May 14th - Friday

Last night was not a good night for me, the medications are not helping, my fever is still high and my symptoms just same if not worse so they have decided for me (I could never have made that hard decision) that we had to leave and seek medical attention. We are leaving Rick behind so he can teach the seminar, and I feel terrible about the whole thing. Those people were so excited to see us, I feel like I’m letting them down somehow and that it’s all my fault. But at the same time I feel thankful, I feel blessed that my friends are willing to sacrifice and leave so that I can get help. It’s going to be a long day of driving on bumpy roads in my condition and I am not looking forward to it. We (by we I mean them as all I could do is sit and watch) started packing up @ 5:00 a.m. and left around 7:00 a.m. as it takes a long time to load the truck and all.

We headed towards the river as we were hoping to take the ferry accross and avoid having to go back the long way around. We had heard that it was now going (it had stopped during the rainy season) so we were excited. Now when I say “ferry”, I picture in my mind a big boat. I grew up in a bit of a fishing community on the side of the ocean and have seen my share of boats. I have been on many of them. I have used ferries. They load many cars up and cross. Well this is Mozambique. SO don’t assume anything. We get there and I don’t see no boat... Only canoes. I’m thinking the boat is ‘away”. No... Apparently there is a platform, that I now see, on a cable, that crosses the vehicles over the crocodile infested river. I swallow. A platform. Why not call it that? It’s no ferry....

ANYWAY! We talk to the guys and learn that since it rained overnight, the “ferry” is not working, we have to go back all the way. Now we already drove 1 hour to get there, so we have to drive 1 hour back, but also this makes the trip about 5 hours longer (so then 6 hours) and it’s already a LONG trip... I want to cry. Remember that I’m VERY sick at this point, sore everywhere, especially my stomach and just want to see a doctor. Well my friend, not so soon. Remember also that we are far away from cell phones, Internet, ... SCARY to be sick. I had a melt down INSIDE, my faith shrunk. I’m ashamed to say but it did. So we went back, and Mike drove even faster, so it was even bumpier than before which made things a lot worse for me. We had to make frequent stops for me to and I’ll put it nicely “empty myself” on the side of the road. The locals must have thought I was insane, but I didn’t care.

At 11:00 a.m. we get a flat tire. Again my faith shrinks and I usually try not to question God, but it’s was very hard. I was half past out (I was seriously seeing black spots, shaking and not in my right mind) on the side of the road (bumpy trail), under the only bush that gave some shade (11:00 is VERY hot time here) and I sobbed. I let it all out. Heather was an angel pouring water on my head (which made me shiver, even in this heat) and rubbing my back. I pulled through, they changed the tire somehow and I’ll spare you that story. Remember that we’re traveling with 2 small children, which makes everything even more challenging!!!

At 2:00 p.m. I started being very loopy and kept Mike and Heather entertaine tfor a while. I was cracking jokes and talking about my funeral. I seriously wasn’t in my right mind, but I was trying to survive this thing.

At 4:00 p.m. we made it to the highway and I could have kissed the ground.

At 5:00 p.m. we made it to Tete which is a “city” and yet had to cross the bridge, which can take a really long time. We pulled in front of all the vehicles and asked if we could please go in front because “the white lady was very sick with malaria and needed to get to a clinic”. It worked! Those people were amazingly gracious and I will be thankful for the rest of my life. We got to the private clinic (don’t go to the hospital, unless you want a blood transfusion, as it’s what they do with malaria!!) and it was clean. I held back tears, LITERRALLY. We hadn’t seen civilization, never mind clean in so long and it was reassuring to see a clean clinic. They got me to a “bed” pretty much right away and I saw a dr. As soon as he toutch my stomach, he proclaimed my spleen to be very enlarged and confirmed the malaria. I’d lost already 8 pounds, so they started me on IV fluids, pain meds, dirrhoea meds and another treatment of malaria. 2 hours later I didn’t feel much better, but I knew I was on my way to recovery and for the first time, I felt hope.

We slept in Tete as I had to go back the next day for more IV treatment. The hot shower did as much for me as the medicines: I think!!!!