Sandman, Captain Redbeard, and Friends

Things have been busy, and the internet non-existent. The past two weekends have been filled with visiting friends and good times. Two weekends ago, Matt Pope's sister and her fiance came to town from Kenya. They are working at the Uganda Christian University with a program called Save the Mothers- an initiative to reduce the unacceptable level of maternal mortality based out of McMaster university (Matt's blog is linked to this site). This past weekend, Elliot (Redbeard) and Sand(man)i came from Tanzania. They are travelling the continent and decided to grace Kampala with their presence. One night, there was Elliot, Sandi, Emily Shelton, and Erin Hunt all in one room: a virtual Oak Bay High reunion in Africa, all unrelated trips converging! Anyways, enough about people that most of you don't know. Chelsea bought fake hair, and got it braided on Sunday. It took 5 hours and 4 ladies to accomplish, but looks great! Computer lessons are going well, with Powerpoint being the most popular (and easy to impress with). This week is the last for these students, and we will devote more time at the hospital next week and onwards. This Wednesday, Chelsea and I have an appointment with the Associate Dean of Education, Makerere Medical School. He has asked that we help him set up new equipment: being from Canada (or the US, UK etc) garners unmerited status as an expert in a variety of things!

Today, we spent the morning at rounds in the maternity ward, and I got to feel for uteruses (uteri?) post-birth. They are still enlarged, un-symmetrically located areas of hardness. Very neat! We have been promised a birth, but it wasn't in the cards today...

Daily Life

This is just a quick post to let people know what daily life here is like, rather than any particular event. Mornings (with the class of Health Administration Degree students) begin with hymn singing, and a short reading from the Bible. Chelsea and I are then free to head off to the hospital and help out there (registration of patients, weighings, transcribing, pill dispensing) or gawk in the operating theatre. We usually meet with Josh and Emily and Christy-lynn there (other volunteers). In the late afternoons, we make ourselves available to the students who request help on the computer. We have been teaching Powerpoint, Excel, basics of email, and Word. We are also trying to learn Microsoft Access, as this is a high-demand program (most of these people are nurse administrators etc..) In the evenings, Chelsea and I have taken to playing chess down at the local pub/restaurant, and browsing the market for roasted corn, giant avocados, miscellaneous meat on a stick. Night falls quickly here at the equator.

In general, there is much work to be done, but it is up to us to find it and fill our time most effectively.

The pictures are of Chelsea and Emily, and of the vendor mayhem along the way to Jinja

The Wedding at Jinja

This past weekend, Chelsea, Josh, Emily and I were invited by Sister Dora (head nurse of the outpatient department and TB clinic; surrogate mother to us all) to attend the wedding of one of the nurses. It was in Jinja, located about 2 hours (distance is irrelevant in this country of uncertain road conditions) north-east of Kampala. We, along with about 8 or 9 others piled into a hospital minivan early Saturday morning to begin the trek. We passed vast fields of tea and sugar cane on the way. We arrived at the church, late, and joined the roughly 300 other guests at the ceremony. Fairly traditional, apart from the high pitched undulating shrieks of approval from various women whenever something good happened. After the ceremony, the wedding party went to the source of the Nile river (Jinja is famous for this). There we took pictures, and us mzungos got to see this impressive site. The reception consisted of many speeches of which we could understand only the 2% in English, lots of soda, traditional calypso dancing children (whose hip joints had obviously been removed), and a feast of local food. Many cakes, lots of flowers, and an extensive tent setup. The wedding was a very big production, as they tend to be. There was also a procession where well-wishers could hand presents directly to the bride and groom. Most were colourfully wrapped, but one was a goat who was obviously as enthused as we were. The bird you see was on the shores of the Nile. The actual geography was less than impressive, so this picture was added instead.

Scalpel....

