Africa Welcomes You

From the 21st of December to the 7th of February sickness has plagued my life. First it was food poisoning/running stomach for my first week in Abidjan. Then I arrived home in Lome only to contract a sty in my right eye. So I began the month of resembling Egor rather than a woman. My eye puffed up and the infection claimed two weeks and drained me. I think I had a three day respite before the infection inside my nose began festering and within a few days made my nose swell to almost double its natural size. I WAS Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. I could not touch my nose because of the pain but if I did bump it I felt it in my forehead, sinuses, and teeth. My nose was numb with pain. Mind you this is all after I’d taken the Ibuprofen regularly.
Then the volcanoes, as I lovingly refer to them, began sprouting on the outside of my nose. Yes, these were horrific explosions of puss and green things that resembled stones. This left huge crater like sores where the volcanoes were. I was positive that I would be scared for life. The French doctor I saw was not like the other doctors who prescribe the shotgun approach to medication. This woman thought I could manage this with green clay facial mud stuff and the 5 times a day cleaning and anti-biotic cream. When I asked her what she thought it was she casually told me that it was a staph caucus infection. OK. I remember thinking “gosh I guess staph infections in Africa aren’t that serious” as she wasn’t that concerned. I had gone to see her for a few things and she thought that the other tests (from the crazy African lab I had to go to for blood work) showed that I needed meds for another problem. Meanwhile, the pain grew so I couldn’t sleep, eat, or bear the thought of people looking at me. My students would tell me “Nina, it’s coming out. Wipe your nose.” Like it was normal. I’m grateful for the forgiveness of five year olds!
After my medicine for the other problem was finished I waited a few days and just bought medication at the pharmacy. This is no problem here as prescriptions are more recommendations and you don’t need one to buy meds, not even narcotics. They helped but the infection was on the run after my constant cleaning, anti-biotic cream, and who can forget the clay masks. It truly is amazing what came out of my nose and the relief that I felt. I’ve now finished my meds. I continue to clean and treat the sores but the size of my nose is normal and I have lived pain free for six days! I can wiggle my nose, touch my nose (although there are still some dead areas), and even blow my nose with no pain.

This experience has truly made me grateful for my health and the things that you just expect to work or be there (ie. your nose). I hope that I’ll be healthy for a while now. I do have to add this one encounter. My guardian one morning, as we shared tea, said “Oh my sister, do not worry Africa welcomes you.” This comment made me laugh my way through this infection and lightened the mood when people wanted to know what my problem with my nose was. I’m also thankful for people who don’t care what I look like and just like me and wanted to care for me when I need help.