Latest News from Miriam (February 2015)
Dear Family and Friends,
I hope this finds you all well. I am flying back to Tanzania on the 16th Feb, yes that is this Monday! The last week has
felt like I’ve been in limbo waiting for decisions about if I can go. I have been improving but am still not nearly 100%
better. I feel that it is the right time to return to Tanzania even though I am not 100% partly because I may remain as
I am (although I do not believe that and I believe God will bring full and complete healing) and partly because I am
well enough to start trying to be a part of life and ‘things’ in a small way and am starting to get frustrated here in the
UK (I think that is a good sign!).
I have agreed with CMS that although I am going back it will be to return to life there first and see how I manage
with that and then start a graded return to work. I have support from a Doctor who works with CMS who is in Dares-salaam and the support of Ben and Katy (who run Neema project as a whole) as well as Eric and Maria (who are
helping Ben and Katy run Neema and who house share with me) as well as support of family, friends and
professionals in the UK. There is a risk that I am returning too early but this will be there at any time I return before I
am fully and completely well!
I have thought long and hard about my return to Tanzania, to work and life there, and although I am ready to go
there is a part of me that is nervous and hopes it doesn’t all go ‘wrong’! My GP gave me two weeks of sleeping
tablets due to the ongoing sleep issue I’ve had since May. I believe those two weeks of sleep earlier in January have
been the single most beneficial thing. I am pleased to say that although sleep is still not right it has improved
considerably! My appetite has definitely improved and now I am only left with some odd dislike of certain textures
and tastes. I am also on an antidepressant to help stabilise my serotonin levels and mood, both having had quite a
knock after 8 months of no/little sleep, poor appetite due to nausea, horrible vomiting for most of the first 6
months, constant headaches, physical and metal fatigue and other symptoms! It has been a slow and at times very
painful recover and the fact that no-one fully understands or knows about carbon monoxide poisoning is tough as
there is no understanding of how long recover takes.
I have agreed with CMS that I will come back for my 6 months home leave as planned at the beginning of my three
year stint. So all being well I will have almost a year to settle back into Iringa and start to plan for my second three
year stint! J So I hope to be back sometime around January 2016 for 6 months and that when I come back next time I
will be able to fully enjoy being back in the UK seeing family, friends and all my supporters (and eating all the food I
miss….my appetite only kicked in this week!).
Many thanks for all you love, support and prayers. Please continue to pray that all will go well with my return to life
in Tanzania and a bit later my return to work. Pray for energy (something that seems to seep out of me very quickly)
and motivation to be part of life and work again. Motivation really was non-existent when I came back to the UK in
November. This has gradually improved and although I still find people contact draining I am enjoying it more (praise
God!). I still suffer from headaches most of the time and this increases when I’m more tired or stressed, this is one of
the worst symptoms now. Fatigue physically as well as mentally is something that I have to plan, manage and pace
myself. There are other symptoms that I still notice but do not seem to have such a high impact on my daily
functioning as the headaches and fatigue, such as reduced co-ordination and spatial awareness, decision making and
general cognitive functioning, reaction speed and reduced tolerance. It has been difficult with groups of people and
noise so I haven’t been able to attend church.
Gods blessing,
Love, Mim x