My unexpected experience with dog allergies!

In April last year, my boyfriend and I adopted a 1 year old lab-pit mix puppy from our local Humane Society. He is such a lover and absolutely enjoys frolicking (literally), jumping, and playing outside. I am so thankful for him, as he brings joy and love into my heart. Unfortunately after several trips to the vet's office and the emergency vet office, it was discovered that he has some pretty severe environmental allergies (he is allergic to grass, trees, pollen, dust, and weeds!). For all of you that are not familiar with dog allergies, please take a look at the article I wrote about this long process. Cody, my puppy, is doing well with the immunotherapy, but the real test will be in the springtime.

My adorable, energetic puppy Cody!

"Diagnosing dog allergies is a very long and complicated process for both dogs and their owners. There are two types of allergies that dogs have, food allergies and environmental allergies. It is worthy to note that food allergies are different than food intolerance. Primarily, dermatologist veterinarians like to use the trial-and-error method for diagnosing food allergies before investigating whether or not the dog has environmental allergies. This can be costly as it requires that the owner either buy a prescription dog food (such as the RoyalCanin Potato and Venison Hypoallergenic dog food that costs roughly $69 per 17.9lb bag) or prepare a homemade meal (sometimes prepared with venison, rabbit, or kangaroo meat). This special diet needs to have one protein and one starch that the dog has not been regularly exposed to, as they can not be allergic to food that they don't regularly have. After about 2-3 months of this exclusive diet (no treats, table scraps, or oral medication, including chewable heart worm medicine), the dermatologist veterinarian will take a look to see if the symptoms have improved. At this point the owner has already spent several hundreds of dollars to see a dermatologist veterinarian and buy special dog food. If the dog does indeed have environmental allergies, and the original symptoms have not subsided after the food trial, the next step would be to have a skin test performed. This test alone costs $200-$300, and uses multiple needles with allergens to test the skin reaction on the dog. If the dog has severe enough reactions (swelling, redness, tenderness, etc.), then the dog has environmental allergies to xyz. 

There are two paths that the owner can choose to take after receiving the results:

1. Try to avoid the allergens and treat the symptoms as they appear-This may not be feasible if the dog is allergic to things such as grass, dust, pollen, etc. or

2. Start a 10 month trial of immunotherapy by giving an injection to the dog containing the allergens where the dog slowly builds up a tolerance. Dogs will not outgrow or build a 100% tolerance to their allergens. Anywhere between 70-85% of owners see an improvement with immunotherapy and continue these injections for the rest of the dogs life. Typically, these injections and syringes cost about $200 per year. Not to mention that for the first 4-5 months, the dog will suffer from their allergies, and all the owner(s) can do is treat the symptoms until the dog has enough of the allergens in its system. That can be several hundred to a couple thousand dollars worth of medication and treatment for the dog, depending on the age the test was done at.

To some, their pets are their children. For others, their pets are not worth the time, effort, and money for food and/or environmental allergies. Dog allergies can be a serious medical condition, and owners should carefully think about their available pet funds, savings, time, and commitment towards their dogs. If the owners are financially able and willing to go through this lengthy process, their dog is a very lucky pet! However, the best thing for a dog may not be the best thing for the owner. If the owner(s) are not financially able to support and provide for the dog, there are many rescue organizations and no-kill shelters that will be more than happy to find a safe, happy, and financially able owner to adopt the dog. Best of luck to all owners and their dogs suffering from food and/or environmental allergies!"

Welcome to the adult world!

I have been with this incredible agency for a little over a year now, and it has tremendously opened my eyes to the professional world. The relationships, and dynamics, of a team is something that I can not describe simply by giving an explanation. I can not relate it to working with a group of people in college to secure a good grade in class. These relationships and dynamics are much more supportive, and you get back what you give. I would be lost without the advice, help, and friendship of some of my colleagues. Their passion for what they do is what motivates me in my role, both professionally and personally. Moving to a different city, several hundreds of miles away from friends and family, is needless to say difficult and frustrating. I have found it to be hard to balance the demands of my job and creating a social life outside of work. Of course, I have established friendships with my co-workers, but outside of work it's hard to find individuals who understand that I can't go out and drink every night, or just call off work to hang out. Also, I can't just blow my money on entertainment or trips. I have bills to pay and a retirement to save for! Welcome to the adult world! I must admit though that I love watching my 403(b) account grow, and paying off my debt! It's a good feeling.

Too Much for One Week

Okay, so I have been through way too much in one week here in Ghana. The first day that we got to Cape Coast we went to "Festival" which is like the Ghana version of Carnival. It was pretty insane. They had this huge parade (for lack of a better word) and everybody was out in the streets dancing and singing. The parade included all of the chiefs (of the tribes in Cape Coast), the king of Cape Coast, and the President of Ghana. Yes, I saw President John Mills and his motorcade from a few meters away. The one thing that Haley and I thought peculiar was that they had blocked off all access to the president, but allowed us access so we could stand literally right across him. The reason was because we are white. The people of Ghana could not get to where Haley and I stood. The police and secret service treated us like royalty simply because of our color and gave us special permission that not even Ghanians had. That made me feel very uncomfortable. Anyways, after "Festival" we went to a restaurant called "The Castle" and of course I ordered pizza. It in no way tasted like pizza, but it was still good :) Haley and I must have been extremely lucky that night because "Korye" was performing. They are a famous dance theater group that performs traditional drumming and dancing. It was beautiful! I will put pictures up later when I have a reliable internet source. The next day, my host family picked me up and I came to the house that I will call home for the next 3 months. It is an upper middle-class home with a fridge and a tv with basic cable. However, there is no AC, dishwasher, or laundry machine.

Black vs. White?

