Monthly Archive: November 2015

Raining Cats But Not Dogs

My diabetes story got the second most reaction of all my blog posts, following only my tribute to Jan last August. I enjoy getting emails from all of you. I encourage your questions and comments. Sorry Uganda, you weren’t really in either top post.

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A road on the way to work after heavy morning rains

The rains have been loud and brutal at times on the roads. Tis the season. At least my bore hole doesn’t run dry. As a I hop over the mud and water patches on the road, I think of taking a bad spill with one misstep, so I have to focus. Most of the time I’m walking with my backpack carrying my laptop. I honestly worry about breaking my laptop in a spill more than my own bones!

My Lusoga language cohort friend Becky has a nice blog. She has posted a video you should watch. Her blog is here. The video is also on YouTube here. It does a fantastic job capturing the “Flavor” of our experience. Well done Becky!

When I try to click on Becky’s video, it says that its blocked in my country (Uganda) due to copyright. Only thing I can think of is the Kinks song she uses for background music. She showed it to me during IST so my comments are from memory of one viewing two weeks ago..

You will notice a few snippets with me in them. In one, I am sort of standing there like a lump while the others sing. This was our “entertainment” segment for the town dignitaries and home stay families at the Fare Well to Home Stay party. My language cohort is performing a song I did not know called “Day Man” from the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. I would have preferred a Ugandan folk song. Kids. I should have been more enthusiastic. I did give a good speech though, which is more my forte. It was a day mostly of speeches and eating.

One day I will upload my own video. Even with my 3G modem I can’t even send a short video by email. Becky used the free WiFi at Sol Cafe, so maybe I will try that.

As far as my work goes, it appears I will do intensive training starting with five farmer groups, presenting perhaps 4-5 programs to each, once a week at their VSLA meetings. Then we will take on five more farmer groups, while following up on the first set every month or so, to see if anything “stuck” with them. This will help me with variety, and I’ll get to know these farmers pretty intimately. I continue to want to establish four youth groups in at local Bugiri high schools. So that is what year one looks like for me.

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I went with Sharon, Hellen and Simon to admit Sharon to the Iganga Nursing and Midwifery School. It has a beautiful manicured campus and the dorm rooms look first rate. We were not allowed near the dorms. I met the Deputy Principal, who told me that 97% of their graduates find employment.

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Some PCVs report that neither their office locale nor their home site are amenable to a permagarden. At IST my counterpart Matthews showed the Agri-Business cohort how to build an elevated garden and a sack garden. He did great, although we ran out of time before they could be planted. He made a special trip back to Entebbe last week to finish both of them. Hope the nuns are pleased. Matthews says people in the villages are not well versed in these gardens, so we will add them to our teaching package.

sack garden

For the sack garden, use two grain sacks for durability. As you put dirt and manure into the sacks, you use a cylinder to build a column of rocks in the middle for aeration of the water.

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Draw 8-10 columns down the side of the sack, and then burn 5 holes into each column with matches. Plant Japanese Onion seedlings or other types, and have up to fifty plants around the sides plus a few more on top.

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Voila. This is a sack garden at my office. Trim off the green part of the onions as you need them, and this particular sack will grow for 2-3 years.

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These are scratch cards you can buy from little stands everywhere. You load the numbers you uncover into your phone to buy airtime. Our Peace Corps issued “burner” phones by Nokia allow unlimited airtime to anyone else from the Peace Corps, a Closed User Group. You can also convert this airtime into internet data. You can also use your phone for “Mobile Money”, by giving money to an authorized dealer and getting it credited on your phone like a bank deposit. You can transfer mobile money to others or buy airtime with it. Most PCVs seem to avoid mobile money, but my landlord wants me to use mobile money to pay my electric bill, so I have to learn it.

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Meet my new roommate, Meowi Meowseveni, named in honor of the exalted leader of the Republic of Uganda. I will just call her Meowri. . I use a basin with my carpenter’s wood chips for a litter box. I have been feeding her ground up silver fish and hard boiled eggs and whole milk. She’s about three months old. We are getting along fine. Kittens are so photogenic.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! Peace Corps Wizard in a Miracle Cure!

