Settling In

Hi all! The past two days we’ve had the clinic here open and functioning even though Anne-Marie is still away. The load has been really light - we actually were done seeing people by 11am this morning. I think everyone knows there is no doctor. I'm scared for the madness when she comes back.

I've still been following Annelies (my teacher) around trying to learn all she does here and jump in somehow. So far we start the day with rounds at the hospital giving TB drugs to three patients and checking in with the others staying there, which aren't too many in number now. Then we do our wound care with three different men. Two wounds seem to be improving; one not so much since we're pretty sure it is some sort of cancer (it looks like a big pile of extra muscle, tissue, fat coming out of his shin). I don't think we'll be able to do anything for him.

Annelies and I dressing leg wound

Other than that I've been hanging out outside the hospital in the afternoons with the kids around. It's nice: shade, awful creole from me, dodging Ku-Ku (a tank of a three year old), and watching Caitlyn, one of the girls who came with us, paint her mural on the huge wall behind the hospital. It is looking awesome already.

Ashlee and Amanda (post painting session with some kids)

Highlights for me so far:
-all my luggage made it to PC (even your trunk Susan!!!)
-chunky peanut butter
-the 5 minutes after a shower when you feel clean
-only one run-in with a mondo spider so far
-sitting on "the mountain" at night
-the company...