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!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A project
Hello all!
It's hard to believe that I've only been here just over 2 weeks. I feel like I've experienced so much that A LOT more time should have passed! Its been good. The days are very full and I have yet to be sitting around with nothing to do.
Sister Martha Joan is back from her retreat. She is in charge of the volunteers and it's great to have her at the helm. We were all a little directionless, but she quickly solved that problem. She's from Poland originally, and she's a nurse. She's a real organizer and she's trying to get things more streamlined in the clinic and with the patients. I've been helping a bit. I went through the clinic supplies the other day and separated all the outdated medications and got to see a lot of what kinds of supplies exist. They have some really good wound dressings and stuff, but no one knows how to use them, so they sit unused. They also have a whole bunch of medication from other countries that no one knows what they are. The creams were especially bad. I took down the names and spent some time with Google. I'm not sure why they are so well stocked in hemerhoid cream, or sun tan lotion, but I made sure to label them well and instruct the workers NOT to use them for wound care!
Sister Martha Joan has also charged me with orienting two new nurses that they hired. They are two orphaned boys who grew up with the sisters. The sisters paid their way through nursing school and in exchange, they are to work for them for 6 months. The sisters are hopeful to hire them after that. It's been interesting to say the least. They are very eager, and willing to learn. But their education is VERY lacking! They told me that they didn't have any textbooks in school because they were too expensive. Their instruction was all in the classroom as well, no hands on experience at all. So, orientation is more like teaching. I'm grateful for the job, and I'm excited to help them become great nurses. Since I'll be here for a while yet, I think it will be good to mentor them and be able to support them through this learning time and leave them here to continue to do great work after I leave. The job is huge though. I can't imagine being a new grad, with no practical experience, stepping onto a ward of 250 + patients, no senior staff as resource and a physician that comes twice a week for a couple of hours.
Tomorrow is a big festival here. It's Maskal. It's comemorating St. Helena finding the true cross. I guess there's a big fire downtown and everyone goes and there are speakers and bands and stuff. One of the workers (his name is Hilou) is going to take us to check it out. Should be fun!
The good news is that we had two days without rain. I can't say that it's warm here, its still only ever between 15 and 20 degrees. The sun did make a brief appearance which was nice, but short lived. At least my laundry is dry though!
I've been trying to upload pictures, but it hasn't been letting me. I'll keep trying. Keep in touch!
It's hard to believe that I've only been here just over 2 weeks. I feel like I've experienced so much that A LOT more time should have passed! Its been good. The days are very full and I have yet to be sitting around with nothing to do.
Sister Martha Joan is back from her retreat. She is in charge of the volunteers and it's great to have her at the helm. We were all a little directionless, but she quickly solved that problem. She's from Poland originally, and she's a nurse. She's a real organizer and she's trying to get things more streamlined in the clinic and with the patients. I've been helping a bit. I went through the clinic supplies the other day and separated all the outdated medications and got to see a lot of what kinds of supplies exist. They have some really good wound dressings and stuff, but no one knows how to use them, so they sit unused. They also have a whole bunch of medication from other countries that no one knows what they are. The creams were especially bad. I took down the names and spent some time with Google. I'm not sure why they are so well stocked in hemerhoid cream, or sun tan lotion, but I made sure to label them well and instruct the workers NOT to use them for wound care!
Sister Martha Joan has also charged me with orienting two new nurses that they hired. They are two orphaned boys who grew up with the sisters. The sisters paid their way through nursing school and in exchange, they are to work for them for 6 months. The sisters are hopeful to hire them after that. It's been interesting to say the least. They are very eager, and willing to learn. But their education is VERY lacking! They told me that they didn't have any textbooks in school because they were too expensive. Their instruction was all in the classroom as well, no hands on experience at all. So, orientation is more like teaching. I'm grateful for the job, and I'm excited to help them become great nurses. Since I'll be here for a while yet, I think it will be good to mentor them and be able to support them through this learning time and leave them here to continue to do great work after I leave. The job is huge though. I can't imagine being a new grad, with no practical experience, stepping onto a ward of 250 + patients, no senior staff as resource and a physician that comes twice a week for a couple of hours.
