Our second week on Mefloquine/Larium seems to be OK. All the kids took their pills without trouble; Jonathon was very proud of himself, as he should be.
The effects do seem to be stronger the first few days, the boys wake more often with reports of nightmares or just wanting to sleep with us. Last night was odd. Nicholas came into the den, which is clear on the other side of the house from his bedroom, around 10 p.m. He still wakes up nightly to use the bathroom so that wasn’t unusual, but last night he came in with no PJs or underwear on, took a blanket from the chair and left the room. I followed him to find his bedroom light on, his bed made, his PJs on the floor and Jonathon still sleeping. He hadn’t used the toilet yet, so once he was done I put him back to bed where he asked for his bottoms again, curled up, and was instantly asleep. I don’t think he was ever actually awake.
The girls and parents aren’t exhibiting any side effects yet, but we still have another couple weeks before we really know.
We still don’t have a routine for bedtime/wake-up. The alarm rings between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m., so our current bedtime of 7:30 p.m. leaves us with a lot of tired little bodies. The worst part is waking up Jonathon. I looked at him this morning in his fuzzy footy dinosaur PJs and realized that he really is too small yet to have to get up and go to “school” like this. I have half a mind to withdraw him. Half days would work, but I don’t have a car to pick him up, and once I do have a car my plan is to go to the school anyway to do what can be done for the library. So if I’m going to be at the school regularly in a couple months anyway, it makes sense to have Jonathon there in the preK room, right? But what I really want to do is let him sleep. Nicholas too, to be honest.
Of course, this is their 4th day of school and it’s still an adjustment for everyone.
Aside from not having a car, cash and groceries are our other two hurdles. 500CFA = ~$1. To get CFA, Ian cashes $ cheques at the Embassy Cashier. The Embassy Cashier gives out money in 5000CFA and 10,000CFA notes. Bakery bread, street food, snack items in the school cost less than 500CFA, some as little as 25CFA (like the muffins we bought last week). Expecting change from 5000CFA is unreasonable, and it’s never wise to walk around with large bills anyway.
When we were home, I knew that food would be the biggest of my stressors here. Can someone tell me why it takes two months for consumables to arrive? All I want right now are some baguettes. And some fruit. We have a mango tree in the yard, but the mangoes have just started growing. I could take a taxi to SupeRamco, but… I don’t trust taxis and there’s that cash issue again. A typical (haggled) fare is 1000CFA and not having the exact amount is never a good thing.
Mental note: Next time we go to a consumables post, order from Netgrocer 3 weeks prior to arrival, and mail several boxes of assorted dried goods 2 weeks prior to arrival. Especially kid lunch foods, and spices/flavorings/sauces.
Enough whining.
AFN is what we watch on TV. Ian insists he wants cable as well. I don’t see the point, AFN has news, TV shows, movies, sports, what more does anyone need? The other day they showed five football games at the same time, flipping between them. We also have Netflix. I don’t see how South African TV will be of any benefit, aside from Togo’s imminent last step towards the World Cup. If Togo did make it to Germany, it would be fun to watch them play. One of the kids at AISL is the daughter of a futboler.
What’s on the news nearly 24/7 is Katrina disaster updates. Absolutely devastating. I learned yesterday that my great-aunt is currently safe in Georgia. Her house in Biloxi, MS was destroyed. Jeff’s sister is safe with neighbors in their Louisiana town. Ian’s mom in Mobile, AL is also safe.
If we could only get Geraldo off the screen. *shudder*
Monday, September 5, 2005
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Bet you didn’t expect to hear this so soon...
I have to send out a huge Thank You to all the people (and there are lots of you) who have sent us encouraging e-mail over the past couple days.
I know that the first few entries to our Lome’ Adventure sound frazzled and depressed… they are true to how we (ok, I) was coping the first couple days. I’m happy to let you all know that today was a great day. Our sponsors took care of us, meeting us at the Franciscan church for Mass then taking us to Coco Beach for some playtime in the sand and a yummy lunch before we came home to swim in the pool. (As an aside, so far I’m unimpressed with desserts here, but I’ve been told I haven’t been to the good places. But you know, if dessert is my biggest complaint at the moment… life could be a whole lot worse.)
