Mother’s Day (May 13^th, 2012)

I’d like to pay tribute to my mother today. This is the second mother’s day I’ve been in Africa (technically, the third, but the first one was eleven years ago, but I digress). Though at times we’ve had our differences, more often than not, we’ve gotten along. My mom is among those who inspired me to go into the medical field. I remember being fascinated with her stories about naked pregnant women dancing on the bed while in labor, delivering babies, helping moms learn how to breast feed, teaching them what’s normal and not normal for a newborn. Hearing stories about afterbirth at the dinner table while eating spaghetti and meatballs never really phased me, but it did skew my perception of what appropriate dinner conversation is supposed to entail. My college friends were kind enough to inform me when I had crossed some imaginary boundary of conversation etiquette. Why can’t you talk about diarrhea while eating chocolate pudding? Again, I digress.

Mom has been there to support me through the years, praying for me, cheering me up when I needed it. She also tries to do little things to make me feel loved or thought of. For example, when I returned home this last March, she brought my winter coat, a scarf, and gloves with her to the airport to receive me, despite everyone else saying it was ‘so warm’ outside. (It was SO COLD!)

Knowing my love of flowers, she bought a bouquet before coming to the airport and had each person of my family give me one as they greeted me.  I think my niece Addy was the only one who decided she needed it more than me.

Addy gives me the rose, and then takes it back.

In preparation for my arrival to my parents house, she cleaned some clothes out of the closet to make space for my clothes. She knew I’d lost weight since living in Congo and purchased some wintery clothing in smaller sizes so I had something to wear that fit and was warm. She also found an electric blanket to help keep me warm at night, put extra layers underneath the futon so it was nice and comfy, and left me some warm pajamas, a thick robe, and a small bag of Lindt chocolate on my bed. 

        While home, we spent time together here and there. Sometimes going shopping, sometimes just being at home together. While I was packing up to leave, she helped by writing down the things I was putting into the trunks as I went, which made packing so much easier. 

Since I’ve been back to Congo, I know she’s thought about me alot. I know she’s praying for me, and loves me and all my siblings no matter what. 

Thanks mom, for making me feel so loved.

My parents and I before I left to return to Congo

Wish List

Several of you have asked what kinds of things I’d like, or need, or want, for me or for the hospital. Since you only know if I tell you, I decided to make a list, of things I’d like, and things the hospital would like. If you can help in providing some of them, please let me know! If I’m going to see you while home, you can give it to me then. If not, I can send you my parents home address, and you can send it there. Also, for ideas of things to send in a package to me (via other short term missionaries who are coming), see things with a star.

For the hospital:

Rewetting eye drops (either in little bottles or in individual bullet packs) 

Reading glasses, strengths -1.5, -1, +1, +1.5

Anti-biotic eye drops (for any of my optho friends who can hook me up with some samples)

Sharp mayo or metzenbaum scissors (ours are rather dull)

Alice clamps that clamp

Bladders for blood pressure cuffs (the rubber breaks down quickly in the heat)

Mesher (for skin grafts)

Colored electrical tape (I’d like to label our instrument sets so our ladies organize them better, and things get into the right set.)

Gynecologic surgery atlas

Suture, size 0, chromic, vicryl, or prolene, on either taper or cutting needles

For me:

Molasses*

Powdered sugar*

M&M’s*

Chocolate chips*

Drink flavorings (such as Crystal Light)* (my favorite is grape)*

Cake decorations (sprinkles, etc)*

Silicone baking sheets (the things you put in the bottom of the cookie pan to keep it from sticking) (I have two small ones someone left me in Impfondo, but I’d like two for my large sheet pans, because they are most useful for baking)

Two medium sized rubbermaid food storage containers (for storing cookies or muffins; they don’t have to be rubbermaid, but they do need to seal well because ants can get into the tiniest places, and we have some really tiny ants.)

Ziploc baggies*

Benedryl cream or spray*

Thread of various colors (you can buy it there, but the quality isn’t great)*

Ribbon (for sewing and making cards)*

Stamping and jewelry making supplies*

Fingernail polish (esp the ones with small tips for making designs)*

Thread (for sewing, all-purpose is fine. they sell thread there but it breaks easily in the machine)

Walnuts*

Pecans*

Dried fruits*

I'm sure there are other things. Perhaps others from the hospital will post if there are other supplies we'd like. I know there are, just can't think of them off-hand.

A long time coming...

So I realized it's been almost two months since I've posted something to my blog. In order that you know I'm still alive, and I'm still here, I thought I better update the site. Here's the news:

1. I'm returning to the US for about 5 weeks, arriving March 9th, leaving April 10th. If we haven't already arranged a time to get together, and you'd like to get to see me, please respond and let me know. I don't really plan on leaving the tri-state area, so visits outside of IN-MI-OH are less likely to occur.  I'm excited about this chance to see my family, meet my two nieces who have been born in my absence, and reconnecting with family and friends. Please be praying for me during this time, as there will be sure to be some reverse culture shock. If you see me and really want to know how things are going, please try to ask some specific questions, such as 'what's the hardest part about being there?', 'what's your favorite thing about being there?', 'what's the weirdest thing you've seen or heard?', etc, and more than just, 'How is it?'. For those who just want a general answer, you can ask the latter question. Please try and be supportive as I may have times I'm a little moody, or tired or reclusive. My life here is quite different than my life I had back home, and so it will take some adjusting. 

