OK so I’ve had a rough couple of weeks here in guinea. Let me elaborate for you. I’ll start at the beginning because, well that is the only logical place to start I guess. So a few weeks ago I was having some foot problems. As in the skin on my feet were FALLING OFF! GROSS, I KNOW!!!!!!!!!!! So I called my doctor and he confirmed my fear. A flesh eating fungus! Yep that’s right. A fungus was eating the flesh right off of my foot. Nothing a little bleach and the hard core attitude of a Peace Corps volunteer couldn’t handle. Ain’t no big thing *** I know what your thinking, a FLESH EATING FUNGUS, no big thing, well keep reading, it gets worse!*** In case you are wondering I am fungal free now!

Then someone stole my bike! Yeah that’s right, I got by bike stolen. In the states, I never and I mean NEVER rode my bike but here, in guinea that is my ONLY form of transportation at site. Imagine your car being stolen and that’s how I felt. I do believe I shed a tear or two as well over my lost bike. Someone came into my compound (walled area around the house) and cut my AMERICAN lock and rode off with my bike. AND THEN, someone was knocking on my door in the middle of the night and asking for me. Which is so not cool. So I had a nice talking with our safety and security personnel and she feels it is safer for me to move. Never fear, I am safe at site. The family I live with got a dog and someone sleeps outside now making sure no one bugs me anymore.

AND THEN I started feeling sick. And this isn’t a normal kind of sick. It was more of an “only in guinea” kind of sick so I called my doctor again and he and I did some tests and I’ve got an ameba. So I went to Mamou (closest large town outside of my site) to get the meds to take care of my ameba friend and the hospital DIDN’T HAVE THE MEDS!!!!!!! They told me I could only get the meds in the capital city. So I spent the next 15 minutes sitting on the steps of the hospital, crying out of frustration and fear that my ameba would take over my body. Once every single Guinean came up to make sure the white girl crying in front of the hospital was alright, I calmed myself down and called the doctor. He said we had two options. The first one being he could send them up on a bush taxi in a few days that just might get there, but there is a big chance the meds might not even make it, or we could try a cheaper generic version of the same med. So obviously I took the latter approach. Well, I had an AWEFUL reaction to that medication, called the doctor first thing Thursday morning and told him “I can’t do this” and he said come on to down Conakry. So here I am, on the good medication, getting more tests done (to make sure there is nothing else wrong).

To drown out my worries and bad feelings yesterday I went and eat pizza on the beach watching the African sun set over the ocean and today I went down town and had a schworma and ice cream and bought tons of food and stuff to take back with me up country.

But other than that, everything as A-OK here. But really, don’t fear, I’m ok!