Well, you know how I always have said that I'm expecting the unexpected? Just when I think I can't be shocked anymore, I am presented with a new challenge.....
I started to feel ill on Saturday - high fever and body aches. Sunday wasn't much better. I started to feel better on Monday, but was still very weak and by then had been alone with my thoughts for FAR too long. I started to dream up what tropical diseases I could possibly be suffering from. It wasn't until I was feeling better on Tuesday that I finally found a mirror to brush my hair and go out for the first time that it all came to me. My face was covered in small red spots. (not sure why no one cared to inform me of this earlier) Upon further examination, so was my chest, arms and back. MEASLES!!! Of all the things! I was very relieved however - because of course I had predicted far worse. We had 4 patients with measles last week and I had cared for them. Thankfully, my immunization gave me a MUCH milder form, but it didn't protect me 100%. So, I've been in isolation for a few days. I actually just snuck out to get to the internet, but Sr. Martha Joan caught me. She laughed when I said I was bored and she sprayed me with holy water and told me to enjoy technology. ha ha! I've had plenty of time to get my laundry done, clean up my corner of the room, read a book and rest up. Not ALL bad, but I'm happy to be feeling better, and sister said I can go to work tomorrow. I'm a much better nurse than patient!
This week has been challenging in other ways as well. We lost power and water for 3 days. Not incredibly welcomed when these are among the few 'conveniences' we enjoy. Still, we don't have warm water, but at least we can boil it to shower. I'm hopeful it too will return, but I'm not incredibly expectant. We got a new influx of non english speaking volunteers. Living in community always has its challenges. But, combine that with a language barrier and different habits /sanitation/ personal space issues and the challenge becomes even greater! I've been praying for patience a lot!
Leah and I have definitely decided we need a break! We leave Monday for some travel in the North. We will visit Gondar and Lalibella as well as some other smaller places. We're looking forward to having our own schedule and getting to speak English at a normal speed!
I can't say that things this week have been ALL bad though! I'm feeling well now, and I'm very rested. The patients missed me, and I feel like every day I learn a bit more and I am able to help them better. My Amharic is improving - slowly but it IS improving. I'm finding my comprehension is better than my spoken. Its nice to be able to understand a little when the patients talk to me - instead of just holding their hands and smiling. A big victory - I found soya sauce at the market!!! We found a restaurant that serves GREAT Amercian food. It was nice to watch a soccer game on TV and have a non rice meal. It was hard knowing that 3 of us had a meal that cost half an Ethiopian's monthly salary. I showed me that when your eyes are openned to the realities of poverty, you can't shut them so easily. What a gift!
The longer I am here, the more I develop relationships, the more I hear people's stories, the more grateful I am for all I've been given. Sometimes its very overwhelming. I'm so grateful for an opportunity to give back - even just a small amount of what I've been given. People here live such a challenging life. Its so hard to get ahead. Even just providing basics for a family is a challenge let alone an education or any kind of savings. Its not a wonder that so many look for opportunities to go abroad. This month is the American Diversity Lottery. Its all the buzz. Everyone who can afford 14 birr (less than $1) applies. I'm not sure how many they draw a year (I think around 3000), and provided you have a clean bill of health and enough money for a plane ticket (I've been told you borrow from everyone you know and pay them back after you've struck it 'rich') you get to go live in America. I'm not sure if you get a green card, or citizenship, but you get to live in America and that's what everyone dreams of. It's amazing to think of how much I've taken for granted!!
I hope my blogs aren't too depressing. I know my last one was a bit of a downer. The truth is, I'm very happy here, and there IS a lot of joy here. The people here have a great sense of humor and are a lot of fun. There is a lot of reality here though too. Sometimes the reality of it just seems to impact me more and that's why I share.
I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to blog again, but I'm excited to tell you more about the beauty of Ethiopia following my travels. Hopefully by then, I'll have solved the picture downloading issue and I can include visual as well.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Once in a lifetime
This quote was on the door of the room we moved into for a few days while they painted the volunteer room. It's very fitting and I liked it a lot, so I thought I would share.'I shall pass through this world but once.Any good thing that I can do,or any kindness that I can show to any human being,let me do it now and not differ it,for I will not pass this way again.'
