Hospital Life

It's been weeks since I last updated my blog, more than 3 weeks in fact.
I have spent most of the time with Alfani in hospital, helping and keeping him company.
It's a very hands off approach here, so I introduced massage and exercises for his arms and legs, both good leg and bad. He has 2 more weeks in traction. I've also been giving him tuition everyday so that he can still sit his exams and go on to class 6. I was going in every morning, very early to take tea and food for breakfast and helping him clean his teeth, wash his face etc. I would set work for him them that i would correct in the evening when I was back again. Nowdays a nun is helping by going in the mornings and I'm going in the evenings. So anyone who knows me well would know how hard it was for me to get up before 6am for 3 weeks, EVERYDAY!!!
I was shocked, worried and very concerned that he wasn't getting the right treatment in the first 2 weeks so I emailed medical friends, sought out the hospital's physio and then took his xray to my Dr to get reassurance and details. I was especially worried that the plaster cast was below the knee with the steel nail thing throught the bone below the knee, but his break was above the knee. My Dr reassured me that htis was the best available here (he has worked in the UK) so I had to accept it and make the best of it all. The Dr also suggested the types of exercises and how to prevent him getting bedsores etc. The most important thing is to keep his spirits up so each school day I was organising that 2 teachers and 6 fellow classmates visited at lunchtime on the school bus. Almost every teacher has been to visit now (some whether they liked it or not) and all classmates have been 2 or 3 times. I try to get him to laugh a lot and we spend ages giggling, drawing silly pictures etc. He is keeping up in his schoolwork and keeping his muscles fit.
I look forward to going there everyday and he says he likes my company so it's nice to have such a meaningful purpose during my last few months here.
Another distraction has been that the school inspectors visited our school and put the pressure on. They wanted to check each individual lesson plan, log book and report written by every teacher etc etc. They wanted to hear the school band play (the one Gemma didn't like with recorders in it) they gave us points for the music and were very impressed that I knew the words in Swahili of the national anthem and the patriotic song (because I had to teach it so many times). So, I was back in the 'wonderful' books again.
I'll have to start packing soon, after I finish writing the 700 reports for music classes and then again in Swahili, then write my homeroom reports and all other end of year paperwork.
I can't get a ticket until Dec 17th then I have to wait in Bankok until 25th... the last thing I want to do... so if anyone wants to join me for a Christmas holiday in Thailand, I'd love it!
I helped to organise a charity visit to the hospital today to give the gifts that the St Jude's children brought in as a thanksgiving. We went all around the different wards, HIV, Malaria, pediatric even premature and maternity. I was allowed into the labour ward (no students) to give the gifts in there, but I thought it was not the right time to be visiting them. about 10 women in 1 room, mostly naked in the middle of giving birth... screams and all! Very graphic!! and very smelly! As 1 woman finished another was put on the same bed straight away, no cleaning in between. The baby is wrapped in a kanga (brightly coloured cloth used for everything in this country), given back to the mother and she's sent to the next room for the rest of the day. So many babies!!!
There'll be pictures of all the gift giving in the next St Jude's newsletter.