NOTE: this only works when the ambient temperature is over 100F, preferable 108F or so...
so for all of you in the crisp, lovely days of fall in America - you may need to tuck this away for another day. like for when you come to Africa. Really - you should come to Africa. You can make yogurt right on your kitchen counter!! Not to mention how desperate we are for any and all kind of help... think about it.
Galmi Yogurt
1 c. hot water
1 c. powered milk
1 c. room temp water
1 tbsp of already made yogurt (this is like that friendship bread dough that multiplies... you have to have a starter batch. again: Enter Yoko. she gave me the starter jar.)
1 clean mayonnaise jar
combine all ingredients in jar and put lid on.
wrap in a dish towel.
leave on your counter for 18 hrs.
unwrap.
voila! yogurt.
it is now a staple (the sources of protein are thin here) and i'm obsessed with making new batches. on my 2nd. about to need more powdered milk. never thought i'd seek out powered milk... this has opened up a whole new world!
Monday, October 13, 2008
bright spots at Galmi
Well, after my first full week here, i decided to share some bright spots that are very real and worth sharing, amidst the death and suffering that drones on - like a constant hum in this land.
TWINS!
the Nigerian (from Nigeria, a full time doctor here) general practice MD who does a lot of surgery here tracked me down on saturday to ask that i attend a C-Section delivery of twins. In my mind i wanted to say "what, so i can try to recussitate 2 scrawny babies who will then die in a day or two or seven? because they're too small... and no one feeds them properly... or because the mothers take them home for the Day 8 Naming Ceremony celebration before they're ready...?
But i instead said, "of course - how many weeks?" He didn't know. because she didn't know.
So i prayed, knowing that in the US, i would be one of MANY people attending this delivery - many people with a lot of equipment and training who make neonatal recussitation look like a systematic, well-oiled machine. and in the US it is. Here it is only me. with oxygen tubing that i had to tape together after someone found a "splitter" (i.e. make the one tube of oxygen fork into 2 tubes for the 2 babies, potentially). with towels that come from the sterilized packs of towel and instruments after they are unwrapped. with nothing disposable. with no cute little hat to put on the baby's head. it's not quite like being born into a manger, but it is close in a lot of ways.
And probably the most important way - that God is near. He is the Giver of Life. and He is with me.
So i readied my area in the OR. cleaned off (literally, wiped down, scrubbed) the warmer where babies would lay, taped the tubing, wiped off other supplies visibly dirty, gathered some clean cloths to dry and warm my babies soon to come.
and prayed.
and out came number one - a girl - looking BIG! (a good thing when you're a twin in Niger). she needed a little help. nothing dramatic.
and then number two - a girl - pink and screaming and BIG.
Praise God.
they did great. i was so relieved. and for now, as long as the LORD gives breath, they live.
Cerebral Malaria...
bad news. bad prognosis. children who are affected to this extent by the malaria usually don't live - 40% die with treatment. Of the 10 kids i admitted last night, 1 died already, and likely had cerebral malaria.
Well, i had been treating 2 boys with what i think to be the Cerebral form of malaria. One day last week (wednesday, maybe), it was a particluarly hard day... several kids had died overnight waiting for blood transfusions (in part due to inadequate nursing care, no donor, or they were just really really ill), another baby had died, and i went to see these two boys and thought, "they are looking at death today..." we prayed for them. i kept thinking of them throughout the day. praying frequently. at night. thinking of them. praying they would be there in the morning.
Thursday came. they were there!
the 4 year old boy sat up and looked at me. for the first time in several days. sat up! the day before he had looked death in the face, was unresponsive, not breathing right... and the LORD gave another chance at life. i discharged him yesterday, walking weakly, but without any damage to his nervous system that i could appreciate.
the small 1 year old boy was also better - not quite as dramatic. but better. again we offered praise to the LORD for his mercy and healing. He is still in need of prayer for healing, and that his family would turn to Christ through their time at the hospital. His name is Moustapha.
movie night
in a much less substantial realm, some of us gathered on saturday evening to watch a movie - it was hot, not the greatest sound, no popcorn/rootbeer/candy to pass around... but great to fellowship and kind of divert our attention for a few hours. it's an older movie called "second hand lion" - a pretty cute PG family-ish film i'd recommend. maybe it just seemed good since it was all we had :)
cinnamon buns
even less substantial on many levels - they were a highlight of last thursday. a weekly tradition here. they were a taste of all things lovely and sweet. thanks to Yoko - the lovely, lovely Japanese nurse who has been here for 13 years, fluent in Japanese, English, French and Hausa (the local language). she is sweeter than her cinnamon rolls, gifted in hospitality, is always producing something helpful at just the right time, and also helped me make rice "the Japanese way"... by measuring to the first line on your finger (that's how deep the water should be above the rice). of course!
TWINS!
the Nigerian (from Nigeria, a full time doctor here) general practice MD who does a lot of surgery here tracked me down on saturday to ask that i attend a C-Section delivery of twins. In my mind i wanted to say "what, so i can try to recussitate 2 scrawny babies who will then die in a day or two or seven? because they're too small... and no one feeds them properly... or because the mothers take them home for the Day 8 Naming Ceremony celebration before they're ready...?
But i instead said, "of course - how many weeks?" He didn't know. because she didn't know.