Tomorrow is a big festival here. It's Maskal. It's comemorating St. Helena finding the true cross. I guess there's a big fire downtown and everyone goes and there are speakers and bands and stuff. One of the workers (his name is Hilou) is going to take us to check it out. Should be fun!
The good news is that we had two days without rain. I can't say that it's warm here, its still only ever between 15 and 20 degrees. The sun did make a brief appearance which was nice, but short lived. At least my laundry is dry though!
I've been trying to upload pictures, but it hasn't been letting me. I'll keep trying. Keep in touch!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The smell greets you from a distance
This week has been a busy one! I've been trying to get to post something sooner, but every time I got to the internet place they smile and say 'no connection', or they are closed. When you ask when the connection will come back, they just smile at you. They are always very pleasant though! Things here are quite random. Even the electricity is hit and miss. The power goes out at least once a day. I have been very grateful for my head lamp! Some of the rooms where we do dressings are very poorly lit as well, so it's been handy working with the head lamp to remove foreign objects and sutures from wounds. The sun goes down pretty early as well, so generally, it's one of my favorite gadgets.
I've been spending most of my days in the clinic or dressing wounds on the men's ward. I am constantly amazed by the stories I hear and the things that I witness on a daily basis. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we do outpatient clinics. So, people come from the outside to come and have their wounds dressed. It's always very busy. One man came into the clinic the other day and I was shocked by the smell of his wound. It literally made my eyes water. One of the Tanzenian guys that I was working with said "OOOOh! The smell greets you from a distance!" I couldn't have said it better! Anyway, this poor man had been wearing socks, and no shoes. Seeing as how he is homeless, and it rains 2-3 times a day here, he was constantly wet. The socks were almost grown into his shins. It took some effort to get them off. When I did, I was witness to a fungal infection of unreal proportions! I SO wish I could take pictures of some of this stuff because it really defies description!
So, needless to say, I told him NOT to put any socks on anymore and scrubbed him as best as we could. I sent him on his way with an anti fungal cream. He was so pleased! He has come back every day since and personally requests me. Everyone else is happy to oblige! Lucky me!
Some of the wounds that we dress on the wards are pretty complex. Sometimes I wonder if we're doing much to help them at all. The other day, I asked Sister if any physicians ever come to address some of these wounds. She took quite a bit of time with me and told me some of the stories of the men. It really was sad to hear! Most of the men have been either abandonned by their families because of mental illness, dimensia, epilepsy, physical deformity or extreme illness. Some of them have sought out treatment at several health care facilities, but because they were unable to pay for the treatments, were kicked out of the hospitals and banned from returning. Now, the wounds and infections have grown so severe, their bodies so weak from malnutrition and disease, they are awaiting death. The sisters do their best to offer pain control and comfort, but there's no a lot you can do to help them anymore. From a western mindset, it's very hard to reconcile that! At home, I'm taught to treat, cure and actively manage illness. Here, I'm forced to pray, love, comfort and await death. It's very emotionally draining!
Having said that though, the work is very rewarding. I have an opportunity to show love to people in a very tangible way. Although there is a language barrier, and I can't always communicate with them, I AM able to touch them and hold their hands and wash them. It's a very different way to communicate, but it's very effective. Looking into their eyes, I know that they are understanding what I am trying to do for them.
It sounds like I'll be sticking around Addis for a while. I asked Sister the other day if she still wanted us to go to Dire Dawa, but she said no. Our volunteer numbers have decreased and we are only 3 women and 4 men. So, I guess I'll stay here until they tell me otherwise. I've taken a bit of time to do some exploring of the city and I feel like I'm getting a bit more oriented to where things are. The city is actually not that big, and there is a great mini bus system that helps you get around for relatively cheap. We went to mass at a local parish yesterday, and it was nice! They had a great choir. We walked around that area of town afterwards, and had some GREAT coffee, but most everything was closed as it was Sunday.
So that's my report. Things are going well. My health is good, my spirits are high and I'm enjoying the work. I'm still praying that the rains will end soon (everyone keeps saying soon). I had to do laundry and we're going on 3 days for my t-shirts to dry.
Send me your comments and questions. Sometimes I forget to include things, but if you're interested in hearing about anything in particular, please let me know.
