Onyaki village

I had to admit to myself yesterday that I’m still not back to normal. When the late afternoon finally rolled around the thought of anything that didn’t involve being prone seemed pretty overwhelming but it was a good day- worth the exhaustion, I think.

cutting and peeling

Onyaki is a village I’m spending more and more time at as I get to know people out there. Yesterday, Rebecca  (who is in Uganda for a few months with Youth With a Mission) and I headed out there to teach how to preserve mangoes. 

Also, I discovered the pastor of the church we were meeting at announced on Sunday that I’m a nurse so a large group arrived for medical care. 

The mango part started late as everyone was in their gardens because of the rain in the night but by 10:45 they had made two big pots of mango sauce and were spreading it in the sun to dry. They were excited about trying something new and I heard several of them say they would be doing it again in their homes.

Then we headed inside the church followed by a huge group of mothers with young kids that wanted medicine. 

Cooking

This is the part that becomes overwhelming to me. I want so badly to help but often there is so little I can really do. I give out deworming meds and cream for ring worm knowing that both of these conditions will be back in such a short time. I try to teach about how kids get viral infections sometimes and they don’t always need an antibiotic but in the back of my head is the fear that there is something I’m missing and this child does actually need more than rest and fluids. I tested 6 kids for malaria and had 4 positives so that at least felt good. I knew the kids that actually needed malaria meds got them and I wasn’t guessing on the rest. I went through 2 bottles of children’s tylenol with the number of kids that had temps. Taught mothers about dehydration (one really dehydrated one who actually probably needed a line) and saw far too much obvious malnutrition.  Found one little one with pneumonia and many others who were healthy but just had concerned mothers. Lanced a few boils and packed a few other infected wounds.

The skin on her face was peeling from malnutrition.

This infection was gross.

Hearing a long, complicated health history.

I’m estimating that I saw 35 kids and 12 adults. And that was only half the crowd. I knew I was running out of energy (and was mostly out of meds) and had to put my foot down and say we were done. A few got angry and it got a little tense for a minute or two but the pastor (my translator) assured them I was coming back so I would help another time. At least no one left too upset but I’m a little afraid to go to church Sunday and I don't know when that "another time" will be.

Elda, the mother of the twins, had made me promise I would come to her house for lunch after, so around 2 pm we put our stuff back in the car ready to head home but to turn down an invitation to visit is a horrible insult. So Rebecca and  I climbed in the car, then the pastor and his wife, then 4 other women. It is only a 5 seater and I had to tell two others no but, for better or worse, when I'm hot and tired I say no much easier.   We headed into the bush and piled back out at her house. The twins are looking really healthy and really growing. 

Lunch was nearly ready (I had told here we would be there around 12 and it was past 2) so we chatted a little with the ladies who had accompanied us, saw a few more patients, played with the twins then the food arrived. Poso, atapa and chicken freshly killed. Around 3:30 I was really dragging and felt like enough time had passed that we could politely leave.  Most of us piled back in the car and we brought the pastor back to the church. One old woman stayed in the car. Ummmm…. "You want a ride to town?" “ No, you come to my house.” Alright then, not optional.  She directed us back into the bush, down some foot paths and I realized how thankful I was that I had decided to use the car instead of  my bike for the day. We arrived at her place and she introduced me to her mother who was “sick”. In her 80’s I’m guessing, though it is hard to tell and she didn’t know her age. That is really old around here so needless to say she had some aches and pains. Tylenol arthritis, multivitamins and cipro for a bladder infection. At this point unfortunately I was getting downright rude and declined to sit in the chairs that they have brought us and set in the shade. I was putting my medical bag back in the car one more time and was focused on getting home when they brought a chicken and a container of fresh milk. These are very nice gifts and I was being so self-focused. We promised to see them again on Sunday.  4:30 and only the two of us in the car so we headed for home.  The thought briefly passed through my mind how nice it would be to stop and pick up some fast food dinner on the way and I realized that we kind of did. There was a chicken on the back seat…..