not much to write about this past week, we spent the first two days of the week at the hospital, and then spent the next two days planning a blessing for the hospitals and clinics we’ve helped out in and delivering them. just a few goodies and a card for them to feel blessed at christmas time!
then it was christmas eve, there is a big base celebration each year so we helped decorate and cook dinner. i made decorations, including a paper snowman of course! dinner was chicken, rice, salad and a fruit salad for dessert. there was a bit of celebration with singing and a little spiel of what christmas means to us. then all of us girls in our room took our mattress on the floor and had a ‘sleepover’! it was nice to sleep under the fan and its actually turned into a thing we now all do, every night move our mattresses under the fan and every morning place them back in our beds. waking up christmas morning was good, we were woken up by Naomi’s family calling her, then after her phone call my family called! very exciting, i was not expecting that! a perfect way to start my christmas day. we had stockings and hot chocolate and some goodies for a ‘breakfast’ and then we cleaned up and packed up and a few of us headed to a hotel to spend the rest of the day! it was so nice to be able to spend christmas there, and the next morning our entire team joined us for a buffet breakfast.
after breakfast we headed to the beach, it was so busy, seems everyone had the same idea to celebrate boxing day at the beach.... not just Tanzanians either. we spent a few hours there and then headed back to the base... christmas was over....
it was a pretty low key week, next week we go to the hospital and our new three staff come.... we’ll see what happens!!
till next time...
Monday, January 17, 2011
week 24 - Debrief/holiday
well i have officially made it through our second quarter of the school! this week marked week twelve of outreach and therefore, as a team, we spent a few days hanging out, discussing the last twelve weeks and reflecting on past times. we also had a personal one on one with our staff, so they could give us feedback on what they see in us and we had an opportunity to say anything on our minds. we had wanted to spend some time away from the base as a school but all the plans were failing, so we ended up doing one day trip to a really nice hotel that had a pool area and was on the beach. we spent the day swimming and playing games and got to order a nice lunch. i was very excited because they had a ham/cheese/tomato sandwich on the menu! so of course i ordered that. my fav! it was also one of the best i’ve ever had... and after having no cheese (now that i can eat it again without the stomach aches!) in three months it was amazing!
the next day we went to a buffet breakfast as a team! amazing! its funny how excited one can get over a cup of real coffee, or a piece of french toast! but we did, we must have been some entertainment for the staff there.
that same day (wednesday) we booked into the hotel, (only a few of us) for three nights. it was amazing, AC, tiled floors (opposed to concrete), a flushing toilet, hot water and an amazing bed to sleep in that you didn’t need a mosquito net for! we spent our time watching movies, hanging out by the pool and checking internet! then on saturday morning we were picked up (5 of us) for a safari! our guide, Afra, was one of the greatest guides you could ever ask for. it was a five hour drive to the national park were we’d see the animals. we stopped halfway for a picnic lunch and then hit the road again. it was quite hot, and long but when we were a few miles from the entrance we saw our first taste of safari, elephants! right on the road side! it was pretty neat, driving even further we saw a baboon and a giraffe off in the distant. safari had begun! Afra was amazing, his english was good and he had tons of information about all the animals and Tanzanian landscape. we got into the park and the roof of our land cruiser came off and with our heads sticking out we were in the perfect place to enjoy what the African planes had to offer. giraffes, elephants, impala’s, riedbucks, zebra’s, water buffalo, warthogs, baboons and LIONS!!!!! we nearly missed the lions but the last hour on sunday Afra got a call and lions had been spotted! we drove very quickly waving our hands in the air from the top of the vehicle having a grande ol’time! we got to the site and saw nothing... we drove back and forth and back and forth and then, we saw them. there were four of them laying on the ground lounging out. you could only really spot them with the binoculars. we were getting ready to leave when Afra gets this mischievous grin on his face and says, ‘i am about to make a foul’... we were a tad confused but then he started driving off the road (apparently not allowed) and before we knew it we were within feet of the lions! so neat! it was an amazing experience, the landscape was so different compared to where we live which was good to see the difference in Tanzania.
there was an over night in a little guest house that had a flushing toilet and hot water! and a chief that was there to cook for us prepared amazing food for dinner and then lunch the next day as well! after lunch on sunday we headed back to the city, and arrived late and Afra helped us find a taxi who would take us home. it was really nice to get out and relax and see more of the country that we’re living in.
