Disaster Strikes

Well. it's been a somewhat painful week. 

Went to a film festival at Juru Park, which is right up on top of a hill in Gikondo, looking out across Kigali. It's a beautiful place. I went last year, and this year Jo took over helping to manage it.

It started out lovely. Lots of activities for the kids and acrobatic displays.

I took some blankets and we spread them out on the grass. Everybody I know was there: Paul, Isaac, Lan and Nadine (two of Cindy's friends from the night before, looking just as hungover as I was), Khaze, Maia, Jo, Sande and a wonderful surprise turn up by Maja and Vincent. It was wonderful - blankets full of friendship. We didn't actually see a single film at the film festival, we were too busy quaffing beer and watching the sunset.

 

 

Daylight gave way to firelight as we found a secluded spot. Take note of this fire, it features heavily later on. 

It was such a good night. We drank, ordered a shisha pipe, laughed - just Paul, Isaac, Khaze, Vincent, Maja and myself, away from the crowds. 

All The Girls Together: Khaze, Maya and Me

L-R: Maya, Isaac, Paul, Me + Vincent behind.

Me, Maya, Vincent and Khaze

Me & Isaac

We spent about four hours just hanging out in our own private camp before it was invaded by intore dancers and those who had actually been watching the films.

Some of us joined in the dancing, making a procession around the fire. Then, unfortunately, disaster struck. I lost my footing and put my hand down to cushion my fall - right into the fire.

Maya was standing next to me and pulled me up quickly, but the damage was already done.

I spent the next twenty minutes with Maya and Isaac pouring cold water over it before the event organisers drove me and Isaac to the hospital. Instead of King Faisal or Polyclinique du Plateau, the two main emergency hospitals I know, he directed them to Hopital La Croix Du Sud in Remera. They did a fairly decent emergency job. I spent the entirety of it with my face pressed against Isaac's chest. Although it was the alcohol that had caused this, it was also the alcohol (and shock) which saved me. I remember very little about the hours of skin-stripping. 

Flash forward to sitting in a café buying Isaac a meal at half one in the morning, amazed he could stomach anything after watching what had just happened!

Maya, me and Khaze Dancing.
Last Known Photograph of my Left Hand Intact.

To give Croix Du Sud their due, they were extremely cheap. Treatment, tramadol and a tetanus jab cost a grand total of about £10. Went back two days later to get the dressing changed and got change from a fiver! 

Things started to go a little wrong at that point. My temperature was steadily going north, and I thought there was a suspicious smell from the dressing. It had leaked all over my bedding, which I assumed was probably normal under the circumstances, but something didn't feel right. I tried to explain my concerns about my temperature to the nurse, but no one seemed to listen. He didn't even take my temperature to check. I was told the wound was clean and that a high temperature was normal.

The next day my temperature had gone from 37.9 to 38.8 and my head was swimming. I took myself off in search of a second opinion - to Polyclinic Du Plateau, which was the default clinic back when I was a VSO. They treated me last August when I got malaria. They're more expensive (£15 for initial consultation and between £17-26 per dressing change) but they really know their stuff.

The second nurse at Croix Du Sud hadn't used any salve, so the dressing was set to the wound like concrete. It took three hours to remove the bandages. 

I was told part of the wound was green, and that this was not a good thing. Miracle man, Nurse Moses, cleaned me up thoroughly and prescribed a course of antibiotics.

This cured the temperature pretty quickly, but it was too late to prevent complications. When I went back they found that my fingers were infected. It took another three hours for Nurse Moses to peel off all the manky skin with a pair of tweezers. 

Had I known what was about to happen, I would have taken the tramadol, or a bottle of waragi, and tried to knock myself out cold. Unfortunately, I had no prior warning. All I had in my bag was a 30mg tab of codeine, which didn't even come close.

I was extremely brave for the first hour and a half, but for the last stretch another nurse came in to hold me and stroke my hair. I think you can still see teeth marks in the desk. 

Still, it had to be done, and it's been plain sailing since.

I won't inflict these pictures on anyone, but if you would like to see the damage, here it is. Fingers before and after Moses removed the infected skin.