The weather in Addis has been really nice. Cool in the mornings and evenings but sunny and hot during the day. We haven't had any rain in over a week.
This week, the frailty of life was even more evident to me. We lost two babies, and it was really hard for me. They were both little girls. The first one was only admitted in the morning and died in the afternoon. I was surprised to find out that not even the sisters here are trained in CPR. I've never had to do CPR on an infant by myself before, and thankfully my clinical brain kicked in faster than my emotional brain. I was able to think clearly enough to offer what help I could, but God chose to take her home. I spent a good part of the afternoon with the mom. Its amazing how much you can communicate in a situation like that, even if you don't share a language.
The second little girl was a twin. Her and her brother arrived only one day old with their mother. She was 1.5kg, her brother 1.8kg. They were both so small and weak, I was shocked that the hospital discharged them. They weren't nursing well, and even with syringe feeding were not getting enough nourishment. I put feeding tubes down, and they were tollerating the feeds well. I was going every 2 hours to feed them because I was so worried about them. Unfortunately the little girl was too weak, and she passed away yesterday. The little boy is stronger and I'm hopeful for him.
I just keep thinking 'This would never happen in Canada'. It's hard to understand why God allows little children to come into the world for only such a brief time. I grieve for the mothers who lost those babies this week, and I think of how many women here have experienced that same pain. Life is so incredibly fragile. You really never know when God might call you home, and it reminds me that every day, every instant is an opportunity to love.
On a happier note, we're back in our new and improved volunteer room. ha ha! The truth is, they painted over the mold and we cleaned. The toilet is still broken, but it doesn't smell any more. I'm learning to rejoice in small victories! ha ha Leah (the girl from USA) and I did a major clean, and it looks really nice and we're happy to have our own space again.
I can't believe another week is behind me. Time flies! Leah and I have been planning to do some more traveling, maybe leaving Addis for a few weeks at the beginning of November. There is tons of history, and beauty to explore here. I'm looking forward to it! A break from teaching the nurses would be welcomed as well. You know, sometimes it takes so much energy to teach someone to do something when you could do it yourself 5 times faster! I've been helping them study for their big exam. Out of 6 nurses, 3 might have a chance of passing.
Not much else to write. Hope all is well at home.
Blessings!
Kerry
Monday, October 11, 2010
The beauty of the earth
Last Sunday I escaped the city for a few hours. I took a mini bus (well, actually 3 minibusses) to Entoto Mountain. It was a very steep ride. Picture a VW van, with 22 people in it going through the mountains. Yeah, it wasn't a speedy climb, but it was much better than walking!
At the top of the mountain, there is an orthodox church and a spring that people claim has healing water. The view was unreal! It was really nice to see. I could pick out areas of the city that I knew. It had kind of a village feel even though it's pretty close to the city. Mud huts and fields of wheat and other crops I wasn't familiar with. Donkeys carying wood down the mountain to sell in the city and a lot of open space. It was a really nice get away. The weather was beautiful and I ended up getting a bit sun burned, but it was totally worth it. Did a lot of walking and reluctantly came back to the city late in the day. It was so nice to have the quiet and to get a good walk in. Seems like during work days, there's not much time for exercise or even leaving the compound that much.
Yesterday, I took off to a small town about an hour away called Debre Zeit. It was gorgeous! There were three lakes that we saw. The air was clean, the water was beautiful. I was tempted to go swimming, but didn't have my suit. Leah and I definitely plan to return and spend some more time there. The landscape here is gorgeous, and the people are so friendly, it's really easy to move around and go places without having to worry too much about safety or even getting lost. When I planned to come to Ethiopia, I didn't anticipate the beautiful lanscape. The guide book doesn't really drum it up much either, and I can't figure out why. There is SO much beauty here! One of the great things about it too is that a lot of it us so untouched. There are these beautiful rolling hills and mountains, filled with trees and shrubs. In Canada, someone would have built a big house on these hills or something, but here, it's uninhabited and the natural beauty is able to be enjoyed. Even with such a big population, there is still so much open space.