next weekend is christmas.... not sure what i think about that. its hard but i think i’m also a little in denial... i’m listening to Celine Dion christmas right now, but the fact that im sitting on my concrete floor under a LOVELY ceiling fan trying to stay cool just doesn’t really encourage the ‘christmas spirit’, but we’re trying. we’ve planned a team breakfast/morning tea (i’m sad i’m missing sticky buns) and are doing stockings and a secret santa so hopefully we’ll have a fun morning!
well till next time....
the next day we went to a buffet breakfast as a team! amazing! its funny how excited one can get over a cup of real coffee, or a piece of french toast! but we did, we must have been some entertainment for the staff there.
that same day (wednesday) we booked into the hotel, (only a few of us) for three nights. it was amazing, AC, tiled floors (opposed to concrete), a flushing toilet, hot water and an amazing bed to sleep in that you didn’t need a mosquito net for! we spent our time watching movies, hanging out by the pool and checking internet! then on saturday morning we were picked up (5 of us) for a safari! our guide, Afra, was one of the greatest guides you could ever ask for. it was a five hour drive to the national park were we’d see the animals. we stopped halfway for a picnic lunch and then hit the road again. it was quite hot, and long but when we were a few miles from the entrance we saw our first taste of safari, elephants! right on the road side! it was pretty neat, driving even further we saw a baboon and a giraffe off in the distant. safari had begun! Afra was amazing, his english was good and he had tons of information about all the animals and Tanzanian landscape. we got into the park and the roof of our land cruiser came off and with our heads sticking out we were in the perfect place to enjoy what the African planes had to offer. giraffes, elephants, impala’s, riedbucks, zebra’s, water buffalo, warthogs, baboons and LIONS!!!!! we nearly missed the lions but the last hour on sunday Afra got a call and lions had been spotted! we drove very quickly waving our hands in the air from the top of the vehicle having a grande ol’time! we got to the site and saw nothing... we drove back and forth and back and forth and then, we saw them. there were four of them laying on the ground lounging out. you could only really spot them with the binoculars. we were getting ready to leave when Afra gets this mischievous grin on his face and says, ‘i am about to make a foul’... we were a tad confused but then he started driving off the road (apparently not allowed) and before we knew it we were within feet of the lions! so neat! it was an amazing experience, the landscape was so different compared to where we live which was good to see the difference in Tanzania.
there was an over night in a little guest house that had a flushing toilet and hot water! and a chief that was there to cook for us prepared amazing food for dinner and then lunch the next day as well! after lunch on sunday we headed back to the city, and arrived late and Afra helped us find a taxi who would take us home. it was really nice to get out and relax and see more of the country that we’re living in.
next weekend is christmas.... not sure what i think about that. its hard but i think i’m also a little in denial... i’m listening to Celine Dion christmas right now, but the fact that im sitting on my concrete floor under a LOVELY ceiling fan trying to stay cool just doesn’t really encourage the ‘christmas spirit’, but we’re trying. we’ve planned a team breakfast/morning tea (i’m sad i’m missing sticky buns) and are doing stockings and a secret santa so hopefully we’ll have a fun morning!
well till next time....
Saturday, December 25, 2010
week twenty four Debrief/Holiday
well i have officially made it through our second quarter of the school! this week marked week twelve of outreach and therefore, as a team, we spent a few days hanging out, discussing the last twelve weeks and reflecting on past times. we also had a personal one on one with our staff, so they could give us feedback on what they see in us and we had an opportunity to say anything on our minds. we had wanted to spend some time away from the base as a school but all the plans were failing, so we ended up doing one day trip to a really nice hotel that had a pool area and was on the beach. we spent the day swimming and playing games and got to order a nice lunch. i was very excited because they had a ham/cheese/tomato sandwich on the menu! so of course i ordered that. my fav! it was also one of the best i’ve ever had... and after having no cheese (now that i can eat it again without the stomach aches!) in three months it was amazing!
the next day we went to a buffet breakfast as a team! amazing! its funny how excited one can get over a cup of real coffee, or a piece of french toast! but we did, we must have been some entertainment for the staff there.
