Back in Moshi with a case

I have been away from Moshi for some time, and it is good to be back. The cool breeze, the lush vegetation and the Kilimanjaro looming in the distance are a relief to the stifling heat of Dar Es Salaam. I am looking forward to seeing the members of the AIDS group we have adopted. This is a group of 60 Patients, mostly women, mostly AIDS widows. They are called ghema, meaning 'Gift'.

The next morning we drive through the jungle road towards the village. Most of the growth by the roadside consists of banana trees, huge avocado and mangoes. Further out there is green as far as the eye can see, and a deep gorge with a river which can hardly be passed. The locals used to hide there during the German occupation. On the way Steve tells Sigs and me that the patients have been doing very well and are really happy.

When we arrive many of the group are there to meet us, and they do look happy. They clap hands and ask why we were away for so long. The clinic confirms the good results. Most of the patients have improved dramatically. The main changes are in energy levels, which is essential to them, because now they can work and earn some money. That is usually the first thing they say: I can work!

Many of the physical symptoms have improved too: Skin rashes, numbness, respiratory symptoms, bone pains, Kaposi's sarcomas. One Nat-mur patient was so happy she just about began to dance during the consultation. I am particularly pleased to see Goodluck's mum doing so well, because we kind of 'adopted' him as our mascot.

Mid way through the day the local doctor pops in. He has heard the success stories and wants to refer a few patients with diabetes and hypertension. The news has spread and brought about a kind of 'good problem': There are now many non HIV/AIDS patients waiting in the line, and I know I won't be able to see everyone, so we give priority to the AIDS group and malaria. Sigs is an expert in malaria and can prescribe for it very quickly. All the malaria patients we saw last time have improved vastly. So we are all feeling pretty elated. This is such a difference to the first time we were here, where so many patients cried during the consultation. Now they have hope.

In the afternoon the group gathers for a meeting and we explain various aspects of the treatment. As usual they are all polite, clapping and curtsying frequently. We explain our intention to start a sustainable food program with them. Last time we were here we realised that many of the patients, especially the widows, have food for one meal a day or less, so that they live off bananas, resulting in severe malnutrition. Poverty breeds AIDS and AIDS breeds poverty. When a woman is left alone with several children and a few adopted orphans, with no means of income, it is extremely difficult to make ends meet.

Steve, our administrator, has managed to get a donation of a small piece of land. We will start by buying seeds, a few chickens, and maybe later pigs and goats. The idea is to make this a group activity and to propagate the livestock, so that we can later pass the 'dividends' on to other groups. Our budget is low and goats are more expensive than we thought, because they are not subsidized by Oxfam or the UN. I am told most of the goats from these organizations go to drought areas, but if anyone out there has good goat contacts please let us know (tinqui@aol.com or liz@dynamis.edu).
Whatever the case, the group is very excited and many volunteer to build the chicken coup.

One strange thing is that they refuse to eat mangos and avocados from the local trees. They say it is 'kids food', but when we bring them mangos from the market they relish them. We try to convince them to try the local fruit, but it looks like we will have to do more work on that. Old traditions die hard.

To all of you who have sent messages of support, we send our love and thanks. These messages keep us going when times are hard. Since the attacks on this project we have had a huge influx of encouraging messages and contributions from our friends all over the world! It feels as though you are all here with us; in your hearts as well as with your contributions.
We rely on you to run this project, so if you still have two pennies left from the recession, please help us buy remedies, a CD4 test, a chicken or a goat!

Here is a non AIDS case with a follow up we saw today:

Case 904

The village senior nurse:

She is short, stocky and obese with a short neck.

Enlarged heart, left ventricle. Blood pressure fluctuations. She has taken various medications without improvement.

Pain in left side of chest in the heart area, extending around chest to lower back. It is difficult to breathe with the pain.

She had difficult respiration with the pain. Chest is tight, worse from smells.

Her neck is very stiff and painful. Cervical spondylosis with calcification at C2 and C3. The stiffness is worse when angry or stressed.

She has a large lipoma under the axilla, which is painful.

Numbness in the hands.

Noise aggravates. It makes her angry, and if someone shouts at her she gets angry back. She feels better if she cries.

Husband is often drunk and makes too much noise which aggravates her.

Pitting edema lower limb even before heart problem was apparent.

Recurrent head ache with a heavy head.

I asked of goiter, she says checked and there is none.

8 kids, delivered 7 times and one pair of twins, no gynecological problems.

Pain in the knees.

Dream of falling from high places like a tree into the river.

Dreams pursued by a lion, dog or snake.

Husband gets drunk and he messes about with women so she refuses to sleep with him.

Rx: Lycps-v. 12c daily


Follow-up 25.1.09 5 weeks later:

Much better all round.

She can breathe well now, the chest is no longer tight.

No more heart pain. The blood pressure has stabilized.

Edema much better, no more swelling.

The neck stiffness is better.

Nunmbess of hands better.

There is less pain in the lipoma.

Head ache is gone.

She feels much better in herself.

Noise sensitivity has reduced, she is less angry.

The dreams of being pursued and of falling have stopped.

She has dreams that don't end. They are often clairvoyant dreams and she says she is clairvoyant. (I will be using this information only if a second prescription becomes necessary-JS)

Rx: Lycps-v. 12c daily