Sunday is my day off, so I've decided I"m going to try to get out of the city as much as I can on Sundays. There's so much to see, and I really feel like it rejuvinates me for the week. I get to be away from the patients and the compound and experience some of the beautiful culture and landscape of Ethiopia.
My work continues to challenge me. Specifically, one of the nurses that I"ve been working with. He just doesn't seem to be catching on very quickly. My patience has been tried many days and I"m convinced that I'm earning time off purgatory! The other day, when I told him to go check on a patient, he came back and told me he was sleeping, so he didn't want to disturb him. I knew full well that the guy wasn't sleeping, he was unconscious! There's a big difference!!! I've spoken with Sister Martha Joan, and she understands. They have to write their board exams next month, and the sisters won't hire anyone who doesn't succeed in the exam. In the meantime, they are welcoming 3 MORE new nurses for their practical experience. They start tomorrow, and guess who's their teacher?! Now, I'll have 5 to run after and supervise. Should be interesting. I"m definitely going to have to keep praying for extra graces to teach them well and to be patient as they learn. One of the boys that I've been working with is really excelling and I think he'll be great. I hope the boys that are coming are as keen!
My favorite patient died this week. It was a hard day for me. His name was Abraham, and he was a wonderful man. He was one of the few patients that I could sit and talk with. He was very well educated and spoke English well. He had a family and a good job, but when he got in the later stages of HIV and got sick, he was abandonned by everyone. He had been living with the sisters since March. I knew that his health had been declining and he had been suffering a lot more. Last week he broke out in a herpes infection which took over half his face and he could only see out of one eye. We were treating it, but it really wasn't responding, and I knew his immunity was virtually non existent. The thing is, he never complained. I would have to ask very specific questions to get the real information about his pain and stuff. He was a real testament of strength. Thursday, I went to say 'hi' in the morning and he was unresponsive. So, me and one of the sisters took some extra time with him and washed him up and put him in a clean bead. We prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with him and I was able to sit with him for a while. I went to check on him again before lunch, and I knew he was very close to death. One of the other workers and I were able to be with him when he died and it was very peaceful. It was so nice to see him in peace and to share that special moment with him. Another victim of AIDS, a disease that is so prevalent here!
There are only 2 female volunteers left now. Sister has moved us to another room for a little while as they deal with the plumbing and mold issue in our room. It's nice to be in a different place. We're right beside the chapel. I"m hopeful that we won't hear the patients as much at night, but we'll see. It was funny to see the reaction of the patients when we were moving our bags. They thought we were leaving and they were very sad. It was nice that they felt that way, but it took some work to try to explain what we were doing. My Amharic skills are improving slowly.... a lot slower than I would like, but they are patient with me and I'm trying to learn a new word a day. It's very complex and if you intone in the wrong way, it could have a very different meaning. This week I'm tackling numbers. We'll see how that goes.
Even though I'm not able to be at home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and eat turkey. I am definitely thankful for where God has placed me. It's wonderful to be here, and I don't doubt for an instant that this is exactly where I need to be right now. I"m thankful for my family and friends, and I"m thankful that God has given me this wonderful opportunity to love Him in the poor. I'll eat my rice and lentils and think of all of you with LOTS of love and prayers!
As usual, never a dull moment. It's always nice to hear from home though, so throw me an email every once in a while!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
At the top of the mountain, there is an orthodox church and a spring that people claim has healing water. The view was unreal! It was really nice to see. I could pick out areas of the city that I knew. It had kind of a village feel even though it's pretty close to the city. Mud huts and fields of wheat and other crops I wasn't familiar with. Donkeys carying wood down the mountain to sell in the city and a lot of open space. It was a really nice get away. The weather was beautiful and I ended up getting a bit sun burned, but it was totally worth it. Did a lot of walking and reluctantly came back to the city late in the day. It was so nice to have the quiet and to get a good walk in. Seems like during work days, there's not much time for exercise or even leaving the compound that much.