So i prayed, knowing that in the US, i would be one of MANY people attending this delivery - many people with a lot of equipment and training who make neonatal recussitation look like a systematic, well-oiled machine. and in the US it is. Here it is only me. with oxygen tubing that i had to tape together after someone found a "splitter" (i.e. make the one tube of oxygen fork into 2 tubes for the 2 babies, potentially). with towels that come from the sterilized packs of towel and instruments after they are unwrapped. with nothing disposable. with no cute little hat to put on the baby's head. it's not quite like being born into a manger, but it is close in a lot of ways.
And probably the most important way - that God is near. He is the Giver of Life. and He is with me.
So i readied my area in the OR. cleaned off (literally, wiped down, scrubbed) the warmer where babies would lay, taped the tubing, wiped off other supplies visibly dirty, gathered some clean cloths to dry and warm my babies soon to come.
and prayed.
and out came number one - a girl - looking BIG! (a good thing when you're a twin in Niger). she needed a little help. nothing dramatic.
and then number two - a girl - pink and screaming and BIG.
Praise God.
they did great. i was so relieved. and for now, as long as the LORD gives breath, they live.
Cerebral Malaria...
bad news. bad prognosis. children who are affected to this extent by the malaria usually don't live - 40% die with treatment. Of the 10 kids i admitted last night, 1 died already, and likely had cerebral malaria.
Well, i had been treating 2 boys with what i think to be the Cerebral form of malaria. One day last week (wednesday, maybe), it was a particluarly hard day... several kids had died overnight waiting for blood transfusions (in part due to inadequate nursing care, no donor, or they were just really really ill), another baby had died, and i went to see these two boys and thought, "they are looking at death today..." we prayed for them. i kept thinking of them throughout the day. praying frequently. at night. thinking of them. praying they would be there in the morning.
Thursday came. they were there!
the 4 year old boy sat up and looked at me. for the first time in several days. sat up! the day before he had looked death in the face, was unresponsive, not breathing right... and the LORD gave another chance at life. i discharged him yesterday, walking weakly, but without any damage to his nervous system that i could appreciate.
the small 1 year old boy was also better - not quite as dramatic. but better. again we offered praise to the LORD for his mercy and healing. He is still in need of prayer for healing, and that his family would turn to Christ through their time at the hospital. His name is Moustapha.
movie night
in a much less substantial realm, some of us gathered on saturday evening to watch a movie - it was hot, not the greatest sound, no popcorn/rootbeer/candy to pass around... but great to fellowship and kind of divert our attention for a few hours. it's an older movie called "second hand lion" - a pretty cute PG family-ish film i'd recommend. maybe it just seemed good since it was all we had :)
cinnamon buns
even less substantial on many levels - they were a highlight of last thursday. a weekly tradition here. they were a taste of all things lovely and sweet. thanks to Yoko - the lovely, lovely Japanese nurse who has been here for 13 years, fluent in Japanese, English, French and Hausa (the local language). she is sweeter than her cinnamon rolls, gifted in hospitality, is always producing something helpful at just the right time, and also helped me make rice "the Japanese way"... by measuring to the first line on your finger (that's how deep the water should be above the rice). of course!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Cherie and Fey
These patients deserve a post of their own. They are 2 little girls who were born in the last few days... and who also died in the last few days.
Cherie died October 5. She was one of triplets. I don't think she ever knew her name - so i gave her one. Cherie means "dear" in french and she was the 3rd of the triplets. She had hydrocephalus, or so we thought - her head was large, and she was quite small. She was doing ok, though they were all small and early - neither of which carries a good prognosis here especially. She tried eating, but soon we realized that the grandmother was pushing Cherie away when she tried to nurse, telling the mother that she should feed the other 2. the staff tried (though not consistently, because there are SO many mothers and babies every day... and not nearly enough staff) to keep feeding her. without success. Sunday morning we went to check on the babies in the 'nursery' and they handed me Cherie. Dead. so many emotions went through my mind and heart. the women sitting there seemed to be without any. they have grown accustomed to death, it seems.
Fey was born and died on October 6. she was delivered by c-section, then left alone as the mother recovered. on a 'warmer' which doesn't warm up at all and is of no use except to be a cold place to put a baby in the open air. and discovered by Dr. Lydia (OB from the US who has been her 4 times before) who walked by and saw here struggling for air and looking blueish. she came and got me and Dr. J (the FP) and we went to try to recussitate this baby. i found her cold. heartrate barely acceptable, with an oxygen mask on her face NOT CONNECTED TO OXYGEN, struggling to breathe. J and i tried to get her to warm up, pink up, cry... anything... she was early, could have been sick with some infection mom gave her, and probably didn't have adequate development of her lungs either. We did all we could. i don't think her mother ever held her. and she was never named either. so i named her Fey - similar to the word for Faith in French (i think).
These are the first dead babies i have ever held. And that was on days 1 and 2 of my work here at Galmi. Please pray for us as we fight against this culture of death and dying, of despair and of hopelessness in the name of Jesus - who is Life and Hope and Victory.
Cherie died October 5. She was one of triplets. I don't think she ever knew her name - so i gave her one. Cherie means "dear" in french and she was the 3rd of the triplets. She had hydrocephalus, or so we thought - her head was large, and she was quite small. She was doing ok, though they were all small and early - neither of which carries a good prognosis here especially. She tried eating, but soon we realized that the grandmother was pushing Cherie away when she tried to nurse, telling the mother that she should feed the other 2. the staff tried (though not consistently, because there are SO many mothers and babies every day... and not nearly enough staff) to keep feeding her. without success. Sunday morning we went to check on the babies in the 'nursery' and they handed me Cherie. Dead. so many emotions went through my mind and heart. the women sitting there seemed to be without any. they have grown accustomed to death, it seems.
