What a WEEK!

Okay, so I just briefly looked to see how far I had gotten in my last blog. I was shocked to see that it was posted over a week ago. What a poor writer I am getting to be.


Knowing that our AC pump had not worked in more than a year, and since I had help here. It was decided, mostly by me since I would be overseeing it, to replace the pump. We had a replacement pump in the tool shed. There were a lot of things in there I had never really seen before.


Changing the pump was an experience. First, we did not have to go down the well. (Like there was NO chance that was going to happen.) We did have to do some heavy lifting and playing with wires. But the actual procedure was pretty basic. I could do it again. Duane had given step by step and pretty specific directions. Send a big thank you to God for working Internet so I could correspond with Duane. (there was a little problem with the Internet, but it only lasted 24 hours and it was the weekend, so that was good.)


Tuesday was the day we changed the pump. Monday we had a field trip to the Roots village of Juffren and Albrada. We learned some interesting twists to American history. It was my fourth or fifth trip, so I am pretty experienced at bartering the price of a trip to James Island (the holding place for the captured men and women before boarding the slave ships). I bartered the price from a total of D1000 down to a respectable D300. Whew.


Wednesday started another clinic week. We had experienced a problem when reconnecting the pump wires at the well, two labels fell off. Not cool. We attempted a quick switch and waa laa... water! Praise God!


Back to the clinic, we are still experiencing a fair amount of Malaria. This week was no exception. We saw a variety of patients which was fun for me. Stacie (a pediatrician) is here for this month. All though I stretch her out of her comfort zone, she has been a great source to have round. I made sure my toughest cases (all adults) had an appointment while she was here. I appreciated the consult and was glad I hadn't made any errors in judgement or treatments. God is good!

Friday was an exceptionally slow day in the clinic. That is until the staff went home. On his way home one of our staff members passed a family coming to the clinic with two sick children. He came with to assist with their treatment. That was nice of him. The little boy was very sick. He started seizing at home and was still seizing. He seized a long time in spite of medication we gave him, just before he left for the referral center the seizures stopped. Stacie and I both examined him and I ran the labs and helped her with medicating (I know where all the supplies are). we sent two different ambulance trips that afternoon and then just before dinner another patient came, an adult who didn't want to come in that morning. Stacie heard him calling out on the compound trying to find the doctor. Our guard was making rounds and didn't see the guy enter. I was trying to take a nap. I heard Stacie say, "I would take care of him, but I can't talk with him". I yelled out, I am coming in English and then in Wolof.

Friday evening is pizza and a movie for the SPTs. We extend invitations to all who are on the compound. So the Marrie family have been joining us in our weekly entertainment. This week, they provided the film. Ryan wanted to share Spider-man Three with us. About five minutes into the conversation we heard a voice at the window, which usually means a sick person has come. This evening it was a woman in labor. Our village birth attendant was in another village attending a family member's funeral. Salifu, one of our nurse/midwives, had gone to the city to visit his children, and Wurribella's husband refuses to let her work at night (smart man, he is not living in the home and they have a small child). So, the woman's escort thought of me.



I do not like birthing babies. However, since I know how, I agreed to help. She had six children at home. I figured I would be back before the movie was over... boy was I wrong. Stacie came to see what was happening. The answer... not much. Finally, about four thirty am, I said I was going to get the driver to drive us to the referral hospital. Her labour had arrested. During our 40 minute transfer she had only two small contractions. I made it home at 6am. I still had stuff out from making Pizza the night before. It was 7 am before I crawled into bed. I asked our guards to tell the visitors for the day that I was sleeping as I was up all night. I am so thankful I remembered to do that.

Today we went visiting and I saw her escort. She delivered a baby girl at 5 PM. ugh! The mom must have been exhausted. I hear the baby's leg has a problem. Stacie and I will go visit her tomorrow or Tuesday. I have to go to Banjul tomorrow. So we shall see what gets done.


Thanks for your prayers. They sustain me on these crazy days.