IMOW - Why me?

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Why me?
Maria Graciela Baéz Benitez

GALLERY

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I couldn't believe it. My mind couldn't grasp the enormity of his diagnosis. Nobody in my family had leprosy.

I consulted a doctor on my own. He gave me sufficient medicine to last me four months and then he left Concepcion. As I had no way of contacting him, I stopped taking medicine after the four months had passed.

A month later I began having strong reactions - fever and painful purple blemishes on my body. They increased and looked like burns. My mother insisted that I tell her what was wrong. Once again I hid the truth from her and told her that my stomach hurt.

When I went to see Marcial, he gave me medication for the reactions. I begged him not to tell my mother. He agreed but told me that I would eventually have to tell her because there was no possible way I could continue lying. He counseled and helped me a lot.

Then blemishes spread all over my body. I couldn't touch myself; I was burning with fever. I told my mother that the sun was to blame. After three days it got worse and I went back to Marcial to ask for help. He advised me to tell my mother and ask her to take me to the Mennonite hospital where they can effectively treat people with leprosy. He accompanied me home and I told my mother but I didn't want my father or my sister to know.
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