First off, I have a question for those of you who know what I’m talking about. Here in subSahel Africa, there’s an issue with line drying clothes. Some rather obnoxious flies like to lay eggs on wet material and when you later wear the dry clothes, the larvae burrow under your skin. It’s as gross as it sounds. In our Embassy “handbook” it says to iron dress shirts that have been hung to dry, and some folks we knew in Ghana said they wouldn’t even use a towel at the pool that had already been wet. So here’s my question: Is this only for items dried outdoors? What about swimsuits that are rinsed and hung to dry in bathrooms? Or towels used after a shower? In our welcome kit we have 2 adult towels and 2 kid towels, that’s it. We don’t even bring towels out to the pool, just drip back to the house. What if I took a dress shirt out of the washer and hung it to dry in our bathroom? Should towels be dried in the dryer after every use? How about kitchen hand towels? What if you happen to be wearing wet clothes, like the boys did at the beach today, is there a risk? You see my dilemma.
If no one knows the answer, that’s OK. We have an appointment at the Clinic on Wednesday and I’ll ask there.
On to our day. Eight a.m. Mass is too early. The church is nice but basic, the kneelers and seats are really hard, the choir is very loud (African choirs tend to be) and most of it was quite familiar. As I’d spent quite a bit of time in church in Zaire when I was very young, the music and words are quite ingrained. There was one unique aspect to the service. On the first Sunday of every month, the offertory is completed in 8 sections. Birth days are extremely important to the Togolese and naming children after their day of birth is rampant, reducing name variations here quite a bit. But because of this, on the first Sunday the collection is taken up by birth day. Basket #1: Dimanche… everyone born on a Sunday go up and drop their coins in the basket. Then basket #2: Lundi… everyone born on a Monday gives their offering. And so on. Thankfully I do know the birth days of each child and myself. Ian will have to look his up. Today though, we did not join in as we still are using cash from the Embassy Cashier and haven’t broken many bills down.
The sand at Coco was surprisingly nice. And while there is a quick drop in the water, the waves are broken by a nearby breakwater. Not a true breakwater as it turns out, but a washed out road, built by the Germans about 100 years ago and now out in the ocean as the waves have worn away the beach. Plenty of shells to collect and two very friendly golden labs romped around in the water and out. And then…
And then we learned that the female had given birth to 10 puppies a couple days ago. The kids were smitten with the furry blind pups and you know how the rest of our time was spent. I wish I had brought a camera, both for beach pictures and for the dogs, because chances are we’ll be adopting one in a couple months (NOT two, Ian, just one). They almost look pureblood, and if the parents are any indication, they’ll be friendly, well-mannered and most importantly carry a resonating bark. They’re awfully cute too. Our sponsors adopted a dog a couple months back and have a vet, but I don’t know about dog food yet. Table scraps won’t cut it for a healthy pet.
News on that as it develops.
Back at home, Ian discovered the switch for the pool pump and flipped it on. After Thursday’s dip, Rebecca had itchy red patches she figures came from the water, which wouldn’t surprise me so hopefully the pump will fix that problem. The kids and dad played in the water to wash off leftover sand and work off remaining energy.
Tomorrow is Labor Day and a holiday for Ian, but not for the kids. It's an American School without any American holidays but Thanksgiving... hmmm. We'll drop the kids off then walk our way back. Have heard tell there's a great bakery along the way.
Yeah, we’re all more upbeat now. It’s not home yet, and won’t be until our belongings arrive, but maybe I don’t need to make that countdown chart just yet.
I know that the first few entries to our Lome’ Adventure sound frazzled and depressed… they are true to how we (ok, I) was coping the first couple days. I’m happy to let you all know that today was a great day. Our sponsors took care of us, meeting us at the Franciscan church for Mass then taking us to Coco Beach for some playtime in the sand and a yummy lunch before we came home to swim in the pool. (As an aside, so far I’m unimpressed with desserts here, but I’ve been told I haven’t been to the good places. But you know, if dessert is my biggest complaint at the moment… life could be a whole lot worse.)
