Zorash called Mr. Iddrisu this morning and told him that she was going to be late for work but she never showed up. We are not sure what happened; she might very well have told Mr. Iddrisu that she was not coming to work. She is in the middle of a TB screening project right now. She is a volunteer for her area and she helps the hospital and non-government organizations when they are doing things like distributing mosquito nets and polio vaccines. The group she is working with is going out into the villages around Yendi trying to identify those that might be suffering from TB of the lungs. They are collecting sputum samples and taking them to the lab to be tested. They just started the program last week. It is possible that she was tied up with that project today. We will know more tomorrow.
Papa Zachariah, the old watchman, came to visit us today. He retired from being our watchman a couple years ago because he got a position as a sub-chief for the Ya-Na. We asked him exactly what his chieftaincy entailed, he was very vague about what he did; he said that mostly he was one of the elders that was in charge if the Ya-Na had to travel or was not available to solve problems. His title includes a small palace. We asked him if he missed his job as watchman; he said that it did not matter if he missed it or not because he had to do his duty to the skin (throne). He said that he heard we had built a fine new pavilion on the back of the property and he wanted to see it. Steve drove him to the jobsite in the green truck. He said that he loved the building so much that he wished he could pick it up and take it to his palace.
Adamu, the child that was so severely malnourished, came back to the Center this morning. She can now walk and she has started picking up her food and feeding herself. These are all impressive milestones she is meeting. She is behind for her age but she had a rough start in life; we celebrate every little thing she does!
A baby came in with a hernia in his lower abdomen today. His mother and grandmother are very worried about him. Steve gave them lots of encouragement and did a little teaching about what caused hernias. He referred them to Yendi hospital and told them not to be surprised if Yendi refers them on to Tamale. We are not sure that Yendi is able to do hernia repairs.
Donkey sprayed with weed killer around the building on the back of the property. If the weather holds he will spray the wall and around the telephone poles tomorrow. A storm is brewing so we might be in for another night of rain.
Thank you for your help!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
I have been used and abused and put upon in every way imaginable! I have been insulted and prodded and poked and injected in ways I did not know were possible! Today was the day that the parents decided to take me to the vet’s office and be abused! It was time for me to get a full dose of rabies vaccine, distemper booster and de-wormer. What! All that in one day! By strangers! It should not be tolerated by man or beast! In case you are wondering, I fall under the category of man not beast.
The ordeal began with a ride in the truck which is always frightening! Nothing can be done quickly in Ghana. The vet is a Muslim so we had to sit and wait for him to finish with his prayers before he could see us; while we sat, strange men kept walking past the truck and I had to shriek to scare them off! Then children came through on their bicycle; I dislike children about as much as I dislike men! Mom brought 2 dish towels with her; I soon found out what they were for; she used them to throw over my head and around my arms so I could not get away from the men that were torturing me! I am not even sure that any of the men were vets; I think they were students; they were bumbling idiots! They did not use alcohol to sanitize my skin. They dropped the syringe with the rabies medicine on the floor and did not even bother to change the needle before they gave me the shot. One guy tried to give me the shot but he could not figure out how to just pick up my skin and give it under the skin and not in the muscle so another guy gave the shot! He made a mistake and stuck the needle in his own finger while he was trying to give me my shot. When they got ready to give the distemper shot they dropped the syringe again but this time they changed the needle. Mom had to tell the vet that the syringe was half full of air because he was just going to inject me. Then came the de-wormer! They really wanted to see me take the medicine; it is a liquid but Dad said he would give it at home. The vet said that they also had a de-wormer that worked better but it was an injection. Wouldn’t you know that Mom said she wanted that de-wormer too! What another shot! It is easy for her to say she wants another shot when she is not the one getting it! Mom asked for a paper that said I had the rabies vaccine and the guy told her that she needed to get a pet booklet. We could get one next time we were in Tamale. Really, obviously they had no more rabies receipts so he wrote the medicine name and lot number on the back of the receipt we got in April when I got the ½ dose shots. He said that I need to be de-wormed every month. Mom said she was going to try to get a whole bottle of the medicine and some vials of the injectable so Dad could give me the medicine without the trauma of going to the vet’s office! The only highlight of the ordeal was that on the way back to the mission house Dad stopped and bought me some bananas! I adore bananas! I was nervous, shaky and anxious but I was still able to eat a banana!
Take me to a real vet next time!
Love, Skeeter