Alternative titles for this Blog Post are “Now it can be told” or “Now you know the rest of the story”. But after I got the news yesterday, I literally thought of that “EXTRA etc” line (Sung when Tommy, in the rock opera, is cured of his affliction of being blind, deaf and dumb.)
I’ll share yesterday’s news in a moment, but first I am telling you my full story, one that not even my family knows until now, with the exception of my children. Maybe you know someone with my circumstances who might be interested in it.

I was invited to be a volunteer in December. I was greatly relieved, since I went into the application process thinking I had no relevant skills to offer. All I had to do now was clear legal and medical evaluations. As to legal, I had never been arrested, so I didn’t have any fear there.  It’s scary though. They kept saying “We are going to do a deep review. Are you sure you don’t have anything to tell us?”  Uh oh, what will the NSA think of all my emails criticizing Bush and Obama? You are never actually told about legal clearance, perhaps to rope in those DUIs you can get right before departure.

As to medical clearance, I never get sick. I did not miss a single day of school from grade school through law school, and that pattern has held for the rest of my life so far, with the exception of a spell of kidney stones about 10 years ago. Sure, I take those pills for cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and I was overweight, but there seemed to be no consequences to it. To the contrary, being forced to do a lot of walking in Uganda would get me out from behind my desk and the two years here would get me in shape. Nevertheless, I decided not to announce my invitation until I received my clearances.

My doctor at Kaiser was off on reserve duty, so I switched to my wife Jan’s G.P. for my Peace Corps physical. Monica and I had become pretty well acquainted. There was a pile of forms for her to fill out, and frankly, during the next four months, the requests from the Peace Corps for more info and documentation never stopped. They are thorough.

I remember my physical on January 8 was a very light-hearted event. I was more concerned the Peace Corps was going to say I was jumping into this too soon after Jan’s passing. In fact, I had to submit a short essay about this. (The head shrink in D.C. for the Peace Corps was at our IST for a day last week. He recalled my file. He said when he saw my age he cleared me immediately. Had I been 25, my circumstances would have been an issue).

On the following Sunday, I was driving home in my neighborhood, and saw Monica with her husband and two kids out walking (such a good example!). I rolled down my window and said hi. Monica replied “Please call me Monday.” I asked “What’s up? Why can’t you just tell me now?” She leaned into the window and said, “You have diabetes”. I was gobsmacked. Immediately I drove home and jumped on the computer to see what this might mean for my medical clearance. It did not look good. Then I drove all over my neighborhood until I found Monica and her family again (I don’t know where she lives-her husband must have thought I was a loon). I drilled her for information as we walked. She recommended I attend diabetes classes, but her responses did not assuage me regarding my medical clearance.

The hbA1c is a relatively new test to measure your blood sugar. You don’t need to fast for it, and it measures the cumulative effects on your blood from the last three months. My A1c was 7.6%. The upper limit for normal is 5.6%. I will admit that the recent Holidays did not help me on this test. While I was excited to be invited to the Peace Corps, it was the first time I did not have my Jan with me during the Holidays. I was pretty self-indulgent and probably “ate my grief”. Watching me, my son Clark was pretty disgusted. I kept rationalizing “I’ll start getting healthy in June”. Now it looked like I might be doomed well before June.

A few days later, after I learned of this result, I wrote to the D.C. medical staff about this finding. A nurse on staff  was in charge of my file. I called her Nurse Ratchet in my mind the next 4 months- but she was my pal by the end of the clearance process. She replied in no uncertain terms that I certainly would not get medical clearance with this finding.

The following month or so, I was very despondent. My own research indicated that the Peace Corps demanded a measurement of 7.0% or below for clearance, and you had to prove stability by keeping it this low for at least six months. How rigid was this? The end of six months was in July and the plane to Uganda would leave June 2. Everything in my life was targeting that June departure. I thought at a minimum I would get deferred until November (I didn’t know, but in fact I would have had to wait a year, since November is only for Education volunteers). My plan had been to sell my house and wait until I came back to buy a new place. Now I needed a new place immediately, since I might have to stay in Denver. One more big chore on my “to do” pile.

