though this blog has now officially been laid to rest, see new blog, there will, in the coming days/weeks, be a few more posts. these will mainly consist of selected journal entries that were written with the intent of posting but never made it, as well as photos that i think it'd be nice to share.
All of these 'afterthoughts' as i'd like to call them, will be referenced in my new blog where i am trying chronicle the uninteresting and unproductive ways i spend my days.
I hope you enjoyed and will continue to do so.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Homecoming.
SO... I probably should have wrote about this sooner, and excuses are like assholes, so I won't bother with one.
I'm back in the US. Like so many things, my Peace Corps service and time in Namibia ended before it was finished. The details are boring, and the story is full of frustration and unanswered questions and medical concerns with, as of yet, no definitive answer.
But here's a taste. I got really sick in late september. local nurse and doctor at katima hospital thought it was malaria. I was put on malaria treatment (twice actually) but didn't show any signs of improvement. I was finally brought down to the capital so that other doctors could get a look at me. Shortly thereafter my symptoms started to resolve, but i still had some anomalies in my white blood cell population. Now, having been in the caprivi region of africa i know what you're thinking, and it's none of your business. But if you must know, it's not HIV. The anomalies are in the population break down, not the overall population. An abnormally high eosinophil count of unknown eitology was declared. No parasites were found (also no signs of ever having had malaria, good thing i had been put on quinine, cause that was fun), and I no allergies were discovered or reactions observed that could be positively linked to the over production.
Since the next step in logic pointed to either faulty tested, or more serious conditions (see eosinophilia/hypereosinophilia, etc. if you're really interested) I was sent home to get looked at by more doctors, and since it was felt that it would take longer than 45 days for stateside doctors to figure out what was going on they powers at be medically separated me rather than giving me a medical evacuation.
I've been home since mid november so at least they were right about how long it'd take to figure it all out.
For those of you that are wondering, I feel fine. The eosinophilia seems to be resolving (the counts while not back to normal range have been successively lower since leaving Namibia). The whole medical ordeal is keeping me busy with paper work, but i'm starting to get the hang of it and i've only had to spend about 40 dollars so far (and i'm just a few forms and approvals away from getting that reimbursed.)
So there it was. I'm back in the US. I'm living at home and trying to find a job. I'm missing Africa and my namibian friends and family.
Oh, and if you're wondering about the assholes comment at the top, everybody has one, that's how they're alike.
Till next time,
RPCV Jefu
I'm back in the US. Like so many things, my Peace Corps service and time in Namibia ended before it was finished. The details are boring, and the story is full of frustration and unanswered questions and medical concerns with, as of yet, no definitive answer.
But here's a taste. I got really sick in late september. local nurse and doctor at katima hospital thought it was malaria. I was put on malaria treatment (twice actually) but didn't show any signs of improvement. I was finally brought down to the capital so that other doctors could get a look at me. Shortly thereafter my symptoms started to resolve, but i still had some anomalies in my white blood cell population. Now, having been in the caprivi region of africa i know what you're thinking, and it's none of your business. But if you must know, it's not HIV. The anomalies are in the population break down, not the overall population. An abnormally high eosinophil count of unknown eitology was declared. No parasites were found (also no signs of ever having had malaria, good thing i had been put on quinine, cause that was fun), and I no allergies were discovered or reactions observed that could be positively linked to the over production.
Since the next step in logic pointed to either faulty tested, or more serious conditions (see eosinophilia/hypereosinophilia, etc. if you're really interested) I was sent home to get looked at by more doctors, and since it was felt that it would take longer than 45 days for stateside doctors to figure out what was going on they powers at be medically separated me rather than giving me a medical evacuation.
I've been home since mid november so at least they were right about how long it'd take to figure it all out.
For those of you that are wondering, I feel fine. The eosinophilia seems to be resolving (the counts while not back to normal range have been successively lower since leaving Namibia). The whole medical ordeal is keeping me busy with paper work, but i'm starting to get the hang of it and i've only had to spend about 40 dollars so far (and i'm just a few forms and approvals away from getting that reimbursed.)
So there it was. I'm back in the US. I'm living at home and trying to find a job. I'm missing Africa and my namibian friends and family.
Oh, and if you're wondering about the assholes comment at the top, everybody has one, that's how they're alike.
Till next time,
RPCV Jefu
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