Day 4: “Sorry, We forgot to give you your medicine.”
Late in the night I started vomiting again and couldn’t keep down food or water. In the morning I went to the doctor and reported this to him before I began my daily drip of malaria medication. The doctor looked at me and asked, “Have you been taking your tablets?” I calmly replied, “No sir, you never gave me any tablets.”
Long story short, the night nurse who discharged me the first night neglected to give me any of the antibiotic tablets I was supposed to be taking. Instead of my regular 3 hour drip, they inserted another IV and ran two 500ml IVs of intense antibiotics followed by the normal dose I had been given over the last 3 days. At the end of the second dose I took out the IV from my left hand.
(My hand the day after the clinic)
So, 6 hours after arriving at the hospital I had my drugs and about 1.5 liters of IV fluids coursing through my veins. The nurse came to take out the last IV. Instead of taking off the tape and then the IV she decided for some reason to take all of it off and consequently out all at the same time. The IV catheder ripped my hand to shreds and my hand bled profusely, covering the floor and my pristine hospital bed. Luckily I was in a hospital……
I was about 2 hours past the time when my ride was supposed to show up to collect me. Now I was on my own to find my way back to my church. I had no money, no clue of where I was going and I dont speak Luganda. With a little luck and a lot of Holy Spirit we made it home after only getting lost. Twice.
I love malaria.