that same day (wednesday) we booked into the hotel, (only a few of us) for three nights. it was amazing, AC, tiled floors (opposed to concrete), a flushing toilet, hot water and an amazing bed to sleep in that you didn’t need a mosquito net for! we spent our time watching movies, hanging out by the pool and checking internet! then on saturday morning we were picked up (5 of us) for a safari! our guide, Afra, was one of the greatest guides you could ever ask for. it was a five hour drive to the national park were we’d see the animals. we stopped halfway for a picnic lunch and then hit the road again. it was quite hot, and long but when we were a few miles from the entrance we saw our first taste of safari, elephants! right on the road side! it was pretty neat, driving even further we saw a baboon and a giraffe off in the distant. safari had begun! Afra was amazing, his english was good and he had tons of information about all the animals and Tanzanian landscape. we got into the park and the roof of our land cruiser came off and with our heads sticking out we were in the perfect place to enjoy what the African planes had to offer. giraffes, elephants, impala’s, riedbucks, zebra’s, water buffalo, warthogs, baboons and LIONS!!!!! we nearly missed the lions but the last hour on sunday Afra got a call and lions had been spotted! we drove very quickly waving our hands in the air from the top of the vehicle having a grande ol’time! we got to the site and saw nothing... we drove back and forth and back and forth and then, we saw them. there were four of them laying on the ground lounging out. you could only really spot them with the binoculars. we were getting ready to leave when Afra gets this mischievous grin on his face and says, ‘i am about to make a foul’... we were a tad confused but then he started driving off the road (apparently not allowed) and before we knew it we were within feet of the lions! so neat! it was an amazing experience, the landscape was so different compared to where we live which was good to see the difference in Tanzania.
there was an over night in a little guest house that had a flushing toilet and hot water! and a chief that was there to cook for us prepared amazing food for dinner and then lunch the next day as well! after lunch on sunday we headed back to the city, and arrived late and Afra helped us find a taxi who would take us home. it was really nice to get out and relax and see more of the country that we’re living in.
next weekend is christmas.... not sure what i think about that. its hard but i think i’m also a little in denial... i’m listening to Celine Dion christmas right now, but the fact that im sitting on my concrete floor under a LOVELY ceiling fan trying to stay cool just doesn’t really encourage the ‘christmas spirit’, but we’re trying. we’ve planned a team breakfast/morning tea (i’m sad i’m missing sticky buns) and are doing stockings and a secret santa so hopefully we’ll have a fun morning!
well till next time....
the next day we went to a buffet breakfast as a team! amazing! its funny how excited one can get over a cup of real coffee, or a piece of french toast! but we did, we must have been some entertainment for the staff there.
that same day (wednesday) we booked into the hotel, (only a few of us) for three nights. it was amazing, AC, tiled floors (opposed to concrete), a flushing toilet, hot water and an amazing bed to sleep in that you didn’t need a mosquito net for! we spent our time watching movies, hanging out by the pool and checking internet! then on saturday morning we were picked up (5 of us) for a safari! our guide, Afra, was one of the greatest guides you could ever ask for. it was a five hour drive to the national park were we’d see the animals. we stopped halfway for a picnic lunch and then hit the road again. it was quite hot, and long but when we were a few miles from the entrance we saw our first taste of safari, elephants! right on the road side! it was pretty neat, driving even further we saw a baboon and a giraffe off in the distant. safari had begun! Afra was amazing, his english was good and he had tons of information about all the animals and Tanzanian landscape. we got into the park and the roof of our land cruiser came off and with our heads sticking out we were in the perfect place to enjoy what the African planes had to offer. giraffes, elephants, impala’s, riedbucks, zebra’s, water buffalo, warthogs, baboons and LIONS!!!!! we nearly missed the lions but the last hour on sunday Afra got a call and lions had been spotted! we drove very quickly waving our hands in the air from the top of the vehicle having a grande ol’time! we got to the site and saw nothing... we drove back and forth and back and forth and then, we saw them. there were four of them laying on the ground lounging out. you could only really spot them with the binoculars. we were getting ready to leave when Afra gets this mischievous grin on his face and says, ‘i am about to make a foul’... we were a tad confused but then he started driving off the road (apparently not allowed) and before we knew it we were within feet of the lions! so neat! it was an amazing experience, the landscape was so different compared to where we live which was good to see the difference in Tanzania.
there was an over night in a little guest house that had a flushing toilet and hot water! and a chief that was there to cook for us prepared amazing food for dinner and then lunch the next day as well! after lunch on sunday we headed back to the city, and arrived late and Afra helped us find a taxi who would take us home. it was really nice to get out and relax and see more of the country that we’re living in.
next weekend is christmas.... not sure what i think about that. its hard but i think i’m also a little in denial... i’m listening to Celine Dion christmas right now, but the fact that im sitting on my concrete floor under a LOVELY ceiling fan trying to stay cool just doesn’t really encourage the ‘christmas spirit’, but we’re trying. we’ve planned a team breakfast/morning tea (i’m sad i’m missing sticky buns) and are doing stockings and a secret santa so hopefully we’ll have a fun morning!
well till next time....