First off, I have a question for those of you who know what I’m talking about. Here in subSahel Africa, there’s an issue with line drying clothes. Some rather obnoxious flies like to lay eggs on wet material and when you later wear the dry clothes, the larvae burrow under your skin. It’s as gross as it sounds. In our Embassy “handbook” it says to iron dress shirts that have been hung to dry, and some folks we knew in Ghana said they wouldn’t even use a towel at the pool that had already been wet. So here’s my question: Is this only for items dried outdoors? What about swimsuits that are rinsed and hung to dry in bathrooms? Or towels used after a shower? In our welcome kit we have 2 adult towels and 2 kid towels, that’s it. We don’t even bring towels out to the pool, just drip back to the house. What if I took a dress shirt out of the washer and hung it to dry in our bathroom? Should towels be dried in the dryer after every use? How about kitchen hand towels? What if you happen to be wearing wet clothes, like the boys did at the beach today, is there a risk? You see my dilemma.
If no one knows the answer, that’s OK. We have an appointment at the Clinic on Wednesday and I’ll ask there.
On to our day. Eight a.m. Mass is too early. The church is nice but basic, the kneelers and seats are really hard, the choir is very loud (African choirs tend to be) and most of it was quite familiar. As I’d spent quite a bit of time in church in Zaire when I was very young, the music and words are quite ingrained. There was one unique aspect to the service. On the first Sunday of every month, the offertory is completed in 8 sections. Birth days are extremely important to the Togolese and naming children after their day of birth is rampant, reducing name variations here quite a bit. But because of this, on the first Sunday the collection is taken up by birth day. Basket #1: Dimanche… everyone born on a Sunday go up and drop their coins in the basket. Then basket #2: Lundi… everyone born on a Monday gives their offering. And so on. Thankfully I do know the birth days of each child and myself. Ian will have to look his up. Today though, we did not join in as we still are using cash from the Embassy Cashier and haven’t broken many bills down.
The sand at Coco was surprisingly nice. And while there is a quick drop in the water, the waves are broken by a nearby breakwater. Not a true breakwater as it turns out, but a washed out road, built by the Germans about 100 years ago and now out in the ocean as the waves have worn away the beach. Plenty of shells to collect and two very friendly golden labs romped around in the water and out. And then…
And then we learned that the female had given birth to 10 puppies a couple days ago. The kids were smitten with the furry blind pups and you know how the rest of our time was spent. I wish I had brought a camera, both for beach pictures and for the dogs, because chances are we’ll be adopting one in a couple months (NOT two, Ian, just one). They almost look pureblood, and if the parents are any indication, they’ll be friendly, well-mannered and most importantly carry a resonating bark. They’re awfully cute too. Our sponsors adopted a dog a couple months back and have a vet, but I don’t know about dog food yet. Table scraps won’t cut it for a healthy pet.
News on that as it develops.
Back at home, Ian discovered the switch for the pool pump and flipped it on. After Thursday’s dip, Rebecca had itchy red patches she figures came from the water, which wouldn’t surprise me so hopefully the pump will fix that problem. The kids and dad played in the water to wash off leftover sand and work off remaining energy.
Tomorrow is Labor Day and a holiday for Ian, but not for the kids. It's an American School without any American holidays but Thanksgiving... hmmm. We'll drop the kids off then walk our way back. Have heard tell there's a great bakery along the way.
Yeah, we’re all more upbeat now. It’s not home yet, and won’t be until our belongings arrive, but maybe I don’t need to make that countdown chart just yet.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
It's not just Bienvenue around here...
Bon Arrivee! (one day I'll figure out correct spelling and how to put in accents)
29-30 AUGUST 2005 – Boo to Air France
They sold us a seat with bad electrical wiring so it didn’t recline, forgot to give me my dinner and then woke me up way too early for breakfast. The last was Ian’s fault, but I’ll still blame the airline. On the second flight they shifted people around for takeoff and landing in order to have an adult with every child. Uh… we’ve never done that before.
The cheese plates stank. Literally.
On the other hand, Jonathon slept all but 20 minutes of the first leg and I got sleep in a properly reclining chair in the second. Katherine was my seat partner and she was busy with Sudoku.
But I guess the most important thing is that we made it to Togo, along with our luggage. Our sponsors, the Corrao family, were there and prepared to get us home. Our house is way too big so I know that, like goldfish, we’ll expand and fill it with more crap than any family ought to have. Our den is actually a 4th bedroom, so when our bed comes we’ll stick it in there along with the TV and computer. We’ll have so few guests that having a duel purpose room should be no problem.
