I'm trying to think what I should write as an update in the short amount of time that I have to use the internet this morning. I'm borrowing someone's modem but the connection is really slow right now.
This past week has been a fairly good week for me. It's had its ups and downs but I have been feeling a little more settled as far as work and am starting to sense a bit more clarity concerning some potential areas I can focus on while I am here. I am thinking of spending more time in the nutrition unit where there are obviously children who are developmentally lagging and also kids with C.P. etc. I need to observe and find out more information related to needs around dysphagia and management of feeding. I think there is potential to have some useful input in this area. Tuesdays are almost totally consumed, at least the last couple weeks, with the C.P. clinic. It is rather exhausting, but good to have a lot of patients turning up. I may try to reserve Thursdays for going out in the field to assist with clinics.
We run clinics in surrounding villages/subcounties to assess the patients and refer either to Kumi hospital or other health clinics and hospitals for their various conditions. We typically end up bringing a Landcruiser full of patients back to the hospital with us. These clinics can be really interesting and useful as we are able to connect people to health services they need. However, often they are very long and draining days as well. This last Thursday we left around 9:00 and after we had dropped patients off and made a couple other stops it had been close to 3 hrs on the road---much of which are dirt roads with potholes. The clinic was only about 2 hrs itself but then we had to wait about 2 more hours for the eye Dr. to get through his patients before we could leave. We ended up getting home around 7:00pm. This past clinic though was a sad ending as we brought back a 12 year old girl who had been severely burned 3 yrs ago. I had never seen anything like what she had as her one arm had virtually 'grown'(you couldn't really even see much of her arm anymore) into the side of her body and she really only had function of her hand. Because of how the contractures were attaching her arm to her body her hand was restricted to about her chest level for use. Her other hand was also burned and basically just a stump. Her neck and ear were also burned. We were so hopeful that the plastic surgeon team currently working at the hospital (for a few more days) would be able to do something for her. We stopped by to see the surgeons that evening and unfortunately they said they wouldn't even attempt operating on her as it could likely make her have less functional use of her arm. She is such a lively and beautiful girl it was rather devestating to think she would have to continue life with this disfigurement. I don't think the Dr's had ever seen anything like this situation before. So... this girl and her father were sent back to their village the next morning, obviously very disappointed. Thankfully the other 3 plastics patients were good candidates for surgery.
Anyhow, I overall am feeling more settled and was also invited to the German nurse's home this past week and had a good visit with her and the 2 other German girls who are volunteering at the hospital for another 9 months or so. I have also been warmly welcomed by a couple of the younger local Dr's who also live here at the hospital, so its nice to have some friends already:) Speaking of which, one of the Dr's connected me with his IT friend on Thursday night (he came up from Kampala) to check out my computer. Unfortunately, it was not a straightforward process and he was up almost all night working on it...and still was not able to sort out the problem. He took it back to Kampala and I will try to go to Kampala early this week to pick it up. Apparently though it sounds like he has found the problem and fixed it so I'm praying that what he has done has resolved the issues. I'm hoping to buy a modem in Kampala when I pick up the computer and will then be able to access internet from home:) This has been an answer to prayer so thanks for praying!
I better sign off for now as someone else is wanting to take advantage of the internet before I have to give back the modem.
Will try to update again in a week or so!
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