Do you know those weeks that seem like ten thousand weeks all rolled into one? The ones where you look back on Sunday and can’t believe ALL OF THAT LIFE fit into one week? I just finished one of those. When last week began I didn’t have a five year old, and then suddenly I did. A tantrum throwing, I hate you yelling, sweet talking, cuddly love of a five year old. I also had a terrible horrible embarrassing THING on my face. I noticed an innocent zit on my chin before going to bed one night, but while I slept it turned into a monster the likes of which I have never seen. When I woke up, it was an open sore that had a pulse all it’s own. The monster would not heal. It refused, despite strict orders to myself not to even touch the darn thing. For one whole solid week it would leak and weep and leak some more until… my lymph nodes were swollen to the size of jawbreakers. Then Saturday morning I woke up with tonsillitis too. The morning of Myles’ big birthday bash. Yeah, that’s right… I invited his WHOLE CLASS to our house plus other new friends, all so they had a front row seat at my open sore floor show.
Somehow I got through it. I told myself to suck it up because this day was not about me… but inside I wanted to run away and cry and not let a soul see me. Instead I faced them… mostly by avoiding mirrors. Thirty kids, their parents and Myles’ teacher. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking it probably was not nearly as bad as I am describing, because “that Kristy” is such a drama queen… I can be, it’s true, but I am not exaggerating about this other BEING I was carrying around on my face.
Early in the day it began to pour and our outdoor Star Wars party ended up inside. Just imagine thirty kids and their parents (and a few people without kids that I think are insanely brave for even setting foot in my house on that day) all inside. It was one big old Norwegian “Uff-Duh” and I woke up the next morning unable to swallow, with now golf ball sized lymph nodes and the friend on my face still naked as the day it was born. Ben called one of our great doctor friends from South Africa and asked him what to do. Then he zipped out like a hero and bought me some prescription antibiotics over the counter without a prescription for next to nothing. Ahh, I love Burundi. My open sore floor show is beginning to heal, but what a terrible awful no good tag along it has been.
I have to make one observation after all this. Clearly something is in the water here, above and beyond just Cholera, because we seem to be striking out in the keeping healthy department early into the game. Maybe we need to eat more apples… if we can find some.
Now I’m craving apples. Dang it!
I can’t hit “like” because you had to go through such a hard week and an especially hard day! We are thankful you can get medicine, but a super good water filter for face washing water ma be in order as well!
Did Myles enjoy his party?
Ben, you told us about the 5 year old crowns. They are greaat!! And Kristy, those chocolate cupcakes sounded awesome!! How did Neo take the whole day?
It does sound like you have staff floating around. Likely the same bacteria that Ben had in his leg.