Fey was born and died on October 6. she was delivered by c-section, then left alone as the mother recovered. on a 'warmer' which doesn't warm up at all and is of no use except to be a cold place to put a baby in the open air. and discovered by Dr. Lydia (OB from the US who has been her 4 times before) who walked by and saw here struggling for air and looking blueish. she came and got me and Dr. J (the FP) and we went to try to recussitate this baby. i found her cold. heartrate barely acceptable, with an oxygen mask on her face NOT CONNECTED TO OXYGEN, struggling to breathe. J and i tried to get her to warm up, pink up, cry... anything... she was early, could have been sick with some infection mom gave her, and probably didn't have adequate development of her lungs either. We did all we could. i don't think her mother ever held her. and she was never named either. so i named her Fey - similar to the word for Faith in French (i think).
These are the first dead babies i have ever held. And that was on days 1 and 2 of my work here at Galmi. Please pray for us as we fight against this culture of death and dying, of despair and of hopelessness in the name of Jesus - who is Life and Hope and Victory.
Galmi
The hospital is literally overflowing. We have expanded the "120" beds into the hallway, into extra rooms, practically outside. More patients than anyone would think possible. and we only admit the very sickest. unfortunately these are usually the very young, and the pregnant women. there are a number of twins, too, and some premature. we have no NICU. we have one oxygen tank outside of the OR. and only one IN the OR, so when mom is receiving oxygen during her C-section, there is none for the babies after they are born. Orders are not carried out with any kind of purpose or sense of urgency, even in the sickest people. there seems to be a general acceptance of the suffering, of the condition of sickness and perhaps not enough experience with people actually getting "better" to see that hurrying would make a difference.
a wise OB doctor from the US, Lydia, said today, "Time at Galmi is like the Lord's time: a thousand hours in His sight are like a day gone by..." more true than you can imagine.
After 2 days of work, i have seen scores of patients. there are several common themes: malaria, malnutrition, severe anemia (Hematocrit of 5-10% is very common, when normal is 35-45%, and is due to malaria) barely compatible with life, malnutrition, malnutrition, measles (5 cases this week), pregnancy-related complications, more malaria, some TB, some HIV (probably underdiagnosed because we don't have enough test kits), diarrhea, pneumonia.
Yesterday we admitted 32 patients. Roughly 25 of them were pediatrics that J and I saw in and out of Room 1 in the outpatient clinic. Most were malnutrition and malaria with severe anemia.
The last patient i saw at 9pm (on my first call night) was a 45 y.o. woman with Tetanus. This is more reason than i will ever need to insist on vaccinations against Tetanus. She had a wound 10 days ago that had since become dirty and infected, and the day before she came to Galmi, her mouth became clenched, unable to open it. This is the way tetanus begins. The mortality is 50% even with good treatment. She did not get good treatment because the orders i wrote for her (to receive medicines to counteract the toxin, antibiotics for her wound) did not get carried out after i left the hospital. when i found her this morning, the spasm and tetany had spread so that she was arched back, more muscles involved, with intermittent spasms causing more pain and distress. The medicines started this morning. Why? i asked again and again... no one seemed to know, but could only guess - "the pharmacy was closed"... and no one called the person on call for the pharmacy to get the medicine that could have changed the course of this woman's life. We prayed desperate prayers (again) this morning - asking Jesus to heal her in spite of our care.
a wise OB doctor from the US, Lydia, said today, "Time at Galmi is like the Lord's time: a thousand hours in His sight are like a day gone by..." more true than you can imagine.
After 2 days of work, i have seen scores of patients. there are several common themes: malaria, malnutrition, severe anemia (Hematocrit of 5-10% is very common, when normal is 35-45%, and is due to malaria) barely compatible with life, malnutrition, malnutrition, measles (5 cases this week), pregnancy-related complications, more malaria, some TB, some HIV (probably underdiagnosed because we don't have enough test kits), diarrhea, pneumonia.
Yesterday we admitted 32 patients. Roughly 25 of them were pediatrics that J and I saw in and out of Room 1 in the outpatient clinic. Most were malnutrition and malaria with severe anemia.
The last patient i saw at 9pm (on my first call night) was a 45 y.o. woman with Tetanus. This is more reason than i will ever need to insist on vaccinations against Tetanus. She had a wound 10 days ago that had since become dirty and infected, and the day before she came to Galmi, her mouth became clenched, unable to open it. This is the way tetanus begins. The mortality is 50% even with good treatment. She did not get good treatment because the orders i wrote for her (to receive medicines to counteract the toxin, antibiotics for her wound) did not get carried out after i left the hospital. when i found her this morning, the spasm and tetany had spread so that she was arched back, more muscles involved, with intermittent spasms causing more pain and distress. The medicines started this morning. Why? i asked again and again... no one seemed to know, but could only guess - "the pharmacy was closed"... and no one called the person on call for the pharmacy to get the medicine that could have changed the course of this woman's life. We prayed desperate prayers (again) this morning - asking Jesus to heal her in spite of our care.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Today in Niamey
Red-orange dirt is everywhere. So is the heat. Inside the guest house where i am staying, the thermometer read 95 F @ 6pm yesterday. There are ceiling fans; the floors are tiled; the water is not hot unless you plug in the hot water heater 1\2 hr before you want to have hot water ... but i haven't minded the cool-ish showers at all!This morning i struck out early, to go across the road (a combination of red dirt and areas of pavement, interspersed like pot-holes) to the 'nice bakery.' i passed by the gekkos who are my only house-mates at this time. they tend to stay outside, scooting along walls and the red-dirt-covered walks, so i have the house (see picture) to myself. 