I've been spending most of my days in the clinic or dressing wounds on the men's ward. I am constantly amazed by the stories I hear and the things that I witness on a daily basis. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we do outpatient clinics. So, people come from the outside to come and have their wounds dressed. It's always very busy. One man came into the clinic the other day and I was shocked by the smell of his wound. It literally made my eyes water. One of the Tanzenian guys that I was working with said "OOOOh! The smell greets you from a distance!" I couldn't have said it better! Anyway, this poor man had been wearing socks, and no shoes. Seeing as how he is homeless, and it rains 2-3 times a day here, he was constantly wet. The socks were almost grown into his shins. It took some effort to get them off. When I did, I was witness to a fungal infection of unreal proportions! I SO wish I could take pictures of some of this stuff because it really defies description!
So, needless to say, I told him NOT to put any socks on anymore and scrubbed him as best as we could. I sent him on his way with an anti fungal cream. He was so pleased! He has come back every day since and personally requests me. Everyone else is happy to oblige! Lucky me!
Some of the wounds that we dress on the wards are pretty complex. Sometimes I wonder if we're doing much to help them at all. The other day, I asked Sister if any physicians ever come to address some of these wounds. She took quite a bit of time with me and told me some of the stories of the men. It really was sad to hear! Most of the men have been either abandonned by their families because of mental illness, dimensia, epilepsy, physical deformity or extreme illness. Some of them have sought out treatment at several health care facilities, but because they were unable to pay for the treatments, were kicked out of the hospitals and banned from returning. Now, the wounds and infections have grown so severe, their bodies so weak from malnutrition and disease, they are awaiting death. The sisters do their best to offer pain control and comfort, but there's no a lot you can do to help them anymore. From a western mindset, it's very hard to reconcile that! At home, I'm taught to treat, cure and actively manage illness. Here, I'm forced to pray, love, comfort and await death. It's very emotionally draining!
Having said that though, the work is very rewarding. I have an opportunity to show love to people in a very tangible way. Although there is a language barrier, and I can't always communicate with them, I AM able to touch them and hold their hands and wash them. It's a very different way to communicate, but it's very effective. Looking into their eyes, I know that they are understanding what I am trying to do for them.
It sounds like I'll be sticking around Addis for a while. I asked Sister the other day if she still wanted us to go to Dire Dawa, but she said no. Our volunteer numbers have decreased and we are only 3 women and 4 men. So, I guess I'll stay here until they tell me otherwise. I've taken a bit of time to do some exploring of the city and I feel like I'm getting a bit more oriented to where things are. The city is actually not that big, and there is a great mini bus system that helps you get around for relatively cheap. We went to mass at a local parish yesterday, and it was nice! They had a great choir. We walked around that area of town afterwards, and had some GREAT coffee, but most everything was closed as it was Sunday.
So that's my report. Things are going well. My health is good, my spirits are high and I'm enjoying the work. I'm still praying that the rains will end soon (everyone keeps saying soon). I had to do laundry and we're going on 3 days for my t-shirts to dry.
Send me your comments and questions. Sometimes I forget to include things, but if you're interested in hearing about anything in particular, please let me know.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Culture Shock Extrordinaire
So, I realized that in my last blog, I wasn't very descriptive of the place or the culture. It's a lot to take in when you first get here, and it has taken me a while to get a bit of a grip on being here. I've traveled enough, but I'm still shocked by the stark contrast between life in developing countries and life in North America.
The city of Addis Ababa has a population of about 4 million. It's up in the mountains and it's quite lush and treed. There is green grass and flowers outside of the pavement and concrete high traffic areas. The air is quite a lot cleaner than Calcutta. Since I've been here, we've had rain at least twice a day. They are reaching the end of the rainy season, so it should end soon. The rain comes suddenly and very hard. One minute, it could be clear skies, the next, torrential rain. The other volunteers have been complaining that their clothes don't dry after they wash them. The thing is, there's no way to save them from the rain because you never know when it's going to hit! Thankfully, thus far, I haven't had to do laundry. It's going to be a real pain when I do because I'll have a lot to do, but I'm stubborn and I'm hoping the rains will end soon.
