January 20, 2011

January 20, 2011
--Today’s starting plan was to spend the morning here at the house doing health assessments and treating Mangamba’s adults, old folks and preschoolers, and for the afternoon we'd go 7 km up the road to another village school. We didn’t make it to the school because the logistics became too complicated – lunch arrived at 3 pm, delayed due to a fender bender in Douala, etc., etc. We spent the whole day here and were busy with patients, without a break. It was another very hot and humid day.
--We were ready shortly after 9 am starting time – dozens of people were eagerly waiting to be seen for their myriad concerns, especially malaria symptoms. The oldest ones had arthritic aches and pains from their lives of daily hard manual labor, age- and lifestyle-related vision problems, and chronic stomach upsets. The young children presented with fever, runny noses, cough, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  A triage and vitals station was set up down stairs, and upstairs we did assessments and treatments - this worked well because here we were next to our pharmacy and supplies.

--A young man, Coco, had a seriously infected hand from a work accident with his machete – we dressed the wound, gave antibiotics, and arranged for him to return tomorrow for a recheck.
--We were concerned because last week’s 15 year old boy with the abscess on his hip did not come today. A middle-aged woman complained of severe flank and one-sided pelvic pain, and decreased urination with blood - she was given antibiotics and education about her care and sent home with plans that we’d follow her outpatient, but a few students feared she’d worsen and really wanted to hospitalize her – transportation was not available so she did go home and we’ll see her in the morning.

--Our meals have been and continue to be interesting and somewhat problematic.  Ruth is doing her best to assure that none of us get sick, so all our food is prepared by her chef in Douala and driven to us, usually twice daily and sometimes 3 times.  The cost of gas is horrendous, and its been difficult to deliver the meals on anything like a reasonable schedule. We’re really enjoying the French-influenced African foods, French cuisine, and some American foods, too.  We do appreciate the efforts and the good flavors. Lots of fresh tropical fruits – papayas, bananas, pineapples especially – we’ll never tire of any, they are so-o good.
--Joe and I will not miss our foam mattress because it absorbs body heat, making it hot to lie on it. But we will miss the coziness and romance of sleeping under the mosquito net – its filmy and pretty, and we feel very close when we’re tucked inside, just us and our magnificent adventure.