Thursday, December 16, 2010
funny day......
so i wanted to add more details to the day we spent going to that mall.... a cultural experience really, if thats what you can call it! it was the saturday we had our free day and we went to that mall.
the morning started off as any other, we got to the village by dala dala and proceeded to find our next bus into the city. well we were walking and i was a little ahead of the two other girls so i stopped to wait. i was standing waiting and all of sudden i see a shovel full of gravel flying towards me. i jumped out of the way just as the gravel hit the ground. i looked up to see about six guys in the back of this gravel truck laughing. i was not laughing. i was nearly hit in the head by huge rocks! the continued laughing and giving me 'thumbs up' signs. i just walked away, what are you to do in that situation?
so after the gravel incident we found the proper bus and got on.... well about five minutes later everyone on the bus started getting off. one gentlemen told us that there was something wrong with the bus. so we got off and waited for a bit in the crowd and hot sun before getting a little frustrated and then looked for a cab. the problem with the cabs, like any third world nation it is always a bargaining system to decide on a price. when finding a cab we were automatically surrounded by men trying to get us into their taxi's. during all chaos one man who actually spoke english came to me and said 'where do you want to go?' i told him and he said 'okay 40 000' i said 'we can't pay that much' so he asked how much we could afford and i said '15 000' he looked at me and said '20 000' i looked at the girls and we agreed. so we climbed in and drove off and after an hour of sitting in the cab through traffic we got to our destination.
the day was nice, looking through a supermarket we almost went crazy with all the food we haven't seen in months! there was a bookshop and coffee shop upstairs that nearly felt like being in a mini chapters! for dinner we enjoyed subway and then decided to get a cab home.
getting a cab wasn't a problem and he agreed to the same price we paid coming here. so after the hour drive to the village where we'd catch our bus home we ended up having to get out and walk because the traffic was so bad and we were in a standstill. we thought if we wait in this traffic any longer we'll be getting home to late and the sun was already starting to set. so we got out, paid and started our walk to catch the bus. we waited among a crowd for any bus marked with our destination. we knew by now it was going to be a fight to get on. usually there is a lot of shoving and pushing and foot stepping on to get a place, and this time was no exception. a bus pulled near and in a slow motion fashion people started walking over, then moved to a fast pace walk then before you knew it they were running. well i was prepared when i saw the bus and i started running, i yelled at the girls behind me 'run!' so we bolted it to the bus. the door was still closed and the man inside who operates the door was pointing saying he was going to pull up to the bus's regular stop. well that didn't fly with the this particular group of Tanzanians because everyone, including us three white girls were pressed against the bus door waiting. so he opened them and released the mob! the men are the worst, they push and elbow and jump on each other and over each other to get on. i had one hand on the door frame but wasn't fully prepared to get a limb ripped off to get a seat on the bus so we kinda stood back a bit but still managed to get stepped on quite a fair bit. Naomi was offered by one man to be 'thrown' through the window! yes he was nearly ready to pick her up and put her through the window when she motioned to her skirt and gave a whistle! implying, 'if i go through that window my skirt will go up and that is not good!' he laughed and stopped trying to pick her up. after realizing the bus was filling up and we still were not on i decided it was time for business and started doing things the African way, elbowing and shoving and squeezing my way on that bus. one of the women started yelling 'sukuma' which means 'push' which is what we say to the labouring women all the time, we thought that was pretty funny so us three started yelling 'sukuma! sukuma!' and pushing our way on... and we made it! we were jammed in there, with every seat full and some women on each others laps and when i tried to count the people standing in the aisle i got lost around forty! so yes very full. i was leaning against some guys shoulder and Linsday was practically in his lap!
so what we thought was success, we made it on the bus! and even got a 'good job' from one of the Tanzanian ladies tell us we were "Tanzanian's now" the bus was slow to move and once it made it out of the village it stopped completely. we were told there was an accident up ahead and all traffic was stopped. and was it ever. we got out and decided to walk.... anything was better than staying on that bus. so we walked, alongside all the other people who couldn't get to their destinations any other way. we got many yell's at us. apparently three white girls were quite the site to see walking along side the road. we walked for half hour and the sun went down. traffic had started moving so we tried to hale down a bus to pick us up. one finally did stop for us but it had the most creepiest man running it. (all busses have a driver and a man that opens the door and takes your money) he was angry and trying to make us pay double for the ride. we refused and he tried to kick us out of the moving vehicle. we weren't sure if he was joking with us or not because the rest of the bus were smirking but he was so angry. we finally got to our stop after he attempted marrying me off to one of the other men he called his brother. we were thankful to be home and i'm certain it will go down as one of our most eventful days here in Tanzania!
