Back to Blogging

This is a pretty busy week for me. I finally got my cast off! I'm hoping that was my last experience with the hospital because it was just as frightening as every other. The nurse set me up in a nice room in the "casualty" department. (That's their word for "emergency room," but I think it's slightly unsettling.) Then she hooked up a nice rotating saw. It looked a lot like the dremel I would use at work, but bigger and sharper... and I've cut through some thick metal with those things! It's ok, she was only going to cut the cast, right? 

The nurse was making a pretty good dent in the top layer of the cast, but she kept taking breaks, as if this was a very exhausting exercise. Finally she said "It's too thick!" Then she grabbed the saw again and started hacking away. Her entire body was bobbing up and down as she fought with the thick plaster. The worst moment was when a person from the custodial staff walked into the room. She turned around and politely said hi to him WHILE USING THAT SAW ON MY LEG!! I honestly thought I was going to lose my leg. In an effort to be less dramatic, I turned to my friend Pam and began to rationalize the situation. I calmly told her that the worst thing that was going to happen was for her to hit the skin, see a little blood, and then I could call in her supervisor to finish the simple procedure. I was actually preparing for her to cut my leg, and assuring myself that it wouldn't be that bad. Way to go, Tanzanian healthcare. It's hard to believe that this is one of the best facilities in East Africa. It definitely makes me appreciate the high level of care I receive in the US. 

Well, the good news is that I survived--no scars! Except that big burn on my heel. More good news--it's healing! I have to wear an ankle support (kind of like an ACE bandage) for the next month and build up the strength in my little chicken leg. 

For the next month, I'm advised not to walk on sand or hills. Good thing I'm going to Zanzibar on Friday! That's the beautiful island off the coast of Dar es Salaam. I'll be heading back to Machui to find out firsthand about the struggles with water in the small village. 

But I can't think about that until after my big test tomorrow. Essays on African Civilizations. Thousands of years, starting with the hunting and gathering lifestyles, all the way through iron working and the formation of major cities. This should be interesting... I haven't taken a test like this in almost a year! I'm getting too old for stress like this.