Thursday, August 22, 2013

Things in Ukarumpa that make you say WHAT????

   One day while on recess duty, I come to the aid of a kindergartner who had fallen and had a puncture wound on the back of his head. Once we got him to the clinic and parents informed, I examined the area later only to find nothing that could have caused a puncture wound! But the little boy got 3 stitches and a slight concussion out of the invisible object.


   This is the week that we have Sports Day at the Primary Campus, so of course Construction decides that all the loose gravel pathways need sidewalks done now! Not to wait another week for this project to start. No one even knows how long this project has been on hold but the gravel pathways have been there for years.  The workmen don’t see why this could be an issue, no big deal with 100+kids and their families going up and down the hill through the middle of all their taped off areas and work.
In the process of starting the sidewalk project, the workmen got a truck stuck by one of the gates.
   Well to get the truck unstuck they brought over a tractor.  Guess what?  The tractor broke down, so now they have a truck and a tractor stuck inside this area (and all other tractors on center are broke down). They can’t close the gate for the evening cause its being blocked by the tractor, so the area around primary campus is not exactly secure tonight. 

   Then upon looking at a sore that middle daughter had been complaining about the day before, realized sh
e needed to go to the clinic. Take her to the clinic and while we were waiting a 9th grader comes out with his arm in a cast and a sling on. He slid into first base for PE and didn’t land the way he should have.  The already busy clinic had another issue to deal with, as the Vice Principle of the Secondary Campus school was playing Ultimate Frisbee on Sunday. While playing he ripped off his toe nail and had to have the rest of said toenail removed. The clinic sure was kept busy with both campuses today. The clinic is already very busy place and sees many patients even with them being very short staffed.  
   We finally see the nurse and she takes one look at the sore and says, “WOW!”  That cannot be a good sign when a nurse gives any type of reaction especially in a third world country.  Doctor comes in and looks at it and says we need to take care of this and basically you have 2 options.  #1 get the area numb, by needle, and then cut a hole so that the puss can come out. Or #2 get the area numb and then poke a needle in and pull puss out.  Daughter chose #1 with a bribe of ice cream thrown in. So the doctor does the procedure while mom comforts and holds her hand as she did a death grip.  I wouldn’t let her child look at the needle and avoided looking herself.  But I accidently looked up right about the time the puss started coming out.  Once my daughter was calmed down and back to sitting up etc.  I started feeling hot and my eyes were not functioning the way they should.  I decided the chair was a good place to have a seat.  The doctor and nurse looked over at the me and said “Put your head down!”  I got cooled down and felt somewhat better a few minutes later. 

   While waiting at the clinic I said to my child, “I am glad that your younger sister is going to a friend’s house after school, since I am here with you, there would be no-one to look after her!”  Unbeknownst to me, said child, was at home waiting on the porch in our hammock, just relaxing, because her friend forgot that she was coming over after school. The Mom and friend did come get her eventually and all was right with the world. 

   Knowing that this is only Monday, this could be a VERY, VERY LONG WEEK.  I think I will go to bed and not come out for a few days.  

1 comment:

  1. You know you are a seasoned missionary when . . . you are still coherent enough to write a blog after a day like that! Love you, Ruth!!! Hang in there and we will keep praying!!!

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