As i leave the gate-guarded yard, i greet the guard/guards (never sure just how many there are) with 'Bon jour; ça va?', trying desperately to remember high school French and not to say 'buenos dias, como estas' or any number of spanish words and full sentences that are right at the tip of my tongue. The languages here are many - French, Hausa, others i don't know how to spell or say. At Galmi, the staff speak french, english and Hausa (likely others too) and i'll have my own interpreter.
So to cross the road: reminds me of that old video game frogger. again, not unlike any number of places i've been and will likely be again. i was told 'you know it's a nice bakery because a lot of people with cars go there.' i didn't care, since for me with no car, it is nearby ... and it was quite good. Good, though not unique - i have tasted the same variations on a white-flour-with-sugar-on-top-and-some-other-flavor all over the world: bolivia, peru, london, guatemala, zambia, now niger (say: knee-jhair. good) so in some ways, i don't feel much culture shock at all.
The morning was a prayer meeting and small Bible study with staff at SIM (parent organization for Galmi Hospital) office. i walked there after the bakery... more red dirt, more 'bon jours', and walled yards/homes with guards outside. Then, some administrative arrangements, then to the small grocery, again near to the house and office. My favorite items (that i cannot believe we export such that they are in a tiny grocery store in Niamey, Niger) were: Red Bull Energy Drink, Dove soap, Nestle products of all kinds, and Soliel razors for women.
By far the highlight of my time here so far has been spending time with some Americans here who i heard of through Cheryl Dyer (omaha friend): Jeremy and Susan Beebout, and their girls Lydia and Liza. we connected on all sorts of things -- life, medicine, the nations, church and missions. they are delightful, hospitable and i am so! grateful for their friendship.
i go to Galmi tomorrow by small plane. then the work begins...Thursday, October 02, 2008
Niger
good news! i've arrived in Niamey, Niger and have seen God's provision moment by moment throughout my travels and first day here. My flights from Chicago to London to Casablanca to Niamey went off on schedule with no problems at all; and my trip through customs was a miracle - no rummaging through my bags at all.
i am at the home of Jeremy and Susan Beebout, missionaries with Reformed Church of America, and cousin of a friend in Omaha (Cheryl Dyer - thanks, cheryl for the connection!!). They have fed me, shared their internet with me, have given of their time and family to make my first 24 hours here a delight. They are from Iowa, Susan is an internist and they were both involved with the Navigators around the years i was, so we've been discovering all sorts of mutual connections and experiences. Again, Praise the LORD.
I will be here in Niamey until Saturday, when i fly to Galmi on a small SIM plane and begin the work at the hospital.
PRAYER needs: for protection and safety - this is one of my main concerns since i've been here, not in terms of physical danger, but more from getting malaria or other diseases (Susan and one of her girls have had malaria despite being on prophylaxis); and then in a spiritual sense - the Muslim world is where i am right now, and i can feel it. pray that i would be filled with Jesus and that He would be fragrant in my life.
i am at the home of Jeremy and Susan Beebout, missionaries with Reformed Church of America, and cousin of a friend in Omaha (Cheryl Dyer - thanks, cheryl for the connection!!). They have fed me, shared their internet with me, have given of their time and family to make my first 24 hours here a delight. They are from Iowa, Susan is an internist and they were both involved with the Navigators around the years i was, so we've been discovering all sorts of mutual connections and experiences. Again, Praise the LORD.
I will be here in Niamey until Saturday, when i fly to Galmi on a small SIM plane and begin the work at the hospital.
PRAYER needs: for protection and safety - this is one of my main concerns since i've been here, not in terms of physical danger, but more from getting malaria or other diseases (Susan and one of her girls have had malaria despite being on prophylaxis); and then in a spiritual sense - the Muslim world is where i am right now, and i can feel it. pray that i would be filled with Jesus and that He would be fragrant in my life.
Monday, September 29, 2008
leavin' on a jet plane...
so apparently i've used this title before, and it's a joy and privilege to use it again... this time as i am hours away from departing to Galmi, Niger.
i fly from Chicago at 9:50pm September 30th to London to Casablanca (and only have 50 minutes there, unfortunately) to Niamey (capital of Niger). i'll arrive at 02:00am on October 2nd. Please pray for all those flights and connections and airports and handlers of my baggage. i'm thrilled to report that people have given such that i packed 2 LARGE suitcases of gifts to take to Galmi.... including a lot! of medical supplies (medicines, vitamins, IV supplies) which need to make it all the way across the world. Praise the LORD in advance for His faithfulness.
Please stay tuned - i hope to have the chance to update frequently.
and i'll check email as well. write often.
i fly from Chicago at 9:50pm September 30th to London to Casablanca (and only have 50 minutes there, unfortunately) to Niamey (capital of Niger). i'll arrive at 02:00am on October 2nd. Please pray for all those flights and connections and airports and handlers of my baggage. i'm thrilled to report that people have given such that i packed 2 LARGE suitcases of gifts to take to Galmi.... including a lot! of medical supplies (medicines, vitamins, IV supplies) which need to make it all the way across the world. Praise the LORD in advance for His faithfulness.
