Catch up

Goodness !   Its eight days since I up-dated this.

I've been busy writing Christmas cards, and am sending most people that I haven't seen or spoken to this year, information about the charity ... in the hope I'll get a few more sponsors !

My dear #3 daughter has sponsored me NOT to speak for a whole day on 9th December ... when a friend is holding another coffee morning for my funds ... and I've got to be there, to explain about the charity, where it is, what is it, etc ... all in sign language !    Could be interesting !   I've decided to at the very least wear a sign round my neck, saying

I'm being sponsored

not to speak ...

but I can talk in gestures !

Welcome; come in, have some coffee

and a cake or two !

The rest I'll have to work out gestures for ... and I'll take photos and a map and some info to give out.  At least I can pour the coffee !   And wash the dishes afterwards.

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I continue with the injections ... last Hepatitus B one this week, plus first of the 3 rabies shots which cost £50 per shot, three in total ... and the vaccine is purple, like meths !  The Hep B jabs have made my arm ache for a couple of weeks; the rabies just itches !   And I've bought a large box of anti-malarials ... I'll be a walking chemists by the time I leave UK !

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Bilharzia (or schistosomiasis) ...

I was going to write about another nasty African disease, when I mentioned that certain storks eat the snails which act as a host for the parasites. 

Lake Victoria, and all the fresh-water lakes of central Africa harbour these snails, which in turn harbour the parasite causing this disease.   The life cycle is human waste containing the parasite eggs >> into water >> into snails >> from the snails to water again in a mature form >> into human, where the parasite enters the body through the skin or by drinking the water ... and the parasites travel through the body to the liver and spleen ... etc etc. 

It is not at first fatal; treatment is effective, but prevention is far better by not going into or drinking water from the lakes.   Children with bilharzia are often recognisable by their distended stomachs ...

So for volunteers going to central Africa, the answer is 'keep out of fresh-water lakes and slow moving streams'

I hope I haven't put you off your supper !