Africa has long been known as a continent of contagious and deadly diseases. West Africa would not be listed as the top ten healthiest places to live in the world. For years smallpox and meningitis were yearly plagues across these countries. World Health and African governments have done much to vaccinate against these deadly diseases which can kill thousand of childen in any given year. On the other hand, cancer has not been so prevelant. In all the years Dad did medicine, he only had one severe case of cancer in a young boy. I think nurses see more of it now, however.
Malaria is still a killer among children and adults alike. Health personnel are now giving out sleeping nets to protect people from the malarial mosquito. Some people take regular anti-malarial drugs as well. The last time we went back to Africa, we took a doxycilline pill every day and still had a couple of attacks. Actually, I can remember being sick a lot with malaria as a young child in Africa, but I must have built up my immunity because in my adult years I seldom had a malarial attack even though I did not take prophylactic. But Dad and all of you children suffered malarial attack from time to time.
Dad was way up in Kawe doing evangelism one time. He had ridden his motorcycle up and had decided to swim across the creek on his way back to cool off, sending his moto over in a canoe. Soon after he reached him, he began to shake with chills and burn with fever. He ached in every joint - all symptoms of malaria. Dad was so seldom ill that the news spread like wildfire - it even got back up to Kawe. Poor Dad lying on his miserable sick bed was surrounded the whole time with the village chief, the village elders, pastors, a group of men from Kawe who bicycled down when they heard he was ill. Our bedroom looked like a men's palaver house in the village. People prayed for him and some just sat silently. You would never die alone in Africa! Everyone was so worried. Once the malaria had run its course, Dad was a little weak but up and about - all his visitors went home....and we had a little peace in our house again!
Many missionaries have had hepatitis - I wrote earlier of my weeks of severe hepatitis when I had to lie flat so as not to ruin my liver. That was not fun! Dysentery is another prevalent disease in West Africa, and we always kept medication on hand for that - especially when we lived in the bush. Because of the prevalence of snakes, snakebite is always a possibility. We never would go out of the house after dark without a flashlight to light our way. Pesky pinworms were another uncomfortable infection, and again we kept medication on hand for that as you kids had them from time to time. Markie, you were often sick as a baby and up to about the age of two or three, but it can't have hurt you - look at you now!
I was travelling in Central Africa to do TEE seminars in Gabon and Congo. When I got home at last, Dad met me at the plane on crutches! He had had a spill on his bike and landed on one leg and got a hematoma on the upper part of his leg. It was very sore and he could not walk without crutches until it healed. It was an interesting thing how he had those crutches. When we had been on furlough as MIR at Nyack, Dad turned fifty that year and we had a surprise party for him and asked people to bring gag gifts for an old person. Neal Clarke, a pastor friend, brough a pair of crutches! As we were packing up our crates to return to Burkina, Dad decided to throw those crutches in a crate, thinking he might use them some day for his medical work. And guess what? They came in handy for his own medical need! But over all, our family was a happy, healthy bunch!
Just one funny story, which you have heard before. Each time we landed in the U.S. on furlough, we had to follow the mission rule of the whole family going to Dr. Frame's office (the Alliance doctor) for a general physical exam. When we arrived at our furlough house, the little cups were waiting for us to fill (two each for each member of the family) and to take to New York City on our visit to Dr. Frame. John, you were our youngest and Markie was not yet born. So we had four children and the two of us - two cups full apiece! - and Dad made sure he put the lids on tight. (At least he thought he had!) To get to Dr. Frames office (which was located on the southern tip of Manhattan) we had to drive to the GW bridge, park our car, then take a subway down to the doctor's office. A long trip with four children! As we were riding in the subway, we began to smell this foul smell, and I asked Dad what on earth it was. He was standing in the swaying subway, hanging on to a strap, bag of cups in hand, and he motioned to me to not say anything. You girls began to smell the smell too... one of the caps had come off our little cups and the odor was overwhelming! We finally got off that subway and Dad adjusted the lids again, and we climbed up to Dr. Frames office! What an ordeal. Debbi, you took after me in your aversion to doctor's exams, and we had to insist you take your clothes off for the doctor - as you clung to your blouse and skirt! We were always glad when the doctor's visit was over for another five years! The only other visit we dreaded was getting a furlough picture for a prayer card. You, Elin, were the shy one, and would always duck your head or not smile! Those days were not fun when they happened, but they are funny now. And we have passed the doctor's visits on to the rest of you with your children.
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