KENYA UPDATE

I'm up sitting on the balcony with Tony and Kevin. We decided to post an update on the various jobs here.  I'll start with Tony Waweru.  He's been giving anesthesia in the OR.  He's working Dr. Betty O. and Wycliff O, CRNA.  We have 2 ORs with 2 tables in one room and one in the other.  Only 2 anesthesia machines are currently working so the 3rd table has locals and sedation.  We have an anesthesiologist also, Jeff Hawthorn who is working mostly with Wycliff.  Tony (originally from Kijabe, Kenya) says his biggest challenge is finding where stuff is.  A scrub tech, Micheal, seems to be in charge and is THE GUY who knows where things are.  Tony says he's using it for job security. The picture is Mary, who does instruments, Wycliff and Micheal.  He is the best interpreter around.

Kevin worked in clinic today.  He helped Laura do wound care on the wards also.  There are some horrendous wounds.  I will not post those pictures.  His biggest challenge the language.  He's used to speaking Spanish so this is hard.  Some patients seem to know some English, but not much.  The illnesses he's seeing, especially the burns on children are heartbreaking.  Laura scrubs and debrides them while they are screaming.

Our OB/GYN team is really busy.  Dr. Norton and Dr. Schulte brought in an emergency C section with the Medical Resident from Washington holding his hand inside with the mother on her elbows and knees, pushing the baby off the prolapsed cord, counting the heart rate.  They got everything ready, rolled her over onto her back, put to sleep, C section as fast as you could blink.  Turns out she had TWINS!!!  Mom knew because she had 2 blankets and 2 hats.  Everyone else was surprised.  She was prolapsed when she walked in.  Molly, Erin and Wendy are in their element in L&D, but we stole Wendy and Megan today to scrub for me (Dr. N).  Kristy scrubbed for me yesterday, but when we realized there was no one in Recovery and that's what she does back home, we rearranged.

Wendy and Megan traded off scrubbing for me today.  Wendy just walked up here.  She says the hardest part is paying for Kevin's pop and water (LOL).  The hard part is knowing what she needs before you need it.  The suture makes her crazy.  We've got tons of spread all over in cupboards and totes in the new and old hospital.  I think she's locked in for tomorrow at least.  We wore out Megan in the morning.  It was pretty hot and the cautery smoke did her in.  She ended up going shopping later with some of our other women to the place that hires HIV, disabled, orphaned and criminal folks to give them work.  They make beautiful stuff and the rest of us will get there sometime.  Wendy finished up my last case and then helped out Dr. Stice, Diana and Joan doing some major burn scars on a 16 year old who was playing with gasoline near a fire months ago.  Bad idea.

Wendy, Dr. N, Med Student in OR.

Kristy with my first tonsil in PACU

John baled us out on the cautery and sharpened the adenoid currette at the blacksmith and got the tool to sharpen the other ones. HERO
Dr. Dumitru lectured on CHF and Caitlin worked on the stove project.  She's extremely enthusiastic so it will be interesting to see how it goes.  Good day today.  NN