Hospital Stories

I realized that I have been focusing on the weekend trips, when really that is only 2 out of 7 days here. Just a warning though. The last few posts have been beautiful pictures with happy memories, but all of this might not be happy.

Our week goes like this...
Sunday evening: With everyone back from trips, Sunday night supper is our first provided meal of the week. Everyone talks about what they have been up too.

Monday: Hospital and free night. Nolan and I often take Swahili lessons.
Tuesday: Morning Report at hospital, Hospital, Kenyan lunch, Karaoke,
             Nolan and I don't go to karaoke because it is at a bar, but usually we get the place to ourselves with everyone gone. Faster internet. :)
Wednesday: Hospital, Restaurant night: Last night it was Sunjeel Indian food. Delicious, but too packed. I think they underestimated our number by like 20! More yummy paneer and nan ( indian flat bread)
Thursday: Morning report, Hospital, Dodgeball for the brave souls, Supper, Fireside chat,
     Thursday is one of my favorite days. All of the guys are serious about dodgeball. Usually only 1 or 2 girls play. I watch, it's very entertaining!
      Friday: Hospital and no supper night. I usually forget supper is not provided since so many people leave on trips. Usually we go out to town if not gone.

Ok, so you are probably like, that is very boring, why are they in Kenya? Well, the hospital is a million stories in itself!

On Tuesday. Nolan's friend Erica got attacked by a naked woman. They have a psych ward, but you have to be admitted to the medicine ward first. Erika said she was screaming about taking all of the earrings out of everyone. I guess she tried to strangle a doctor, and grabbed Erica, all while in the nude. poor erica !

Yesterday, Nolan had a rough day. Rounds started late, so they were still in room 1 of 3. It is common to have 2 in a bed, so they were talking about 1 of 2 babies in the last bed. I guess Dr. Asha looked over and realized the baby wasn't breathing. She said she had seen the baby breathing recently. She yelled for an ambu bag, and eventually got one, but I guess it was too late. They tried for 5 minutes with compressions and bagging, but Dr. Asha told Nolan she checked the pupil reflex, and it was gone, so that meant the brain stem was dead. I don't know how pediatric life support is in the United States, so we don't know if that is a trustworthy indicator, but poor Nolan had to witness the entire thing. He has had patients die, but never right in front of him, or a baby. I knew something was going on because they brought the mom out through the Sally test center. She completely lost it, understandably.

There were three more children abandoned this weekend. That makes around 11, lets see if i can remember their names,
Dan
Little Dan
Jolyne
Shadrach ( Shaddy)
Sarah
Lydia
Amos
Enoch
Maimy
Well that makes nine, and there are at least two more, so that sounds right. Some are developmentally slow, but others are just normal healthy kids. It breaks my heart. If adoptions weren't terribly difficult, I would take all of them home!

That's all for now.
Love,
Abby

PS. When our car overheated on the way back from the mara, these kids flocked from the local village. Not sure if they had ever seen a digital camera or a white person up close before. Our driver, a Kenyan, said this will be a day they remember. That made me smile!