Cat Bite Update

Posted on October 7, 2013 by David

It’s been three weeks since I (DeAnna) was bit by the crazy cat that came into our compound challenging our dog to an all out battle.  I needed two additional rabies shots for post exposure since I already had the rabies series.  I also took some medication that would help my body battle against potential pasteurella.  A week and a half ago my lymph nodes started to swell up and became sore, so my body has been working hard to fight off any infection (cat cooties).  They are still a bit swollen and sore, but improving a little everyday. Did you know that cat bites usually lead to infection much more than a dog bite?  I didn’t know this until this whole thing erupted in my life.  I’ve always been a cat lover, however, now I’m just a cat liker.

I’m very thankful for your prayers, for my friend Rachel B. who has graciously answered my medical questions, for the doctor friend of Rachel B., for no wound site infection and for your continued prayers for the infection my body is still fighting – go lymphatic system!

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Bacon

Posted on October 2, 2013 by David

What is it about this cured, salty, pork product that is so tasty?  David is one who thinks bacon goes with anything.  He proved that by ordering the Burger King bacon ice cream sundae last year while in the USA.

We miss bacon!  So that’s why we ask for it in care packages.  We received in the August shipment three cans of bacon.  Yep, that’s right – canned bacon with a long shelf life!  This is was a first in experiences for us and thought I would share what canned bacon looks like.  It’s basically precooked bacon in the wax sheets, rolled up and placed in a can.

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Watermelons Grow on Trees

Posted on September 30, 2013 by David

There are many differences in fruit here compared to the USA.  For example, oranges here are green, not orange.  What is considered a plum isn’t anything equivalent to a plum in the USA.

There is a growth on a tree at the center where the school is that looks a lot like a watermelon.  I (DeAnna) don’t know what fruit it is and the gardeners have told me to stay away from it, so I will.

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VHS Ribbon

Posted on September 27, 2013 by David

Pretty much everything in the tropics molds, some things take longer than other things to mold.  We’ve had DVD’s mold, we’ve had clothes mold, we’ve had shoes mold, we’ve had toys mold..you get the idea.

We were given a VCR in December.  Many people have VHS tapes that were part of their collection before DVD’s were popular and these tapes are normally sitting in boxes labeled FREE.  Many of the VHS ribbons are molded and when you look at the ribbon you can see the gray mold covering it.

David brought home some of the free VHS tapes and we were looking them over to discard of the molded tapes.  Jonah asked if he could take the molded tapes outside to play with.  I told him he could.  I was in the house and he was outside playing in the neighborhood and I could hear laughter and enthusiasm coming from outside.  I took the camera with me as I went to see what they were doing for fun with the VHS tapes.  They were tying any kind of lightweight trash item from the ground on one end and holding onto the other end and would throw the weighted end over the power lines.  All the kids were giggling, smiling and had such joy from VHS ribbon.

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Rain

Posted on September 25, 2013 by David

I know I’ve blogged several times about the rain here.  The rain just amazes me because it can rain so hard and fast, a true downpour.  Jonah and I (DeAnna) were at a center about a 5 minutes walk from our house.  We could hear the rain and see it in the distance.  Jonah and I decided to try and beat the rain walking fast back to the house.  I happened to have the camera on me and took some shots of the rain off in the distance.

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Donuts

Posted on September 23, 2013 by David

The last two Sunday’s we’ve needed to take out the trash.  We walk our trash about a block to a central neighborhood trash barrel.  David has been the one to take the trash out and both Sunday’s a young lady set-up shop on the way to the trash barrel and has lured David to her booth with the smell of beignets frying.

These are basically balls of bread dough fried.  They aren’t sweet or salty, just bread like.  David has purchased some, brought them back and sprinkled powdered sugar over the tops of them.  The boys really enjoy eating them!

No Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts, but we have this young lady on the side of the road.

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Hair Cuts

Posted on September 20, 2013 by David

I (DeAnna) started cutting the boys hair when they were very little.  Joshua went for his first cut during his first year of life.  He screamed and cried through the whole experience.  When I went for a second hair cut, I was asked not to bring him back due to the screaming and crying.  I went to WalMart and purchased a clipper kit for kids that had a quiet motor and cut his hair at home.  Jonah was stuck with at home cuts.  David is a veteran and has had a particular way he likes his hair cut, so it wasn’t until we were almost ready to leave the USA in 2009 that I started cutting his hair.

While we were in the USA June – Nov 2012, I told the guys I wasn’t going to cut their hair.  Jonah really enjoyed having his hair cut at a real place with styling gel.  Joshua didn’t scream or cry.  David was asked who normally cuts his hair.  He responded that I normally do.  She asked him if I had a license to cut hair.

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Animal Battle

Posted on September 17, 2013 by David

We were awakened early this morning by the sound of a commotion between our dog and something.  Then we heard Buddy yelp and we were trying to identify what was causing him pain before unlocking our doors and coming to his rescue.  It was a stray cat.  This cat has entered our yard before and cut Buddy’s nose badly before escaping.

We went out to help Buddy and he had the cat pinned to the ground, but the thing kept trying to go for Buddy’s neck.  I came up with a bleary-eyed, not thinking idea to grab the cat and throw it over the wall.  I grabbed it by a hind leg ready to throw it when the psycho cat sunk it’s teeth deep into my hand and wouldn’t let it go.  In hindsight this was a very stupid idea of mine.  Finally it let go and David had a shovel plus a metal object that was in our yard.  He was hitting the cat and poking it, but it wouldn’t stop fighting our dog.  I was hitting the cat with another metal object, but I couldn’t go for the kill.

David finished the cat off and buried it outside our yard.  He said one of our neighbors came outside to witness this crazy foreigner in his pajamas burying a cat in the pile where trash is burned.

I’ve had the rabies vaccine and am up-to-date on all but one immunization.  I plan to start antibiotics today to try and prevent other bacterial infections.  Please be praying that I won’t have any infections and that the area heals quickly.

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Pill Counter

Posted on September 15, 2013 by David

The nurse for our branch is on a short furlough in her passport country.  She was looking for someone to be in the health office for one hour a week to sell some medications.  Things like malaria medications, de-worming (yes, we must de-worm), etc…  I volunteered to do it and enjoy doing it.

Every time someone comes in to get their medication and I pour it onto the counting tray, I think of the Jerry Seinfeld jokes about pharmacists.  How they take pills from a big bottle and put them in a little bottle.  Yes, I know it’s much more complex than that for real pharmacists, but I’m enjoying being the pill counter for now.

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Poinsettias

Posted on September 13, 2013 by David

I grew up thinking poinsettias are beautiful, poisonous plants that are grown for decoration at Christmas.  I only saw them as small plants in pots and was stunned when I was a young adult and saw them in pinks and spotted varieties for the first time because I thought they were only red.

I was surprised the first time I saw a poinsettia here in Cameroon.  It was a large bush or small tree.  I never knew they grew like that.

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