E. Coli...a debilitating condition realized

Just when things were really starting to get good with our Tashlhiyt language skills, relationships with our neighbors and counterparts, and familiarity with getting around Morocco comfortably; I got an antibiotic resistant E. Coli infection that attacked my one and only kidney.  =(

Doctors in Morocco did their best to resolve while I was in country, but due to lengthy distance between our site and medical care in Rabat (i.e. 8 hours from site), I was instructed to begin taking antibiotics before doctors had a chance to properly identify the cause of some seriously nasty symptoms.  Thus, I was undertreated and hence the infection developed a stronger antibiotic resistance.  After a few months of being pretty sick, doctors started to really worry about me, and so I was medically evacuated back to USA in order to seek medical attention from my physicians back in Greenville, SC.

Upon returning to the US, doctors put me on a fourth round of antibiotics for a much longer and stronger course than I had been prescribed in Morocco.  On October 22nd, I will complete this round of antibiotics, and then it is time for the real test to see if my symptoms reoccur. According to my doctors and Peace Corps, it will be December before they can safely say that the infection  is gone.  Thus, my doctors and Peace Corps have decided that it is best for me to be medically separated from Peace Corps service.  This means that Alexandra will terminate her service, as well. 

Despite all the challenges that Alexandra and I faced in Morocco (i.e. language, cultural integration, health/sanitation, etc.), we still agree that the pros of service far outweighed the cons, and we are genuinely upset with the outcome, especially considering that the situation may have been avoidable if I would have been treated with the right course of antibiotics at the initial onset of symptoms.  However, we have faith that when one door closes, another one opens, and so we are making the best of what life has given us.   

We are really bummed that my health has caused us to abandon our wonderful host community and a really exciting project.  However, we are very thankful for all of the incredible support that we received from Peace Corps, USAID, the Tissilt Association, our host community, our friends, and family.  Although we may no longer be present in Morocco, we can assure all of our Moroccan friends and host families that the many beautiful things of Morocco (i.e. people, culture, geography, history, etc.) will remain with us for a lifetime.  We are so happy for the experiences that we shared together with Moroccan people, and hope that we will meet again one day. 

Below are some photos from an environmental seminar that was put on by our counterparts with USAID and the Tissilt Association in order to prepare our host community for the new waste water treatment plant and sewage system that we were working on.  Congratulations to our counterparts on completing this milestone, and good luck on the remaining parts of the project.  It is my hope that successful completion of this project may prevent other people in our host community from ever having to experience the pain from sicknesses caused by nasty bugs like E. Coli.  From my own experience, I can attest that an E. Coli infection can be a serious and debilitating condition that can be avoided with proper hygiene and sanitation. 

Americans, please take a moment to contemplate on these photos.  They are a representation of the motivation that people in developing countries like Morocco have in order to attain the healthy living conditions that we take for granted in the US.  These people are my friends and neighbors, and they were essential in providing Alexandra and I with the support we needed to survive in Morocco.  I thank god for our time together and wish them all the best.

Take care,
Jonathan