Yesterday, I took off to a small town about an hour away called Debre Zeit. It was gorgeous! There were three lakes that we saw. The air was clean, the water was beautiful. I was tempted to go swimming, but didn't have my suit. Leah and I definitely plan to return and spend some more time there. The landscape here is gorgeous, and the people are so friendly, it's really easy to move around and go places without having to worry too much about safety or even getting lost. When I planned to come to Ethiopia, I didn't anticipate the beautiful lanscape. The guide book doesn't really drum it up much either, and I can't figure out why. There is SO much beauty here! One of the great things about it too is that a lot of it us so untouched. There are these beautiful rolling hills and mountains, filled with trees and shrubs. In Canada, someone would have built a big house on these hills or something, but here, it's uninhabited and the natural beauty is able to be enjoyed. Even with such a big population, there is still so much open space.
Sunday is my day off, so I've decided I"m going to try to get out of the city as much as I can on Sundays. There's so much to see, and I really feel like it rejuvinates me for the week. I get to be away from the patients and the compound and experience some of the beautiful culture and landscape of Ethiopia.
My work continues to challenge me. Specifically, one of the nurses that I"ve been working with. He just doesn't seem to be catching on very quickly. My patience has been tried many days and I"m convinced that I'm earning time off purgatory! The other day, when I told him to go check on a patient, he came back and told me he was sleeping, so he didn't want to disturb him. I knew full well that the guy wasn't sleeping, he was unconscious! There's a big difference!!! I've spoken with Sister Martha Joan, and she understands. They have to write their board exams next month, and the sisters won't hire anyone who doesn't succeed in the exam. In the meantime, they are welcoming 3 MORE new nurses for their practical experience. They start tomorrow, and guess who's their teacher?! Now, I'll have 5 to run after and supervise. Should be interesting. I"m definitely going to have to keep praying for extra graces to teach them well and to be patient as they learn. One of the boys that I've been working with is really excelling and I think he'll be great. I hope the boys that are coming are as keen!
My favorite patient died this week. It was a hard day for me. His name was Abraham, and he was a wonderful man. He was one of the few patients that I could sit and talk with. He was very well educated and spoke English well. He had a family and a good job, but when he got in the later stages of HIV and got sick, he was abandonned by everyone. He had been living with the sisters since March. I knew that his health had been declining and he had been suffering a lot more. Last week he broke out in a herpes infection which took over half his face and he could only see out of one eye. We were treating it, but it really wasn't responding, and I knew his immunity was virtually non existent. The thing is, he never complained. I would have to ask very specific questions to get the real information about his pain and stuff. He was a real testament of strength. Thursday, I went to say 'hi' in the morning and he was unresponsive. So, me and one of the sisters took some extra time with him and washed him up and put him in a clean bead. We prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with him and I was able to sit with him for a while. I went to check on him again before lunch, and I knew he was very close to death. One of the other workers and I were able to be with him when he died and it was very peaceful. It was so nice to see him in peace and to share that special moment with him. Another victim of AIDS, a disease that is so prevalent here!
There are only 2 female volunteers left now. Sister has moved us to another room for a little while as they deal with the plumbing and mold issue in our room. It's nice to be in a different place. We're right beside the chapel. I"m hopeful that we won't hear the patients as much at night, but we'll see. It was funny to see the reaction of the patients when we were moving our bags. They thought we were leaving and they were very sad. It was nice that they felt that way, but it took some work to try to explain what we were doing. My Amharic skills are improving slowly.... a lot slower than I would like, but they are patient with me and I'm trying to learn a new word a day. It's very complex and if you intone in the wrong way, it could have a very different meaning. This week I'm tackling numbers. We'll see how that goes.
Even though I'm not able to be at home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and eat turkey. I am definitely thankful for where God has placed me. It's wonderful to be here, and I don't doubt for an instant that this is exactly where I need to be right now. I"m thankful for my family and friends, and I"m thankful that God has given me this wonderful opportunity to love Him in the poor. I'll eat my rice and lentils and think of all of you with LOTS of love and prayers!
As usual, never a dull moment. It's always nice to hear from home though, so throw me an email every once in a while!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Meskal and all that
Last Sunday we celebrated Meskal. It's a HUGE festival here and it was a lot of fun. There's a big square down town where they erected a large wood structure and covered it with grass and flowers. There were marching bands and all the priests, bishops and the pope of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church were gathered. There was a lot of singing and some speaches in Amharic and even some evangelists in the crowd, who were VERY animated. When the sun went down, they rode horses around the wood thing and then set it on fire and set off a bunch of fireworks and stuff. There were TONS of people and everyone was happy and it was a lot of fun. They had shut down all the main roadways so everyone walked back to their parts of the city. While we were walking there were groups of people dancing and singing. People along the road had lit their own little fires, and as you walked the road was lit by the fires. Definitely a rich cultural experience. Even despite the crowds I never felt unsafe. People are very respectful here and it was a great time.
