Good News and Bad News

 I'll start with the bad news. This past Thursday was the graduation for the Nursery students (kindergarten) and the primary 6 students. It's a very big day for the school and the day my nursery 3 students were set to perform the dance I have been teaching them since May. I woke up not feeling very well, but since my nutrition is not what it should be I assumed that was the problem. So I ate a good breakfast and went off to school. After a couple hours I began to feel very cold, which NEVER happens here. I had a fever and all the aches and chills that come along with it. At home I would probably have just taken some medicine and seen a doctor tomorrow when graduation festivities would be over, but in Nigeria that can be very dangerous for an American. The assumption is made with all fever illnesses that you have Malaria. Fortunately the father of one of our families at the school is a doctor. He happened to be there and was able to scribble me a prescription on some scratch paper to be filled immediatley. I began the medicine immediatley and after one bad night of a high fever, headaches, chills, and generally achiness I began to fill a little better. The next day I made my first trip to a Nigerian hospital to be tested for Malaria and Typhoid. Since we know the doctor I was able to get straight back without having to wait at all. I felt very fortunate, because so many people were there. The tests came back today and I have Malaria with a trace of Typhoid. Fortunately I'm better now, but it was pretty miserable. 

On to the good news! We have a seven week break from school that started Friday. It's a long time to be here with absolutely nothing to do, especially since Kaitlin and I are very isolated and don't get out much. So with the help of my trip planning mother, my brother and I will be spending the first three weeks of my break in Cape Town, South Africa. I leave tomorrow! It will be so nice to spend some time with my brother, eat some delicious food, and not be so isolated.