1 SEPTEMBER 2005 – So Very Tired
I don’t know if it’s jet lag, staying up until midnight or stress (most likely all three) but I’m really out of sorts. It’ll get better, I know it will. But we’re not in a compound anymore, we’re not in the States anymore, we’re in a former Ambassador’s house that’s right on a main road, with no full-time guard.
I know that in the grand scheme of things, we are safe. But it’s so hard to accept that when we’re running on adrenaline, surrounded by people we don’t know who speak a language that’s foreign. Oh, soon I’ll be able to hit the grocery store with no problem, but I’ll never be comfortable taking a taxi there, nor am I comfortable with the security here in general. Once we have “stuff” and a car, we’ll get a daytime guard. But then, how do you trust someone to watch your family and your belongings? The worst offenders of threat and theft seem to be those hired to prevent exactly those things. I have a hard time trusting anyone to begin with, this is really going to test my boundaries.
And the kids. Our poor kids. They were brought to school, unknown to them that it would be for the whole day. I’ll be surprised if Nicholas wants to go back tomorrow. He doesn’t deal well with change at all. Katherine was on the verge of tears but kept strong. Rebecca wasn’t sure she wanted to go to school at all. Jonathon barely noticed we left. This morning we’d prepped the kids for a quick visit to the school to meet their teachers and see their classrooms. They didn’t even bring backpacks because I had no food in the house to make lunches. Come to find out that the school offers hot lunch each day and today was lasagna, so without further ado, the kids joined their classes.
The school is small. So very very small. I hope they’ll be happy there. Katherine is in a combined 3/4/5 class, while Rebecca and Nicholas are in a combined K/1/2 class. Jonathon is one of 7 kids in the preschool 2/3/4yo class. The older kids have new teachers and the rooms aren’t set up well yet, so I know they felt really lost.
The one good thing that pops right up is that the school is very close to home. Once we get our car it will be no big deal to get there or pick them up. I’ll let the Embassy van drive them to school in the morning since Ian will be with them, but then I can get them at the end of the day, or arrive myself in the afternoon to spend time in the library or the classrooms, whatever needs to be done.
The Embassy is small. The compound is poorly designed, the hallways are tight, the rooms are cluttered. It’s no Manila. You don’t appreciate a lovely Chancery until you don’t have one anymore. And the Grand Marche really does butt right up against the compound. The longest travel time is the street before the entrance. I can’t wait to see the new building. It’s farther out, nearer to the British School (which is in a “gated” community), so we’ll have to see what our school plans are for next year. Everything depends on how this year goes. There is a good mix of nationalities (no Americans but ours), so at least they aren’t the only white kids.
Would it be a negative project to do a countdown chart? We’re down a day, only 700+ more to go.
Yeah, we’ve already asked ourselves what drove us to move here.
Everything will look better once the kids feel comfortable at school, we have our car (I –hate- not having my own transportation, even if it’s just to go to the school 5 minutes away), our consumables come (groceries, what a nightmare at this moment) and we’ve had a weekend to just enjoy being here, all together. Yesterday was our first day and Ian had a full day of work while the kids and I unpacked our UAB from Arlington. It was a productive day and each day will hopefully just get better.
I want my kids home though, I imagine they will be completely worn out this afternoon. I want them home for them and for me. I don’t like being alone and I really hate the people who ring the bell and then ask for the guard. We don’t have a day guard so when I say that I feel like I’m being sized up. The more people here, the better… I should have homeschooled, then we’d always be home. Ok, now I’m letting it get to me.
I just know that if I call home, I’ll cry. Tired, jet lag, stress. All three.
2 SEPTEMBER 2005 – Glorious sleep
It’s amazing what a little bit of sleep does for the psyche. Today was a much better day. In fact, once the kids returned home from school yesterday, everything got better. They went for a swim in the pool, after we scooped out a lizard from the bottom which had apparently fallen in from an overhanging tree branch. The lizards here are way cool, just like I remember them from Niamey. The pool is small and very deep, nearly 5’ in the shallow end.