Please stay tuned - i hope to have the chance to update frequently.
and i'll check email as well. write often.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
5 reasons why i like ID
this is in honor of brook talsma.
"ID" in medical lingo means"Infectious Disease", which is the sub-specialty i'm working in this month. i like ID because....
1. it sounds cool.
2. we get consulted when the 'general' doctors can't figure out the infection or what to do about it [bear in mind, most of the time i am that general doctor... haha! not this month!]
3. it's like being a detective
4. chances are i'll see some crazy, weird, uncommon infections this month
5. people with infections requiring ID consult are properly sick... and i think as i progress through residency i realize that i find the most joy in medicine when i'm taking care of people who are really sick. this is in stark contrast to the ones who 'think' they are sick, are 'sick' because their hearts and lives are so painful that their bodies become full of pain as well, or who don't/can't take care of themselves and let things go and go and go...
so there you go, brook. thanks for asking :)
"ID" in medical lingo means"Infectious Disease", which is the sub-specialty i'm working in this month. i like ID because....
1. it sounds cool.
2. we get consulted when the 'general' doctors can't figure out the infection or what to do about it [bear in mind, most of the time i am that general doctor... haha! not this month!]
3. it's like being a detective
4. chances are i'll see some crazy, weird, uncommon infections this month
5. people with infections requiring ID consult are properly sick... and i think as i progress through residency i realize that i find the most joy in medicine when i'm taking care of people who are really sick. this is in stark contrast to the ones who 'think' they are sick, are 'sick' because their hearts and lives are so painful that their bodies become full of pain as well, or who don't/can't take care of themselves and let things go and go and go...
so there you go, brook. thanks for asking :)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
to give
I thought it might help to have information posted on how to give toward my trip/work at Galmi, if you feel so led. it's tax-deductible, goes directly into my account to pay for expenses such as travel (around $2500), room/board while at the hospital, visa, etc. Estimated cost is $3000. missionaries i've talked with and heard share about having 'short term-ers' often admit that it can be a burden to the long-term missionaries to 'host' short term volunteers. my prayer is that i would be as little burden as possible, and a sizable blessing to the staff who are serving at Galmi full time. expenses being covered for the in-country needs contributes to that blessing on those missionaries. giving to such projects also allows more than just me to be part of something the LORD is doing among the unreached people of His world.
the 10/40 window... find Niger :)
World Medical Mission
Samaritan's Purse
Attn: Melody Waldrep
PO Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
(Checks payable to World Medical Mission. write K. Venable Accnt # 003691 in memo line)
OR
call the office of my logistics coordinator (Melody Waldrep) and use a credit card over the phone: 828-278.1175 [updated phone #]
more soon!
the 10/40 window... find Niger :)
World Medical Mission
Samaritan's Purse
Attn: Melody Waldrep
PO Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
(Checks payable to World Medical Mission. write K. Venable Accnt # 003691 in memo line)
OR
call the office of my logistics coordinator (Melody Waldrep) and use a credit card over the phone: 828-278.1175 [updated phone #]
more soon!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
A new adventure is coming!
I have great news to share with those of you who are long-suffering enough to check my blog again after so long a silence:
I will be going to Galmi Hospital in Niger, West Africa for the month of October. I will work with several doctors there, through the ministry of SIM (Serving in Mission) and WMM (World Medical Mission). In the days to come, i'll post updates and prayer needs, as well as information about giving.
(i've also had some lovely travels and experiences on my recent vacation, which i'll be posting soon as well. stay tuned...)
(i've also had some lovely travels and experiences on my recent vacation, which i'll be posting soon as well. stay tuned...)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
13.1
excited to report i finished my 2nd half-marathon, in Chicago, August 10th. it was a glorious day, answers to prayers abounded all over the place, it was a physical, mental and spiritual challenge like i've never experienced all wrapped into one. (me with Laurie Asher, fellow runner, after finishing)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us; let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... "
Friday, November 16, 2007
AIDS
Since the Global Health Missions Conference, i've had an increased awareness of AIDS.
And a growing desire to respond to this crisis.
Devastating our world. Making orphans of millions.
People dying in mass, daily.
World Vision has some fantastic material and stories in preparation for
World AIDS Day, December 1st.
And a growing desire to respond to this crisis.
Devastating our world. Making orphans of millions.
People dying in mass, daily.
World Vision has some fantastic material and stories in preparation for
World AIDS Day, December 1st.
updates all around
here are some new improvements to the house! Landscaping by Julie (and a little by Kate). Painting by Kate. Floors by Bob Kelch Floors. Amazing transformation...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
the jungle story
at this point i must take a hiatus from bolivia postings to display the saga of my yard. I had decided that this was to be the "year of the yard"... planted a new garden in the spot where the old swing set used to be (thanks to my dad!), sowed some wild flower seed in the back corner (thanks to Hillary and Jarrett!), and planted sunflowers right behind my house on the sunny south side (again, Hil and Jarrett - thank you, i think...). and then i left for a month. Here is what it has become: out of control!!!
SO, i subdued the tomatoes in the garden, which was a challenge given their viney selves. and found some very large zucchini.
and then set to work slaying the vines and trees that the "wildflower patch" had become. this ended up being a 3 hour ordeal involving shovel, shears, a lot of sweating and dirt. i discovered pumpkins, volunteer tomatoes (underneath the jungle) and a few, very few flowers. and my cat. Kemba.
