Nov 2016 DRC

November already has long passed and we are on our way towards Christmas and the New Year.  Last month was extremely busy with a lot of difficult cases, some I still don't know what exactly is going on.  But we did also have a lot of people go home that have been in the hospital a long time.

Most of my time I spent in the hospital working.  I did get a chance to go to a wedding this last weekend.  We had a near miss on the road...a crazy taxi driver nearly ran us off the road.  Thankfully all that happened were a few cuts from the broken driver's side mirror.

Something to be thankful for is that the administration was able to hire a doctor that I can train in the maternity department.  Her name is Deborah and she just finished her training here.  I'm hoping I can teach her all I know in the next few months....or, at the least, the important things.  And, we're working towards repairing the floor in the delivery room.

Thanks for you all who continue to help me...kind words, prayers, money, e-mails...it's very much appreciated.  My general health and wellbeing is doing much better.  And, I'm looking forward to what the new year will hold.

Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!

Alice, an intern, finishing up.
Omviti, the nurse anesthetist, making sure she does a good job.

Teaching the interns (Dr. Alice and Josesph)
how to use the new ultrasound machine!
Thank you to all of you who helped out to buy it.

One of our patients (Kakori) who was in the hospital for 2 months
recovering after a very difficult delivery.
With a photo bomb from a little girl.
And the traditional no-smile photo...

Pre-natal care with the traditional fetoscope
(listening to the baby's heart rate).

A little girl (Monique) we operated on.
Every day she cried when she saw me,
until the day before she left.

We had a lot of really tough cases this month.
This lady (Lotsove) delivered a baby then went into a coma.
She's doing a little better.

Triplets!

Helping out any way we can.
(Dr. Cooper, general surgeon, with Ayiko, nurse anesthetist).
Sometimes we end up doing things we're not trained for,
like replacing flooring.

Timeline:

Christmas in Nyankunde
Feb 10-30: Conference in Thailand
March: visit and work in hospitals (Gabon and Cameroon)
April: visit from my friend Anita
May: contract ends with Samaritan's Purse
June: return to the US
July-Oct: work and travel
Oct: finish last step of board exams
After ????