The school is small, but the kids came home happy yesterday. Seeing them happy lifted me out of my glum hole. Nicholas gave a big hug and said “French is hard.” French kids don’t learn print, do they? Nicholas was writing cursive small As and today came home saying French was better because cursive small Rs aren’t as difficult. Katherine has done art, next week the kids start music and P.E. and I have my fingers crossed that this will be good. For everyone.
The house was bug sprayed this afternoon, so once Ian came home from his half-day (yay Friday!) and the kids were picked up from school, we went next door to the hotel to have some drinks. At 6 p.m. we walked to the Lebanese grocery store down the street that thankfully has a little of everything and plenty of spices, before going to dinner at La Nuit de l’Orient directly across from our gate. Pizzas all around, personal thin crust pizza. I had the crepes for dessert while the kids had ice cream and ian had a pastry. The crepes, sadly tasted like they’d been cooked in the same pan as some smoked fish.
We haven’t been careful with our food consumption. Ian purchased a handful of soft maize cakes, off the top of a passing woman’s head. With our dinner we had ice in the drinks and ate raw vegetables from the platter. If we’re sick in the morning, everyone will know why.
I did our laundry which wasn’t as cumbersome as I’d anticipated since I brought one load out at a time. The washer and dryer are housed in a separate building in our yard. Tomorrow we’re going to a Labor Day party and perhaps the Marine House. Sunday, the Corrao’s are meeting us as church then we’re going to Cocoa Beach for lunch. Monday is a holiday for Ian but not for the kids, so hopefully it’ll be a quiet day at home. I thought it would be a quiet weekend, but Ian filled it up with Schtuff.
Tonight we’ll call home. I did yesterday and talked to mom at work, tonight the kids can talk too.
29-30 AUGUST 2005 – Boo to Air France
They sold us a seat with bad electrical wiring so it didn’t recline, forgot to give me my dinner and then woke me up way too early for breakfast. The last was Ian’s fault, but I’ll still blame the airline. On the second flight they shifted people around for takeoff and landing in order to have an adult with every child. Uh… we’ve never done that before.
The cheese plates stank. Literally.
On the other hand, Jonathon slept all but 20 minutes of the first leg and I got sleep in a properly reclining chair in the second. Katherine was my seat partner and she was busy with Sudoku.
But I guess the most important thing is that we made it to Togo, along with our luggage. Our sponsors, the Corrao family, were there and prepared to get us home. Our house is way too big so I know that, like goldfish, we’ll expand and fill it with more crap than any family ought to have. Our den is actually a 4th bedroom, so when our bed comes we’ll stick it in there along with the TV and computer. We’ll have so few guests that having a duel purpose room should be no problem.
1 SEPTEMBER 2005 – So Very Tired
I don’t know if it’s jet lag, staying up until midnight or stress (most likely all three) but I’m really out of sorts. It’ll get better, I know it will. But we’re not in a compound anymore, we’re not in the States anymore, we’re in a former Ambassador’s house that’s right on a main road, with no full-time guard.
I know that in the grand scheme of things, we are safe. But it’s so hard to accept that when we’re running on adrenaline, surrounded by people we don’t know who speak a language that’s foreign. Oh, soon I’ll be able to hit the grocery store with no problem, but I’ll never be comfortable taking a taxi there, nor am I comfortable with the security here in general. Once we have “stuff” and a car, we’ll get a daytime guard. But then, how do you trust someone to watch your family and your belongings? The worst offenders of threat and theft seem to be those hired to prevent exactly those things. I have a hard time trusting anyone to begin with, this is really going to test my boundaries.
And the kids. Our poor kids. They were brought to school, unknown to them that it would be for the whole day. I’ll be surprised if Nicholas wants to go back tomorrow. He doesn’t deal well with change at all. Katherine was on the verge of tears but kept strong. Rebecca wasn’t sure she wanted to go to school at all. Jonathon barely noticed we left. This morning we’d prepped the kids for a quick visit to the school to meet their teachers and see their classrooms. They didn’t even bring backpacks because I had no food in the house to make lunches. Come to find out that the school offers hot lunch each day and today was lasagna, so without further ado, the kids joined their classes.
The school is small. So very very small. I hope they’ll be happy there. Katherine is in a combined 3/4/5 class, while Rebecca and Nicholas are in a combined K/1/2 class. Jonathon is one of 7 kids in the preschool 2/3/4yo class. The older kids have new teachers and the rooms aren’t set up well yet, so I know they felt really lost.