The result of my labors:
3 pumpkins (from one plant, apparently part of the "wildflower mix"), 6 very small but red and ripe Roma tomatoes, one stalk of Zinnias, one yellow-flowered plant, Kemba and a HUGE pile of ... weeds!
i also found a cantalope in the true garden. so i ate it for dinner. with three of the small red ripe roma tomatoes.
Lessons learned:
SO, i subdued the tomatoes in the garden, which was a challenge given their viney selves. and found some very large zucchini.
and then set to work slaying the vines and trees that the "wildflower patch" had become. this ended up being a 3 hour ordeal involving shovel, shears, a lot of sweating and dirt. i discovered pumpkins, volunteer tomatoes (underneath the jungle) and a few, very few flowers. and my cat. Kemba.
The result of my labors:
3 pumpkins (from one plant, apparently part of the "wildflower mix"), 6 very small but red and ripe Roma tomatoes, one stalk of Zinnias, one yellow-flowered plant, Kemba and a HUGE pile of ... weeds!
i also found a cantalope in the true garden. so i ate it for dinner. with three of the small red ripe roma tomatoes.
Lessons learned:
- don't plant the "wildflower blend"
- put the tomato cages up when the plants first go in the garden
- don't get behind on weeding
- Illinois earth is very fertile?
- i still have a lot to do for the "year of the yard"
Saturday, August 04, 2007
some of my patients
here are a few pictures of my patients that i wanted to post. i'm back now, re-entering life in Peoria. trying to digest the last month.
Fermin is a pastor who came into HOH with a severe bowel obstruction, likely due to Chagas disease. We watched and prayed and supported him throughout the night (our second or third) until he went to surgery in the morning. I remember Jon Silversides (anesthesiologist from UK) telling his family, through an interpreter, " if he doesn't go to surgery, he will die. if he does go to surgery, he may die. But we trust in God... " Indeed, he went to surgery, and a large part of his colon was removed. and he lived!!! with much gratitude and praise to the LORD, we took photos of him, his wife and family. Praise the LORD.
Here's another patient i saw in one of the clinics. Roberta. She has hypothyroidism and a goiter (see her neck below).
This is a mom and daughter who speak Quechua - so when i saw them in clinic, i had to find an interpreter to translate from Quechua to Spanish for me. I had the honor of praying for the mom (in Spanish, the first time i've done this) because of her anxiety and depression symptoms. We agreed that the LORD understands whatever language we speak... what a blessing.
i continue to hear reports on Raul. He is improving little by little. Please continue to pray for him and for his treatment. The last we knew, he likely has Lupus (an auto-immune disease which affects multiple systems). It is treatable, but not easy even in the US.
I will have the opportunity to share about my trip coming up this fall: at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds (a weekly gathering of all the Internal Medicine faculty, staff, residents and students), at Pediatrics noon conference and Internal Medicine noon conference. Such a blessing!
Fermin is a pastor who came into HOH with a severe bowel obstruction, likely due to Chagas disease. We watched and prayed and supported him throughout the night (our second or third) until he went to surgery in the morning. I remember Jon Silversides (anesthesiologist from UK) telling his family, through an interpreter, " if he doesn't go to surgery, he will die. if he does go to surgery, he may die. But we trust in God... " Indeed, he went to surgery, and a large part of his colon was removed. and he lived!!! with much gratitude and praise to the LORD, we took photos of him, his wife and family. Praise the LORD.
Here's another patient i saw in one of the clinics. Roberta. She has hypothyroidism and a goiter (see her neck below).
This is a mom and daughter who speak Quechua - so when i saw them in clinic, i had to find an interpreter to translate from Quechua to Spanish for me. I had the honor of praying for the mom (in Spanish, the first time i've done this) because of her anxiety and depression symptoms. We agreed that the LORD understands whatever language we speak... what a blessing.
i continue to hear reports on Raul. He is improving little by little. Please continue to pray for him and for his treatment. The last we knew, he likely has Lupus (an auto-immune disease which affects multiple systems). It is treatable, but not easy even in the US.
I will have the opportunity to share about my trip coming up this fall: at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds (a weekly gathering of all the Internal Medicine faculty, staff, residents and students), at Pediatrics noon conference and Internal Medicine noon conference. Such a blessing!
Friday, July 20, 2007
the end of week 2
so, the end of the second week has come. and the beginning of some time of travel and vacation with it. to wrap up the time line from before, i'll finish out what these days have looked like:\
16 july - 18 july: the grueling schedule of before stayed with last week. we revised our role to be that of consultants and as needed help overnight. we helped with the more critical patients, did pre-op evaluations as requested by the surgeons, while the Bolivian staff did the majority of management (as they had been prior) still. however, as we had input to give overnight, or with post-op complications, we were able to give it more freely.
i think we learned a lot about the differences in management styles, communication, and practice of medicine through these weeks. i'm still thinking on these issues, trying to sort out what lessons to take away for the future.
we have seen tons of GI problems: gall bladders gallore! in young patients (20's and 30's), and their course post-op has not always been easy. in a 52 year old man who had a laparascopic (camera, minimally invasive) surgery converted to open due to the size of the stone obstructing his bile duct, his post-op course has resulted in the surfacing of an auto-immune disease, we think, that may not allow him to leave the hospital. His name is Raul, he is a pastor, and a dear, dear man of God. Please pray for him - for his family, his ministry/congregation, and his life. He is very, very ill and there is little more that can be done medically (even if we were in the US).
