back to see the doctor (cost may vary 0 – 40,000) well I was terrified and on the brink of tears….we did not budget for sickness – it was the weekend and we needed to go and get more money on Monday… funny these things never happen when you expect them to or when you “plan” for them to. Since it was the weekend they only tested him for malaria and then he had to have several other tests on Monday including a stool and urine sample that we had to collect ourselves and bring back on Monday well the report came back that Adom had indeed caught malaria…that dreaded demon … we then had to go and purchase the medicine, eat dinner, and make the 1-2 hour trek back to Medie from Accra….. when the pharmacists said 190,000 for the malaria medicine I thought I was going to scream …we really didn’t have it….I mean the money we had was enough to make it through the weekend but not enough to handle a bout of malaria …we decided to go to a different pharmacy across the street and sure enough the medicine was cheaper…if I remember correctly it was about 70,000…they told us to give him the medicine with food so we had to wait until we got back out to Medie….we couldn’t buy food in town because it was too expensive and like I said we didn’t budget for malaria. Well we got on the tro tro and headed back out to Medie. The traffic was horrendous!!!!! It got so bad that the driver turned the tro tro off. Adom was sleep and now his fever was up to 102, I didn’t know what to do but pray….Greg and I prayed together, somehow we got out of the traffic and out to Medie – we fed Adom and gave him his first dose of medicine. I kept giving him Tylenol and so by bedtime his fever was down and Adom began checking his fever himself. We even joked that it was 99. Well later that night his fever came back with a vengeance, 102.9. Greg and I woke up gave Adom a cold shower, popsicle, Tylenol, fanned him (it is hot here) and prayed long and hard…..WOW fear really set in deep – like what am I doing here and maybe it’s time to leave. Adom seemed to pretty much have his wits about him but definitely effected by the whole ordeal. The fever eventually came down and things slowly got better from the next day forward. I am so thankful for the prayers of many people back at home. We all had a real good laugh as Greg collected Adom’s stool sample and even took pictures of it. Adom seemed amazed that he actually caught MALARIA and from time to time felt the need to tell random people.