The one good thing that pops right up is that the school is very close to home. Once we get our car it will be no big deal to get there or pick them up. I’ll let the Embassy van drive them to school in the morning since Ian will be with them, but then I can get them at the end of the day, or arrive myself in the afternoon to spend time in the library or the classrooms, whatever needs to be done.
The Embassy is small. The compound is poorly designed, the hallways are tight, the rooms are cluttered. It’s no Manila. You don’t appreciate a lovely Chancery until you don’t have one anymore. And the Grand Marche really does butt right up against the compound. The longest travel time is the street before the entrance. I can’t wait to see the new building. It’s farther out, nearer to the British School (which is in a “gated” community), so we’ll have to see what our school plans are for next year. Everything depends on how this year goes. There is a good mix of nationalities (no Americans but ours), so at least they aren’t the only white kids.
Would it be a negative project to do a countdown chart? We’re down a day, only 700+ more to go.
Yeah, we’ve already asked ourselves what drove us to move here.
Everything will look better once the kids feel comfortable at school, we have our car (I –hate- not having my own transportation, even if it’s just to go to the school 5 minutes away), our consumables come (groceries, what a nightmare at this moment) and we’ve had a weekend to just enjoy being here, all together. Yesterday was our first day and Ian had a full day of work while the kids and I unpacked our UAB from Arlington. It was a productive day and each day will hopefully just get better.
I want my kids home though, I imagine they will be completely worn out this afternoon. I want them home for them and for me. I don’t like being alone and I really hate the people who ring the bell and then ask for the guard. We don’t have a day guard so when I say that I feel like I’m being sized up. The more people here, the better… I should have homeschooled, then we’d always be home. Ok, now I’m letting it get to me.
I just know that if I call home, I’ll cry. Tired, jet lag, stress. All three.
2 SEPTEMBER 2005 – Glorious sleep
It’s amazing what a little bit of sleep does for the psyche. Today was a much better day. In fact, once the kids returned home from school yesterday, everything got better. They went for a swim in the pool, after we scooped out a lizard from the bottom which had apparently fallen in from an overhanging tree branch. The lizards here are way cool, just like I remember them from Niamey. The pool is small and very deep, nearly 5’ in the shallow end.
The school is small, but the kids came home happy yesterday. Seeing them happy lifted me out of my glum hole. Nicholas gave a big hug and said “French is hard.” French kids don’t learn print, do they? Nicholas was writing cursive small As and today came home saying French was better because cursive small Rs aren’t as difficult. Katherine has done art, next week the kids start music and P.E. and I have my fingers crossed that this will be good. For everyone.
The house was bug sprayed this afternoon, so once Ian came home from his half-day (yay Friday!) and the kids were picked up from school, we went next door to the hotel to have some drinks. At 6 p.m. we walked to the Lebanese grocery store down the street that thankfully has a little of everything and plenty of spices, before going to dinner at La Nuit de l’Orient directly across from our gate. Pizzas all around, personal thin crust pizza. I had the crepes for dessert while the kids had ice cream and ian had a pastry. The crepes, sadly tasted like they’d been cooked in the same pan as some smoked fish.
We haven’t been careful with our food consumption. Ian purchased a handful of soft maize cakes, off the top of a passing woman’s head. With our dinner we had ice in the drinks and ate raw vegetables from the platter. If we’re sick in the morning, everyone will know why.
I did our laundry which wasn’t as cumbersome as I’d anticipated since I brought one load out at a time. The washer and dryer are housed in a separate building in our yard. Tomorrow we’re going to a Labor Day party and perhaps the Marine House. Sunday, the Corrao’s are meeting us as church then we’re going to Cocoa Beach for lunch. Monday is a holiday for Ian but not for the kids, so hopefully it’ll be a quiet day at home. I thought it would be a quiet weekend, but Ian filled it up with Schtuff.
Tonight we’ll call home. I did yesterday and talked to mom at work, tonight the kids can talk too.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Our trip has begun...
Ian, here. We're in the Air France lounge in Dulles, awaiting our boarding call. We've got about an hour, so I'm having a beer (part of a plan to help me sleep on the overnight flight) and the kids are playing cards. Other than the pain in my shoulder from carrying my backpack and the laptop, we're all good. I've already met two other foreign service officers from my French classes, both going to their posts in Cote D'Ivoire and Mauritius. Looks like US diplomats will dominate business class.