the morning started off as any other, we got to the village by dala dala and proceeded to find our next bus into the city. well we were walking and i was a little ahead of the two other girls so i stopped to wait. i was standing waiting and all of sudden i see a shovel full of gravel flying towards me. i jumped out of the way just as the gravel hit the ground. i looked up to see about six guys in the back of this gravel truck laughing. i was not laughing. i was nearly hit in the head by huge rocks! the continued laughing and giving me 'thumbs up' signs. i just walked away, what are you to do in that situation?
so after the gravel incident we found the proper bus and got on.... well about five minutes later everyone on the bus started getting off. one gentlemen told us that there was something wrong with the bus. so we got off and waited for a bit in the crowd and hot sun before getting a little frustrated and then looked for a cab. the problem with the cabs, like any third world nation it is always a bargaining system to decide on a price. when finding a cab we were automatically surrounded by men trying to get us into their taxi's. during all chaos one man who actually spoke english came to me and said 'where do you want to go?' i told him and he said 'okay 40 000' i said 'we can't pay that much' so he asked how much we could afford and i said '15 000' he looked at me and said '20 000' i looked at the girls and we agreed. so we climbed in and drove off and after an hour of sitting in the cab through traffic we got to our destination.
the day was nice, looking through a supermarket we almost went crazy with all the food we haven't seen in months! there was a bookshop and coffee shop upstairs that nearly felt like being in a mini chapters! for dinner we enjoyed subway and then decided to get a cab home.
getting a cab wasn't a problem and he agreed to the same price we paid coming here. so after the hour drive to the village where we'd catch our bus home we ended up having to get out and walk because the traffic was so bad and we were in a standstill. we thought if we wait in this traffic any longer we'll be getting home to late and the sun was already starting to set. so we got out, paid and started our walk to catch the bus. we waited among a crowd for any bus marked with our destination. we knew by now it was going to be a fight to get on. usually there is a lot of shoving and pushing and foot stepping on to get a place, and this time was no exception. a bus pulled near and in a slow motion fashion people started walking over, then moved to a fast pace walk then before you knew it they were running. well i was prepared when i saw the bus and i started running, i yelled at the girls behind me 'run!' so we bolted it to the bus. the door was still closed and the man inside who operates the door was pointing saying he was going to pull up to the bus's regular stop. well that didn't fly with the this particular group of Tanzanians because everyone, including us three white girls were pressed against the bus door waiting. so he opened them and released the mob! the men are the worst, they push and elbow and jump on each other and over each other to get on. i had one hand on the door frame but wasn't fully prepared to get a limb ripped off to get a seat on the bus so we kinda stood back a bit but still managed to get stepped on quite a fair bit. Naomi was offered by one man to be 'thrown' through the window! yes he was nearly ready to pick her up and put her through the window when she motioned to her skirt and gave a whistle! implying, 'if i go through that window my skirt will go up and that is not good!' he laughed and stopped trying to pick her up. after realizing the bus was filling up and we still were not on i decided it was time for business and started doing things the African way, elbowing and shoving and squeezing my way on that bus. one of the women started yelling 'sukuma' which means 'push' which is what we say to the labouring women all the time, we thought that was pretty funny so us three started yelling 'sukuma! sukuma!' and pushing our way on... and we made it! we were jammed in there, with every seat full and some women on each others laps and when i tried to count the people standing in the aisle i got lost around forty! so yes very full. i was leaning against some guys shoulder and Linsday was practically in his lap!
so what we thought was success, we made it on the bus! and even got a 'good job' from one of the Tanzanian ladies tell us we were "Tanzanian's now" the bus was slow to move and once it made it out of the village it stopped completely. we were told there was an accident up ahead and all traffic was stopped. and was it ever. we got out and decided to walk.... anything was better than staying on that bus. so we walked, alongside all the other people who couldn't get to their destinations any other way. we got many yell's at us. apparently three white girls were quite the site to see walking along side the road. we walked for half hour and the sun went down. traffic had started moving so we tried to hale down a bus to pick us up. one finally did stop for us but it had the most creepiest man running it. (all busses have a driver and a man that opens the door and takes your money) he was angry and trying to make us pay double for the ride. we refused and he tried to kick us out of the moving vehicle. we weren't sure if he was joking with us or not because the rest of the bus were smirking but he was so angry. we finally got to our stop after he attempted marrying me off to one of the other men he called his brother. we were thankful to be home and i'm certain it will go down as one of our most eventful days here in Tanzania!
