Leaving Tenwek
Friday, December 22nd, 2017 |
The Peds team: Eli, Janet, Mercy, Lorna, Shammah, Ralph and Musa (not pictured) Annette, the respiratory therapist, and some local children who joined us for the last part of our walk to Motigo I’m writing from the Nairobi airport. This is my last blog post. My dad was a cryer. He got emotional […]
The Past Few Days
Friday, December 15th, 2017 |
I have not posted for several days. I didn’t have the right words and realize that not everything is appropriate for a blog. Some of the words will stay in my journal, and much of the last few days is still in my head and heart being processed. I was gently warned that there would […]
First weekend on call
Saturday, December 9th, 2017 |
(They have cats here, too. This one was on the roof. Saw him through the window as I was writing a patient note.) *A ten-year-old boy recently admitted, has a three month history of fatigue, fevers, and increasing shortness of breath. He is stable in the ICU on oxygen. A chest x-ray shows a […]
These Mothers
Friday, December 8th, 2017 |
(On a hand-written poster in the nursery. A quote often used by pro-life groups, not my intention here. It’s a beautiful, daily reminder that each child in that nursery is precious, is Loved.) These mothers. Coming into the Nursery/ NICU every two or three hours, all day, for weeks and weeks sometimes, with cups […]
Firsts
Wednesday, December 6th, 2017 |
-First time leading the group in prayer before rounds -First time doing CPR on a baby (I did think later that perhaps it wasn’t a good enough prayer, but that’s narrow thinking. For the intern I talked to later, it was not her first time. Infants are frequently brought to the hospital too late.) […]
Getting used to Tenwek…
Tuesday, December 5th, 2017 |
A few random thoughts: -The water has alum in it. All drinking water must be filtered. I brush my teeth with filtered water. My hair is not a great fan of the water. Some people rinse their hair with collected rain water or do periodic vinegar rinses. -The mosquitoes are huge. Seriously huge. […]
Pediatric Wards Day 2
Tuesday, December 5th, 2017 |
Last night before I went to bed, I looked through the charts of the children who were on our service, making mental notes of the things I needed to review, questions about physical exams and medications, etc. I was looking forward to seeing two new admissions. There was an 11-year-old girl with HIV and […]
Church and Jenny
Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 |
Yesterday evening I stopped by the Roberts’ house to drop off Christmas-themed paper plates, napkins, and baking supplies that I had brought from the US for the missionaries for a Christmas party. I’m staying at the guest house, and the Roberts live in the first house on the right, wreath on the door, Christmas lights […]
When Big Tonsils Cause Heart Problems
Saturday, December 2nd, 2017 |
It’s going to take several days to fully process that first day in the hospital. I’m on the children’s wards for the next three weeks. To orient you, the interior part of the hospital is open to the air, with covered walkways. The buildings look like white painted cinderblock, with glass paned windows that open […]
The Thank You Post
Saturday, December 2nd, 2017 |
I shall try to begin and end this blog and this journey with thank you’s. In residency, as in med school, it takes a village to get through it. I need to thank: -The foundation that is funding this trip, Baptist Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation, and Dr. Salanski and Beverly Cline at Research Family […]
