Nalerigu Day 13

Nalerigu Day 13 (Notice I'm counting up, not down),

Today was a pretty standard day, so I'll first give you the abbreviated version and then discuss some interesting stories. Actually, I can't tell you the abbreviated version without sharing the first story. I awoke again this morning tired as usual. I stumbled my way out of bed and went over to my luggage to grab some clothes for a shower. When I opened my suitcase, I saw something small, gray and furry run under one of my folded skirts. You may think I am joking, but am not. This time, it was a baby mouse. I did another little wimpy girl scream and grabbed Jessie for more rodent removal brainstorming. This time the rodent was in my suitcase, so flushing wasn't really an option. We decided at 630 am to bring the suitcase outside and with a spatula and noodle spoon removed my clothes one by one until they were all out of the compartment with the grey baby mouse in the middle staring us in the face. We scooped up the mouse with the noodle spoon, covered the spoon with the spatula and tossed it into the yard never to be seen again (we hope). I am starting to think I should add on a half hour to my morning routine to include the time it takes to remove these varments from our home. I need to make one comment before I continue. [Yes dad, just as you hae taught me, I purposefully have kept my clothes in the suitcase, high off the floor so that this very event would not happen. Unfortunately, I didn't get the zipper completely closed last night.]

After the mouse incident, I headed to the bathroom to shower. I made it safely through the process without living creatures. I then went to the cupboard for a breastfast snackbar (my jar of peanut butter is already gone) only to find that all of my Chocolate Chewys had already been attacked by the members of the infestation. Just another morning here in Africa. :)

On with the day...Rounds this morning were great. I was able to discharge four children and the rest of them were doing remarkably well compared to when they were admitted. It was another "feel good" sort of morning. They don't happen that often here. We finished rounds in time to start clinic. Clinic was busy as usual, but today was a different day for me. Instead of seeing mostly patients with "waist pain", hypertension, vaginal discharge and headaches, I saw all patients under the age of 5! It was fantastic!! I really felt back in my element today. We broke around 1230 for lunch (grilled cheese and sort-of tomato soup) and then returned to do clinic the rest of the afternoon. After a VERY busy afternoon, it was time for dinner. Tonight we had grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Unfortunately, I don't even eat mashed potatos and green beans in the US, so grilled chicken with iced tea was my dinner. It's not anyone's fault but my own. After dinner we had some good discussion with the other volunteers following which I headed back to the schoolhouse for my usual blogging and skyping. Today I got to skype with both Joe and my friend Brook which was wonderful! Hi Brook!

On to the interesting topics of the day. These may not be very organized or thought provoking, but are things and events I want to make sure I remember after I return.

#1 Excellent point of my day today that you may not have noticed. A new volunteer came who is an emergency medicine staff physician at the U of West Virginia. She asked me if she could take my call today, so that she could learn the system here more quickly. I gladly obliged. Thank you Hollynn!

#2 Has anyone who hasn't been to Africa noticed that the children in the pictures don't wear diapers? Do you ever wonder where they stool? The answer...they urinate on the cloth they are wearing which then dries before the next time they have to go. In the hospital, they stool in a small basin at the bedside. Outside our complex is a large field where everyone else goes to "toilet". I'm sure it probably smells here, but I haven't noticed lately. You really just get used to it. There is only one toilet in the hospital and that is in the physician office for only the volunteers to use. Another guilty moment.

#3 There is a women in the isolation ward with severe neiserria meningitis. This is common here and interestingly more difficult to contract than we in the US make it out to be. We wear N95 respirators, gowns, gloves at home, but there is no protection used here (except for some of us who at least wear gloves during an examination). Anyway, the most intriguing thing about this woman is that the baby she is carrying continues to do well while she has suffered and has significant neurologic sequelae from the disease. I asked Dr. Hewitt what will happen to the child after it is born if the mother is unable to care for it. He told me that the child will either be cared for by a member of the family or will just not be cared for. Occasionally, the children make it to an orphanage, but not always. That sure made me want to snatch that child up and sneak it in my suitcase for travel home. Unfortunatley, that is illegal. (this is only a joke of course)

#4 I've nearly always been pretty good at getting children to trust me and let me examine them (except for the usual 15-18 month olds who never seem to enjoy their visits). Unfortunately, I can be quite scary to the children here as many of them have never seen a light colored person before. Children <5 years are the most scared, which made for an interesting day today since all of my children were <5 years old. The would come through the door, take one look at me and start screaming. I have learned a few Mampule words to calm them down, but it doesn't always work. Now, I can laugh about it, but it really took me for surprise at first. I'm scary! That's a first.

#5 The translators here are an integral part of our day. Although I have learned some words like vomiting, diarrhea, do they eat?, fever, cough, breathe, I usually cannot understand one word of response after I have asked the question. The only problem is that some interpretors are better than others and some are more friendly (meaning some are not that friendly). I have chosen to use positive reinforcement and am providing my interpretors with tasty drinks like Fanta or a pack of bubble gum. It's a small price for having someone interpret the language correctly for you. I have made many friends this way! :)

#6 An interesting story that happened the day before we came to Nalerigu. A man was driving a group of Ghanians near the village when he thought he had lost control of the van and was going to roll (there are usually three people per available seat in a vehicle and several on top of the vehicle). He proceeded to tell the entire van full of people to jump to save their lives. They all jumped except for him since in the process he figured out that the brakes did actually work and the van was not going to roll. We had a hospital full of major fractures when I came, but none of them were the bus driver.

#7 Did you know that you can get seriously injured pounded fufu for dinner? I've seen it here!

That's about all I have time for today. Oh! I almost forgot. The disease of the day today is staph scalded skin syndrome which I believe I admitted to the hospital today from clinic. Interesting! Another note, two children died this afternoon that were not my patients. The first from cerebral malaria and the second from something unknown. Please keep their families in your thoughts. The Ghanian people may seem "tough", but I doubt that the loss of a child ever leaves a person unaffected. I will hope for more healthy children in the morning.

Plan for the day tomorrow...round, eat, head to the market to buy some beautiful fabric. Forcast looks like a good day, but nothing goes by the forecast around here (except for the actual forecast which generally = hot)

Miss you all as always!! Today I'm thankful that I have bathroom to use when I need to toilet (even if there is a rodent in it). :) What are you thankful for today?

Jill