Monday morning Chelsea and I are invited to observe in the operating theatre. Within the span of about 2 hours, we witnessed prostate surgery, a mastectomy, and an appendix removal. It was absolutely fascinating, but the reader will appreciate this post's lack of pictures... During the first surgery, Chelsea stood stoically by, while I had to leave the room seven times to avoid blacking out completely and casusing a commotion. This was odd given my brief yet profound exposure to invasive medicine in the past, but oh well, aclimatizing I guess. After that, all was good and amazing. The surgeon was happy to have us there, and taught us a lot. To see cartoons from the anatomy text come to literal life was superb. I really could go on, but won't. That afternoon, we helped at the HIV/AIDS councelling centre by weighing patients who were coming for routine visits.

At about 16:00 that afternoon, I felt "a little off". At about 17:00, I felt very much "off". I had contracted food poisoning for the first time in my (lucky) life. I will spare you the details, but those who have had it will know. I did not get out of bed all day tuesday. Or wednesday, until evening- and it was an effort! The upside (that I am only now able to appreciate!) was the hospitality of the UPMB staff. I had visits throughout the night from one lady in particular who lives on-site. She would come bearing tea, honey or another of the thousand bottles of water I went through before convincing my body that the coast was clear. Today (thursday) is the first time I have functioned as a healthy, productive person since then.

Initiation

From the moment I arrived in Uganda (after a sleepless but well fed/watered/entertained flight), things have been happening at 100 kph. The experiences, rich and diverse, have been overwhealming. This will be a long post, so I will try to break them up into manageable, logical portions for ease of reading.

People

I was met at the airport by Dr. Mukozza, although not immediately. I had made a buddie on the flight, and was sitting with him at the exit. Dr.Mukozza was there on time, but was looking for a single person (oddly named "Chelsea Newcombe!"), and ignored me. It was only after calling the hospital for his number that we realized we were in the same place. He practiced as a physician for 7 years, but now teaches hospital administration for ICMI. Very nice man.

The day of arrival he toured me around Mengo hospital, adjacent to where I am staying. As we drove up the driveway, I saw a fellow muzungo (I am considered white). It was Emily Shelton and her boyfriend, Josh! I knew they were coming to Uganda, but not that they would be staying next door! I was then introduced to the head nurse, the deputy director, the HIV doctor, and various others.

Chelsea arrived yesterday, and we toured the hospital and the chaos that is downtown (pictures to follow) She is well, and it is great to see her! She, Emily,Josh and I will likely spend lots of time together, including travels. We met with two German (Dresden) medical students at the UPMB on their way to Tanzania. They stayed for two nights, and we all spent lots of time touring the city, having lunch etc. They are in their 5th year, and on a clinical "internship" at a hospital in Tanzania.

Health
During introductions, I was quickly, and unexpectedly, put to work in the paedeatric TB clinic under the guidance of the outpatient nurse. We recorded the visit, checked drug compliance, looked at X-rays, and if they were ok, wrote discharges from the program. Baptism by fire, very interesting, and saddening (as so many youngsters had TB) That day was also infant immunization day, so the place was packed with mothers and babies (and the inevitable noise). We also saw the laboratory, the dental clinic, and the administrative wing. Yesterday (with Chelsea), we were toured around the surgery theatre, but only after replacing our shoes with sterile gumboots. The surgery is rudementary by Canadian standards, but clean and professionally staffed. Victoria has a strong presence at this Christian funded hospital, with much of the equipment donated by local doctors. We have been warmly recieved ("you are welcome" is the standard greeting), and look foreward to ample opportunity to help in the hospital's various functions and programs. I am determined to see a baby born before I leave! The national AIDS infection rate is ~6-7%, but higher in the city. An average woman's fertility is 6.

Leaving England

Hello all, firstly I have to apologize for the lack of pictures. They will come, but I am having technical difficulties at the local internet cafe. I have been in Uganda for 3 days now, but first must mention the last day in England. New Years was a blast (in Manchester), but nothing of (respectible) note to mention here. The following day, I took the train to London, and finally to Cobham- the town where I taught as a volunteer PE teacher for a year 2001-2002. I stayed with the family of two of the boys (now aged 13 and 14). They were very hospitable, and managed to invite two other families (of two boys each) for lunch the next day! It was great to see the lads and their parents- catch up and play snooker, darts, table tennis, playstation etc! Party paradise indeed. That night (2nd Jan), I was driven to the airport for the flight.