message I got from Amy today: I popped an albendazol yesterday with Pola
Somehow she manages to make taking anti-parasitic medication sound like a really enjoyable illicit drug experience.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Quoth John:
"For the rest of you life, whenever a doctor starts talking about the clinical presentation of Malaria, you can be like 'yea i know, i had falcip.' Kate Groh doesn't have time to mess around with Vivax or Ovale. She goes right after the hard-core stuff....and everyone can't wait to see you when you come back (except me because i think you are a tool)."
Well said, John...you tool
Well said, John...you tool
Pop Rocks and 7-up
Due to a number of concerned emails and a frantic phone call from Hannah, I thought it would be good to let the family know that yes, I have malaria, but I am just fine. In fact, I'm on my last day of treatment and feeling delightful! So what happened is I had a bit of a fever Sunday night, and then on Monday I tested positive for plasmodium falciparum. But fear not! I started treatment immediately (for the medically curious, I'm taking coartem) and am 100% a-ok. I think I probably had a mild case because I'm taking malaria prophylaxis, and I'm a generally healthy 25 year old. Now, if I was really young or really old, or my body couldn't fight off infections well, then I probably would have been sicker.
Getting malaria in Africa is kind of like getting the flu in America. It's pretty common and most people handle it just fine.
And in fact, I think I really came out a winner in this situation because since I was the first person to get malaria, Amy has to buy me ice cream. Amers, I'd like rainbow sprinkles too. Also I get to play the "I have malaria" card. Unfortunately this doesn't really matter when you're living by yourself in Africa. But if I was in the USA, you bet I'd be milking it for all it's worth.
So basically I'd be more concerned if I had eaten pop rocks and drank a can of 7-up...because everyone knows that makes your stomach explode.
Getting malaria in Africa is kind of like getting the flu in America. It's pretty common and most people handle it just fine.
And in fact, I think I really came out a winner in this situation because since I was the first person to get malaria, Amy has to buy me ice cream. Amers, I'd like rainbow sprinkles too. Also I get to play the "I have malaria" card. Unfortunately this doesn't really matter when you're living by yourself in Africa. But if I was in the USA, you bet I'd be milking it for all it's worth.
So basically I'd be more concerned if I had eaten pop rocks and drank a can of 7-up...because everyone knows that makes your stomach explode.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Moving right along
I was out in the districts this week. Here's the play by play:
1/12/2009
Today was the first day of traveling to the northern districts to collect clinic data. It was about a 6 ½ hour drive to Gile through beautiful rolling hills that are bright green from the rain we’ve been having. We arrived at Adi’s house to find that he had electricity (I was pleasantly surprised), but no running water. Come to find out that the reason why we have electricity is because there is a meeting today of the Gile government officials, so they turn on the electricity for the town so they can run their a/c. Also found out there hasn’t been water for 3 days and nobody knows when it’ll start working again. Can we say hammer and sickle much?
Sara, Sergio, and I went to the health center to “be presented” to the DDS (the head doctor for Gile). A rather unpleasant and aggressive man who not so kindly informed us that although we have 572 pieces of documentation for our research project that have been signed by every government official from Cabo Delgado to Maputo, we don’t have the documentation that he wants. Apparently we have government “approval” but we don’t have “authorization.” Oops. Obviously one needs to get authorization after being approved. I mean, how else will the authorities know that I’ve been through the bureaucratic ringer? After that lovely meeting, I taught Sara and Sergio the word, ‘crapweasel.’
On a positive note, Adi has a guava tree! So all is not lost. And I might venture down to the river this evening to try to get a glimpse of a crocodile. So between the delicious guavas and potential crocodile spotting, life is good.
1/13/2009
Ok, so we’ve received the DDS’s blessing, although he made it quite clear that he’s not pleased with our lack of documentation. After popping by the clinic, Sara and I took a stroll through the market. Between the room filled with drying fish (and flies), and the adjacent room filled with severed goat heads (and flies), I think I might take a pass on lunch.
