The risks we take!

Rarely does the audience consider some of the risks which journalists may encounter in the process of gathering information. Sometimes, the risks are fatal.

What may appear to be a normal routine may take a different turn with completely different results. A journalist could end up in jail, get beaten up and be hospitalized or come back with the news.?

Also, a journalist may end up dead in the course of his duty! Sometimes in a? foreign country. This is my story on how I could have cheated death. A story I have not shared.?

I totally ignored an acute pain on my lower right abdomen as I set off for the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi as I headed for an assignment. I was convinced the pain would go away after some time and I would be fine. At the? back of my mind, I was thinking about what I had eaten that day which could have caused the pain.?

The pain was still intense as I checked in with one of the rookie players who just made it to the airport. At this point, I should have called off the trip but my judgment was blurred simply because I had a duty to do and nothing could stop me.

I had done the build up for annual the tournament and it was just an icing on the cake to deliver the results. Also, I was looking forward to meeting a group of friends who had become family.

These were fellow journalists from South Africa, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and England. It was an annual gathering of familiar faces who, after each tournament, the parting words were: “See you next year.”

On this Emirates Airlines flight, I was upgraded to Business Class. Just the extra space I needed for comfort during the five-hour flight. After boarding, the pain on my right side was still intense. Whenever the throbbing was intense, I would sweat on the face and nose. This was the longest flight for me!

I barely made it to Dubai. As much as I tried, I was unable to stand up straight because by now, the pain was unbearable. The check out at the passport control was fast because the organizers had ensured teams and journalists coming for the tournament had priority clearance.

For many years, one of the top executives of Emirates in Dubai, Gary Chapman was always at the airport to ensure that teams and officials faced little or no difficulties.?

Past the passport control, I doubled over and held my side and was profusely sweating. The same player we had checked in with in Nairobi helped carry my bag for a short distance.

Luckily, the organizers had arranged for my transport to the hotel where most of the media were accommodated. It was close to 2am when I checked in at the hotel.?

Although I appeared to be in bad shape, my stubborn mind told me all I needed was a rest on the bed. I tried this but the pain persisted so I called the reception and asked if they had a doctor on call. He came after one hour and assured me I would be fine.

Unfortunately, there was no improvement which is when he decided I should go to a hospital. It took some time before I could be admitted mainly because I was not a local and there were details which needed to be formalized. I had no travel insurance!

Luckily, I had been invited by the organizers and when asked who they should contact, I gave them the name of an individual who was incharge of the media center. He was our contact person.

It was close to 7am in the morning now and when the individual came, he was able to efficiently deal with the emergency just like he did at the media center. The doctor who drove me to the hospital from the hotel stayed around until my contact arrived. This I believe was to make sure he was paid for his time!?

Immediately the paperwork was finalized, a quick decision was made that I needed surgery. My media contact had to sign the papers so that a surgery could be done. It is a normal procedure - someone has to authorize the surgery and also agree to be contacted if there is a need.

I was put under and the surgery took about two hours. It was when I was recovering that I was told the nature of my surgery. This is when the doctor disclosed I had a burst appendix and lost slightly over four pints of blood. I had 27 stitches in my mid section and was confined to bed.

For two days, I was unable to move without support!?

From the time I landed in Dubai, there was no way I could contact anybody besides the media contact! Even my employer did not know I had been hospitalized. I should have filed a report immediately after I arrived as I had done for many years.

My media contact managed to contact the Kenya team and brief them of my hospitalization. Two officials and a player visited after the tournament! It was humbling. The coach had seen my state as we arrived in Dubai and he was worried.

For many years, I had a special bond with the players and officials. The next two days were a nightmare. Only those who have had surgery may have an idea of the pain. Briefly, I was unable to walk and had to get assistance in doing everything! I could only take in fluids with a lot of difficulty.?

On the third day, with a lot of difficulty, I finally made the baby steps by getting out of bed on my own for the first time. My destination was a phone.

The first person I called was my younger brother (now deceased). We briefly talked and my instructions to him was not to tell dad and mom that I was in hospital! My reasoning was the pain it would cost them knowing that I was hospitalized many miles away. I told him exactly what happened and lied that I was feeling fine.

Then I called my boss at the media house and told him why I did not file a report. Back at my workplace, the nature of my job was such that I had no medical insurance. As a reader, you can fill the missing pieces.?

On the fourth day, I made a decision that I should be discharged! I could walk a short distance with difficulty. The local doctors told me to forget about being discharged and argued I needed more time to recuperate.

By some stroke of luck, one of the doctors was from Sudan. After we talked and he looked at my condition, he decided it was okay for me to be discharged. So, on the fourth day, I was discharged! My media contact was at the hospital and arranged for my transport to the airport.

He assured me that the hand luggage which I barely unpacked and left at the hotel would be sent. He also made the necessary changes on my ticketing and I was off to the airport with my passport only! It was another long flight.

On landing in Nairobi, I called the news desk of the publication I worked for and requested them to send a driver to pick me up and take me home. They did. The driver who always took us to assignments was shocked at my condition. We drove in silence and I remember him watching as I gingerly got out of the car and slowly walked to my rented house with difficulty. My sister (now deceased) was equally shocked when I reached the house.?

Recovery was painful but I eventually got better. With time, I eased off the soft (boiled) to solid food. The following year, I resumed my light morning jog and in the same year ran the full length of Stanchart Marathon!

Why am I telling the story now?

Obviously, I did not want my condition to compete with what I was doing. Some veteran journalists whom I admire a lot once said that we should just do the job which translates to not being a source of news.?

But, the main reason for doing this was in remembrance of one of the journalists we often met with in Dubai. A journalist who would always look for my input on the Kenyan team. We have had a close bond and were supposed to connect in Cape Town for the first Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament hosted by an African country. Unfortunately, my friend who was already in Cape Town passed on.?

As journalists, we sacrifice a lot to bring news to the audience and sometimes our health is at risk. I could have easily come back from Dubai in the luggage compartment as opposed to being a passenger. But, the higher powers decided otherwise.?

My story also raises a pertinent question of whether correspondents have health or any insurance cover! In my case, I did not see any bill because the organizers had an insurance cover. I shudder at the thought of being slapped with the hospital bill from Dubai! It may be advisable to ensure you have some form of insurance when traveling for such emergencies.

By now, you as a reader realize I barely named names. This is intentional because I had not consulted them before I wrote this and neither do I want to make some people look bad. I value their privacy.?

I mentioned the bond I have with the Kenya 7s team. The officials and players who knew I was hospitalized in Dubai maintained a code of silence which I value.

That is my story. What is yours?