A Son's Illness, A Mother's Worry
As told by Bonnie Brennan
My son serves with the Peace Corps in Mozambique, Africa. The nearest sizeable village is a day's journey away. He teaches English, lives in a small hut, and hires a man to bring him water every day because the walk to and from the nearest water source would take most of the day and leave him with no time to teach.
When he came home this past Christmas, he went on a road trip with his sister. They were planning to visit their dad.
During the trip he became very ill and was hospitalized.
We later learned it was a blood infection.
The Peace Corps gave him leave to stay and get well before returning to the field. He got well and returned to Mozambique.
The other morning I received a phone call from him. He said, "If I tell you something, will you promise you won't freak out?"
Not a good way to start a conversation with your recently recovered son.
He said that his fever was back. He didn't want to tell anyone in the organization, because if he got sick again, then they were going to send him home for good.
I asked if he had taken any Advil.
"Well, no. I don't have any left."
"How high is your fever?" I was beginning to really worry.
"100. It was 102 last night."
I told him that if it got back above 100, he needed to call someone. Regardless of the ultimate decision of whether the organization would send him back home or not, it would take a doctor at least a day to reach him.
After that we ended the call. All I can do is wait to hear back from him and hope that his illness doesn't progress any further.
My son serves with the Peace Corps in Mozambique, Africa. The nearest sizeable village is a day's journey away. He teaches English, lives in a small hut, and hires a man to bring him water every day because the walk to and from the nearest water source would take most of the day and leave him with no time to teach.
When he came home this past Christmas, he went on a road trip with his sister. They were planning to visit their dad.
During the trip he became very ill and was hospitalized.
We later learned it was a blood infection.
The Peace Corps gave him leave to stay and get well before returning to the field. He got well and returned to Mozambique.
The other morning I received a phone call from him. He said, "If I tell you something, will you promise you won't freak out?"
Not a good way to start a conversation with your recently recovered son.
He said that his fever was back. He didn't want to tell anyone in the organization, because if he got sick again, then they were going to send him home for good.
I asked if he had taken any Advil.
"Well, no. I don't have any left."
"How high is your fever?" I was beginning to really worry.
"100. It was 102 last night."
I told him that if it got back above 100, he needed to call someone. Regardless of the ultimate decision of whether the organization would send him back home or not, it would take a doctor at least a day to reach him.
After that we ended the call. All I can do is wait to hear back from him and hope that his illness doesn't progress any further.
Sound Familiar?
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