There was also a huge embarrassment factor. My fraternity brother and poker group friend Wayne has had Type 1 diabetes for several years. He has pointed out, Type 1 is genetic. My diabetes was Type 2, which is caused by poor lifestyle choices in eating and lack of exercise. This was my own fault. All those years of chiding by Jan were coming home to roost. I was certainly glad I did not announce my invitation except to immediate family, a few close friends, and my references. The thought of getting everyone excited for me and then announcing a rejection because I had Type 2 diabetes would have been humiliating.

First thing, I wrote a very lengthy email in reply to Nurse Ratchet. I did a lot of cajoling, begging, groveling, and persuading. It was something I had vast experience in, representing hapless clients. She gave me a glimmer of hope by saying she would not deactivate me “yet”. After all, I hadn’t even submitted the initial test results to her, which were not due until February 15.

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July 2, 2015 in my Peace Corps T-Shirt

I described in one of my first blog posts how I lost 30 lbs. So you can review that process here. Perhaps a few of you guessed then I had diabetes. Ultimately my total weight loss was 47 lbs. by late June, after a month here. I have stabilized in the four months since, remaining at 165 lbs from the original 212 lbs. which I weighed at my physical in January.

I did everything my doctor and the classes recommended. My deadline to submit all my tests was February 15. I asked for a new A1c test on February 13. Monica said it would not change much, since only one month had passed and it measured three months. Nevertheless, it came back at 6.3%, well below the Peace Corps threshold. Monica said it was one of the fastest changes she had ever seen. I sent that result off to Nurse Ratchet. Now I regretted telling them about my first test. Nurse Ratchet was glad to see it, but said my clearance ultimately would rest with her supervisor.

I was focused on my blood, but the consequences of my lifestyle changes showed up in my thinning face and shrinking waistline. Peace Corps made Monica and myself write about the changes I was going through and my “plan” to keep the A1c stable. There were other steps. Nurse Ratchet requested I visit the Kaiser eye doctor to look for ruptured vessels in the back of my eye. This is supposedly the first place to find symptoms. Nothing there. By April, my A1c had declined to 5.8% which was just above normal.

Jazz Fest

Yay! New Orleans Jazz Fest with my kids!

Finally, at the end of April, I was medically cleared. My kids and I attended the New Orleans Jazz Fest for one last activity together, but continued my discipline, resisting much of that great New Orleans food. In August, I got my first test since entering Uganda. My A1c was 6.0%, a tick upwards. I doubled down, resisting even the occasional pop, except Coke Zero when I can find it. Coke, Mountain Dew and Orange Fanta are pretty dominant here. I enjoy the cold teas I brew. There are many carbs-laden foods here, so I really have to exercise portion control in the restaurants. I usually have a plastic container in my backpack and save half of it.

Almost another three months had passed since my last test in August. Returning from IST, I stopped at the Peace Corps medical office for another blood draw. Yesterday my Peace Corps doctor called and said I was at 4.8%. I had totally reversed out of diabetes. I can stop taking Metformin, which my dentist says is bad for my teeth. They want me to come in to learn glucose monitoring. Monica confirmed by email I was no longer a diabetic and agreed with the recommendations. I plan to maintain my discipline and check again in three more months, especially to see the impact of stopping Metformin.

My pal Nurse Ratchet told me the thoroughness of Peace Corps physical often uncovers new, previously unknown health problems. I have often thought, what if I wasn’t going to the Peace Corps and not had a physical? How much worse would it have been, what symptoms would have driven me in to the doctor? What if it had been a routine physical and I was told I had diabetes? I would like to think I would have still buckled down, for the sake of my own health and due to my embarrassment. But no doubt, my motivation to get cleared was through the roof. I really needed to leave in June for a desired radical change after the previous two years, and my further desire to retire from my tired old career sooner rather than later.

