Day 67: Baba is Sick!

          Baba's sick (again), we even had to take him to the hospital...
          You will remember that Baba went to the hospital on Sunday because he was coughing and not feeling good.  If you don't remember this, you are probably suffering from a severe and life threatening case of amnesia, and should go to the hospital yourself.  After the pharmacist gave him the right medication for his lungs, he had been feeling a lot better, and his voice had slowly returned.  Only one thing remained, a pain in the small of his back, right under one shoulder blade.
          At first Baba thought he had merely pulled a muscle, and ignored it.  The pain, however, grew worse, and by this evening he decided that he needed to go to the hospital.  So Anandumi, his wife Mama Faraja (that's my other niece Faraja, not my cousin Faraja), and I took him to the hospital in Kigamboni.  The hospital wasn't very large, but it was in good repair.  The doctors were all very nice, and Baba liked it there.
          The night doctor on duty ran some tests and discovered that Baba had pneumonia.  Pneumonia is a very dangerous disease, especially in Tanzania.  It has killed both of my great-bibi's on my bibi's side as well as one of my great-shangazi's and one of Baba's younger brothers.  My bibi doesn't even want to hear the word pneumonia, as it has taken to many people she has known.
          This is not the first time Baba has had pneumonia, he used to get it quite a lot before he switched to Flovent.  Having been off Flovent for a few days and then moving from cool Arusha to wet and hot Dar proved to be all the bug needed to start growing once again.  The doctor took strong action, prescribing Baba antibiotics that would have to be injected once every six hours.  He gave Baba the first dose and told him to come back at midnight when he would wake up and give him the next injection.
          Since then, Baba has been doing better, though he still has a pain in the small of his back  So yes, Baba is sick, but no, he hasn't died of pneumonia.  I have been feeling fine, even in Dar, and haven't suffered from so much as a cold.  We're both still alive.


E’ya! - Tate


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