Focus group went well and afterwards, Sara, Emilio, and I walked down to the Molocue River to enjoy the view. It was beautiful! Kind of turbulent reddish-brown water with tall grass on either side. Mt. Gile was in the distance, and a wonderful thunderstorm was rumbling in. Didn’t see a crocodile, but hey, you win some you lose some.
1/14/2009
So the empregado who works for Adi almost burned down the house last night. Turns out candles and wicker tables covered in flammable cloth don’t mix. I walked into the empty living room to see a candle tipped over and the table going up in flames. Luckily my Smokey the Bear training came in handy and I screamed, “fire,” which nobody understood because they don’t speak English, and then I reached for my trusty water bottle and put out the flames. This could have been potentially bad for a couple reasons: 1.Gile doesn’t have a fire department…but they do have a jenky looking tribunal where I no doubt would have been convicted of arson and incarcerated. 2.Gile doesn’t have running water. And yes, I am a master of bucket baths if you were wondering. 3.There was a giant gas tank in the house that powered the stove. But thanks to my trusty nalgene bottle and my girlish shriek (which nobody responded to), crisis was averted.
We arrived in Alto Molocue this morning and went to the district administration office to present ourselves to the guy who basically functions like the mayor. It was like entering Oz, and the deputy administrator was the wizard. Seriously, we (Sara, Sergio, and I—tin man, scarecrow, and Dorothy) had to sit in the waiting room for him to invite us into his office which was sealed off by 20-foot high wooden doors. I fully anticipated hearing a booming voice declare, “you may enter!”
Administrator: And what do you want, little foreign girl?
Me: I just want to do my research, your Excellency.
Admin: You only have 742 pages documenting your approval. Do you fancy me a fool?!
Me: No sir, your most awesomest administrator. What do I have to do to collect my data in your wonderful district?
Admin: Bring me back the broomsti….I mean a letter signed by the deputy physician of this province. Only then will I speak to you and potentially allow you to carry out your project.
And so our adventure continued. Turns out we were able to play the “my father is the head of FGH” card. Sara doesn’t like to, but when backed in a corner, we’ll come out with the big guns. And just like that, we were given the green light to commence with our research in Molocue. The focus group went well, and the three of us had a lovely dinner at a Mozambican truck stop. No joke. Like an American truck stop, only they didn’t have delicious pie. (sidenote: why do truck stops always have the best pies?) Alto Molocue is on the major highway that runs to the province of Nampula. So the three of us ate dinner surrounded by a bunch of burly truck drivers. And now we’re working on transcribing and translating the data from today, as well as killing the millions of cockroaches that call our motel home.
1/16/2009
Ok, so I’m back in Quelimane. We left Alto Molocue yesterday and arrived in Ile to hopefully bust through with our focus group in the same day and then head back home early the following day. Things didn’t quite go as planned, but we’re trying to work in rural Mozambique, so that’s kind of to be expected. None the less, things panned out well and we were able to get our data collected today, and then head home early afternoon.
My new favorite word: trovoada. Meaning: thunderstorms. Every night this week, we had amazing thunder and lightning, but fortunately not much rain. After a long day of work in the Mozambican heat, there’s nothing better than kicking up your feet and watching a storm roll in over the hills.
Funny thing I realized: I’m working in tiny little rural towns that often don’t have running water or electricity, but they do have functioning cell phone towers. No joke. Driving in, I noticed a woman working in machamba (the subsistence farming fields), talking on her cell phone. About 25% of the population suffers from moderate malnutrition, people have to pump water from the neighborhood well, but they can send text messages.
I had a long, important, and probably life-changing discussion with Sergio (one of my research assistants) about Brian Adams. Yes, Brian Adams the singer. One of the most perplexing things about this country is that Mozambicans LOVE Brian Adams. Why? I have no idea. But Sergio insists that it is all very simple. They just like his sound.
