Our last week!

December 4, 2009

I don't have much time to write (I'm taking a lunch break from our GYN clinic), but I wanted to give a quick update. Our last week here has flown by! Vy invited the interns who have been working with her on the pediatric service over for dinner this week-- it was so much fun! Vy made teriyaki, which none of the Kenyans had eaten before, but it was a hit. We talked about some of the challenges of working in the healthcare system in Kenya, including corrupt government hospitals that provide poor care and take money from patients to get better care. The interns may be assigned to work at one of the hospitals for the next three years until they can either pay for, or get accepted for a scholarship for a residency program. Vy, Dustin, and I also talked about some of the challenges we face in the US medical system, including corruption, wasted money, expense, and poor care. The next day, one of the interns who had come for dinner told Dustin that he was in “karaoke heaven”—he meant teriyaki heaven… so cute!

The rest of our week went as usual—we’ve really acclimated to the ways of Kijabe, and it’s amazing how comfortable I’m feeling here. I was in the OR on call the other night, and was the only white person in the hospital, and the only person who did not speak Swahili in the room, and I was doing a cesarean section, and felt more comfortable than I’ve felt in a US operating room ever.

I was also excited about acclimating to the elevation—I was eager to come home to sea-level and go running. I ruined that by donating blood a few days ago! I figured that I would not be allowed to donate once I returned to the US since I’ve been in Africa, and the need here is so incredible! The last time I tried to donate, I nearly passed out and I couldn’t fill the bag (that was in college)—but I did fine, and I’m O-positive, so I’m valuable too! But now I get winded going up our stairs… so much for running when I get home!

We are expecting some of the survivors from the suicide bombing in Somalia to arrive at our hospital today. What an amazingly sad story—I can’t even imagine a bombing at a medical school graduation—it’s nearly impossible to conceptualize the cruelty. It’s really hit home here.

On the other end of the spectrum, we leave for safari tomorrow morning—it sounds like it will be pretty fancy—meals brought to our tents, a pool at the camp site. We expect to see many big cats, but I’m holding out for the elephants…

Then we head back to the states! I’ll hopefully be able to email when I’m at the Masai Mare. See you all soon…