week twenty three - base/clinic
this past week was spent primarily on base. the community profile project was due so i was on my computer for majority of the first two days working on completing it. we still needed more information so on wednesday the three of us that were leading it went to a different hospital to interview the matron (head of department) there. the hospital was so different compared to where we work. they had not near as many women as we see in a day. thier death rates were much lower and the supplies they had were incredible. it was neat to see all these boxes labeled “U.S. Aid” and the matron shared with me that much of what they use is given to them by other countries. we also saw water bins labeled “Germany” on them. we were able to get all our questions answered including about cost to patients. which if you are a pregnant women everything is free. you do not need to bring your own supplies and anything you need is covered by the government. not sure why the hospital in which we work at is so vastly different. must be some sort of different level of government help. with that information we were able to finish the community profile project on wednesday. it was a really neat day. we were also able to see the finishing of a cesarian, they just said ‘karibu’ (welcome) and they gave us scrubs and we walked in! you’d never find that at home. it also poured rain and thundered like crazy so we found a little hut that served tea and chapati’s (a fried tortilla thing) and had a snack while the rain died down.
i also spent a few mornings at the clinic but there was not much to do. one day was independence day and its funny cuz apparently there are no sick people on that day! the clinic was empty and there were more staff than sick people. with only two pregnant women coming for antenatal care i found myself doing one antenatal check, drawing blood on a women to test for her HB levels and then we left. so not too much happened. the only plus side was i got to practice doing IV’s again, and it went in great! and i drew blood for the first time, also a good experience. i realized i can handle drawing other peoples blood just not a fan of when people do it to me!
friday one of the girls who was supposed to be in labour room was sick so i got to take her place and was able to go and spend the day in the hospital! it was fun, i love being there. not too crazy of a day, i helped my partner with the baby she delivered and checked on the women and babies. it was a good day.
saturday i was supposed to go on a small plane to a village to provide antenatal care for the women there who would other wise not receive care but my staff that i was to go with was very sick so we could not. so instead because it was our day off i joined two girls and we ventured off to a different shopping place we had heard of. we found our way there by taxi as the dala dala’s were quite frustrating and confusing. but once we got there it was amazing! they had a real coffee shop! i was able to order my first mocha in three months... so nice! they also had a book shop with english books and a really big supermarket with recognizable brands. of course things were really expensive, for example Fructise shampoo... is like what $5 at home? well at one shop here it is 9000 shillings (which is like $6-$7). at the supermarket there it was 27 000 shillings (almost $20) just crazy!!! but we had a nice day and even got Subway for lunch!
sunday was our first day of our debrief/holiday week. so we had team things in the morning. debriefing questions and things. i also started a lovely cold that day! no fun....
the rest of the week we’ll be doing team things and then some of us girls have booked a hotel for a few nights downtown and then are going on a one night safari for our break! i’m really excited, i think it will be just what we need to revitalize!
till next time....
i also spent a few mornings at the clinic but there was not much to do. one day was independence day and its funny cuz apparently there are no sick people on that day! the clinic was empty and there were more staff than sick people. with only two pregnant women coming for antenatal care i found myself doing one antenatal check, drawing blood on a women to test for her HB levels and then we left. so not too much happened. the only plus side was i got to practice doing IV’s again, and it went in great! and i drew blood for the first time, also a good experience. i realized i can handle drawing other peoples blood just not a fan of when people do it to me!
friday one of the girls who was supposed to be in labour room was sick so i got to take her place and was able to go and spend the day in the hospital! it was fun, i love being there. not too crazy of a day, i helped my partner with the baby she delivered and checked on the women and babies. it was a good day.
saturday i was supposed to go on a small plane to a village to provide antenatal care for the women there who would other wise not receive care but my staff that i was to go with was very sick so we could not. so instead because it was our day off i joined two girls and we ventured off to a different shopping place we had heard of. we found our way there by taxi as the dala dala’s were quite frustrating and confusing. but once we got there it was amazing! they had a real coffee shop! i was able to order my first mocha in three months... so nice! they also had a book shop with english books and a really big supermarket with recognizable brands. of course things were really expensive, for example Fructise shampoo... is like what $5 at home? well at one shop here it is 9000 shillings (which is like $6-$7). at the supermarket there it was 27 000 shillings (almost $20) just crazy!!! but we had a nice day and even got Subway for lunch!
sunday was our first day of our debrief/holiday week. so we had team things in the morning. debriefing questions and things. i also started a lovely cold that day! no fun....
the rest of the week we’ll be doing team things and then some of us girls have booked a hotel for a few nights downtown and then are going on a one night safari for our break! i’m really excited, i think it will be just what we need to revitalize!
till next time....