The sisters have a few communities here in the city. The one that I'm staying at is in an area of the city called Sidist Kilo. It is a very large compound, but very full. There is a building that has handicapped children (no babies). A building that has women, and then another building with men. There is a large kitchen area, two large laundry areas and an area for dispensary and outpatient treatments. Then there is the chapel and the house where the sisters life as well. It's all very tight. There is a courtyard where the men sit out during the day, and a road that leads through the middle of it all. There is a perpetual game of soccer going on the road from sun up to sun down. Whenever you walk by, to get to our room, you risk getting hit by the ball. Yesterday, the ball came right for me, so I played with it a bit and then took a shot on goal. They thought it was hillarious! Girls here don't play sports and this morning when I walked by they were still laughing and pointing. There are about 500 patients in the compound, plus staff.
Across the street there is another compound where they have an orphanage. There are infants, handicapped babies and children, and moms and babies (some that have come here to give birth, some that have come because their babies are malnourished). I'm not sure how many kids are there, but it seems like a lot. I'm still discovering new areas whenever I go there.
This weekend was a bit of an exception because Saturday was Ethiopian New Year. They are celebrating the year 2003. Good news is, I"m only 24 years old!! ha ha They have a different calendar, AND a different clock. I'm still not sure I have it right, but I'm pretty shure that it works this way: sun comes up @ about 6am, in Ethiopian time, that is 12 o'clock. Once the sun has been up for one hour, it us one o'clock. Until 6pm when the sun goes down and then it is 12 o'clock and an hour after the sun is down, it's one o'clock again. Very confusing! So, we've had to be clear when talking to others about which clock to use. So, Saturday me and a couple other volunteers went over to the orphanage, and because it was a holiday, no one was working. So, we basically played with the kids all day. It was fun, but the kids are really poorly behaved and not used to following directions (and of course you have a language barrier on top of that). So, it was challenging at times, but we kept them relatively busy.
Sunday was a holiday here as well, so we knew there wasn't going to be much work to do. I met up with a group from Malta and we went to another part of the city called Asco. The sisters have a compound there which is HUGE! It's an orphanage for kids with HIV-AIDS. Its mostly been funded by donations from Israel. It's absolutely gorgeous. They have so much more room, and the kids are really happy there. They have 320 children there aged new born to 18. They have a hospital - clinic area where they assess everyone, and keep the ones that are really sick. They even have a really nice lab, with what looks to me like newer equipment. Then they have two big dorms, one for the girls and one for the boys, and then a smaller dorm for the older boys. They have a school and a LARGE area for the kids to play. The sisters said they receive medication from the government for treatment for the children aged 0 to 13 years. It's SUPPOSED (by WHO standards) to be until 18 years, but the Ethiopian government has seen such a high mortality, that they're trying to cut costs. The sisters have been trying to fight it, but it's a lot of work. They have had really good success treating the kids. A lot of the children there have good enough CD4 counts that they don't require medication. Their mortality rate has been very low. They have only lost one child in the past two years. They are actually just working on a new program for the children who reach 18 years old, but aren't done their schooling (because they didn't come to the sisters when they were young). So, they have a place for them to stay until they are done school and can find work to support themselves. It was a fun day with the kids and getting to see a little bit more of Addis.
I think I said in my last blog, that I'll be going to Dire Dawa. I'm not sure when that's actually going to materialize. Until I have a ticket in my hand, it's really hard to know. Everything is really casual here. Time has very little meaning. Until then, I'll be working with the patients here. Today I spent all morning doing dressings in the men's home. Everything from EXTREME bed sores, ostomies, botched skin graftings, foot and leg ulcers to minor cuts and bumps. It's very interesting, and unreal how people live with these wounds! The extreme mal nutrition makes healing very difficult.
I can't read my last post, the computers here are unreal slow. I hope I haven't repeated myself too much. My time is up. Not sure when I'll get to blog again. I'll keep you posted on my journey.
The city of Addis Ababa has a population of about 4 million. It's up in the mountains and it's quite lush and treed. There is green grass and flowers outside of the pavement and concrete high traffic areas. The air is quite a lot cleaner than Calcutta. Since I've been here, we've had rain at least twice a day. They are reaching the end of the rainy season, so it should end soon. The rain comes suddenly and very hard. One minute, it could be clear skies, the next, torrential rain. The other volunteers have been complaining that their clothes don't dry after they wash them. The thing is, there's no way to save them from the rain because you never know when it's going to hit! Thankfully, thus far, I haven't had to do laundry. It's going to be a real pain when I do because I'll have a lot to do, but I'm stubborn and I'm hoping the rains will end soon.
