Jungle Advice

So this week has been a tough one to say the least. After OGM ended July 1st- The girls and I headed back up to Iquitos on July 2nd (while Jeremy stayed in Lima for an intensive one week seminary course until Friday)...we traveled back with the Glovers, which was a blessing. July 3rd- we had a large medical team come in from Morningside Baptist, so it was a typical arrival day of lots of people in and out of my house getting gear, me tallying up what was forgotten and what was taken, coordinating payments of things, talking with translators and then grabbing a meal with the team. I put the girls to bed and sighed thinking the rest of the week should be smooth sailing, I'd get the girls back into a routine and relax a little. Not so much. Both of them woke up that night with fevers. Karis was vomiting up everything she ingested by monday afternoon. So they both came down with the stomach flu, then the dog got sick on Tuesday. Thought she was poisoned but really she had a respiratory infection & parasite in her esaphogas and a high fever as well. Then Wednesday around 1am, I got the stomach flu and we were all sick! So with this being such a stressful time, I was given SO much unsolicited advice. Its a lot like the US, these Peruvian ladies were just trying to offer me help. Here's some highlights-

1. Soap- one lady was convinced that Karis had a bacterial infection because of the way her flatulence smelled (which she didn't have that but her good bacteria was low after lab tests came back). So she proceeded to tell me that I didn't need to waste time or money going to the doctor and buying medicine for this. All I needed to do was take laundry deotergent mix it well with water and rub it over Karis' belly and the mixture absorbs through the skin, into the intestines and the bacteria flushes itself out. The expression on my face must not have consealed by doubtfulness about this "proven" method and so she proceed to explain to me that in the homes- families typically use an herbal mixture but the best way is the soap mixture and that's what they use in the hospitals here (as if being used in the hospital thus made it a more reliable option, but all it really did was make me question the medical practices of the hospitals up here). Now I do see some benefit in the massaging the flatulence out but dish soap on your belly isn't going to do anything for the bacteria infection in your intestines. You know?

2. Nasal Drainage Option. This one isn't a new for me, but thought I'd share it with you anyways. Don't have one of those handy dandy bulbs to suck your kids snot out...no problem. Just create a suction around their nose with your mouth and suck it all out by you inhaling and then just spit their snot out when you're done. No worries.

3. Fever reducer. A mixture of luke warm water with alcohol and wipe it consistantly over their heads. Also keeping her child clothed with socks on and a blanket over them if their is a breeze anywhere- so that they won't catch a chill with their fever.

4. For my dog. She is a 90 lb, muscular, lean, and athletic Italian Mastif . The Vet tells me that she is sick because I allow her to sleep in my bedroom with the AC running at night. And the "cold front" we had this week (mid to lower 80's) was too cold for her and I needed to buy her a DOGGIE SWEATER to wear. I politely explained to her that she has always slept with us in our AC bedroom and that its NEVER been a problem, this is her first illness and that we took her to Lima during the winter last year and she would play outside and then sleep next to a heater and no problems then. And that typically she has more energy and enjoys life more when its "cold" like this instead of above 100. But she still insisted that she would never fully recover unless we removed her from our AC and got a DOGGIE SWEATER to put on her during "cold" days like this week. Killing me...killing me!

5 Shots are BETTER than pills (Sadie vs the Vet) Peruvian LOVE their antibiotic shots "into the viens is better" they say. The philosphy holds true with dogs as well. So the first day Sadie needs 2 shots, one antibiotic & one parasite. So the male vet assistant is about the size of a typical US teenage girl and I size him up and I think he's got about 15 pounds on Sadie. So I offer to help hold her down for the shots. We get both of them in her, with both me and the vet asst laying on top of her and me basically doing a choke hold on her. Then the Vet says "WOW she really doesn't like these shots...too bad because she needs two a day for two more days!". Second day- new vet comes (male this time) and a bigger Vet Assistant (thank goodness). However, Sadie is feeling a little bit better and now there are two strange men in the house with her while Jeremy is gone and they/we are trying to pin her down. I tried numberous times but after having vomited for most of the night before- I was too weak to do anything and I almost fainted twice in the process of it all. So the Vet offers to help (Thanks- after just telling me to yell at her louder for the past 30 minutes). So the Vet gets a hold of her neck skin (she's mussled by the way), swings her around to pin her down on the floor and Sadie fights back. She rares up and slams him up against the back of the front door and is now standing taller then him. I'm thinking- WOW- this is horrible. When Sadie goes back down onto all fours, the Vet basically jumps on her and it pushs her to the ground. The Vet Assistant gets ONE of the TWO shots in her and they decide to call it a night! Now during this entire 45 minute saga my kids are with Elita in my bedroom but they can hear all of the barking and yelling so they are both crying hysterically. Miserable. So I told Jeremy I just couldn't do it again another night in a row. So he talks to our team leaders and Cameron's sister's a Vet in the states. She prescribes Sadie some pills that she's had NO PROBLEMS taking for the past 2 days and she perking up! What a mess. LOL!

So all of us are on the mend even though I did not suck Addie's snot out with my mouth or rub soap on Karis' belly or buy my dog a doggie sweater or contunie to turture her with shots. I did however let Elita rub a cool rag of water/rubbing alcohol over Addie's head.

Side Note: After viewing the Sadie vs. The Vet show down. I am now convinced my dog would kill an intruder easily and I slept better the last few nights Jeremy was away. Sadie is a loyal loving dog- that would do anything to protect us. Bless her heart!