So this is a very touchy subject but I feel obligated to talk about it because it is extremely relevant to my situation here in Ghana and with my host family. There is a stark difference between the locals and the “obruni”, or rather the white people. As an “obruni” I am treated literally like I am better than everyone else. It sucks! For example, when we were at the big festival of Cape Coast, the president of Ghana gave a speech and his motorcade blocked off a huge area so they could protect him. However, when the local Ghanaians tried to see him better the police naturally pushed them back but allowed Haley and I to move closer just because of our skin color. Even though it was an amazing opportunity to see the president, it was incredibly unfair that us “obruni” got to see him while everybody else had to stand behind barricades of police. Everywhere that an “obruni” goes, they are treated automatically with a tremendous amount of respect and are put into positions of leadership and power, including myself. One thing that has really stood out to me is that my younger host sister Charlotte does not understand the meaning (both good and bad) behind race. She told me the other day when we were watching the TV show “Everybody Loves Chris” that it was not for “obruni”. This TV show is about the supposed life of Chris Rock when he was younger, but it is a comedy for the whole family. I was so taken aback that she did not want me to watch it and I asked her why it was not for “obruni”. She simply said because I am an “obruni” and the show was for black people only since the majority of the characters on the show are black. I had no idea what to say to that. This girl is only 4 years old, and her family is the farthest thing from being racist. I think she gets it from school, neighbors, friends, etc. On the other hand, later that day she came into my room and told me I was beautiful and that said she wanted to be too. I told her she was so beautiful (because she is the cutest thing ever and will one day break hearts) and can you guess what her response was? “I wish I was white.” You have got to be kidding me! This little girl thinks that the only way she will ever be beautiful is if she is white! This is insane. Even now I can’t begin to describe my feelings on this. Let me give you a brief history of Cape Coast. This area used to be the number one spot where people would buy, sell, trade and clean the slaves before taking them to market and/or taking them to the Americas. I have yet to take a tour of the Cape Coast Castle because of my ankle, but I have heard many stories that everybody walks away crying. I honestly wish that people would stop looking at skin color as a way to judge a person. One color is not better than another! People say that the consequences of slavery and segregation have ended, but have they really?

Spanish-speakers in Ghana?

Okay, so I live on top of a huge hill. Actually, it is literally a small mountain. I have to walk up and down it everyday to catch a taxi to work. Thankfully, my work is in a town called Kakumdo, which is almost 15 minutes from my house depending on how long it takes me to get down the mountain, get a taxi, and traffic. However, as many of you already know I took a pretty nasty fall on one of the sidewalks and tore the ligaments in my right ankle. I am not supposed to walk on it for a couple of weeks and I have to have a cast on it. My mom ended up having to mail me some crutches because they don’t have them here, and an orthopedic brace so I can try and get around with less pain. There is no ice in Ghana, and consequently my right foot has been twice the size of my left foot. It is still painful but I can manage small steps after taking the makeshift cast that I had on off (you didn’t hear me say that Mom). I cannot be happier that I have a mom as wonderful as mine in my life to take care of me when I fall off the sidewalks in foreign countries (yes you Mom!!!!!). Initially, a stranger took me to the hospital in a taxi and then had an x-ray of my ankle done. The Ghanaian doctor thought it was dislocated my ankle, so he called in a specialist. After several hours of waiting, the doctor came and he spoke zero English. He said, “No broken, but need cast”. I was crying (how embarrassing), but he wrote a prescription for the items necessary to make a cast and one of the people from ProWorld went to the pharmacy while I waited at the hospital with the non-English speaking doctor. The doctor put me in a wheelchair and led me into a room with AC, pulled up a chair and asked me where I was from. After responding, I asked him the same question and he said Cuba. I was dumbfounded. I switched to Spanish and started talking to him and suddenly I felt more comfortable and at ease. He explained everything about my foot to me in Spanish and how he was a volunteer at the hospital and if I ever needed anything else to call him. Who would have ever thought I would use my Spanish skills in Ghana. I was so thankful! J

I think I am the new babysitter

I have 4 host sisters altogether here in Cape Coast: Acquaaba (10 years old), Maud (7 years old), Charlotte (4 years old), and Eden (3 months old). Don’t get me wrong, I love children and I love how they call me “Sister Sarah”, but there are definitely times when I need to have just “Sister Sarah” time. I made the mistake of letting them watch cartoons on my computer the other day and it is an everyday event now. I have no privacy, no personal space, and everything that is mine is now theirs; I guess I’m really part of the family now J I love it! Charlotte is always asking me if she can sleep with me in my room lol. All of the family members sleep in one room with 3 mattresses lined up in a row on the floor. They have plenty of room and it is a part of the culture to be without personal space. It is absolutely hilarious how Maud comes in my room to get my iPod, puts the headphones in backwards and upside down, and dances all around the house to the music. Acquaaba speaks the most English out of everyone, even more than my host mom Evelyn, and always wants to watch movies and cartoons with me. 

Where Did You Learn to Drive

So, it was a 4 hour taxi drive from Accra to Cape Coast and all I have to say is wow! All of the drivers have a complete disregard for stop signs, pedestrians, seatbelts, fear of getting hit by big trucks when passing on a 2-lane road (and the majority of the roads are only 2 lanes), animals, and speed limits. I felt my heart skip a beat at least every couple of minutes on the trip. When we went through big towns with markets, all the vendors on the street would smile at Hayley and I because we are obroni (white). The women and children would carry baskets full (and I mean FULL) of all sorts of food, water, candy, toys, etc. I really want to learn how to balance that stuff on my head, plus it would help with my posture. We saw a lot of funeral processions and weddings on the ride to Cape Coast. Typically all funerals are held on Saturdays, while most of the weddings are on Saturday or Sunday. Ghana is primarily a Christian country, but also it has Muslim and Traditionalist beliefs.