Foaming at the mouth

Hello everyone, I'm writing this post in my bed back in the familiar mountains of Huntsville, AL. Not exactly what I had planned for this summer. Never once did I ever in my wildest dreams or anticipations about Peru have any fear or any type of mental preparation for the possibility of rabies. I am overwhelmed by everyone who has expressed concern over my potential lycanthropic future, thank you all for your caring and humorous texts, calls, letters, posts, facebook, tweets, and most importantly prayers. I have had many people ask me the story of the attack in all its details so this post is where I will do so. But before I begin I want to update everyone who is concerned or praying for me: I went to the doctor yesterday and he completely reassured me (and mainly my mom) that everything the ER in Peru did was up to date and correct. Today I anxiously am waiting a phone call that my meds have arrived and when they do I will be going to either Huntsville Hospital or the Medical Mall to get shots in each leg in the bite sites and also the second of the five shot series into my arm (thankfully not bellybutton like they used to do).

Bad News: 5 more shots to go in total

Good News: I'm not scared of needles, I will NOT have rabies, I will not have to go to the forbidden forest when it becomes a full moon.

So, heres what I have written down in my journal for those two scary days:

Friday, June 3, 2011 began just like every other day thus far in Peru, up early to eat breakfast and drill new Spanish vocab with my Peruano family. A typical morning consisting of a quick stop at the Starbucks for internet and a trip to Plaza Vea for food and necessities turned into a full morning.

We ate lunch with Dylan and Lindsey's family and them I hopped on a combi to make my way to Salamanca to go to the MTW office and meet with Jim to discuss plans for Jovenes, worship, the teams coming in, and just to talk.

It was my debut solo trip on a combi to Salamanca from Los Fresnos and I made it. I even paid the price the other Peruano citizens paid for the combi ride, maybe I'm becoming less of a Gringo! Once I got off at the second bridge I quickly slung on my backpack consciously snapping front strap for security in the streets, grabbed it by the sides, and put on my 'determined, knowledgeable, experienced, not intimidated by anyone' face as I immersed myself into the crowd cramming onto the two bridges that cross safely over the highways to the neighborhood of Salamanca. Gloating on the inside at my success on the combis, I walking down the last steps and into Salamanca. I knew the path of turns (right, right, left, left, right) to get me to the church through the streets and as I was reviewing them in my head I was distracted by people screaming and yelling and clattering noises behind me. (Pic below is exactly where it happened, taken the day after the attack on my way to the church)

I turned and saw in the distance a pack of dogs (or so I wrote in my journal, for clarification "a pack" means three dogs) tearing through the crowds in front of the tiendas, and when people ran to get out of their way the dogs would bite at their feet and chase after them. What seemed to like a 3 hour decision making process in my mind happened in probably about 10 seconds, I was internally debating on wether to run or not and decided dogs can smell fear and thats why others were being bitten so I determined it would be better to stand still, back turned to the dogs, and to stay calm. My instincts served correct for the first two dogs and they raced by me but not the third, I watched it come straight for me determined and not in the least bit scared of me. It attacked.

Because my back was turned when it pounced it went for the back of my legs, thankfully I was wearing Carhartt pants and the first few bites did nothing but as I kicked at it, it got rather vehement and more determined to eat some gringo meat. Then it ripped a hole in my pants and I felt its teeth sink first in my right calf, then it went to work on the left. Thats when things got serious and I decided yelling and kicking at the dog wasn't enough. For all you PETA people out there I'm sorry but I drop-kicked that mutt as hard as I could. It finally took its leave to terrorize others further down the street. The crowd around me was silent and staring at me so I, embarrassed and kind of shocked, quickly rounded the corner and made my way through the streets to the office. (Thats all that is important about that day, the rest of this story began the following day)

Saturday, June 4, 2011. Woke up at 5:45 to shower and ate a 6:30 breakfast, we began extremely early because today there was a yard-sale we were working at and that began quite early. We hopped on a combi and made our way there, joking about the stupid dog that attacked me yesterday and commenting on how beautiful it was with the sun out in Lima. When we got there we found the table and were setting up. Not ten minutes after Mrs. Lori came and asked, "Cary, were you bitten by a dog yesterday?" I said yes and the series of questions about time, location, etc that followed sent me into a cold chill and absolute shock. Not five minutes later Mrs. Sarah (another MTW missionary) and I were in a taxi on the way to the Anglo-Americana Hospital.

We arrived and (in Spanish, of course) explained what happened and I was taken into a room, put on a bed, they cleaned the bite sites with a bunch of different liquids, (see picture below)

and then put guaze with antibiotic ointments on it and them covered that gauze with gauze then tape. Oh, and they gave me the first shot. It all happened quickly and calmly and though I had on a calm face (thanks to HHS theatre I can be a good actor when needed) I was absolutely freaking out.

After all was done we hopped back in a taxi and the phone calls with insurance, the other missionaries, MTW USA office, etc began. We got back and worked at the yardsale the rest of the afternoon, I was useless and in a state of shock and unbelief still. At the used books for sale table this is what I saw.

God DEFINITELY has a sense of humor. White Fang? I was laughing so hard. A little over 24 hours later I was in a plane and made the trip back to the states to begin the series of shots needed to insure that the potential rabies would forever remain dormant and dead. Mark Berry, the head MTW Peru missionary told me as I was leaving not to be discouraged, he told me Satan must really want me out of his way in Peru and because of that I absolutely must get back as soon as possible. So as I lay on my comfortable bed back in Alabama all I can think about it getting back, I am trusting God to get me there as soon as possible.

Dylan and Lindsey I miss you guys! Take care of Tula for me! Doc says it will be about 2.5/3 weeks till I get back to yall!