I've had the pleasure of sampling one of Ethiopia's largest exported resource...coffee. I tell you, it's something else! I don't know how I'll ever go back! For all you coffee lovers out there, I hope you're jealous because honestly, you should be! ha ha The taste is so full and rich. There's a special ceremony they have of serving it to you too which is really neat. We went to a fancy coffee shop one day to try it out, but have since discovered that this little shack closer to the compound makes it way better and with a lot more ceremony. And really, at less than 25 cents a cup, Starbuck's can't hold a candle to this!
My work with the nurses is going well. They are slowly learning. Sometimes is hard to teach proper technique for a procedure when you're lacking important equipment like sterile gloves or saline. Sister Martha Joan keeps challenging me clinically. Yesterday she had me make up an insulin sliding scale for a diabetic patient who came in with a blood glucose reading that was so high our machine couldn't measure it. Would have been nice to start and infusion, but that's NOT realistic here. I'm learning a lot about Malaria treatments and the treatments of Typhus and Typhoid (didn't even know there was a difference before).
A lot of the people here suffer from HIV/AIDS. The testing here is almost as common as a CBC. It blows my mind! Unfortunately, they often come when the disease is so advanced that there isn't much we can do but make them comfortable. The people here are very superstitious and often come in with ash on their faces, fresh wounds or strange markings on their bodies from having visited traditional healers. The sisters say that they sometimes come in when they are first diagnosed, but then leave and seek out traditional healing, waiting till the disease is so advanced before coming back. The mortality rate is high. In a week, we have 8-12 people die. It's nice to see how the sisters care for them in their last moments and how they are loved and prayed for. But, it's frustrating at the same time, to know that earlier education and intervention could have prevented such a painful end, especially in some of the young people who come in.
There's a wonderful surgeon here, Dr. Solomon who comes every Saturday and donates his services. He is a GREAT guy and he speaks english well. He sees patients all day on Saturday, not even taking a break for lunch or anything. He let me lance a boil yesterday. It was SO cool! He taught me a few things and is a great teacher.
I've taken on a serious battle this week. One of the other volunteers went traveling and has since returned. Her bed is next to mine, and along with her wonderful travel stories, she also has gifted my bed with fleas. The first couple of nights, I noticed a few bites, but nothing bad. Then they really started to make themselves comfortable and my bites became too numerous to count. I decided that I needed to take action. I went to a nearby store that sells chemicals. I have NO idea what I bought, but I looked for pictures of dead bugs and symbols of toxic substance. I hung my sheets and blankets out on the line and sprayed them quite generously with the stuff I bought. It rained that day, so I was without sheets for one night. But I tell ya, it was worth it. So far I think I'm flea free. I have too many bites to really say what's new and what's old, but I'm confident that it has improved if not resolved. Sometimes I still feel like there's things crawling on me, but I think it's psycological. I have since implemented a no go zone and have separated my bed from the others. Thankfully there are only 4 women volunteers right now, so there's a bit more room. It's amazing how much joy small victories like this can bring!
I've taken a few opportunities to have some great conversations with some of the workers and young kids that hang around the compound. It's amazing to hear their stories. Life here is very hard. It's amazing to hear how they struggle for the simple things yet demonstrate such generosity. Even the young nurses that I'm working with. We were talking about money the other day and it was quite eye opening to me. They said that a nurse here would make 1100 birr a month. That is someone who is educated, with three years of college. BUT things are so expensive! Rent for a simple appartment with no running water is 600 birr. You pay 10 birr for a shower. Meat is 60 birr/kg. So, even if you make 1100 birr a month, it doesn't go very far! I can only imagine what people without an education make! The inequality of wealth distribution in our world is very evident here and it makes me sad. It makes me ashamed to think of all the things I waste at home, and the ease of life that I enjoy in North America. I am so grateful for an education and a good job. But even things like regular meat at meals and running water are luxuries here. These are things we deem 'necessities' back home. My how my perspective is being broadenned!