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
week twenty two
labour room
my second week in the labour started off much different then the time before. monday and tuesday were quite slow. there were even moments where we could take a seat and just rest for a moment. i was able to deliver two more baby boys in these days! i really do enjoy catching them babies!
the week really picked up wednesday and then by thursday it was utter chaos. thursday topped the entire first week all together. the morning started off as any other, i got to deliver a perfect baby girl! the first delivery for me that was a girl! i was very excited. excitement was short lived in that moment though because the mom was continually bleeding. there were huge clots coming out and she just kept bleeding. i called for one of the doctor’s and they came to inspect. there were no tears or anything that they could say was the reason. me and my partner continued praying over this new mom as they inserted an IV to help restore fluids lost. i thank the Lord because after she was checked again the bleeding had stopped! she was a little dizzy and tired but with the IV in and her resting she soon recovered and was able to breastfeed her little girl. what happened next was a little frightening. i was at the nurses desk telling my staff about the mom and how she was doing and the sound, so loud, of an airplane flew over head. i literally thought there was a bomb that would be dropped on us. it was so loud, the plane must have been just over the hospital. my staff thought the roof was going to cave in. we were all a little shaken up but the hospital staff didn’t seem phased, which gave some peace i suppose! i went back to checking the mom’s vitals when Celia entered the room saying that they needed partners on the other side because her and her partner were both delivering babies. i walked over to the other side and it was if that airplane had sent a rush of adrenaline into each women in labour and all of sudden we had everyone delivering at the same time. women from antenatal were being brought in and placed on the floor because we had no beds left. the two post-natal beds reserved the mom’s who had had there babies but are’t ready for the post natal ward yet were being cleared off for the women coming in busting to deliver. there were at least five babies coming all at the same time, one on the floor which Ash, one of us students caught just in the nick of time. i was with Emily labouring with a first time mom who was not understanding the concept of ‘pushing’, Celia was delivering all on her own for the first time, Rachel was delivering with Louise helping and Robyn, our staff, was running back and forth between all the students. the nurses were there also delivering babies and the mama’s were hollering and babies were crying..... mass chaos! but so much fun! as i had one arm under the mom’s head and shoulders helping her and trying to show her how to breathe and push i don’t think i’ve ever sweat so much in my life! Emily had to ask me to remove her glasses cuz the sweat was continually rolling down her face and getting in her eyes. the baby was born, perfect little boy. and it was my most favorite day so far! i loved the chaos, babies coming and all of praying and running around!
friday was much slower, i delivered another beautiful baby girl, but again the mom bled alot. the reason for so much women bleeding is a result of the poor health and nutrition. lots of anemia and most the mom’s i’ve delivered have been first time mom’s and have all been younger than me. on friday, she was twenty years old and the tiniest pregnant women i’ve ever seen. i was afraid her baby would be so tiny but she was perfect, yes she was small but perfectly healthy! and the mom did an amazing job. we had a good week as far as no deaths while we were there. there was morning we arrived to a set of twins that had been delivered just before but they were pre-mature. one was 300 grams and the other was 500 grams. (only one pound). he was so small. i’ve never seen anything like that in my life. one of the girls in the post natal ward met the mother who was devastated. its hard when those things happen but there are still lots of women needing our help. i’m thankful we can be there to pray and sit with those mom’s and comfort them as best as we can. the staff at the hospital usually don’t even take the time to explain that there baby has died let alone sit with them and offer some form of comfort. (the mom of the twins knew that one had for sure died but hadn’t heard about the second yet) i pray that God will continue to teach us how we can be a blessing for these women and the hospital staff.
friday night we had a bit of a get-a-way with some of our group. we reserved these tents on the nearest beach and brought food and spent the night hanging out and falling asleep to the wind and the waves! it was a great night! then the next day i went to the city and got on-line! woo hoo! haha! and was able to buy a few things that i’ve been needing for a while now, toothpaste, conditioner and of course some chocolate! this week has been a little bit rough with home sickness.... its not often i miss home but contact with home is hard and to not be living in a setting that ‘feels like home’ is also difficult. i like being busy in the hospital but sitting around the base gives me too much time to miss the familiarity of things of home. sitting in the living room hanging out with my family, going out for coffee with friends, driving my car, eating food thats ‘normal’ to me, not being sweaty and hot always, having a laundry machine to wash clothes and getting to wear jeans! just a few things i miss!
well i’m on base and in the clinic this next week. i also have the community profile project that is supposed to be finished. so hopefully it will be a restful week but also productive!
miss you all and wish i could be home to spend christmas with you!
till next time....
my second week in the labour started off much different then the time before. monday and tuesday were quite slow. there were even moments where we could take a seat and just rest for a moment. i was able to deliver two more baby boys in these days! i really do enjoy catching them babies!