I certainly appreciate that it is hard to change a negative lifestyle. I don’t want to be like those former smokers who feel superior because they could stop. Yet, the steps I took are ridiculously simple. Eat fewer carbs and exercise more. The exercise causes the sugar in your blood to fire your muscles rather than getting stored as fat. Hence why athletes will load up on carbs before a race. I am also aware that the biggest challenge is ahead, since so many people lose a lot of weight, and gain it all back, perhaps more. I would have more fear of this if I was just trying to lose weight. But it is now coupled with the threat of becoming diabetic again. I hope staying here for two more years will help with the good habits. I eat no processed foods here. I have two skinny friends at home, both named Greg, who demonstrate great discipline and are part of my inspiration.

Clark said on WhatsApp: “Congrats daddy!!!! Losing you for two years has added ten years of your older, senile self we can have!” There is that advantage too.

Now you know…………..the rest of the story.

She will, rise above

We finished In Service Training, spending the last week with our counterparts. Good to be home. (“Charley! You were lost!”)

My counterpart Matthews showed the Agri-Business cohort how to make an elevated garden and a sack garden. There was a great session on Climate Change as it relates to Uganda. I am backed up on things I want to blog about! I also came home to new neighbors, a seemingly large family. It doesn’t appear they speak English. The mom put up extra lines, thankfully, as we both did a ton of laundry.

Matthews and I put together a one year action plan to present to our supervisors in the Peace Corps and ATEFO. More on that when it is reviewed and approved.

Today I’ll talk about gender equality, plunge into some depressing statistics, but end on some high notes.

Gender Equality in the developing world is a major issue, which is why Peace Corps puts so much effort towards empowering women. Michelle Obama started “Let Girls Learn” which is directed at improving the educational opportunities for women throughout the developing world. I will be honest and say that my own reaction initially to all this gender stuff was that boys seemed to be getting ignored, so I would strike a balance. But the culture and evidence demonstrates a disparity. I won’t neglect the male gender which is also needy, but the imbalance has changed my attitude. I seek truth, sometimes it requires a change of mind.gender cartoon

Looking at women in agriculture,
• 90% of rural Ugandan women work in agriculture, and are the backbone of the rural economy.
• The UN estimates that African women contribute an average of 70% of food production, and over half of all farm-related labor.
• Women typically work much longer hours than men:
• “paid productive” and “unpaid reproductive and domestic” duties
• Women in Africa typically earn about half of men’s wages, and are more likely to be paid at a piecemeal rate.
One of the fastest and broadest ways to improve rural livelihoods is to increase women’s share of household income
• Encourage female participation in cooperatives and farmers orgs
 Economies of scale
 Building of confidence, skills, leadership, and security

An increase in a woman’s income of $10 achieves the same improvement in children’s nutrition and health as an increase in a man’s income of $110.

Notwithstanding these stark statistics, Female Farmers receive only 5% of all Agricultural Extension Services from 97 countries. Only 15% of the world’s extension agents are women. Only 10% of the total aid for agriculture, forestry, and fishing goes to women. (Many thanks to Katie J, who presented a program with her counterpart which presented the above)

I can say that ATEFO has encouraged leadership positions for women in our VSLA farmer groups. Matthews is on board with the idea of one program of our package for the farmer groups be devoted to gender. I keep thinking about how permagardens would help the women too.

Can you? 4.Money burning You know when to raise eyebrows if a product viagra professional price description tells a story of old Jeff and Leena. The pill likes cialis 5mg australia would work finest if guzzle using water. Takes the blood from the this link sildenafil pills patient’s own body and segregates the plasma, which is applied onto the roots of hair via injection using micro needles that cause little or no discomfort. Nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, nitroprusside (any “nitric oxide donor” medicines), cimetidine, canadian viagra generic erythromycin, azole antifungals (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole), mibefradil, rifamycins (e.g., rifampin) or high blood pressure in lungs then it’s safe otherwise it can be harmful. Now for some really brutal statistics:
HIV/AIDS is the second leading cause of death among adolescents, (trailing malaria).
66% of all new HIV infections are contracted by adolescent girls.
78% of primary pupils and 82% of secondary pupils have experienced sexual abuse in schools
58% of girls aged 15-19 have experienced physical or sexual violence
49% of girls are married by age 18
25% of girls age 15-19 have had a baby or are pregnant; compared to only 2.5% in America
45% of uneducated girls are pregnant compared to 16% with secondary educations.