We'll see when we get a connection again. I'm going to flip through the French-language edition of "Premiere" magazine and see if I still have any French skills. Hmmm, they love "Charlie et la Chocolaterie"...
We'll see when we get a connection again. I'm going to flip through the French-language edition of "Premiere" magazine and see if I still have any French skills. Hmmm, they love "Charlie et la Chocolaterie"...
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Thanks
Thanks go out this week to Jerry and Julie for having us over for dinner on Wednesday. When we get back, perhaps you'll have a bambino for us to play with. And thanks to Jeff for coming over on Thursday to go bowling and eat at the Rainforest Cafe. I promise, next time we see you, no mall.
Last minute
Yesterday we took our first malaria prophylaxsis which actually went very well, considering getting the stuff was such a trial.
Since we returned from the beach last Saturday there were a few odds and ends to finish up. These weren't exactly inconsequential, for without getting our passports or tickets we couldn't even depart our homeland. But having the car picked up and starting our meds were important as well.
Everything was completed on schedule, but when Ian spoke with a specific FSI nurse... well, she's never been our favorite person. We'd decided long ago to choose Malarone as our prophylaxsis of choice. After looking it up in my drug book, reading the literature from the clinic and talking to those who have taken the various options, Malarone seemed the best choice for our family. While it's a daily pill, it has the least number of side effects. Our other options were Larium/Mefloquine and Doxycycline. The former is weekly and can have neuropsyhiatric side effects (depression, sleep disturbances, nightmares, hallucinations, and occasionally, convulsions). The latter is daily, causes sun sensitivity and is contraindicated for humans under the age of 12.
For obvious reasons, we didn't choose Mefloquine. For obvious reasons, we couldn't choose Doxy.
On Wednesday, Ian learned the clinic doesn't actually dispense Malarone, even though the clinic gives out information about it and lets the Officer decide. The nurse pushed Mefloquine but that was the last drug we wanted. Ian came home with adult dosage Doxy in unsplittable capsules... for the whole family.
We argued about whether taking it once would hurt anyone with the intent of switching to Malarone at post, we argued about pulling the capsules apart and guessing at children's dosages (though they're on the paper, we don't have a way to measure mg at home), we even considered relying on Off insect repellent until landing in Lome' and getting meds direct from the Peace Corps clinic.
On Thursday, after some sleep, we considered other options.
With a call, we knew SA-1 didn't carry Malarone either. My dad encouraged me to call his physician for a prescription, but they wanted to make appointments and register the entire family as new patients. No time for that, the office gave the number for Smart Travel (703-379-8645) on King Street, a spot for travelers to obtain travel meds. They're closed on Thursdays. Time was running out, so we bit the bullet and went back to FSI to exchange the Doxy for Mefloquine, with the understanding that if we all did OK with it (side effects usually appear within the first 3 dosages; there's a 5%-50% chance of having some form of negative reaction, so with a family of 6... you do the math) in three weeks we'll know whether to switch completely or stick with it. The clinic was closed when we arrived.
*sigh*
Friday, after the car drove off to Baltimore to get on a slow boat to Togo, Ian returned once again to FSI, spoke with the nice nurse on shift and aquired our meds. Finally.
You're supposed to begin taking Mefloquine 1-2 weeks before departure, but since we were so late already, another day wouldn't matter. The drug is effective within 20 minutes of entering the bloodstream. Dehydration exacerbates potential side effects and the nurse had anecdotal evidence that taking it in the morning lessens the chance of reacting badly, so our game plan:
Saturday morning
Big breakfast
Lots to drink
Pray
Think it'll work? I'm not certain. Last night Nicholas had a nightmare, tonight he's already woken screaming. It could be nerves, he's been anxious about this move for a while. I really hope it's nerves.
Oh, Rebecca and Nicholas get kudos for taking their pills yesterday. Down the hatch, no problem. Katherine had flashbacks to her INH days and gagged on them. Jonathon spit his out into his drink and just let it dissolve... then unwillingly drank the slurry.
Ew.
