m_a_stone

Just a quick update as I have not posted an entry for a while. The tests revealed nothing unusual, with the stool tests negative. However the malabsorbtion has been continuing. There are times when I feel rough still, and I still have much less stamina than I used to. I have improved significantly over how I was when I first arrived back in the UK and I am now much stronger and able to do more, but I am still taking things fairly easy, and trying to avoid doing too much. I have stopped finding the UK so cold now - I am used to the climate again. I will see the Doctor again next week, to discuss my gut, as well as the heart palpitations I had back in Tanzania. I am now much weaker ... read more

I'm now back in the UK, which has advantages and disadvantages. For instance, here the risk of dehydration is much lower, but I feel cold everwhere as I am now using to living in a tropical dry season. I am back with my family, but they are busier, so they cannot give me as much time as Patrick and his family could. It is also actually a bit easier to see a Doctor out of hours out in Tanzania - out there I could afford Private Healthcare which was 24hrs, though in the day they tended to be very busy. Also hospitals and surgeries here are better equiped. I am still really weak, and incapable of doing much at all. I am tending to get pain after eating, which I am sure is not a good ... read more

I am now back in the UK, to recover here, have just about managed the flight back on Friday.... read more

After another bout of diarrhoea in the night, at about midnight I decided to try to get back to the UK as quickly as possible. I phoned home to tell them. Patrick was awake, and a contact of his allowed us to work out there was a flight that morning, leaving at 9:45am. I packed my bag, to prepare to leave. I slept very little, only one hour after midnight. I was very worried about whether I would be able to get on the plane. I did not eat any breakfast and imodiumed up to avoid any diarrhoea. I said goodbye and left the house, to be taken the airport. I was feeling pretty rough. At the airport I was able to change my ticket easily enough (although there was of course a cost). There were ... read more

Having had the return of both bad faeces (probably technically not diarrhoea) and earache, I had decided it was time to see the Doctor again. When we got to the hospital, the Doctor was not there, so we were going to Patrick's office. On the way we spotted a familiar face. Emmanuel Mungongo, my Kiswahili teacher from Britain. He had been in Moshi - near Kilimanjaro, his home town, but I think he had returned to Dar the same day I had arrived. I had not seen him though until today. It was very good to see him, and I most of the rest of the day with him. He is staying in the YMCA and I ate my lunch there after trying to change some travelers cheques, but failing. The banks here as are not ... read more

Being Sunday, today I went to church with Patrick and his family. The service was early, starting at 8:30, although that is not at all unusual here. Patrick and his family are Pentacostal, so it was a very different service from the Anglican ones on Zanzibar, and it was also actually in English. (They have a Kiswahili service later) Yay! It was only my second English service since leaving the UK. In some ways it was more similar to StAG back in the UK, but I would place StAG roughly between the Cathedral and Patrick’s church. Although the sermon was more similar (with the exception of regular amens from the congregation), the worship style was a little different, was about 40 minutes of just worship to begin the service, although the use of guitar, keyboard, drums ... read more

Today I went into Dar centre quite early, going to see the Doctor first thing. The results of the tests were ready. All of the tests were normal, except for the stool test. The stool test showed roundworm. So the Doctor gave me a prescription for various drugs, levamisole hydrochloride for the worms, omidazole and epirazole in case of ulcers. The drugs actually cost more than I ever paid for the Doctor. I felt well enough to go to an internet café, so I was able to catch up on email, and update my travelblog. One hour of surfing for just 1000 shillings (0.5GBP). I went back to the house in time for lunch. In the evening we had great fun with my digital camera. They don’t get many opportunities to use a camera here, so ... read more