Sick & Tired

I’m sick and because I’m in Africa, I’m more nervous than usual. I have a terrible cold that isn’t getting better, even after taking the cold/flu medicine I brought with me from home. Sore throat, stuffed up, completely exhausted. This Harmattan season brings very cold nights and very hot days. It’s incredibly dry and is negatively affecting my physical well-being. I imagine the cold will go away with some good drugs, which I will be getting at a pharmacy in town in just a few minutes. Thankfully my roommate is helping me out, because most likely if I showed up on my own, the language barrier would make the pharmacy visit far more challenging than it needs to be. Though people speak English here, there are so many differences in my version versus their version. Not sure how “cold” translates to Ghanaians and I’m really in no mood to try to explain. African roommate to the rescue.

I also strained a muscle in my back, which isn’t getting any better, five days after I injured it. On Monday, I did some sit ups in my room, walked into the kitchen, turned from one counter to another and felt a ping. A sharp ping. I imagine the over-exertion with the sit-ups prompted something. It’s not good. This back issue is far more concerning to me than the cold. I’m doing everything the internet is telling me to do – apply heat, apply ice, rest. Pain is still generally the same. I’m terribly uncomfortable. My roommate mentioned taking me to see a “specialist” on Monday, and I hate to be like this, but do I really trust doctors here? When I got a physical in September at some clinic in Accra, this guy had me lay down, he poked my belly and he was done. Thorough wouldn’t be a word I would use to describe this physical. Afterwards, while sitting at his desk, the doctor asked to be my friend on Facebook. I mean, how much more unprofessional can it get? So, the thought of going to some “specialist” in this po-dunk town doesn’t really put my mind at ease. For the most part, I’m a healthy gal. Sure, I’ve pulled muscles before, but generally in my legs. I would ice it, and a few days later it would be fine. The back is trickier I fear. I guess I will just keep up with the ice and rest and see what happens. My anxiety would really rather if this just went away so I don’t have to deal with the medical world of Ghana.