When you’re sliding into first and you’re feeling something burst…
Amoebas! Amoebas!
So a few weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible stomachache, and that awful “oh-god-I’m-gonna-puke” feeling. I managed to make it to the benjo (outhouse, but with a real water-seal toilet) in time to puke up all the contents of my stomach (canned mackerel and kimchi–tasted about the same coming up as it did going down). Then I felt a different urge, and spent another five minutes expelling all the contents of my bowels (“peeing out of the butt” is the official medical term, I believe). Then I continued to puke some more, mostly bile because there was nothing else left in me at that point…and then I lay sweating on the concrete floor of the benjo for about 10 minutes before I could build up the strength to stumble back to bed.
Anyway, I woke up in the morning still feeling like death and called the PC Medical Officer, who told me to go in to the health clinic on Weno; luckily I was able to get a boat in that day (that boat ride was MISERABLE). I had to give a stool sample (a truly enjoyable experience made even more entertaining by a lack of toilet paper), and was soon given the prognosis: amoebas.
It’s a parasitic infection, common among Volunteers here, caused by drinking bad water. Not life-threatening, just miserable. I got some antibiotics, and even though I ended up having an allergic reaction to the medicine (just my luck), I was all better within a week and only had to miss two days of school. The first 12 hours were really the worst. Still, not a fun experience at all.
It actually ended up being a nice bonding opportunity for me and my host mom, Stella (who is the most wonderful woman in the world, by the way). She came with me to the health clinic, and when we were waiting for our boat to return to Romanum and I felt like I was going to puke again, she accompanied me to the single most disgusting bathroom (at an old ice plant) in the world; the toilet was clogged with all kinds of disgustingness, so I had to crouch over a drain on the floor, and Stella stood next to me holding me up by one arm and my hair so I wouldn’t fall over when I started gagging. She also suggested I stick my finger down my throat to make myself throw up, saying I’d feel better once I just “get it out,” but I didn’t take that piece of motherly advice (and I didn’t end up puking again). Actually, that story’s kind of funny in retrospect…
In other news…
Anyway, I’m in fine health now, and things are going well in general. School is good. We just started 4th quarter. I still like all of my students (most of the time). One of my favorite 8th-grade girls just passed the entrance exam for one of the good private schools here in Chuuk–I’m so proud of her! But she’s also supposedly moving sometime in the near future to live with relatives in Oregon…both promising options for her.
I’m starting to feel a little burnt out on teaching, and I’m glad summer is fast approaching. Although I’m also a little worried about how I’m going to fill my time over summer break, with no school to occupy my time. I do have a couple project ideas in mind that I’m planning to discuss with my principal and co-teacher this week. I’ve been thinking about doing some kind of summer school/camp, or maybe some kind of high school prep with the 8th graders (if enough of them will actually be going to high school…). I’ve also talked to my principal about starting to work on building up the school library; it was put together back in the 90′s by a previous volunteer, but there’s not much left now except some old encyclopedias and a few other really outdated books. I’m planning to get some newer books donated, and hopefully get new shelving and other materials. I’m really excited about it, and hopefully that’ll keep me somewhat busy over the summer. I’m still keeping my eyes open for other project ideas as well.
Oh, and the drought seems to have finally let up. We got a lot of good rain at the end of March, and it’s been raining more often over the past couple weeks. It’s still relatively dry, but much better than it was. Unfortunately, the heavier rains have also lead to a plague of mosquitoes, which I don’t even have to tell you has NOT been fun. Fortunately, there’s no malaria in Micronesia.
Well, there’s plenty more I could share but I have to run and catch a boat back to Romanum in a few minutes, so I’ll have to stop here for the time. I’m sorry my updates have been so brief and scattered; I’ve lost my motivation for writing posts from home on my laptop to publish en masse when I come in to Weno. I’ll try to get back at it–I feel like I’m always leaving so much out with these at-the-moment updates.
Prayer Requests
I have been having a nightmarish time trying to get my student loan deferment application approved, for multiple reasons, and if I don’t get things worked out by the end of April I’m gonna be slammed with bad credit. Not really the reward I want for offering up two years of my life in the Peace Corps…so please pray that my loan provider gets a brain, and that things will get worked out quickly.
For health and sanity and good progress in general, for myself as well as all the Volunteers here.
And I think that’s it for now.
Peace– Kirby
Wow, that does sound a little bit horrendous. I’m glad you’re feeling better though. Why did you get the amoebas in the first place? Just unavoidable? And good luck with building up your library. I’m glad that you’re coming up with things to keep you busy there. It really is a lot different over here.