Other "fires" we've been called to put out included issues with pain post-op, pain in a man who had a surgery 1 month ago and had a obstruction in his bowels. it's definitely a challenge when you can't get STAT labs and X-Ray in the middle of the night, not to mention wishing you could send them for a CT scan... so we've done our best with clinical exam, supportive management, calling the surgeons to evaluate patients, and praying a lot.
18 july: julie was very sick (vomiting, nausea, exhausted - lasted for about 24 hrs and she's better) and i took the day to go to a village where some of the team went and set up a clinic. it was the village of Falsuri, up in the mountains north of where we are. beautiful, beautiful! they don't have a doctor there, it's very possible to get into the city/town to see a doctor, but either they are afraid, they don't have money, or lack the education/knowledge to know when it is best to see a doctor. largely the patients i saw were pretty healthy - the usual complaints of "pain all over" (usually arthritis type, or tense muscles due to their very difficult manual labor), gastritis pain (due to diet and it's very common to have H.Pylori infections in the stomach here), "my child doesn't want to eat and has belly pain" (parasites) and dizziness (because they don't drink water and only drink a little juice or soda most of the time.)
so we gave a lot of anti-parasitics, some antiacids, tylenol and ibuprofen, and vitamins. i had the opportunity to pray for a woman who described non-cardiac chest pain whenever she was worried or nervous about things, when she was depressed or sad. it was an honor to ask the LORD for help on her behalf and share with her the hope of Jesus - God with us.
upon my return to the hospital after taking several little mini-van buses back down the mountain and into town, i was met with on of the staff here asking me to attend his wife's delivery. she was on the 'operating table'/delivery table and about to deliver her first any time. so i quickly changed and then waited around a while ... and before too long she delivered a little boy! He was a bit too blue for my comfort initially, and my NICU training compelled me to take action a bit quicker than the nurses there, or general doctor seemed to. after some suction and warming and oxygen, he pinked up - but slowly. someone later wondered aloud if because of the altitude (8500 ft), babies look paler/bluer at first. perhaps. He's doing well now and his name is Ricardo. i'll try to get a picture.
19 july: another clinic in the morning. not as remote a village. lots of vitamins. lots of tylenol and ibuprofen. returned in the afternoon and napped until dinner.
20 july: today. said good bye to the large, large group and then there was silence. the 6 of us that remain are re-grouping, doing some planning for local activities (hiking, eating, seeing things) and resting.
all for now...
16 july - 18 july: the grueling schedule of before stayed with last week. we revised our role to be that of consultants and as needed help overnight. we helped with the more critical patients, did pre-op evaluations as requested by the surgeons, while the Bolivian staff did the majority of management (as they had been prior) still. however, as we had input to give overnight, or with post-op complications, we were able to give it more freely.
i think we learned a lot about the differences in management styles, communication, and practice of medicine through these weeks. i'm still thinking on these issues, trying to sort out what lessons to take away for the future.
we have seen tons of GI problems: gall bladders gallore! in young patients (20's and 30's), and their course post-op has not always been easy. in a 52 year old man who had a laparascopic (camera, minimally invasive) surgery converted to open due to the size of the stone obstructing his bile duct, his post-op course has resulted in the surfacing of an auto-immune disease, we think, that may not allow him to leave the hospital. His name is Raul, he is a pastor, and a dear, dear man of God. Please pray for him - for his family, his ministry/congregation, and his life. He is very, very ill and there is little more that can be done medically (even if we were in the US).
Other "fires" we've been called to put out included issues with pain post-op, pain in a man who had a surgery 1 month ago and had a obstruction in his bowels. it's definitely a challenge when you can't get STAT labs and X-Ray in the middle of the night, not to mention wishing you could send them for a CT scan... so we've done our best with clinical exam, supportive management, calling the surgeons to evaluate patients, and praying a lot.
18 july: julie was very sick (vomiting, nausea, exhausted - lasted for about 24 hrs and she's better) and i took the day to go to a village where some of the team went and set up a clinic. it was the village of Falsuri, up in the mountains north of where we are. beautiful, beautiful! they don't have a doctor there, it's very possible to get into the city/town to see a doctor, but either they are afraid, they don't have money, or lack the education/knowledge to know when it is best to see a doctor. largely the patients i saw were pretty healthy - the usual complaints of "pain all over" (usually arthritis type, or tense muscles due to their very difficult manual labor), gastritis pain (due to diet and it's very common to have H.Pylori infections in the stomach here), "my child doesn't want to eat and has belly pain" (parasites) and dizziness (because they don't drink water and only drink a little juice or soda most of the time.)
so we gave a lot of anti-parasitics, some antiacids, tylenol and ibuprofen, and vitamins. i had the opportunity to pray for a woman who described non-cardiac chest pain whenever she was worried or nervous about things, when she was depressed or sad. it was an honor to ask the LORD for help on her behalf and share with her the hope of Jesus - God with us.
upon my return to the hospital after taking several little mini-van buses back down the mountain and into town, i was met with on of the staff here asking me to attend his wife's delivery. she was on the 'operating table'/delivery table and about to deliver her first any time. so i quickly changed and then waited around a while ... and before too long she delivered a little boy! He was a bit too blue for my comfort initially, and my NICU training compelled me to take action a bit quicker than the nurses there, or general doctor seemed to. after some suction and warming and oxygen, he pinked up - but slowly. someone later wondered aloud if because of the altitude (8500 ft), babies look paler/bluer at first. perhaps. He's doing well now and his name is Ricardo. i'll try to get a picture.
19 july: another clinic in the morning. not as remote a village. lots of vitamins. lots of tylenol and ibuprofen. returned in the afternoon and napped until dinner.