I love buying mystery produce. On the way home we made a pit-stop in Nicoadala to buy pineapples and there were these cute little kids selling bags of berry-like fruit, so of course I bought 2 giant bags…you know, there were two kids so I had to buy from both of them. Kind of like you have to buy lemonade from all the little lemonade stands in your neighborhood, just to be fair. Anyway, I bought about 4 kilos of what looks like a cross between a grape and an olive. Jorge, our driver, totally got a kick out of me buying stuff that I’ve never heard of or tried. So these grape things are called jamboão, and they kind of have the texture of a grape but they taste like a cross between a tart grape and a pine tree. Sort of like eating grapes and taking a swig of gin. And they have a pit. I definitely like them more than the cashew fruit. But I think ata is still my favorite of the “what is that, and is it edible” class of fruit.
We’re supposed to go to Lugela on Monday and Tuesday, but we can’t go without that other oh so important piece of governmental approval that seems to elude us. Troy asked the official to sign it today, but they said no and that we’re to come back next week and they’ll consider it again. Why did they say no? Because they’re in a position of authority, so they can. Flexing their muscles. Hammer and sickle. Bem vindo a Moçambique!
1/12/2009
Today was the first day of traveling to the northern districts to collect clinic data. It was about a 6 ½ hour drive to Gile through beautiful rolling hills that are bright green from the rain we’ve been having. We arrived at Adi’s house to find that he had electricity (I was pleasantly surprised), but no running water. Come to find out that the reason why we have electricity is because there is a meeting today of the Gile government officials, so they turn on the electricity for the town so they can run their a/c. Also found out there hasn’t been water for 3 days and nobody knows when it’ll start working again. Can we say hammer and sickle much?
Sara, Sergio, and I went to the health center to “be presented” to the DDS (the head doctor for Gile). A rather unpleasant and aggressive man who not so kindly informed us that although we have 572 pieces of documentation for our research project that have been signed by every government official from Cabo Delgado to Maputo, we don’t have the documentation that he wants. Apparently we have government “approval” but we don’t have “authorization.” Oops. Obviously one needs to get authorization after being approved. I mean, how else will the authorities know that I’ve been through the bureaucratic ringer? After that lovely meeting, I taught Sara and Sergio the word, ‘crapweasel.’
On a positive note, Adi has a guava tree! So all is not lost. And I might venture down to the river this evening to try to get a glimpse of a crocodile. So between the delicious guavas and potential crocodile spotting, life is good.
1/13/2009
Ok, so we’ve received the DDS’s blessing, although he made it quite clear that he’s not pleased with our lack of documentation. After popping by the clinic, Sara and I took a stroll through the market. Between the room filled with drying fish (and flies), and the adjacent room filled with severed goat heads (and flies), I think I might take a pass on lunch.
Focus group went well and afterwards, Sara, Emilio, and I walked down to the Molocue River to enjoy the view. It was beautiful! Kind of turbulent reddish-brown water with tall grass on either side. Mt. Gile was in the distance, and a wonderful thunderstorm was rumbling in. Didn’t see a crocodile, but hey, you win some you lose some.
1/14/2009
So the empregado who works for Adi almost burned down the house last night. Turns out candles and wicker tables covered in flammable cloth don’t mix. I walked into the empty living room to see a candle tipped over and the table going up in flames. Luckily my Smokey the Bear training came in handy and I screamed, “fire,” which nobody understood because they don’t speak English, and then I reached for my trusty water bottle and put out the flames. This could have been potentially bad for a couple reasons: 1.Gile doesn’t have a fire department…but they do have a jenky looking tribunal where I no doubt would have been convicted of arson and incarcerated. 2.Gile doesn’t have running water. And yes, I am a master of bucket baths if you were wondering. 3.There was a giant gas tank in the house that powered the stove. But thanks to my trusty nalgene bottle and my girlish shriek (which nobody responded to), crisis was averted.
We arrived in Alto Molocue this morning and went to the district administration office to present ourselves to the guy who basically functions like the mayor. It was like entering Oz, and the deputy administrator was the wizard. Seriously, we (Sara, Sergio, and I—tin man, scarecrow, and Dorothy) had to sit in the waiting room for him to invite us into his office which was sealed off by 20-foot high wooden doors. I fully anticipated hearing a booming voice declare, “you may enter!”