Girls are traditionally taught the facts of life by an “auntie” (Ssenga), boys by an “uncle”. They are fonts of misinformation.

I have heard about the spread of HIV through the boda guys and truck drivers, but the shocking amount of sexual abuse suffered in school is the low point for me. It’s not hard to project my own children in these situations and get enraged. Schools should be safe. We get our predators in America but it is comparatively rare. And let’s not forget the abuse outside of school walls. Sadly, when parents learn about abuse to their children they are often mollified by a payment of money, and if their girl is pregnant, a marriage can be arranged.

These sessions make me think of the great work of the Blue House in Kazo Uganda, the girls orphanage supported by my sister Karen from St. Paul Minnesota. They have successfully raised funds to support their girls even at the university level. These orphan girls, clearly a vulnerable class of people, are getting protection, a more normal childhood, and a boost in life. Learn more about it here: http://www.hopemultipurpose.org/

Speaking of empowering women, this is a good spot to update everyone about Sharon, my home stay “sister” whom my Rotary Club is supporting for education. The High School did not work well for her. We did not know that “Victoria School” was Muslim. Sharon, a Catholic, was required to attend morning prayers in the mosque starting at 4 a.m., each day, plus the other calls to prayer. It was really distressing to her. Further, there was a misunderstanding about how much the funds we provided was going to cover, since it had been my intent to pay all the way to completion and they were telling me I was a year short.

So I told Sharon it would be OK to quit and we got a refund for about half the money. We looked for alternatives. She was invited to be an au pair for a Ugandan woman in Denmark (“Charles will that be close to your home in America?”) but decided against it. Then she successfully interviewed for the Iganga Nursing and Midwifery School pretty close to Simon and Hellen’s home. Only 25% of applicants were accepted. She shared that hearing about Jan’s nursing career is one of her inspirations. I really like the potential for this. Even if Sharon had completed Senior level, there would be a continuing need for University. And there are millions unemployed graduate at both levels. I have been encouraged with the potential nursing offers her for stable future employment, though nothing is guaranteed.  The program is five semesters, and my Rotary Club has stepped up again to pay her fees and boarding, starting with a guaranty for the first two semesters. There was also enough to cover her initial uniform and equipment costs. My heart is so gladdened by my Club’s generosity.

The school has me listed as her guardian, and Sharon wants me to take her to her first day of school and moving in on November 16. Like when I took my own kids to college! My host family is going to host another volunteer in December. A large cohort of education volunteers arrive in Uganda on November 11, and six will be placed in my eastern region. We won’t be the new guys any longer. Further, I understand that my town of Bugiri will host the Lusoga language cohort in the near future. In a year, my “celebrity” here as the only Muzungu will be diluted, at least for a month.

 

 

 

Scary Monsters- PCV Halloween highlights

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Katie J and Becky. Katie is similar to my daughter Blair in personality. Ornery in a funny way and smart alecky at times. You have seen Becky from my language group and by the water falls. Big Packers fan.

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MacKenzie dressed as Coy on the right. Coy as one of the Beastie Boys. Both are Health volunteers

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Becky again, with Anna, who dressed as Becky. Becky has a bet with many members of the cohort that that she will not shave her right armpit for the entire 27 months.

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Karen, the senior woman in our cohort (40s) as a black eyed pea. She lives on a tea plantation teaching at the labor camps.

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Everyone says I look and sound like the Walter White character from “Breaking Bad” so I lazily added a pork pie hat to be Walter in his ‘Heisenberg’ phase. Only watched the first two and last two of BB myself . I am standing with “Morning After Regret” the winner of best costume, portrayed by Katie L. I loaned her the shirt.


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Ruwani as a black cat and Colorado girl Hannah as a witch.

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Tyler as Rosie the Riveter. I am impressed she knows about Rosie.

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Ryan the Gaucho. There have been a lot of beards grown since August swearing in.