We wanted to update you all on a touch of bad luck we had in the last week. After a wonderful back-to-back family vacation, we returned to Songea. Arthur’s dad (Lars) was with us to see what life was like for us there. We were excited to show him around and for him to see what we do every day. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.
When we got back, our cat was unwell. At first we thought she was nervous from all the change, hadn’t been fed while we were gone, or something along those lines. We realized after she ran into a wall, wouldn’t eat, hid in a desk drawer, and tried to hide down a choo (like a cat trying to climb down a toilet bowl) that she was not well. Unfortunately, we had both been scratched by her before we figured this out. All symptoms pointed towards rabies, which wasn’t good for us or Mango.
Even though we were just scratched (and not bitten) there is still a very small chance that we could have contracted rabies. Seeing as we are very far from anywhere, there are no vets, and once symptoms appear there is no cure, we had to take all precautions. We luckily had both gotten the recommended series of three rabies shots before we left the states, but even those shots only buy extra time once a rabid animal has bitten or scratched you. After exposure, two additional shots are needed. Unfortunately, that medicine is not available in Songea. We knew that we needed to get to either Dar es Salaam or Nairobi (Cape Town and Johannesburg were other options), but even Dar es Salaam, the closest, would take us 2 days by bus. After many calls to the states, tireless help from Courtney’s parents and MCW, our insurance company came around after they were told by the CDC that, yes, we did need medical attention. So 36 hours after being scratched, a plane was in the air on the way to get us.
After only being back in Songea for 24 hours we had to rush to pack up again and explain to everyone why we were leaving again. The hardest part was that we had put Mango down. While this was heart-wrenching to us, it was the most humane thing to do, and necessary to protect the rest of the community. Since there is no vet in the area, Arthur had to undertake the task. This was painful and very hard to do but Mango will also be remembered as our loving first pet.
After this painful task, the three of us boarded a plane to Dar and landed three hours later (much better than the 15 hour bus ride!). We went straight to the Aga Khan hospital, which was supposed to be the best in the city but was, surprisingly empty. After searching for the emergency room, having to ask a few people for help, we met with a “doctor.” He told us that they were out of the medicine and he didn’t know where we could get it. We had hoped that our insurance company had called the hospital before paying to have us flown all that way to Dar, but they had not. We found a phone book and started calling all the hospitals in Dar. We finally found a doctor who said he had what we needed.
At this point, due to great research from everyone in the US, we knew the drug we needed and in what dose but we did not know where to find it. But as you all know the same drug can have many different generic names, which was complicating our search.
We got in another cab and headed to the second hospital. The doctor was kind of strange looking, with a dyed black and bright orange beard that was covered in a “beard net” (sorry if this is a religious symbol we don’t mean to offend anyone), but seemed to be very knowledgeable and asked all the right questions. He did also have a brief case open on his desk full of medical supplies that looked like the kind doctors carried in the 1800’s. Neither the hospital nor the doctor inspired confidence, especially given that we were looking for an injection of a drug we didn’t know the name of. Nevertheless, he assured us that he had the drug that we were looking for. We wanted to double check with doctors in America before taking the drug, and weren’t able to before the hospital closed. We went back to the hotel, at this point only 48 hours after we had gotten to Songea.
After a lot of hard work by everyone in the US again, we determine that the drug the doctor had been offering us was indeed almost the same drug as the American version, and, although not approved by the FDA, it was approved by the World Health Organization. It was also the only drug of its kind available within 2,000 miles, so we decided to take it. The work of family and friends in the US also found another health clinic in Dar, this one fully stocked and run by western doctors that are very knowledgeable. So the next morning, within 60 hours of being scratched, we got our first shot. We are now safe and sound in Dar waiting for our second shot, which must be administered three days after the first. We will be on a bus back to Songea on Monday after a long and stressful week ready to get back to our “normal” life.
When we got back, our cat was unwell. At first we thought she was nervous from all the change, hadn’t been fed while we were gone, or something along those lines. We realized after she ran into a wall, wouldn’t eat, hid in a desk drawer, and tried to hide down a choo (like a cat trying to climb down a toilet bowl) that she was not well. Unfortunately, we had both been scratched by her before we figured this out. All symptoms pointed towards rabies, which wasn’t good for us or Mango.
Even though we were just scratched (and not bitten) there is still a very small chance that we could have contracted rabies. Seeing as we are very far from anywhere, there are no vets, and once symptoms appear there is no cure, we had to take all precautions. We luckily had both gotten the recommended series of three rabies shots before we left the states, but even those shots only buy extra time once a rabid animal has bitten or scratched you. After exposure, two additional shots are needed. Unfortunately, that medicine is not available in Songea. We knew that we needed to get to either Dar es Salaam or Nairobi (Cape Town and Johannesburg were other options), but even Dar es Salaam, the closest, would take us 2 days by bus. After many calls to the states, tireless help from Courtney’s parents and MCW, our insurance company came around after they were told by the CDC that, yes, we did need medical attention. So 36 hours after being scratched, a plane was in the air on the way to get us.
After only being back in Songea for 24 hours we had to rush to pack up again and explain to everyone why we were leaving again. The hardest part was that we had put Mango down. While this was heart-wrenching to us, it was the most humane thing to do, and necessary to protect the rest of the community. Since there is no vet in the area, Arthur had to undertake the task. This was painful and very hard to do but Mango will also be remembered as our loving first pet.
After this painful task, the three of us boarded a plane to Dar and landed three hours later (much better than the 15 hour bus ride!). We went straight to the Aga Khan hospital, which was supposed to be the best in the city but was, surprisingly empty. After searching for the emergency room, having to ask a few people for help, we met with a “doctor.” He told us that they were out of the medicine and he didn’t know where we could get it. We had hoped that our insurance company had called the hospital before paying to have us flown all that way to Dar, but they had not. We found a phone book and started calling all the hospitals in Dar. We finally found a doctor who said he had what we needed.
At this point, due to great research from everyone in the US, we knew the drug we needed and in what dose but we did not know where to find it. But as you all know the same drug can have many different generic names, which was complicating our search.
We got in another cab and headed to the second hospital. The doctor was kind of strange looking, with a dyed black and bright orange beard that was covered in a “beard net” (sorry if this is a religious symbol we don’t mean to offend anyone), but seemed to be very knowledgeable and asked all the right questions. He did also have a brief case open on his desk full of medical supplies that looked like the kind doctors carried in the 1800’s. Neither the hospital nor the doctor inspired confidence, especially given that we were looking for an injection of a drug we didn’t know the name of. Nevertheless, he assured us that he had the drug that we were looking for. We wanted to double check with doctors in America before taking the drug, and weren’t able to before the hospital closed. We went back to the hotel, at this point only 48 hours after we had gotten to Songea.
After a lot of hard work by everyone in the US again, we determine that the drug the doctor had been offering us was indeed almost the same drug as the American version, and, although not approved by the FDA, it was approved by the World Health Organization. It was also the only drug of its kind available within 2,000 miles, so we decided to take it. The work of family and friends in the US also found another health clinic in Dar, this one fully stocked and run by western doctors that are very knowledgeable. So the next morning, within 60 hours of being scratched, we got our first shot. We are now safe and sound in Dar waiting for our second shot, which must be administered three days after the first. We will be on a bus back to Songea on Monday after a long and stressful week ready to get back to our “normal” life.
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1 comment:
Woah. Congratulations on finding the medicine, and I'm sorry that you had to put your cat down. What an experience.
Thank you for your Christmas letter, it was great to hear from you.
Stay safe and good luck!
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