Cristo Negro

Since I'm feeling better, thought I'd take the opportunity to check out the Black Christ festival in Portobelo, Colón. Its a piece of culture that you're not going to find anywhere else. Portobelo in general is beautiful, with the Caribbean and the ruins of the forts.. but when you see all the people crawling hands and knees from who knows where, with hot wax being dripped on them.. it adds something.

Some people even marched from Panama City or further, starting as early as Monday to get there by Thursday. I'm not sure of the exact story of Black Christ, but the statue that well over 30 men carry in the procession is the same one that has always been used.. and the tradition hasn't changed. Pretty cool. I don't really know why everyone was getting a haircut.

http://www.yourpanama.com/black-christ.html

Pneumonia.. 105.4*F aaah

Let me start by saying that title reflects how I felt yesterday. Today, although I'm sure I still have Pneumonia I feel completely normal and finally like myself again. (it went from AVC start to end).

Every time someone saw me walking around like a zombie, trying to sit through some.. surely interesting session - I just couldn't think - they would ask me "feeling better?" and I'd either say "yea little better, think I'm almost over it". I really thought it too, until it hit again and the thermometer showed me somewhere between 102 and 103. Friday.. yesterday morning, after half of CECs section, I decided I couldn't take it and went to nap until lunch..

I woke up an hour or so later with uncontrollable chills; my entire body was shaking. Eventually I got out of my cold and wet bed and look in the mirror. I looked and felt like a ghost, couldn't hear anything but my teeth chattering and couldn't really think. It took me about a minute to text my doctor a few words because I couldn't get my fingers to hit the buttons.. and when I finally called her too she probably could just hear the teeth, which she must have translated into "I need to go to the hospital" and got me a ride.

I packed or better said, jammed everything I thought was mine into my drysac.. luckily only leaving behind my ipod* and got into the car. Once at the hospital, I realize shit, I'm gonna have to show my ID and since I don't remember much, I don't remember if I packed my wallet or where it is in my bag. At check-in, I'm tearing out all my clothes and whatever else and eventually find my wallet at the bottom and check in, to wait another who knows how long it was to see the doctor.

It was a good spanish test for me, considering I couldn't think about anything but my head blowing up. I guess I did well because we only spoke about my head blowing up. At this point he was thinking it was viral and that I may have dengue, but was not sure.

Anyway, they gave me a shot in the ass* and an IV and things started to change. They got me a chest x-ray and well, it proved I had pneumonia*. I popped another amoxicillin and some pain killers and ate dinner. Brian and Jenn, Panama Country Director and PTO*, came by to see how I was doing and gave me a much needed care package.. toothpaste and a phone card. Thanks! Everything was going great, especially because the Rangers were winning 5-0 when I closed my eyes. I woke up with no fever, very very minor headache, but the damn yankees came back*.

As I was packing up.. this time a little more organized, the nurse told me I had a compañero here. It was Dylan. So you read it right its pronounced Dailan. algo así. I thought 'cool.. someones visiting me'. I gave him a call and asked where he was. He told me he was in the doctor's office and just got a shot in his ass. Haha, he wasn't there to visit but its cool. His new shoe gave him a blister which got infected and made his foot twice as big. He showed me how to get to the pharmacy in Chitré and I got on a bus to Penonomé.. got some pizza with some other people and am now back at my hotel.

It feels good to feel good again. Sucks I missed AVC, but as far as my healths concerned, I'm really glad this all happened while I was there instead of stuck in my house.. If I didn't go to the hospital with the temperature I had yesterday.. wow.

Oh, by the way.. I got to keep my x-ray!. As crazy as my story is.. my infection is not as cool looking as others I found online :(. Even worse in the picture I took.. being upside down doesn't help*. haha like I said before, I haven't been able to think straight lately.

*Got my ipod back
*holy crap. shots have never really hurt me too bad.. I didn't cry or anything but damn it hurt.
*Weird, because I could probably count the amount of times I coughed all week. None Tues-Thurs, but Friday morning I did start just a bit. An explanation they gave me is I probably got the flu as well.. another reason for an insanely high fever.
*PTO = Program and Training Officer
*Yankees got killed today.. woot
*This one might be obvious. I flipped the picture

PS. Three times during my stay at the hospital, a lady opened the door trying to sell lottery tickets haha.

oh, one thing I did accomplish at AVC was fill out and turn in my ballot. I actually got to vote this election. I also received my packet from June... and i found my 'lost' favorite shirt at the laundry mat this morning. I haven't seen it since my parents were in town.. months, crazy.

Enfermo

So I woke up Tuesday morning feeling the worst I've felt in over a year. The first time being my initial visit to Loma Bonita where I was stuck in a bed the whole week. This enfermedad's timing wasn't much better. AVC (All Volunteer Conference) started Wednesday and goes until Saturday morning. Hours of seminars.. HIV/aids, cross sector sessions, and information about Panamanian government and economy. By cross sector sessions I mean projects that are not in the CEC program. I signed up for composting latrines, aqueducts and ESL techniques. Should be cool assuming I can get out of bed today haha. We'll see. I said that timing was bad, but the whole med staff of peace corps is here at the conference. I'd much rather be sick here than be sick stuck in my house with cold showers and a barking dog. Plus I just ordered a plate of piña.. best decision of

So as far as I know I just have the flu which is going around my town, and everywhere. They're actually giving flu shots here.. just missed it. Whats worse is the kids. Not one of them understands the concept of covering your mouth or even coughing and sneezing in another direction. I knew it was coming when I was filming some kids jumping around and they all ran over to see the camera. I was breathing in their warm gripe breaths and cleaning off their sneezes from the camera. Its nice to know though that the whole towns got my back.

I don't think I have dengue, but if I'm still sick by Saturday I'm going to the city. Alright I don't know what else to write and my brain hasn't been running anywhere near full capacity.

goodnight

oh, so as a kid I always put on Independence Day when I was home sick.. randomly today while stuck in bed, it came on in Spanish! It didn't help my fever but I got some sense of excitement for a bit.