Leg Infection Part II (?) and Nana Boroo’s birthday

by | Jul 22, 2010 | Ghana, Stories, W. Africa

Five years ago, outside of a game reserve in northern Benin, I got a cut on my shin that became badly infected. From knee to foot, my leg was like a piece of rotting fruit. I became immobile, bearded, and completely pathetic. After a regimen of IVs, oral antibiotics, injections in my ass twice a day, and three weeks of bed rest, I was able to walk again.

My leg five days ago

Given my run of recent injuries (broken nose from a flying elbow, broken toe from kicking a stump), I was not surprised when I sliced my leg open on a piece of concrete while walking around Accra this past weekend (this may or may not have involved falling into an open sewer). My friend Afia deftly created a tourniquet with her scarf and we immediately went to a clinic.

At the clinic, the nurse cleans and bandages the wound. The doctor takes a look and prescribes antiobiotics I already have. I pay $10 for the consultation and wound dressing. I get back to the guesthouse and promptly take enough Cipro to treat an elephant with anthrax poisoning. For the next several days, I continue taking Cipro and I frequently re-dress the wound.

When I cut my leg at the waterfall five years ago, I did not treat it, topically or otherwise. A day later, when the area around the cut was turning red and swollen, I assumed it was bruising in a strange way (yeah, I am an idiot). I waited an additional day before I asked for someone else’s opinion. At this point, the infection had doubled in size. It was another day until I was back in Accra and I did not start receiving treatment until the following morning. By this time, the infection had spread from my knee to my foot.

This introduction to cellulitis was instructive. The lesson learned? Don’t sleep on a cut in Africa. This time around, I acted immediately. After five days the wound is an eyesore, but it’s not infected. If it’s true that things come in threes, I should be in the clear for a bit (nose, toe, leg). Unfortunately, I don’t believe in shit like that, so I will just have to be more careful.

Bits and Pieces

Water has been restored in Newtown. How did I have electricity and internet, but no water? I have electricity all the time. When it cuts out in the neighborhood, the guesthouse has a generator. I don’t have internet. There are a couple internet cafes close by and I will occasionally sneak around hotels in Osu (somewhat of an expat neighborhood) that have wireless. The Black Stars had their time in the spotlight, now all eyes are on the Black Princesses, Ghana’s under-20 women’s team. Or they were, anyways. The Princesses were eliminated from group stage yesterday. Ghanaians gathered around TVs in bars and chophouses on the roadside to support them. In Newtown, you heard cheers going up from every direction following a Ghana goal. If you didn’t know it, you would think the Black Stars were playing. I have never watched a women’s under-20 game in the U.S. In Ghana, I have seen a couple games each day. Football is serious here.

I have lost count of my planned adoptions, but here is another to add to the list. Her name is Felicity. She is from Togo, but is now being cared for by a family in Ghana because her mother had a stroke. This was the first day I saw something close to a smile from her. Her story is heartbreaking, but she is in good hands.

Sarkodie, widely proclaimed the fastest rapper in Ghana.

I inadvertently ended up at hiplife star Nana Boroo’s birthday party on Saturday. In the U.S., costs for attending a musician or actor’s birthday party are typically prohibitive. Or, you simply might not be invited. I paid $7 to attend Nana Boroo’s party and I definitely was not invited. Sarkodie performed a few tracks and for those in attendance, including the four Ghanaians I was with, this was a big deal.

Nana Boroo about to eat his cake.

Internet’s cutting out so that will have to do it. Appreciate the comments and emails, will try to get better at responding to them.

9 Comments

  1. Joseph

    @ Felicity. may the good lord grant you more wisdom and what it will take to support a child like that, The merceful Lord will also render care unto you as you do to others.

    Reply
  2. asia

    please dont get your leg infected. Just let it dry for an hour or two when possible.

    I really like the music from Ghana!

    Reply
  3. Nicole

    Your travels look interesting! All those kids are really cute. I was recently in Cleveland as part of my summer roadtrip and I thought about you :). Stay out of trouble – we want you to come back alive!

    Reply
  4. Christina

    EEEK! Take care of yourself!

    Reply
  5. Aunt Sharon

    So sorry to read about the injury to your leg. Please take care of you. We are enjoying your site…grandpa is amazed that your words from Ghana appear on a screen on the computer.
    We all send our love.

    Reply
  6. Turkey Boy

    You are living the hiplife!

    Reply
  7. McKane

    how’s the leg?? take care of yourself phil…. you have to come back to us with all limbs.
    been loving following your adventures through the blog…. thanks for sharing and keep on having the wonderful experiences that you are. you are greatly missed at hobart… but good to read that life is good in ghana. take care. lots of love from dc!!!

    Reply
  8. phil

    thanks for the comments, the leg is still infection-free!

    Reply
  9. kim

    i want that little girl! so cute! i want you to come to Cambodia and meet my students- they are all between 3 and about 8 and i seriously would adopt them all. you would love them!

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Games of Ghana and Some Hiplife for Your Listening Pleasure - [...] my last post, I mentioned seeing Sarkodie perform at Nana Boroo’s birthday party. Here are some tracks from those…
  2. Malaria’s Encore and Why You Should Invest in Coartem - [...] contracting it. Five years ago, in Northern Benin (the same trip on which my leg would later become infected)…

Leave a Reply to kim Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scoot West Africa

Want to travel with me in West Africa? A friend and I run scooter trips in the region. scootwestafrica.com.

Postcards from Timbuktu


Send a postcard from Timbuktu to anywhere in the world with just a few clicks on a website. Support former tourist guides and artisans in the process.