Report 15 | October 24, 2011
The good news…I still have my toenails…the bad news…I am not sure about my stomach…
The worship and fellowship yesterday was the single best thing that happened on 23 October 2011. From there it all went into a fog. After worship I went back to the hostel and enjoyed a good lunch of homemade chicken soup and ham and cheese sandwiches and it seems there was other items but I can assure you that all is not forever forgotten.
After the table was cleared I sat and wrote emails and sent the day’s report and pictures. While writing to Jennifer I recall telling her that I was not feeling very well and all joints were aching as if I had food poisoning; but I was sure I did not because everyone else had eaten what I ate and all were doing fine. I finished the emails and reports and then decided to lie down.
Three hours later I awoke and the joint pain was miserable and my head hurt and my stomach seemed to be surging from one side first and then to the next. I looked down expecting to see a bulge sticking out one side and then slowly making its way (at an eternal pace) to do the same thing on the other side and then the cycle continued. I felt feverish. My first thought was that I had been invaded by the virus that was plaguing folks around here and then my next thought was that Ivan had said he had the virus the night before and Sveta gave him some kind of injection…and I really did not want that injection.
And then I thought that if I had the virus then I would not get to accomplish several thing including teaching the classes scheduled…and I really wanted to teach those classes.
While my mind was struggling to complete these thinking processes, my head was throbbing and my stomach was continuing its cycle of the sluggish bulge waltz. I was becoming increasingly feverish…and I really did not want to ask what the cure was here for fevers. Then I thought that I really did not want to learn how it is ascertained that one actually has a fever…and I continued thinking of Ivan and I really did not want that injection…
Finally, my suffering could not be contained. I had to share it and hope that the truism was correct—that sufferings shared are half as bad. The news was electrifying. The entire household sprang into action. Telephones were seized and calls made to find out what the virus was doing elsewhere and to sound the alarm that the American had been struck. Forget the sufferings being halved as news brought all kinds of purported treatments, cures, and diagnosis of what “it” might be if “it” was not the virus.
After my sneezing and coughing that I brought with me from Crimea, Tanya had gone into a pharmacy and had been told by the druggist that I MUST take some tablets that were “anti-virus.” At first I was told to take one of these, but then it struck them that was only for prevention and since I had been struck it was no longer a matter of prevention but now an aggressive regime was needed. So how much? “Well at least one tablet. Probably two will do, but let’s just say 3 for this time.” I asked, “Well, what is in them?” I thought that was a good question but the reply clearly shown I was being pitied because of my condition. “Well the ingredients in the anti-virus medicine are anti-virus medicines.” Of course, had my stomach not been going in different directions…and my head not been throbbing…and the fever had not reached an unbelievable Centigrade degree…then perhaps I would have easily understood that the ingredients in the anti-virus medicine was anti-virus medicines. Oh how the virus clouds the simplicity of life…
The fact that I had been taking anti-virus medicine but had now been attacked and conquered by the virus was puzzling to all. No one could explain what had happened and why the defensive barrier had been breached. But after a long discussion there was no reasoned solution and I was still as pitiful as I had been. By this time I had crawled back into my bed and was covered with three Russian wool blankets and was barely staying warm. Any light magnified the headache. Every joint was in unison with one another and hurt. I continued thinking…I really do not want that injection with whatever is in that syringe.
If this was the virus, then none of the antibiotics I brought would help. I thought that maybe it would only be a 24-hour bug and said something to one of the women. I asked how long have I been in such misery and was told, “oh maybe 45 minutes.” The clock had to be wrong. I said that it could not be that short of a time because it has been hurting a very long time. With great sympathy she assured me that it was not that long yet but she understood that when men get sick it is much worse for them. And I was left in the room.
As I writhed in agony I knew this had to be food poisoning and not the virus. I began thinking of what I had eaten compared with what others had eaten. All had the same things for breakfast and I had felt just fine. It was only after lunch that I was afflicted. So it had to be something at lunch. All had the same thing but suddenly I remembered that while I had ham others had smoked fish. It had to have been that ham. I was able to get the attention and report my conclusions. The conclusions were immediately dismissed as discussion continued on why the anti-virus tablets had failed. I was told the ham was good and had just been bought (I knew that since I was the one that bought it in a refrigerated cooler the day before). And so the agony continued.
Finally, I decided that if it was food poisoning the only way to get better is to get rid of the food. I will save myself the humiliation of detail but around 10:00 the food was expelled from my body. And as soon as I could recover myself I instantly felt the fever leaving and my stomach had decided enough dancing and quieted down. I limped back to the bed and lay down. My sudden rescue from the torments of the ill-meal was just as exciting as the initial news of my peril. Phones were seized and the news spread. Everyone joyed in the fact that I was free from the virus.
When I told others that it was food poisoning, I was quickly corrected saying it was the virus. When I said it could not be the virus because it was over as soon as the bad food got out of body, I was reminded that I had been taking the anti-virus medicine and that was probably why the virus stayed such a brief period of time. Whatever diagnosis you write, you can absolutely write this conclusion—the ham is gone!
Learned medical advice…no hot or cold drink because it hurts throat so all must be warm (heated up enough so that it is no cold but not too much so that it is hot)—even orange juice.
Monday…today was a light day as I was trying to recover strength and stamina from the food poisoning. For those who have never experienced such, I can tell you that it shocks the entire system and drains you completely. Even after sleeping all afternoon Sunday and into Sunday night, I slept until 8:30 Monday morning. And I was still weak. But as the day progressed my strength returned.
Our Bible class tonight had 15 present! It was a good number and there were others that would have liked to be present but because of illness themselves or with children were not able to be present. Tonight I began study of discipline of children from Book of Proverbs. This is the continuation of the study on Marriage & Family that I began in the spring trip.
The plans for tomorrow are to continue visiting locations of distribution. One of the places we will be going to is to the village Ugorniky. This is the village that has given us the property for construction of a church building. Tonight I saw the rough drafts of the plans for the church building to be built there. It will have a total of 1,000 square meters and will have three basic sections to it—the section for worship assemblies and a baptistery; the section for Bible classes; the section for church fellowship events and over the fellowship hall will be sleeping quarters for those who are visiting and assisting the church’s work. I hope to have the drawing of the front of the building and also the basic diagram of the rooms for you to see in the picture section of these reports.
Great good is being accomplished! Thank you for your continued interest and prayers in the gospel’s efforts!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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