Happy New Year

2007 has come and gone. As a group we had planned to spend our last hours of 2007 together but fate did not see it that way. Aryn and I rung in the new year, and Aryns' birthday, in the teaching hospital in Kumasi (about 2 1/2 hrs from Amanda and Mark).

No, no no, don't worry, Aryn and I are okay. We were travelling by tro tro from Ada after picking up our packages from the respective post offices. We planned this trip spontanously and planned to leave Ada on the 31st and be in Nkoranza that evening. Amanada and Mark were waiting 'anxiously' for our return. We entered our a packed tro tro in Accra that would take us straight to Kumasi about 5 hours away. After about 2 hours and man sitting two people to the left of me and behind and to the left of Aryn had a seizure. It lasted between a minute or two, he foamed at the mouth, threw up and passed out for a short time. He was in between consiouness and unconsiouness for some time afterwards. The man beside him jumped into the lap of the man on the other side. Everyone on the tro tro was scarred. I quickly thought back to what I knew about siezures. I realized that knowledge was very limited. I tried to calm the people around us down and convince that man beside me that we had to bring Paul (the man having the siezure to the hospital). The man beside me disagreed, he told me it was just the spirits. I argued with him telling him it was a medical condition that happens all around the world and in Canada we bring them to the hospital after. I looked over and Paul and to me it seemed that he was not breathing, I asked Aryn to ask the woman directly infront of Paul to check. I explained to the people around us that I knew CPR, although I am sure I am a little rusty, I explained that if he wasn't breathing I could help him to breath again. Thankfully Paul was still breathing. Aryn and I continued to argue with the passenger beside me but Paul everntually regained consciousness. Aryn asked if he was okay and not knowing what had happened he said his head hurt. He seemed okay other then that and Aryn and I decided we would wait till Kumasi and then tell Paul what happened and suggest he go to the hospital. We stopped in Nkawkaw and a few passengers got out including the man that had disagreed about bringing Paul to the hospital. We re-prganized ourself and I was now sitting beside Paul.

We kept an eye on him and he seemed to be okay, but as we entered Kumasi Paul had another siezure. Similar to the previous one but this time his head hit the back of the car multiple times. I quickly re-acted to put my hand behind his head so it would lessen the force. He basically had a seizure on me and fell unconsious on me. I tried to move him so he was sitting in a more safe position as we went over the speed bumps. I asked a man close by to help me lift him, he was very reluntant and offered little help so Aryn and I had to manage. We also decided that we would bring him to the hospital. We he regained consciousness we tried to talk to him but it seemed he spoke no English. I asked the women beside me to tell him what had happened in Twi, she said she was to scarred to talk to him. I then asked if she would just ask him if we could bring him to the hospital, thankfully she agreed, and so did Paul.

We got out of the tro tro and Paul had difficulty walking, Aryn and I carried his bags and a nice tro tro mate found us a taxi nad barginned the price for us. We got to the hospital and paied Paul admission fee and waited for 4 hours before he saw a doctor. As we waited Paul had me call his employer who turned out to be a British man to tell him what had happened. Paul is a teacher who turned out to speak perfect English. The employer seemed concerned that Paul would not be able to afford the bill but I assured him that Aryn and I would cover it. We were supported by very nice people at the hospital including a nurse and two security men who assured us that we would find a place for Paul to sleep, and later walked Aryn and I to a close by hotel, it was New Years Eve and they were worried for mine and Aryns safety. I celebrated 2008 in a consulting explain to a doctor what had happened to Paul. At 2 minutes after 12:00 the nurse told us all it was 2008.


Aryn and mys main concern was that Paul was given a place to stay. He was travelling a few hours north for his mothers funeral and hadn't planned on stopping in Kumasi. I asked the Doctor if he could stay in the hospital and Aryn and I would pay the bill. He also gave us a list of medicine to by and told me that this could be the beginning of Epilepsy. I felt so much pity for Paul because by many in Ghana Epilepsy is not a medical condition but something the spirits of witches cast on people, that is why the people in the tro tro reacted the way they did. Aryn and I went to pay for his medicine and left Paul with some money to pay for the place to stay. at 1:30 am we parted our ways.

We left Kumasi the next morning and arrived in Nkoranza at about 12:00 pm that afternoon.

They say how you spend your New Years Eve is how you spend the rest of your year, I am not really sure what that means for Aryn and I.

Happy 2008!