Administrator: And what do you want, little foreign girl?
Me: I just want to do my research, your Excellency.
Admin: You only have 742 pages documenting your approval. Do you fancy me a fool?!
Me: No sir, your most awesomest administrator. What do I have to do to collect my data in your wonderful district?
Admin: Bring me back the broomsti….I mean a letter signed by the deputy physician of this province. Only then will I speak to you and potentially allow you to carry out your project.
And so our adventure continued. Turns out we were able to play the “my father is the head of FGH” card. Sara doesn’t like to, but when backed in a corner, we’ll come out with the big guns. And just like that, we were given the green light to commence with our research in Molocue. The focus group went well, and the three of us had a lovely dinner at a Mozambican truck stop. No joke. Like an American truck stop, only they didn’t have delicious pie. (sidenote: why do truck stops always have the best pies?) Alto Molocue is on the major highway that runs to the province of Nampula. So the three of us ate dinner surrounded by a bunch of burly truck drivers. And now we’re working on transcribing and translating the data from today, as well as killing the millions of cockroaches that call our motel home.
1/16/2009
Ok, so I’m back in Quelimane. We left Alto Molocue yesterday and arrived in Ile to hopefully bust through with our focus group in the same day and then head back home early the following day. Things didn’t quite go as planned, but we’re trying to work in rural Mozambique, so that’s kind of to be expected. None the less, things panned out well and we were able to get our data collected today, and then head home early afternoon.
My new favorite word: trovoada. Meaning: thunderstorms. Every night this week, we had amazing thunder and lightning, but fortunately not much rain. After a long day of work in the Mozambican heat, there’s nothing better than kicking up your feet and watching a storm roll in over the hills.
Funny thing I realized: I’m working in tiny little rural towns that often don’t have running water or electricity, but they do have functioning cell phone towers. No joke. Driving in, I noticed a woman working in machamba (the subsistence farming fields), talking on her cell phone. About 25% of the population suffers from moderate malnutrition, people have to pump water from the neighborhood well, but they can send text messages.
I had a long, important, and probably life-changing discussion with Sergio (one of my research assistants) about Brian Adams. Yes, Brian Adams the singer. One of the most perplexing things about this country is that Mozambicans LOVE Brian Adams. Why? I have no idea. But Sergio insists that it is all very simple. They just like his sound.
I love buying mystery produce. On the way home we made a pit-stop in Nicoadala to buy pineapples and there were these cute little kids selling bags of berry-like fruit, so of course I bought 2 giant bags…you know, there were two kids so I had to buy from both of them. Kind of like you have to buy lemonade from all the little lemonade stands in your neighborhood, just to be fair. Anyway, I bought about 4 kilos of what looks like a cross between a grape and an olive. Jorge, our driver, totally got a kick out of me buying stuff that I’ve never heard of or tried. So these grape things are called jamboão, and they kind of have the texture of a grape but they taste like a cross between a tart grape and a pine tree. Sort of like eating grapes and taking a swig of gin. And they have a pit. I definitely like them more than the cashew fruit. But I think ata is still my favorite of the “what is that, and is it edible” class of fruit.
We’re supposed to go to Lugela on Monday and Tuesday, but we can’t go without that other oh so important piece of governmental approval that seems to elude us. Troy asked the official to sign it today, but they said no and that we’re to come back next week and they’ll consider it again. Why did they say no? Because they’re in a position of authority, so they can. Flexing their muscles. Hammer and sickle. Bem vindo a Moçambique!
more nets find homes!
