An Unexpected End

The below entries were all written February 13 and 14.  Excuse the delay: you’ll understand why I had little Internet access over the past several days.

Wed, Feb 09

The Vendors Conference went well.  They understood the presentation messages five-by-five, and we had productive discussion as well.  My back, however, was another matter.  I returned to the hotel in extreme pain. The hotel staff helped me to my room.  I got pain killers and spoke with the U.S. Embassy staff a couple of times during the night.  At about 8:00 am I squeezed in to a Toyota Corolla and was taken to the Abuja Clinic (http://www.abujaclinics.com/) by a hotel driver.  Alerted by the Embassy, the Clinic was waiting for me.

Thurs, Feb 10

The Abuja Clinic is probably one of the better ones around.  It was recommended by the Medical Officer at the Embassy and is located in the middle of many embassies and very nice diplomatic residences.  I was met by the equivalent of an emergency room physician, examined, admitted, and brought to room 302.  Thankfully they had an elevator, only the second one I saw in Nigeria.

I had a private room.  The air conditioner was on and the window was wide open.  There was a TV that got three channels: British soccer, other soccer, and Independent Television.  ITV showed talk shows and heavily advertised their Valentine’s Day dance (2,000 Naira for couples; 3,000 Naira for VIP couples).  I asked for soap and toilet paper for the bathroom, but they don’t supply towels.  The walls were pretty Spartan, adorned by a calendar and a sign saying that the bed can only support one person so if it breaks due to overcrowding, the patient is responsible.  I was put on four pills.

There are a couple of companies that specialize in dealing with, if not evacuating, people that need medical attention in foreign countries.  The doctor from company I spoke with, as well as the Embassy Medical Officer, recommended that I refuse all diagnostic testing.  This is because these tests would just have to be repeated in the U.S.  So, despite the urging of the clinic doctors, I declined an x-ray and a CT scan.   

Andy brought me some tomato soup, fresh-cut fruit and some outstanding chocolate brownies.  By evening I was starting to improve.

Fri & Sat, Feb 11-12

Friday I had visitors from the SCMS Field Office and the Hilton.  I also got a lot of phone calls on both my personal cell phone and the Nigerian one loaned to me by the Field Office.  Andy brought me a change of clothes from my hotel room.  Eventually, Robert and Bash picked me up from the clinic, took me to the Hilton where Robert packed up my stuff from the room.  We arrived at the airport by 8:30pm.  Airline staff were waiting to help me get on the plane.

I was, and am, so grateful to my visitors and to all those who arranged for my return to the States.  I arrived home safely and, considering the circumstances, uneventfully, on Saturday afternoon.