Things died down a little after the malaria scare and the group had a performance at the American Ambassadors house here in Ghana. This was Greg’s first time seeing me perform here in Ghana. It was wonderful. My two favorite men sat in the audience and watched me with huge smiles on their faces. Sulley even got Greg and Adom up to dance and they both did very well, they made me proud. My birthday was coming up and we were trying to decide how to spend it. At first I didn’t really want to do anything but at the last minute I decided you know what? I am not spending my birthday in Africa doing nothing!!!!! Even though that in itself would be doing something ;-) at any rate we decided to go to the beach and spend the night at a hotel. The rates were surprisingly higher than we thought. And contrary to what we thought the hotel rates were even up for negotiation so we ended up getting a family room ( 2 rooms that are joined together) for 920,000. Adom had his own room…not sure how much he liked that idea though… he fell asleep in the room with us and then Greg took him into the other room and as he was taking him he said Adom woke up and murmured “where is my mother?” he said he told him it’s alright lil daddy you sleeping in here tonight…and Adom said “I want to be comfortable” and Greg told him “you will be” you think he might be spoiled ? just a tad? ;-) earlier that night we walked out on the ocean which was right behind the hotel, then we got in the pool for a bit, and had a nice dinner and watched some locals dance and commented how alike people are whether in Africa or America. The next morning we had a nice breakfast and rested for a while and then got in the pool again and had some beers. A friend recommended this new kind of beer to me called Gordon’s Spark and it is soooo delicious – so I had a couple of those and Greg was drinking Star. Adom had a ball and really appreciated the break from being out in Medie. We then checked out of the hotel and headed to Osu to meet a friend for lunch. Our friend Gina was getting her hair done so we spent time with her family and had lunch as we waited on her. We had a good time and Adom was playing with her children. He really enjoyed himself because there was 2 birthdays going on and the restaurant had inflated a jumper. So we had a good day chillin out with friends. The next day we headed back to town to go to Max Mart in order to change a game that we got Adom for Christmas that was not working…. We didn’t have an opportunity to eat the night before because the eating place was closed in Medie. So I was dehydrated, hungry, and weak. An opportune time for me to get malaria right? Well just as we were sitting down to eat I began feeling really weird. I can’t even explain it only I knew something was wrong. I felt like all of my blood was rushing through my body or like something was rushing through my body. My heart began pounding like almost out of my chest and I literally began shaking. I thought I was about to pass out and it was a good thing that I didn’t. I got up and started walking around and said I need to go to the hospital. Ironically we were right across the street from the hospital – the same as when it happened to Adom. Even though we were right across the street I couldn’t walk, we had to take a taxi and of course the taxi driver took advantage of the lazy, sick Americans who did not want to walk across the street. He was trying to charge too much and Greg was getting angry – I mean like about to have a flashback and go postal on him angry. I told Greg let’s just take the taxi and may God have mercy on him for trying to take advantage of this situation. Well after arriving at 37 AGAIN and having to pay 150,000 for an identification card again and having to go to the lab again for a malaria test … I was told that yes I indeed had stage 1 malaria. I almost didn’t believe the guy because he said that the test would take 30 minutes and he came back in 10 with the test results. Also I didn’t have a fever or sore throat or any of those symptoms only feeling “weird” I tell you it was the scariest thing. I thought I was about to pass out or die or something. Greg and I laugh about it now but when we were at the restaurant and I was about to pass out I looked down and we had a bag from something that we had previously bought and it said something in twi but one of the words was die and I said to Greg , “why does that say die am I going to die?” and he was like no baby you not gone die … lets just go to the hospital. Well after the lady told me I had malaria I pulled out some malaria medicine from my purse that I had purchased when I first arrived here in Ghana. I bought some for me and some for Adom because we are so far out in Medie and may not be able to get to a hospital soon. I showed it to the doctor and she said that it was good and that I could take it so I just filled a prescription for amoxicillin that she gave me in case I had a respiratory tract infection. So I began taking the medicine and feeling better. Still I was not too happy about the fact that I would have malaria for x-mas but I felt soooo good that I caught it early and was treating it and that it could have been worse. Christmas went well…Greg and I woke early and talked…… We gave Adom 2 game boy games for x-mas and he really liked them. We spent some time out here in the village including the night before when they had a big party at the local bar…I felt like I was at the speak-easy or something…..we all went me, Greg, and Adom…..there was all ages there and this is when the research got good…..watching all those people dance as if no care in the world…at any rate later on x-mas day we went to Gina’s house for dinner. It was really nice and this family has really helped us out in sooooo many ways. It has just been a blessing to know them. Gina’s mother cooked Turkey, ham, pork, beef, mac and cheese, broccoli, home made mashed potatoes, rice, yams, plantains, salad, rolls, and other things that I cant even remember. Wow it was wonderful and made me feel x-mas like what I am used to at home. We began talking and relaxing. Gina is a very inspirational person to me. We always seem to have philosophical discussions when we are around her…. She doesn’t allow stereotypes to dictate who she is or her actions. She has taught in many different countries …she was teaching here for a while and now she is going to Holland to teach autistic children. Her parents are Ghanain and she was born in Europe and raised in Canada. At any rate we began talking with her and because her car had trouble that night we ended up spending the night there. Adom didn’t have any problems with that … I think he likes one of her daughters or maybe even both. Well as we were talking I began feeling weird again…this time the fever set in…I was freezing cold, I felt constipated…and just plain old sick……I began taking Tylenol but it did not work and through the night I kept having to pee and my condition just got worse. Well by the morning I was really ill with a fever of over 38 celsius. I didnt know what was going on….I was taking the malaria medicine so I felt sure it could not have been malaria. I thought maybe the hospital mis-diagnosed me or something. Maybe I had typhoid or some weird “other” well as fate would have it Gina’s mom was planning a visit to her ill brother in Nsawam and Gina’s uncle was also a doctor in Nsawam where they were going. They said that we should go with them. By this time I was feeling so bad I was in a go with the flow state of mind….. but Greg and I did pray and were hopeful that my condition would change. On the way to the doctor I saw a tro tro that said on the back long life and it made me happy… I also saw another one that said “THE STORM IS OVER NOW” and this also made me happy. By the time we arrived at the doctor’s office my fever was even higher and the doctor had me suck on asprin and he looked at my throat and said he saw some slight tonsillitis he also had me have another malaria test and a typhoid test as well. The typhoid test came back negative but the malaria test came back positive and I had progressed to stage 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The medicine that I was taking was not working at all!!!! I could not believe it. The doctor asked me if I had a problem with having the injection and I said no and now I know why he asked me because the shot hurt like…. well let’s just say the people outside heard me screaming. Those shots really hurt but surprisingly it was like I could feel the medicine killing the parasites and my headache went away. I felt slightly woozy from the shots. He also gave me some more malaria pills to take and told me not to take the amoxicillin – he wrote me a prescription for augmentin gave me appetite pills, asprin, and throat lozenges. He didn’t charge me anything for his services and told me to come back on Thursday to retest. Things were slow but pretty much up hill from there. I went back on Thursday and as we got into the cab guess what song was playin? The Storm Is Over Now…. The malaria test showed no malaria and he had me continue the rest of the pills to be sure. I felt a sweetness in Africa that I had not previously felt … I was angry with her before… for more reasons than I can list on this blog and the significance of the song … the storm is over now extends beyond my malaria….Africa and I have reconciled and I truely believe that things are going to get better from here…we really need to get out of Medie though…