P.S. My thoughts are with those in Katrina's path. Maybe building a city below sea level wasn't a good idea? I hope all stay safe.
Since we returned from the beach last Saturday there were a few odds and ends to finish up. These weren't exactly inconsequential, for without getting our passports or tickets we couldn't even depart our homeland. But having the car picked up and starting our meds were important as well.
Everything was completed on schedule, but when Ian spoke with a specific FSI nurse... well, she's never been our favorite person. We'd decided long ago to choose Malarone as our prophylaxsis of choice. After looking it up in my drug book, reading the literature from the clinic and talking to those who have taken the various options, Malarone seemed the best choice for our family. While it's a daily pill, it has the least number of side effects. Our other options were Larium/Mefloquine and Doxycycline. The former is weekly and can have neuropsyhiatric side effects (depression, sleep disturbances, nightmares, hallucinations, and occasionally, convulsions). The latter is daily, causes sun sensitivity and is contraindicated for humans under the age of 12.
For obvious reasons, we didn't choose Mefloquine. For obvious reasons, we couldn't choose Doxy.
On Wednesday, Ian learned the clinic doesn't actually dispense Malarone, even though the clinic gives out information about it and lets the Officer decide. The nurse pushed Mefloquine but that was the last drug we wanted. Ian came home with adult dosage Doxy in unsplittable capsules... for the whole family.
We argued about whether taking it once would hurt anyone with the intent of switching to Malarone at post, we argued about pulling the capsules apart and guessing at children's dosages (though they're on the paper, we don't have a way to measure mg at home), we even considered relying on Off insect repellent until landing in Lome' and getting meds direct from the Peace Corps clinic.
On Thursday, after some sleep, we considered other options.
With a call, we knew SA-1 didn't carry Malarone either. My dad encouraged me to call his physician for a prescription, but they wanted to make appointments and register the entire family as new patients. No time for that, the office gave the number for Smart Travel (703-379-8645) on King Street, a spot for travelers to obtain travel meds. They're closed on Thursdays. Time was running out, so we bit the bullet and went back to FSI to exchange the Doxy for Mefloquine, with the understanding that if we all did OK with it (side effects usually appear within the first 3 dosages; there's a 5%-50% chance of having some form of negative reaction, so with a family of 6... you do the math) in three weeks we'll know whether to switch completely or stick with it. The clinic was closed when we arrived.
*sigh*
Friday, after the car drove off to Baltimore to get on a slow boat to Togo, Ian returned once again to FSI, spoke with the nice nurse on shift and aquired our meds. Finally.
You're supposed to begin taking Mefloquine 1-2 weeks before departure, but since we were so late already, another day wouldn't matter. The drug is effective within 20 minutes of entering the bloodstream. Dehydration exacerbates potential side effects and the nurse had anecdotal evidence that taking it in the morning lessens the chance of reacting badly, so our game plan:
Saturday morning
Big breakfast
Lots to drink
Pray
Think it'll work? I'm not certain. Last night Nicholas had a nightmare, tonight he's already woken screaming. It could be nerves, he's been anxious about this move for a while. I really hope it's nerves.
Oh, Rebecca and Nicholas get kudos for taking their pills yesterday. Down the hatch, no problem. Katherine had flashbacks to her INH days and gagged on them. Jonathon spit his out into his drink and just let it dissolve... then unwillingly drank the slurry.
Ew.
P.S. My thoughts are with those in Katrina's path. Maybe building a city below sea level wasn't a good idea? I hope all stay safe.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Mmmm, ice chips
I finally got it done. My two upper wisdom teeth were removed today. In, no kidding, 20 seconds I was free of what has hopefully been causing mild by regular headaches the past few years. I opted for local anaesthetic (the referral was for general... why? Because I said I wasn't keen on losing my teeth?) and declined filling the prescription for Vicodin. A couple Motrin before the procedure and a couple more in the late afternoon and I'm pretty good to go. In fact, the left side doesn't hurt at all. The right side is swollen and achey, probably as a result of a rougher pull which broke the tooth, requiring fragment removal.
I may be sore, but hey... the assistant thought she called the wrong person. I look closer to 17 or 18, not 31 according to her.
Hee.
I may be sore, but hey... the assistant thought she called the wrong person. I look closer to 17 or 18, not 31 according to her.
Hee.
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