20 july: today. said good bye to the large, large group and then there was silence. the 6 of us that remain are re-grouping, doing some planning for local activities (hiking, eating, seeing things) and resting.
all for now...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Vida en Vinto, Bolivia
"Life in Vinto, Bolivia"
hello all, and apologies for the lack of postings!
to start with, i'll give you an idea of what the days have held since we arrived...
6 july: arrived in Cochabamba (the larger city in the highlands of Bolivia) safely and rather miraculously after getting 2 seats on a "full" flight. We were met at the airport by one of the Hospital Administrators named Paul, wearing a llama sweater and holding a sign saying "Hospitals of Hope". He was a welcome sight. He took us the 30 minutes to the HOH complex outside of a smaller town called Vinto to the HOH guesthouse. 
We met our housemates, other volunteers who have been here varying amounts of time, mostly college students (Josh, Stephanie, Stephanie, Jean, Katherine and Pepper), rested, settled. The guest house is beautiful, we have our own room and bathroom. There is a common kitchen and the first night we had a great meal of tacos :) and went to bed exhausted, but well.
7 july: more resting and relaxing, and actually, preparing for the BIG group from the US, Canada and one guy from the UK to arrive in various installments later that day and the next. This is a team from MMI (Medical Ministries, International) composed of surgeons, nurses and a ton of 'general helpers' (more college students, teenagers, older folks). Most are staying in the guest house with us, which makes things very full/tight, with others staying at another house off site. We became part of the welcoming crew and 'house managers' since we had been there all of a day before the others. It's been a blessing, though, to have arrived before them, and to be sort of "independent" from the larger group, as we have more freedom to go about without obligation to the group activities/dynamics.
8 july: Sunday, mostly spent preparing for the week to start, with surgeries and patient care dynamics, etc. The hospital is fully functional with bolivian staff, however the surgery team brought a large influx of patients, with much more complicated issues, and so the preparation and management of this has been tricky, and a challenge for the Hospital staff.
9 july - 13 july: the work schedule here at the Hospital has been grueling, actually. we spent each of these nights (aside from the last, Friday) up all night at the hospital. I thought i'd be getting more rest here than at home ... but last week that was not the case. The LORD certainly has had His designs for us to be here at the same time as the surgery team, because the role of pre and post-operative management has fallen to us. Julie just finished her Internal Medicine residency which makes her perhaps the most qualified one here to manage critically ill patients, of which we have had quite a few. I have had the blessing, joy, and pleasure of working with her to manage these patients, talk through things, and learn learn learn.
We have had some frustrations and challenges working with the Bolivian staff physicians, as their approach to management differs quite a bit on some things, and our US practice of medicine has conflicted with theirs on a number of occasions. Toward the end of the week, a lot of these issues were sorted out (slowly!!!) but it is still a challenge to communicate over another culture and language in addition to the culture of medicine being different here. (Julie has likened it to 1950's medicine in the US).
i'll give some patient stories in the next entry.
14 july - 15 july: 2 glorious days off! we slept, ate great food (out! in the city, with a small group of the 'original' volunteers - so lovely! see pix below), and tried to regroup to sort out what the 2nd week should look like. we spent time in the city shopping, exploring, and trying to learn more about the people and culture here. it's beautiful here. and the people are dear and sweet. they are very proud of their heritage, their city, their country and children. 
16 july: Week 2 begins. more of the same in terms of management of patients....
so there's a bit of an update. and at this point i'm only as far as reflecting on what has been happening, more than how i'm feeling about it, or more of my thoughts. i am in need of some time to process and reflect and pray and then i'll be able to share more.
one question i've been asked several times: how is the Spanish going?
it's going. always wish i were able to communicate more freely, more smoothly, with better grammar... but overall, it's going very well. i feel like most days i understand more, and am able to use what i hear to improve my own skills. i am one of few "spanish-speakers" among this large group of americans, so i do a lot of translating. amazing, really. a gift from the LORD.
thanks for your prayers. please continue. this has been a hard 10 days.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Prayer Requests
Here is a "prayer card" for the month ahead:
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prayer Requests
Kate Venable & Julie Fletcher
Hospitals of Hope,
http://www.katevenable.blogspot.com
- The LORD’s protection
- Willing hearts to serve
- Eyes to see where the LORD is leading, how to serve
- Skill in language
- Unity among believers there, volunteers, Julie and me
- Opportunities to share the gospel
- Continued growth in medical skills
- Encouragement to the Scripture Union missionaries in
- That God would be glorified
- Leading and direction for long-term medical missions
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
off to Bolivia
seeing as it's about time for my monthly post... i thought i would introduce the next adventure i am blessed and so thankful to anticipate.
i will be going to Bolivia, for the month of July, with my dear friend and colleague, Julie, where we will be working in Hospital of Hope near Cochabamba. the website for it is: http://www.hospitalsofhope.org
i/we will be trying to keep up with some posting during the trip. i don't know what internet access will be, as the hospital is in a rural area. i'll post some prayer requests before i leave.
thanks! i'm so excited...
i will be going to Bolivia, for the month of July, with my dear friend and colleague, Julie, where we will be working in Hospital of Hope near Cochabamba. the website for it is: http://www.hospitalsofhope.org
i/we will be trying to keep up with some posting during the trip. i don't know what internet access will be, as the hospital is in a rural area. i'll post some prayer requests before i leave.
thanks! i'm so excited...
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