The sisters have a few communities here in the city. The one that I'm staying at is in an area of the city called Sidist Kilo. It is a very large compound, but very full. There is a building that has handicapped children (no babies). A building that has women, and then another building with men. There is a large kitchen area, two large laundry areas and an area for dispensary and outpatient treatments. Then there is the chapel and the house where the sisters life as well. It's all very tight. There is a courtyard where the men sit out during the day, and a road that leads through the middle of it all. There is a perpetual game of soccer going on the road from sun up to sun down. Whenever you walk by, to get to our room, you risk getting hit by the ball. Yesterday, the ball came right for me, so I played with it a bit and then took a shot on goal. They thought it was hillarious! Girls here don't play sports and this morning when I walked by they were still laughing and pointing. There are about 500 patients in the compound, plus staff.
Across the street there is another compound where they have an orphanage. There are infants, handicapped babies and children, and moms and babies (some that have come here to give birth, some that have come because their babies are malnourished). I'm not sure how many kids are there, but it seems like a lot. I'm still discovering new areas whenever I go there.
This weekend was a bit of an exception because Saturday was Ethiopian New Year. They are celebrating the year 2003. Good news is, I"m only 24 years old!! ha ha They have a different calendar, AND a different clock. I'm still not sure I have it right, but I'm pretty shure that it works this way: sun comes up @ about 6am, in Ethiopian time, that is 12 o'clock. Once the sun has been up for one hour, it us one o'clock. Until 6pm when the sun goes down and then it is 12 o'clock and an hour after the sun is down, it's one o'clock again. Very confusing! So, we've had to be clear when talking to others about which clock to use. So, Saturday me and a couple other volunteers went over to the orphanage, and because it was a holiday, no one was working. So, we basically played with the kids all day. It was fun, but the kids are really poorly behaved and not used to following directions (and of course you have a language barrier on top of that). So, it was challenging at times, but we kept them relatively busy.
Sunday was a holiday here as well, so we knew there wasn't going to be much work to do. I met up with a group from Malta and we went to another part of the city called Asco. The sisters have a compound there which is HUGE! It's an orphanage for kids with HIV-AIDS. Its mostly been funded by donations from Israel. It's absolutely gorgeous. They have so much more room, and the kids are really happy there. They have 320 children there aged new born to 18. They have a hospital - clinic area where they assess everyone, and keep the ones that are really sick. They even have a really nice lab, with what looks to me like newer equipment. Then they have two big dorms, one for the girls and one for the boys, and then a smaller dorm for the older boys. They have a school and a LARGE area for the kids to play. The sisters said they receive medication from the government for treatment for the children aged 0 to 13 years. It's SUPPOSED (by WHO standards) to be until 18 years, but the Ethiopian government has seen such a high mortality, that they're trying to cut costs. The sisters have been trying to fight it, but it's a lot of work. They have had really good success treating the kids. A lot of the children there have good enough CD4 counts that they don't require medication. Their mortality rate has been very low. They have only lost one child in the past two years. They are actually just working on a new program for the children who reach 18 years old, but aren't done their schooling (because they didn't come to the sisters when they were young). So, they have a place for them to stay until they are done school and can find work to support themselves. It was a fun day with the kids and getting to see a little bit more of Addis.
I think I said in my last blog, that I'll be going to Dire Dawa. I'm not sure when that's actually going to materialize. Until I have a ticket in my hand, it's really hard to know. Everything is really casual here. Time has very little meaning. Until then, I'll be working with the patients here. Today I spent all morning doing dressings in the men's home. Everything from EXTREME bed sores, ostomies, botched skin graftings, foot and leg ulcers to minor cuts and bumps. It's very interesting, and unreal how people live with these wounds! The extreme mal nutrition makes healing very difficult.
I can't read my last post, the computers here are unreal slow. I hope I haven't repeated myself too much. My time is up. Not sure when I'll get to blog again. I'll keep you posted on my journey.
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