80 more mosquito nets have found a home! After our most excellent day of handing out mosquito nets to HIV+ moms and their children, we’re giving more out to the peer educators who work for FGH. These are HIV+ men and women who receive a small stipend to help educate people in their communities about HIV. They also conduct “buscactiva,” which means “active looking.” When an HIV+ patient stops showing up to the clinic to get their medication, the peer educators hop on their bikes (or in a truck if one’s available) and go searching for these patients. The goal is to figure out why they stopped their treatment (which is also the point of mine and Amy’s research), and hopefully to bring them back to the clinic.
So once again, thank you to everyone who so generously donated mosquito nets! Agradecemos a todos! Muito obrigada!
So once again, thank you to everyone who so generously donated mosquito nets! Agradecemos a todos! Muito obrigada!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Customs Officer: Do you have anything to declare?
response: CAPE TOWN RULES!
Amy and I are back in the moz, wishing we had another week in South Africa. Cape Town was amazing. It felt like Muskegon in the summertime: warm days and chilly nights. We explored, shopped, and ate like gluttonous kings. I made it my personal mission to consume 4,000 calories of dairy products a day in an attempt to make up for the lack of milk in my diet over the past 5 months. Here's the breakdown of our adventure:
The Two Oceans Aquarium--did you know that malfunctioning toasters kill more people a year than sharks?
Natural history museum and planetarium--nerd heaven! They had an exhibit of the best nature photos of the year. And we learned all about southern hemisphere constellations.
Community Gardens--my happy place. You could find me there most mornings, sipping a latte, reading a book, people watching, and enjoying the flora.
Shark cage diving--Amy threatened to use me as shark bait if I didn't stop singing pirate songs. We only had one Great White come up to our boat all day. We got to see it from the deck. We suited up in our wet suits and waited for another one to show up so we could hop in the cage. Sadly, we waited for 3 hours with no luck. But it was a lovely day at sea! We even saw whales.
Wine tour--I got a phone call from my mom while I was sipping on a lovely cab. She called to tell me that I'm an auntie! Andrew Chapman Bishop was born!!!
Table Mountain--it was like being on the stair climber for 2 1/2 hours. Great view from the top!
The beach--kind of funny to think we were just on the other side of the pond
Amy and I are heading out on Monday morning to resume our projects. Amy's actually moving up to Alto Molocue for the next 2 months in order to enroll patients in her study. I'll spend the next week on the road, going up to Gile, Alto Molocue, Ile, then Lugela. And then I'll be on the road for all of February. Not going to lie. We're pretty excited to be collecting data.
Amy and I are back in the moz, wishing we had another week in South Africa. Cape Town was amazing. It felt like Muskegon in the summertime: warm days and chilly nights. We explored, shopped, and ate like gluttonous kings. I made it my personal mission to consume 4,000 calories of dairy products a day in an attempt to make up for the lack of milk in my diet over the past 5 months. Here's the breakdown of our adventure:
The Two Oceans Aquarium--did you know that malfunctioning toasters kill more people a year than sharks?
Natural history museum and planetarium--nerd heaven! They had an exhibit of the best nature photos of the year. And we learned all about southern hemisphere constellations.
Community Gardens--my happy place. You could find me there most mornings, sipping a latte, reading a book, people watching, and enjoying the flora.
Shark cage diving--Amy threatened to use me as shark bait if I didn't stop singing pirate songs. We only had one Great White come up to our boat all day. We got to see it from the deck. We suited up in our wet suits and waited for another one to show up so we could hop in the cage. Sadly, we waited for 3 hours with no luck. But it was a lovely day at sea! We even saw whales.
Wine tour--I got a phone call from my mom while I was sipping on a lovely cab. She called to tell me that I'm an auntie! Andrew Chapman Bishop was born!!!
Table Mountain--it was like being on the stair climber for 2 1/2 hours. Great view from the top!
The beach--kind of funny to think we were just on the other side of the pond
Amy and I are heading out on Monday morning to resume our projects. Amy's actually moving up to Alto Molocue for the next 2 months in order to enroll patients in her study. I'll spend the next week on the road, going up to Gile, Alto Molocue, Ile, then Lugela. And then I'll be on the road for all of February. Not going to lie. We're pretty excited to be collecting data.
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