Last Day in Yako...sort of...

On Thursday morning of my last week in Burkina I woke up ready, well not really ready, for my last day in Yako. I had planned to spend time with the babies in the morning and then the older, school-aged kids, in the afternoon and then top the day off with a movie, popcorn, and Kool-Aid that night with the kids. But...like any other day that I experienced in Burkina my plans were changed. When walking out of my room headed to the bathroom Ruth stopped me and asked if I'd like to take one of our babies to the hospital. I was still waking up so I don't think it fully processed with me. But seconds later I quickly agreed. So...I was on my way to Ouiahgouya to take baby Josias to the hospital.
Myself, one of the tanties (a baby caretaker), and Josias ventured on one of the busses to Ouiahgouya, about an hour away. Josias' ear had been bleeding and it was thought best that he be taken to the hospital so it wouldn't get any worse.
We arrive in the city, get off the bus and start walking to the hospital. Now, if it hadn't been for me...A) not being in Burkina for 7 weeks already and B) being a person that adjusts to the climate/culture around her...I would have found this hospital shocking. It is not like your normal American hospital. You will read why...
We wait in a small hallway in the ear, nose and throat section of the hospital, which consists of about two or three small rooms. After surprisingly only 20 or so minutes they call us in. I walk into the room with Josias in my arms. I am looking around; soaking up the room I am in. To my left is a Burkinabe young man on a patient's table his brother or friend is sitting directly to my right. Ahead of me is a few cabinents and tables with medical tools and supplies. There is also a desk to my right and a sink in front of me; all in a fairly small room.
We are brought over to sit on chairs. They ask us questions about Josias and then immediatley begin the procedure. I move to another section of the room where there is more medical supplies. I honestly don't know what is going on because my French is very limited so I don't know what they are about to do to this baby. The Burkinabe doctor tells me to restrain Josias to make sure he doesn't move, then she gets out this tube thing that is attached to some machine. I then realize it is a "sucky-tube." She puts it in his ear and sucks out a worm/parasite. Josias was a trooper through all of this. He hardly cried and was all smiles after his ear was cleaned out. After fixing the problem the doctor cleans his ear up and we are on to our next task. We walk to the pharamacy which is down the road from the hospital, get the medicine and then go back so that the doctor can give him the medicine and explain the dosages.
Well, while all of this is going on in the room that Josias was being treated in, there was another patient, the young Burkinabe man. In the same room that we were in there was a surgery going on. This man was getting a growth removed from the side of his face. It was insane. I couldn't believe this was happening all in this tiny room. However, as crazy or cooky as it may have seemed, I was also very interested and couldn't help myself watching the procedure. It was a very interesting day in Ouiahgouya. Eventhough this little adventure occupied my morning and afternoon it was well worth it. And, I still got to watch a movie, eat popcorn and drink Kool-Aid that night with my kiddos. Great last day!