Hey there guys!

As some may remember, I went to Uganda about two months ago now. The trip was awsome, thanks again to those who donated. The soccer balls were a MASSIVE hit with the kids! If you heard the screams you'd have thought we had given them a bag of gold!

The only down side was that I managed to pick up MALARIA!! All the shots, all the pills, 'skeeter repellant and everything and the little bugger still managed to get me. It didn't hit until a week or so after I got back and turned out to be a pretty bad case, actually. I ended up spending a week in hospital, but the good docs got it all wiped out and I've been home for about a week now and getting better every day.

I've got some pics and stuff of the trip, if anyone is interested.

More later, just wanted to let everyone know I hadn't dissappeared!

Now, time to get to work on the turbo...

Gla d you are better! I have a fear of catching Denge or Malaria when I go to Suriname.

scary. glad you are ok. good work mike!

malria pills.... those are the best. Nothing like a complete system cleansing to prevent malaria. lol. I've had all kinds of fun shots. Malaria, Smallpox, anthrax, ajax, applejax, flapjacks, nick nacks, paddy whacks... some of them on the shot records say 'investigational'... WTF????

glad you're getting better. Sick Sucks!

Glad your ok,welcome

You know it's comin.......

















Wait.












Wait



Almost...

had malaria once, wasnt to fun

and I had the shots and the series of pills to take..

yea show us some pics!!!

I lost all my Kenya pics in a flood years ago

Hard stuff mate. I got it in Rhodesia in '78. You are right the pills did nothing. The red cross STILL won't take my blood donations and I get to keep this really neat medical warning tag on all my health records. They even make me bank my own blood if I need any kind of surgury. Malaria, the gift that keeps on giving. MSG L

I understsand the alure of foreign lands and wanting to see new places, but why Africa?

> I understsand the alure of foreign lands and wanting to see new places, but why Africa?

Because it's like no other place. I spent 6 months in Kenya in school and am heading back for a mini vacation (3 weeks) in December.

-Steve

Yeah but so is Northern Alaska, Northern Russia, near the china border etc. Not near as many bugs that will kill you by flying near.

I remember all of the shots and pills I had to get the last time I was sent to Africa for work. The side effects of the medicine were almost as bad as malaria. Lets just say I couldn't leave the toilet for a few days and I had to keep a trash can nearby. (sorta cuts down on work and social time) When I got back to civilisation I went back in for my medical followup. It was a different doctor. He looked at me and my records very strangely then told me I wasn't taking all of the right meds. I got lucky and didn't get malaria but I lost about 15lbs in a very unfortunate way. The best part is I couldn't do anything to the doctors. (Military docs rule)

Glad to hear you are starting to feel better. I would love to go back and actually do touristy stuff over there.

Chris

Why Africa??...............it's like time travel. Edie Amin, Robert Mugabe, small people with too many guns and too much power. They would take your sister off the street to use as a toy. I went to Africa toXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is a place to talk about 914s not politics. I have had too much beer tonight and not enough sleep. G'night mates, I have to go. freedom does not come cheap.
john

Thanks for all of the good wishes guys, I really appreciate it. I'm really gaining an appreciation for modern medicine. Two infectious disease specialists and an internal medicine secialist have assured me that when the modern medicines wipe out malaria they wipe it out completely. No more dealing with it the rest of your life. Hope they're right!

I'll post some pics as soon as I can. The pics are on my other computer and it's being fixed right now.



The short answer is that Africa is (one of the places) where the need is and I had the opportunity to go. Truth is, Uganda has had a stable, democratically elected, parlimentary government for almost twenty years now. People from all over Africa are flocking to Uganda to escape the despots you're talking about. You meet some interesting folks over there! And the place does get in your blood (Pun intended, I'm afraid...), I'm hoping to go back in January...



Agree 100%! Well, about this being a 914 forum and especially the price of freedom. I'll have to take your word about the beer ansd sleep!

This wasn't a vacation for sure. If you know Mike, you know it is in his heart to help others. I appreciate that there are people in the world that care enough to share their talents and skills with those in need.

Let us know about the January trip, happy to help with that one too.

But hey, this is a 914 board, so Mugs, what's the latest on the Turbo project? Still hope to have it on the tack this fall?

Sounds like a good reason to go. I figured it was a vacation or something.

MALARIA? This is considered the gentelman's disease. Hate to say it bro but ahhh......

Your buying the beeeerssss!!!!

I used to live in Uganda. I met Idi (not Edie) Amin. Pope Paul VI preached to the nation from the field next to our house. My Dad fixed the Gulu runway where they laid loose chippings that got sucked into the intakes of the Mig 17’s that the Czechs gave them & stripped all the blades off the turbines (and the Entebbe runway where they didn’t lay enough foundations, and where after heavy rain the 707’s used to punch their gear through the tarmac and sit on their bellies). I lay awake one night listening to machine guns going off, with the nearest airport 21 miles away and only one road to get there. Stable, democratically elected government was a distant and impossible dream, only to come after 15 or more years of nightmare……and I got malaria (though probably from the Kenya coast) - peak temperature achieved was 106, I was a curiosity for medical students. And for the rest of my life, I can’t donate blood. (Well, that’s no hardship).

And I would go back there tomorrow. There is just something about the place, and the people…….can’t begin to describe.