I was running from a lion when...

It was a long week full of firsts. Some good, some not so good.

• Passed my language proficiency test in Acholi
• Broke my first bone
• Swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer
• Took my first flight to South Africa
• Had my first (and hopefully last) surgery

So, I wasn't exactly running from a lion. I was walking home... and in my true graceful style, tripped on the bottom of my skirt and wiped out.... landing full force on my elbow. After the initial set of grainy x-rays, it appeared to be a hairline fracture that would heal on its own. A few days later, I took my oath and BECAME A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER (woohoo!). It was a great ceremony that deserves its own post, so more to come on that topic.
The next morning, and a week after the fall, we went back to the clinic for follow-up x-rays and got a much clearer picture of what was going on. The bone had an articular? fracture (meaning it was on the joint) and the bone had dislocated out of alignment and rotated a bit. Bummer, or ‘baambi’ as they say in Luganda. 
We then rushed to the closest reputable orthopedic surgeon for a specialist’s opinion, and were told that surgery was necessary and that time was of the essence. Because it had already been a week from the time of injury, the drs were concerned that the scarring related to the healing process could negatively impact the movement of the joint and may complicate the surgery. Surgery I thought, eek!  Back to the PC office we went, I repacked yet another bag, showered, and slept a few hours at the nurse’s house. I was picked up at 3 am for an early flight to South Africa. Upon arrival, I was picked up at the (beautiful) airport in Johannesburg and driven straight to the hospital in Pretoria (which felt like another universe). I got a CT scan, was admitted, and prepped for surgery within 2 hours of arriving.  From what I understand, all went well and I now have 2 serious screws securing the rogue bone back in place. The hospital and staff were great and I’m not in too much pain. It was a 2-hour surgery and I woke super happy for it to be over. I was more nervous about being put under anesthesia than the surgery itself. The plan now is to recover in the guest house in Pretoria, go to physical therapy, and see the doctor. As an aside, I hear the Dr. who did my surgery also fixes the bones of the professional South African rugby team. He’s got to be good. I’m hoping that the dr’s appts go well and I’m able to recover quickly so I can get to Pajule and start working as soon as possible. I just have to prove that I have enough mobility and strength to function as I could before (i.e. carry/pour a jerrycan of water, etc) within 45 days.  I think I can bounce back within the PC’s time constraints despite what the drs are preparing me for.  We'll cross that bridge later. And this is a wonderful place to recover. Beautiful purple-blossomed trees and great weather. And the food is fantastic too. There are other PCVs staying here in addition to the other guests, so I don't think I'll be too bored/lonely. Although truthfully I'd rather be in Pajule...I think somewhere along the way I must have caught some of the PC weirdness already. Maybe it was the swearing in...
Anyway, apologies for the ridiculous length of this post, but I have to give a huge shout-out to the Peace Corps medical staff both here and in Uganda. The nurse in Uganda has taken great care of me from the get-go, and they’ve taken all measures to ensure that I’m properly treated and comfortable. She is a great lady and has been genuinely interested in my physical and mental well-being. The PC admin staff was great to make all of the travel arrangements and logistics plans on short notice.  The PCMO met me at the hospital and stayed with me until my surgery. I think he joined the orthopedic surgeon, who is also great (as previously stated), in the OR and came by the next day to check on me. It’s nice to know that the PC staff is so fantastic, especially since I’m not familiar with South Africa or surgery. They’ve really shown their strength as an organization when it matters.

Just another crazy African adventure under my belt! I hope the next time I find myself in SA, it’s for vacation…and I’m gonna work on not being such a klutz.

I'll try to post a pic of the x-ray with the screws. It's pretty rad.

Oops



The x-ray that made the difference

South Africa here I come

Welcome to paradise

Post surgery. My new (temporary) bionic arm brace. Jealous?