2. I've been doing more surgeries in the absence of a trained surgeon. There are still quite a few skills I would like to learn, and really could use some more help with clinical decision making with who to operate on, when, and how to handle some of the post-op complications. (Hint hint, Dr Noveroske-come help!) Some things I learned while a resident, some I'm learning by experience, and some I learn from books. If any of you surgeons I know want to come for two weeks, a month, a few months, I'd love it! (and so would the other docs here) We had a surgeon with Samaritan's Purse come in Nov-Dec of this last year and I learned quite a bit from him. I finally was able to see the hernia sac in repairing inguinal hernias (to that date I thought they just made it up...). He also taught quite a bit with ultrasound, and help us acquire a new portable machine through Samaritan's Purse and money we received from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). It is SWEET, and allows a clarity we never had before. There are three probes that we purchased with it-abdominal, small parts, and cardiac. Now I'm only wishing for an intracavitary probe so that I can do vaginal ultrasounds on early pregnancies. But since most women here are really thin, I can usually get a good enough image with the abdominal probe. 

3. We are almost always in an energy crisis here at the hospital. I haven't talked about it much in the past, but we have three systems for power. 

1)A generator, which costs $14/hour to run, and depends on diesel that comes up from Brazzaville on boats, which is dependent on sufficient rain to bring the level of the river high enough for the boats to come through. We are at the end of dry season, which means there is little diesel left in town, and it will be a few months before the river is high enough for the boats to come up. 

2)Solar power-we have multiple panels that pull in solar energy (which works well as it is so sunny here), except it requires a)good batteries to store the energy and b)an inverter to convert the stored power into usable power (from DC to AC). Being as our energy requirements are pretty high, this requires two large inverters. Between the batteries and the inverters, we haven't been able to keep a good charge in the batteries in a few months, which means sometimes the power goes out during the night. When there is no electricity, the portable oxygen concentrators don't work, and the incubaters for the preemies don't keep heat. Some of the problem has been ameliorated by a grant from the US to install a large oxygen concentrator with 6 bottles for storing oxygen, which we place strategically throughout the hospital for use when there is no current. We are the only place within the whole Likouala region with oxygen and incubators. We put the preemies on the mom's chests to keep them warm when we have no current for them. However, the concentrator relies on generator power for use, and can take 1-2 days for the bottles to fill (they hold 2000L of oxygen, which goes fast at 2L/min). So there are benefits and downsides. This last year we received the same grant again, and now we are working to purchase the materials to redo our electrical system with larger solar panels, better batteries and inverters, with enough current that we should not outgrow this system for the next 10 years, despite any improvements/expansions we may make. There are two people stateside who have planned and designed this system, and they are working to order the parts. There is a team coming this spring to build a new power building. Also, this new system can automatically switch back and forth between the three electric systems depending on the current needs of the hospital. 

3) SNE, or the national power company, also supplies power. They turn the power on for 1/3 of the city almost every day, for usually 2-4 hours at a time. Currently we are not getting all the current possible because someone stole the cable that connects us to the power. To replace it is very expensive. We think either someone working at the hospital stole it and sold it, or someone working with the power company took it and sold it. So, we have a temporary cable which doesn't bring as much current as usual. In addition, during rainy season, we have many lightening storms, which have a predilection for striking the hospital or the mission. So during rainy season the power problem is confounded by almost weekly repairs to the system due to lightening strikes. So, please be praying for our current, for the people planning the new system, and for protection that it is not struck by lightening and lasts as long or longer than we hope.

4. There is currently a Cholera epidemic in our region. There have not been many cases in Impfondo, but there have been around 100 cases in several outlying villages. Be praying that this will be controlled soon, and the messages about good hand-hygiene, safe food handling, and clean water get out to all the region. Not only these things decrease the risk of cholera, but also other diarrheal diseases.

5. I've been working on learning Lingala in the last few months. It took a good 7-8 months here before I could get to the point that I had room in my head to learn Lingala along with everything else I was learning. It's coming along slowly but surely. Most of what I know only works in the hospital, so get me out in town, and I'm lost if I can't ask you 

1)if you've had a fever, 

2)if you are eating and drinking ok, 

3)if you are having diarrhea or vomiting, 

4)if you are peeing and pooping, and 

5)if you are standing and walking.

6)I can tell you to come, go, stop, wait, and be quiet. All of which I think are rather important. ;-)

7)I can say 'take off your clothes' in three languages now. Never thought I would be able to say that...or need to use it.