By the way I have come to realize that my life is truelly in God’s hands …. I thought I had planned for malaria (I had already bought medicine) and was ready but when it came down to it … it was truelly a miracle and blessing the way I was healed

Talk later

Still laughin, lovin, livin, learnin…
angel



Today is Jan 2, 2007….the new year passed quietly. New year’s eve we went to church and enjoyed the service here in Medie. The message was what will you shout for in 2007?
After my and Adom’s illness we began to pay more attention to when, how, and what we ate and we have been getting more rest. At midnight we were all sound asleep in the bed. I was awakened by the sound of pure joy coming from the church right outside of our gate where we are living. The people were shouting, laughing, singing, dancing, praying and playing instruments. I tried to wake Greg but it was no use. The next day we just rested around the house. My family called and it really meant the world to me. My mom called and as soon as I answered the phone I yelled “happy new year!” New Years is usually spent at my mom’s house with food, drinks, and just fun. This is when I usually let my hair down. My auntie called me also and it made my day. Our spirits had to be communicating because earlier that day I vowed to call her once I got some units. I miss her dearly…our conversations. I miss America and things that I never thought that I would miss like Walmart, Target, and my little relaxation technique of taking a bath and a shower at the same time….you should try it. I like to just sit there and let the hot water fall…this is when I think, contemplate, meditate, and pray. I also miss just laying around at mom’s house and my son and my nephew running around the house, bouncing off the walls, playing video games, and eating whatever I cook for them. My cousin asked me if I wanted to come home. Even though I miss home and with Adom and me getting sick I still feel that I have to complete my reasons for coming here which I shared earlier is not just about the dance…honestly I don’t know what it is about……I have learned sooooo much by just living here, just existing. Everything is a lesson and experience has been my professor. Funny some people refer to here as home and I feel them to a certain degree. I mean what is home? A familiar face, comfort, I feel these things here but really nothing can compare to my mama’s house and my mama….we have been in that house since I was about 2 months old….threw it all…my parent’s marriage and divorce…my mother having a stroke, my father dying, and soooooo oh so much more. I grew up in that neighborhood and no matter where I moved to I always would come back and stay home for a while…. I know the people there and they know me…….it’s almost like our own little village…Almeda Plaza….if anyone different…a foreigner …..walks down the street we all look, wonder, and ask who is this person, of course we feel like we are supposed to know everyone who enters into the neighborhood…and now all of us are adults and we have had children and the funny thing is all of our children look exactly like us….and when they are outside playing I feel like I am looking at us outside playing…and they seem to hold the same grudges and beliefs as their parents….interesting…very interesting…..at any rate I am full …full of emotion….I know that things are about to change here….we have outgrown village life, served our time, we need to find another place to live….soon we will have different experiences. Adom will begin in grade level 1 soon which will be a challenge for him…he has changed so much….wow he will be a different child when we return. Adom and I are planning a slumber party for him and his cousin/brother/best friend (lil rick – my brother’s son) they will stay up late, play video games, order pizza, and eat ice cream…he’s trying to negotiate a inflatable jumper also…. At any rate it will be nice….I haven’t been dancing much, nice to take a break, but I miss it so… it has been really nice having Greg here…growing and experiencing things together…our family is getting tight…I am blessed

Laughin, lovin, livin, learnin
shani