So a few weeks ago Anna came down with a horrible bacterial infection involving frothy diarrhea, high fevers, you name it. The "highlight" of her being sick was an overnight stay in a local missionary hospital. For the rest of my story I must insert the following disclaimer: although I am about to bemoan the care and conditions of said care, i do realize that for the vast majority of Malawians this type of hospital would be a dream come true. I really do get this. Now for the details.
Our room had one twin bed. One. We had to share. Now, Anna is little, but when an IV is involved, little people take up large portions of the one bed. I "slept" with my head at the end of the bed and my feet either wrapped around her head, or propped on a plastic chair that i pulled up to the side of the bed. Mosquito nets are an absolute must here, especially during rainy season (which is now). The one bed, of course, had one mosquito net. I tried to go as long as i could without having to use it because, quite frankly, it was pretty nasty. Around midnight, my fingers could not keep up with all the scratching so I had to pull it down. Due to my position on the end of the bed, the mosquito net, when unfurled, laid squarely on my FACE. I spent the next 6 hours not thinking about the types and amounts of bodily fluids that I was spending the night with.
Other highlights of my evening included a nurse coming in to put an injection in Anna's IV. The first nurse was great; she came in with gloves, showed me that she put a new syringe on the needle, and wiped down the rubber port thingy with alcohol before the injection. Nurse 2 obviously missed that day of class. Nurse 2 came in bare handed, syringe already on and not an alcohol wipe in site. Instead of alcohol, she used her bare finger to lead the syringe into the rubber port. In a country with one of the highest HIV rates in the WORLD, I assure you it was a big time cringe moment for me.
In the end, I begged and pleaded to be discharged as our second night in the hospital was approaching and was finally granted my wish. Anna was fine within a day or so. Mom, not so much!
