I took this picture to send to the twins adoptive-mother-to-be. She apparently is a very health conscious woman and does not want the girls eating any sugar. There was some candy that the expedition had brought and Steff and I got a little sweet tooth one night. The twins helped out, and Balditu just looked so cute with all the trash around her!
We put Mariama and Emuti in a duffle bag and took them for a swing. They thought it was great, but were a little nauseous after the game was over.
I am quite embarrassed to post this pic, but I wanted to prove that I really do have mumps! This is how big my eyes can open due to the swelling, and it looks like I got my wisdom teeth out, but really that's how big my mouth and throat is swollen. Thanks Steffanie for telling me that each day my face looks worse!I have neglected to take many pictures this week. Mostly because I have been sick and have not taken out my camera very often. I have caught the mumps and have been suffering from a severely swollen face and a mild fever for the past two weeks. The virus is supposed to pass within the third week, so hopefully everything will pass by the time I make it home!
This has also been another week of medical scares at the compound with the children. On Tuesday Longalee was still complaining of a high fever and headache. Our local nurse suggested she be taken to the hospital. She was loaded up for the doctors and her diagnoses- Malaria and Typhoid! She did not understand what that meant, so the doctor had to explain to her what was going on inside her body that would make her so sick. She has been refusing to eat due to the lack of energy and the lack of interest in food. Steff and I are very concerned, and yesterday Bonzo, a nurse, finally inserted an IV into her because she is so dehydrated!
When the medical expedition was here last week they looked at Dibabe and Benjamin. Due to her history, the doctor suggested that she and the baby have an HIV test. Steffanie and I talked to her on Tuesday night and told her I would be taking her the next day to get the test done. We talked to her about confidentiality, that no matter what the results were only her, myself, Steffanie and Abu would know that she was going to the doctor and about the results. She agreed to have the test done. Wednesday I took her into Negelle and the Doctor sent us to a clinic that was about a half hour walk outside of the village. It was such a hot day and my fever was slowly rising on the way out there. I was so nervous for Dibabe. She had to receive counseling first from a nurse before they would draw her blood- telling her about unprotected sex and that she needed to use a condom. I just thought how stupid the counseling was seeing her situation. When the nurse was drawing her blood I got very light headed and then *bleep* passed out. I was holding Benjamin at the time, and luckily was leaning back in my chair and had a very tight grip on Benji. The next thing I knew Dibabe was taking Benjamin out of my arms and telling me to sit on the floor. I sat there for about 15 minutes while they took Benji's blood and waited for the results- they are both negative!!
I felt the impression to go and visit Caltu (the twins mother) with Steffanie earlier this week. She had been earning some money by washing the babies diapers at the compound on MWF. She was fired about three weeks ago though because she was caught stealing some baby blankets. When we went to visit her it was at night and she was sitting on her mattress that rests on the cement floor in her room. She weighs about 85 pounds and was shivering and shaking, even though she was wrapped in a blanket. I asked her if she had stolen the blankets because she was so cold at night, and she said yes, that is why she had taken them without asking. I asked Steffanie if it would be alright if I gave her a quilt from our storage closet, and she agreed. We went back up the big house, but Abu was there talking with Fayissa. We knew that if Abu saw us leave with a giant blanket he might question what we were doing and try to stop us. So while Steff stole the blanket and snuck out the back door and distracted Abu by asking him if he wanted to try my yoga ball and was showing him how to do stretches on it. He never saw Steffanie! Our little plan worked!
A new house mother has been hired! I have been going over the New Employee Orientation list and have organized and planned a three day training that will go this coming Monday to Wednesday for the new House Mother and the four other female employees that work there now. She begins work on Monday! It will be so nice to leave VOH knowing that those kids will have someone that really loves them and knows its her sole responsibility to look after them!
I am departing in T-minus 8 days. . .I am happily putting off the thought of leaving those children at this time. This coming week will be a very sad departure indeed.
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