what really happened

So I hope you all read the gorilladoctorsblog post about Agahazo, a young male in Pablo group that we had to assess because he had an abscess on his neck. You know, the one where it took over 5 hours to get to the group and I was exhausted? I think the blog is called "New Baby in Group 13". Now let me tell you the reality of that day. It was freakishly difficult. It took me 6 hours (everyone else 5 hours), and 30 minutes of that was me sitting on the side of the trail trying not to lose my lunch, only to lose it at the end of that 30 minutes. I thought about turning back, letting Magda and Jean Felix deal with the medicine, but then I summoned every bit of strength I had - I evoked the strength of my mom when she still went to horse shows and Bayfield even after bad rounds of chemo. I thought about Tucker, who walks even when they said she wouldn't, and NEVER gives up. And Leigh Ellen who is a breast cancer survivor, and had her treatments during some of the most difficult years of our lives. And Linda who coached volleyball even when she was recovering from a broken back, leg, ribs... I thought of those long hard portages, or hiking up the mountain on Isle Royal with huge blisters and a 60 pound pack. And I thought of the gorillas, and that I wanted/needed to be there. Sounds totally sappy I know, but I was having quite a mental battle with myself as I sat shivering and retching on the side of that mountain in the rain, hoping Joseph the porter wasn't watching me too closely. Sooooo, I after I furtively cleaned my mouth and pulled myself together, I told Joseph to lead on, and as it turns out we were only another hour from the gorillas, and in the end, as you read in the blog, we did not have to do an intervention. But I was ready if we did - I made it to the site! And the 5 hours down was a LOT easier than going up. Something happens to my body at 10,000 feet or higher... I'm working on getting over that...

What else is happening? I went to Congo to move this huge silverback gorilla from where he was hanging out OUT of the forest, eating people's crops, likely to be killed by the locals (see gorilladoctors FB). The move went well, but I felt a little like I was in a king kong movie - we anesthetized him and put him on this big wooden platform for people to carry him. It was crazy - we walked through villages, surrounded by hundreds of people, and finally woke him up back in the forest.



That night I stayed in this hotel room on Goma and here is the painting on the wall in my room:



Made me feel so comfortable in Africa!

And then last week I went to a tennis tournimant! Right here in Central Africa! Julie Ghrist, from the NGO Art of Conservation (check out her website) had a group of kids who are learning tennis. She's been doing this with them for the past several years, and this year she held a big tournament. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the kids really did well! Parents were proud, awards were given. It was a fun day. Reminded me of camp and horse shows all at the same time. Jim and Linda - do you recognize the clothes on these kids?!








Things are going well here. Busy as usual, dangerously behind on paperwork, but still good. Sara comes for a visit in 2 weeks!!! Can't wait to show Sara, Aaron and Scott around.