Now I Know Why I Feel Lousy

Now I know why I feel lousy

It was decided that I should see a doctor and so yesterday morning I got up at 7:00 to make it up the hill to the bus departure area, (not a depot), and halfway up the hill, I thought I might faint. To flag down a moto you pat the air. I paid him two hundred Rfr for about a football field’s distance to the bus and bought a ticket just in time to depart.

These are the luxury buses and it costs 1000 Rfr to Kigali. Like most buses, there are double seats on one side of the aisle and single seats on the other side. However, an added feature of these buses is drop-down seats that fill up the aisle. It is hilarious watching people from the back of the bus crawl over people to get off at their stop.

There was one, very prosperous looking lady, sitting in one of the single seats but with her bags on the drop-down seat next to her. Some poor man got on the bus, looked at the seat, (which was the only available seat), and without saying anything, fidgeted while the lady looked askance. Finally, with distain, she removed her bags to her lap and he sat down with a smile.

When I arrived in Kigali I asked the first English-speaking person I could find how much I should pay a moto to go to the Polyclinic. Three hundred. Instead of walking away after giving me the information, he walked me down to where the motos were parked and chose the best driver for me. At the clinic, the moto driver dropped me off with a smile and a pat. (Rwandans are very sweet in their concern for you).

I wanted to see Dr. Jean Paul again but was taken to Dr. Antoine who surprisingly was born in the hills near Byumba. What a story he must have to tell; from Byumba to Chief of Staff!

He gave me the complete once-over and sent me to a bed where I was hooked up to an IV. I was given pain-killer for my headache and something, don’t know what, in the IV. (Yes, I asked but didn’t understand what he said!).

I slept for the afternoon and the diagnosis is intestinal bug from either food or utensils. He sent me home with antibiotics, something for abdominal pain, and fizzy pain-killers.

So, last night I went to bed at 7:00 and slept through until after 8:00 this morning. As I write, I am feeling worlds better.

If I can get online I will find Cathy’s instructions on how to reduce photos for uploading and then be able to insert photos into my blog.