Dear Friends

Having completed the first part of our holiday, Carol and I were ready for a little time in my home , before setting off again. Well the road from Kabale to Kisoro is exhausting and scary on a good day and this was no “good” day, as it was raining cats and dogs. Or in this country one might say ; goats and cows. The roads were muddy and slick and the view was less than it’s usual breathtaking self, because there was little view at all.

So, being an old hand at traveling in Uganda and trusting Sheba’s driving to the max, I decided to curl up in the back seat and take a nap. Carol, in the front of the van with Sheba, our guide, was a bit nervous but chatted pleasantly about the area and gained more knowledge about Uganda in 3 hrs., than I’ve cared to know in a year-ha

Well Carol realized she felt a bit nauseated but thought it just the road and altitude, but only minutes after we arrived home, we both realized she was indeed sick and, unfortunately, Carol realized it all to well for the next week

The up side of this illness was, it couldn’t have happened at a better time: She was in my home with the “conveniences” necessary to make being sick tolerable and I was working daily, so fairly out of her hair, as she recovered.

One day she was able to walk down to the Public Health Building, where I work and snap a few pictures of me teaching the Nursing students techniques and procedures of giving Immunizations to babies and Tetanus Injections to pregnant woman.(they receive a series of 5 , with boosters for any injury).

I had so hoped we’d be able to do an HIV Testing Outreach while my friends were here but it didn’t work out, but they did spend a morning with me at the local Primary School, as I distributed Albendazole (for deworming) to over 1000 children.. Now that’s a true Ugandan experience!.

Another Ugandan experience deluxe was during AIDS Orphans Sat.. when I bite down and realized I had broken a tooth in half. Now what was I to do? I am in the middle of no- where, 10,000 miles away from the best dentist in the world, Dr. Kemper from Quitman, Arkansas. Now this tooth consisted of little tooth and lots of filling and though it was not painful at the time, I knew something had to be done quickly or it would be. I asked my Supervisor what she advised and she immediately called our dentist (not really a dentist, but a lab tech that acts as a dentist by extracting teeth in emergencies). She said I was to meet him at the Outpatient Clinic at 3pm and he would open the dental room, just to give me some advice in how I might solve this dilemma..

So I was anticipating his telling me I would have to rearrange our plans so I could travel back to Kabale to see a dentist, as the one in Kisoro only does extractions because of lack of filling materials. When to my surprise and without discussion I was getting a novacaine injection in preparation for a temporary filling.!!!!!

When Carol (still not well at this point) and Robina came to the Clinic, I was shaking and very chilled. Robina thought I was fearful of the procedure but Silver (the non-dentist dentist)- assured her I was not afraid as I had no problem with the novocaine injection.

The truth was not “fear” I was experiencing, but rather “shock” that this was happening at all.! I couldn’t believe my much cared for teeth were now being drilled and filled by a lab tech named Silver (honest that is his name!), with narry a discussion, let alone a signed permission from me..

Well since Silver didn’t have any permanent filling material (yep ,Silver had no “silver”), he used temporary filling material, which continues in my tooth till this day. He is optimistic it will last until a Dutch surgeon named Dr. Ronald returns with some promised permanent filling material. I suspect he is probably correct, as I now gnaw on a home grown radish-smile... . .

We did have a nice Sunday outing, where, following church service at the Anglican Cathedral,( Carol is Anglican –Episcopal, as well as Robina ( a recent graduate RN and Jennifer (in her final year to become an RN), we ate at .my favorite eatery called “The Kisoro Tourist Hotel”. I had my much loved Pork Chops and Rosemary potatoes, while Carol opted for the fish, which though considerable bland, did not set too well with her still fragile digestive system.

In the photo of me, Robina, Jennifer and a hidden Michael asleep on a cushion on the floor, I am wearing one of the many new outfits that Carol brought to adorn my recently svelte figure. This particular creation had been my friend Becky’s and it must have been high quality, as it says it is a size 10.I think it is a mistake as I can’t recall ever wearing a size 10 – ha. Other shots are of me working or trying on my new wardrobe .

Enjoy the photos and tune in next time for Carol’s Birthday Celebration!.

======================== Marie