Until next time!
I've had the pleasure of sampling one of Ethiopia's largest exported resource...coffee. I tell you, it's something else! I don't know how I'll ever go back! For all you coffee lovers out there, I hope you're jealous because honestly, you should be! ha ha The taste is so full and rich. There's a special ceremony they have of serving it to you too which is really neat. We went to a fancy coffee shop one day to try it out, but have since discovered that this little shack closer to the compound makes it way better and with a lot more ceremony. And really, at less than 25 cents a cup, Starbuck's can't hold a candle to this!
My work with the nurses is going well. They are slowly learning. Sometimes is hard to teach proper technique for a procedure when you're lacking important equipment like sterile gloves or saline. Sister Martha Joan keeps challenging me clinically. Yesterday she had me make up an insulin sliding scale for a diabetic patient who came in with a blood glucose reading that was so high our machine couldn't measure it. Would have been nice to start and infusion, but that's NOT realistic here. I'm learning a lot about Malaria treatments and the treatments of Typhus and Typhoid (didn't even know there was a difference before).
A lot of the people here suffer from HIV/AIDS. The testing here is almost as common as a CBC. It blows my mind! Unfortunately, they often come when the disease is so advanced that there isn't much we can do but make them comfortable. The people here are very superstitious and often come in with ash on their faces, fresh wounds or strange markings on their bodies from having visited traditional healers. The sisters say that they sometimes come in when they are first diagnosed, but then leave and seek out traditional healing, waiting till the disease is so advanced before coming back. The mortality rate is high. In a week, we have 8-12 people die. It's nice to see how the sisters care for them in their last moments and how they are loved and prayed for. But, it's frustrating at the same time, to know that earlier education and intervention could have prevented such a painful end, especially in some of the young people who come in.
There's a wonderful surgeon here, Dr. Solomon who comes every Saturday and donates his services. He is a GREAT guy and he speaks english well. He sees patients all day on Saturday, not even taking a break for lunch or anything. He let me lance a boil yesterday. It was SO cool! He taught me a few things and is a great teacher.
I've taken on a serious battle this week. One of the other volunteers went traveling and has since returned. Her bed is next to mine, and along with her wonderful travel stories, she also has gifted my bed with fleas. The first couple of nights, I noticed a few bites, but nothing bad. Then they really started to make themselves comfortable and my bites became too numerous to count. I decided that I needed to take action. I went to a nearby store that sells chemicals. I have NO idea what I bought, but I looked for pictures of dead bugs and symbols of toxic substance. I hung my sheets and blankets out on the line and sprayed them quite generously with the stuff I bought. It rained that day, so I was without sheets for one night. But I tell ya, it was worth it. So far I think I'm flea free. I have too many bites to really say what's new and what's old, but I'm confident that it has improved if not resolved. Sometimes I still feel like there's things crawling on me, but I think it's psycological. I have since implemented a no go zone and have separated my bed from the others. Thankfully there are only 4 women volunteers right now, so there's a bit more room. It's amazing how much joy small victories like this can bring!
I've taken a few opportunities to have some great conversations with some of the workers and young kids that hang around the compound. It's amazing to hear their stories. Life here is very hard. It's amazing to hear how they struggle for the simple things yet demonstrate such generosity. Even the young nurses that I'm working with. We were talking about money the other day and it was quite eye opening to me. They said that a nurse here would make 1100 birr a month. That is someone who is educated, with three years of college. BUT things are so expensive! Rent for a simple appartment with no running water is 600 birr. You pay 10 birr for a shower. Meat is 60 birr/kg. So, even if you make 1100 birr a month, it doesn't go very far! I can only imagine what people without an education make! The inequality of wealth distribution in our world is very evident here and it makes me sad. It makes me ashamed to think of all the things I waste at home, and the ease of life that I enjoy in North America. I am so grateful for an education and a good job. But even things like regular meat at meals and running water are luxuries here. These are things we deem 'necessities' back home. My how my perspective is being broadenned!
Until next time!
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