the week really picked up wednesday and then by thursday it was utter chaos. thursday topped the entire first week all together. the morning started off as any other, i got to deliver a perfect baby girl! the first delivery for me that was a girl! i was very excited. excitement was short lived in that moment though because the mom was continually bleeding. there were huge clots coming out and she just kept bleeding. i called for one of the doctor’s and they came to inspect. there were no tears or anything that they could say was the reason. me and my partner continued praying over this new mom as they inserted an IV to help restore fluids lost. i thank the Lord because after she was checked again the bleeding had stopped! she was a little dizzy and tired but with the IV in and her resting she soon recovered and was able to breastfeed her little girl. what happened next was a little frightening. i was at the nurses desk telling my staff about the mom and how she was doing and the sound, so loud, of an airplane flew over head. i literally thought there was a bomb that would be dropped on us. it was so loud, the plane must have been just over the hospital. my staff thought the roof was going to cave in. we were all a little shaken up but the hospital staff didn’t seem phased, which gave some peace i suppose! i went back to checking the mom’s vitals when Celia entered the room saying that they needed partners on the other side because her and her partner were both delivering babies. i walked over to the other side and it was if that airplane had sent a rush of adrenaline into each women in labour and all of sudden we had everyone delivering at the same time. women from antenatal were being brought in and placed on the floor because we had no beds left. the two post-natal beds reserved the mom’s who had had there babies but are’t ready for the post natal ward yet were being cleared off for the women coming in busting to deliver. there were at least five babies coming all at the same time, one on the floor which Ash, one of us students caught just in the nick of time. i was with Emily labouring with a first time mom who was not understanding the concept of ‘pushing’, Celia was delivering all on her own for the first time, Rachel was delivering with Louise helping and Robyn, our staff, was running back and forth between all the students. the nurses were there also delivering babies and the mama’s were hollering and babies were crying..... mass chaos! but so much fun! as i had one arm under the mom’s head and shoulders helping her and trying to show her how to breathe and push i don’t think i’ve ever sweat so much in my life! Emily had to ask me to remove her glasses cuz the sweat was continually rolling down her face and getting in her eyes. the baby was born, perfect little boy. and it was my most favorite day so far! i loved the chaos, babies coming and all of praying and running around!
friday was much slower, i delivered another beautiful baby girl, but again the mom bled alot. the reason for so much women bleeding is a result of the poor health and nutrition. lots of anemia and most the mom’s i’ve delivered have been first time mom’s and have all been younger than me. on friday, she was twenty years old and the tiniest pregnant women i’ve ever seen. i was afraid her baby would be so tiny but she was perfect, yes she was small but perfectly healthy! and the mom did an amazing job. we had a good week as far as no deaths while we were there. there was morning we arrived to a set of twins that had been delivered just before but they were pre-mature. one was 300 grams and the other was 500 grams. (only one pound). he was so small. i’ve never seen anything like that in my life. one of the girls in the post natal ward met the mother who was devastated. its hard when those things happen but there are still lots of women needing our help. i’m thankful we can be there to pray and sit with those mom’s and comfort them as best as we can. the staff at the hospital usually don’t even take the time to explain that there baby has died let alone sit with them and offer some form of comfort. (the mom of the twins knew that one had for sure died but hadn’t heard about the second yet) i pray that God will continue to teach us how we can be a blessing for these women and the hospital staff.
friday night we had a bit of a get-a-way with some of our group. we reserved these tents on the nearest beach and brought food and spent the night hanging out and falling asleep to the wind and the waves! it was a great night! then the next day i went to the city and got on-line! woo hoo! haha! and was able to buy a few things that i’ve been needing for a while now, toothpaste, conditioner and of course some chocolate! this week has been a little bit rough with home sickness.... its not often i miss home but contact with home is hard and to not be living in a setting that ‘feels like home’ is also difficult. i like being busy in the hospital but sitting around the base gives me too much time to miss the familiarity of things of home. sitting in the living room hanging out with my family, going out for coffee with friends, driving my car, eating food thats ‘normal’ to me, not being sweaty and hot always, having a laundry machine to wash clothes and getting to wear jeans! just a few things i miss!
well i’m on base and in the clinic this next week. i also have the community profile project that is supposed to be finished. so hopefully it will be a restful week but also productive!
miss you all and wish i could be home to spend christmas with you!
till next time....
Saturday, December 4, 2010
a few photo's
one of the baby boy's i delivered!
a seventeen year old mom and her little girl, i got to spend the day before with her in antenatal going to an ultra sound and blood work.
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