April 14, 2005

Am shaken.  To the point of nausea.  And physical pain.  The other day Thioro and Amadou came into my hut.  Thioro had a toothache and they wondered if I had any medicaments for her metis (pain). I produced some Advil and explained, at least five times, how it should be taken.  Translating “one should not exceed 4 pills in 24 hours” into Frolof proved a bit difficult.  But we pulled through and she feels better and, so far, does not appear to have ODed on Advil.  Then tonight a whole throng of kids comes in.  Pindas explains that her big uncle (?) has a stomach problem and asked if I have any medicaments for him.  I pulled out my bottle of Pepto and some Imodium.  She lead me outside where an older man I had never seen before was lying on the grass mats clutching his chest.  They roused him and he slowly started to unwind a band of cloth tied around his chest/middle.  The kids gathered around him, one of them holding a gas lamp, and I sat beside him to get a better look.  The old man had a growth, a tumor I’m assuming, unlike anything I had ever seen before.  Not only was it huge and red and blue, but from its sides sprouted multiple growths.  Looked as though his heart had sprung from his chest.  Don’t know if I gasped in revulsion or grew a bit pale, but family sensed something was wrong.  Explained had no medicaments for his problem and needed to consult someone with a bit more ham ham (knowledge).  Still clutching my Pepto, I took Pindas with me to go find Marian.  Finally found her at Gilda’s.  She wanted to enlist Ass to translate.  Felt some urgency, even though he had apparently been living with the tumor for the past ten years.  Finally brought Marian and Ass back and they convened in my old room with Amadou and Pindas.  I’m not good with this stuff.  Blood.  Growths.  Death.  But I stood in the doorway and listened.  He was in pain, but had lived with it for so long.  Marian was insistent that he see a doctor.  He could come back to Dakar with us.  She could put him up somewhere if they didn’t have family in the area.  But she couldn’t fit the hospital bills.  How much? Amadou asked.  A mere consultation was around 20,000 CFA.  And then surgery would be necessary and that could be quite expensive.  Even with the vast family support system, the Diaws don’t have the money.  The old man clearly doesn’t want to be a burden and Amadou looked crushed.  Couldn’t stay the whole way through.  Had to lie down.  To reflect.  To do this.