When I woke up this morning, I placed the back of my palm on Pemmy’s neck, forehead and arm; it wasn’t hot nor warm, it was simply cool to the touch. Praise God. I had very little night rest…it wasn’t the best of nights. Let me backtrack a little bit.
When we got back from swimming yesterday evening, everyone crashed on the bed after we had something to eat. Pemmy woke up later and came to my side; her body felt hot. I asked Peace to check and she said it wasn’t so. I really wanted to believe what Peace said so I didn’t bring out the thermometer. (I bought a new thermometer for the trip; nurses at the clinic back home had told me to stop using my mind and hand to determine my children’s body temperature but really, thinking about it, if a human body is cold, warm, hot and very hot won’t you know by touching?)
Later at night, when I touched her body, I knew I had to bring out my thermometer; her body temperature was 38.7 degrees Celsius. I took her to the bathroom for a tepid bath, gave her paracetamol and left her to sleep without her clothes.
I couldn’t sleep; I kept praying that God will heal her. I didn’t want to think otherwise. I could just imagine that anyone hearing will say, ‘of course it’s the swimming.’
I was very happy when I woke up and the fever had subsided.
By the time we got to Nimmy’s school, Pemmy was her bubbling self. I took over from Peace to stay with Nimmy so I asked Peace to take Pemmy to the playground. Nimmy was a little cranky that morning but her therapy went on well.
When the programme was almost over for the day, Peace brought Pemmy back to Nimmy’s class and once again, she had a raging fever. I felt disappointed; I felt God didn’t answer my prayer for her. I was simply confused. Back home I would have taken her to the clinic for blood test and treatment but here, it was a different kettle of fish.
I asked one of the conductors for the nearest clinic; I told her Pemmy wasn’t feeling well. She asked the school nurse to come over to see us. The nurse said she would only give us paracetamol or ibuprofen. I told her I had given her both and I still had some left. She said I should still repeat the dose and wait till the next morning before taking her to the clinic.
I asked for the description to the clinic and I was given. The conductor asked if I had medical insurance and I said an unbelieving yes!
To get a Shenge visa, you would require to get a medical travel insurance; which I had but I didn’t really know how it worked.
When I got back to the hotel, I asked my husband to find out from the lady that prepared the medical travel insurance how it works. He was curious; he wanted to know why I was asking. (I had not told him his daughter had a fever) I didn’t want him to get worried and he may also think it was the swimming? I just mentioned it causally that Pemmy wasn’t really feeling ok yesterday so I simply wanted to know how the insurance works in case I may need to use it.
After that I sat Pemmy down and told her a few candid words. ‘Young lady, I don’t have any plans whatsoever of going to the clinic; the money I have here is not for paying medical bills, in fact, it’s not in the budget so tell that fever to get out of your system ok?’
Then Peace called my attention that Nimmy was also running a high temperature. I asked her to give her paracetamol. Then I remembered I had piriton (chlorphenamine-used for the prevention of allergies) but it wasn’t much so I shared it between them. I noticed the paracetamol had almost finished so I walked to Corvin plaza to look for the gyógyszertár (drugstore).
Paracetamol and multivitamin, the Pharmacist could understood but piriton, naa. She asked for the generic name but I couldn’t remember. All my life, I always thought piriton was piriton everywhere. She googled it and said they didn’t have but I might also need a prescription for it.
I went back home and gave them ibuprofen. I kept wondering why I didn’t bring enough piriton. (I brought two nylons of drugs) from cough mixture, paracetamol, ibuprofen, malaria tablets, Nasal drops, eye drops, anti fungi cream. Well…being prepared is also scriptural, right?
I had a good mind of allowing the kids to sleep in the next day; I asked for Peace’s opinion and she suggested Nimmy should go to school. She had only four days left in the program.
