Yes, I realize that it has been over a year since I have last written on this blog... but recently I have been feeling somewhat unsettled and unsure of what to do next in my life. And I always have found in the past that writing things down seems to put things into perspective for me so here goes...
We'll get into the unsure part a little later but for those of you I don't get to talk to regularly, here's a little update on my life! I took a job at Hendricks Regional Heath in Danville (suburb of Indy) last year as their first Pediatric Hospitalist. Basically my job there is to take care of the newborns that are born there and the kids that are admitted to the Pediatrics unit. It has been a bit of an adjustment from residency but for the most part is has gone well. My favorite parts include the schedule (7 days on, 7 days off), the great people that I work with, and that I get to take care of little ones that often need a little more attention than just a well child check. It has also been exciting to be a part of a quickly expanding program and a rapidly expanding field! Since hiring me last year, HRH has hired 3 MORE peds hospitalists! One of the things I do miss about residency was being surrounded by other peds residents (AKA some of my best friends) all day, every day. It always seemed like no matter how bad your call night was or how much you disliked your attending, there was always someone to sit in the housestaff lounge and complain or cry to (picture Grey's Anatomy, although much less sex). Starting out as the first and only peds hospitalist was a little lonely at first... but I think hiring 3 more partners is definitely a step in the right direction!
I have done a little traveling since Jan 2009, although I have to say none quite as exciting as Kenya! Two trips to Mexico with Shane, a week with Naomi out in Denver, trips to Pittsburgh to visit my grandparents, a weekend in Mt. Jewett, PA with my mom discovering family we didn't know we had, girls trip with my high school best friends over the summer, Disney World, South Beach and the Keys with Shane... Many fun memories! I have to say that traveling is one of my all time favorite things to do and I am so blessed to have friends and family that live around the country. While it is sometimes hard not having all the people I love in one place, getting to visit and catch up with them is one of the highlights of my life!
Shane and I have been together now for a little over a year and a half and things are going very well! I have found so many of the things I have been missing in previous relationships with Shane. Things I never even knew I needed! The way we communicate and the way he loves me is beyond compare. He makes me feel so supported, so respected, so cared about. It just feels so great to have someone care about me the way he does and I am truly blessed to have him in my life!
Which brings me to the unsettled and unsure part... Although now I'm not feeling so unsure! See, writing really puts things into perspective for me! :-) There is still no sidewalk in sight, but I should take this opportunity to dance in the daisies! How ridiculously lucky am I?!?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Theres no place like home!
Hi everyone! So as most of you know already, I made it back from my African adventure in one piece! I was able to make it to Tennessee to spend the Christmas holiday with family and friends there and then spent New Years here in Indy. It has been so good getting to see and talk to so many of you again and catch up on what has been going on with you all! You were missed!
So lots of people who have gone to Kenya in the past have told me that the adjustment back to life in the US would be difficult, but I honestly haven't found it to be too bad. In my mind, it just seems like two completely different worlds that somehow (strangely) exist on the same planet. My experiences in Kenya have made me grateful for some of the strangest things... like smoothly paved roads, people obeying traffic laws, police that don't try to bribe you, being able to blend in, and pre-prepared foods (how did I live for 2 mos without EasyMac and Mountain Dew?!?). But also I have realized how much STUFF we have here that seems so vital to our lives... but in reality is so totally unnecessary and unimportant. Sure it is nice to have, but we can live with so much less, and still be happy... and maybe even happier! It just seems that our culture is so bent on THINGS and can tend to forget what really matters.
I have struggled a little with knowing whether to feel 1.) extremely blessed to live where I live and have the life I have or to 2.) feel guitly knowing I could be completely happy with so much less-- which might make more for others. Am I lucky? Or just ridiculously spoiled? Or both? Either way, this experience has definitely changed my view of the world and my definition of what I "need." I think it will probably take me a while to fully process my experiences in Kenya and will likely ramble on here more in the future... so get excited! ;-)
I did want to give a little explanation for the title of my blog "Where the sidewalk ends." Not only is it one of my favorite poems (you can read it at http://kyleysenglishblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/where-sidewalk-ends.html ) but I feel that it is totally fitting for this time in my life. Not only was I visiting Africa (not many sidewalks there...) but I am also rapidly approaching the end of residency. I feel like up to this point, I have always had a goal in mind (being a doctor) and have been working hard for the past 10 years of my life to make that dream a reality. Well, the path to being a doctor includes college, medical school and residency. You go where you get accepted or match. Pretty straight forward really. But NOW... check, check and check. Done, done and done. So what's next? It just seems like almost limitless possibilities! I love my job and one of the great things about it is I can basically do it from anywhere. Sooo... the sidewalk has ended, it's up to me to figure out what the right next step is for me! How exciting-- and overwhelming!
Anyways, enough rambling for one night. Hope this post finds you all well! Love you all!
So lots of people who have gone to Kenya in the past have told me that the adjustment back to life in the US would be difficult, but I honestly haven't found it to be too bad. In my mind, it just seems like two completely different worlds that somehow (strangely) exist on the same planet. My experiences in Kenya have made me grateful for some of the strangest things... like smoothly paved roads, people obeying traffic laws, police that don't try to bribe you, being able to blend in, and pre-prepared foods (how did I live for 2 mos without EasyMac and Mountain Dew?!?). But also I have realized how much STUFF we have here that seems so vital to our lives... but in reality is so totally unnecessary and unimportant. Sure it is nice to have, but we can live with so much less, and still be happy... and maybe even happier! It just seems that our culture is so bent on THINGS and can tend to forget what really matters.
I have struggled a little with knowing whether to feel 1.) extremely blessed to live where I live and have the life I have or to 2.) feel guitly knowing I could be completely happy with so much less-- which might make more for others. Am I lucky? Or just ridiculously spoiled? Or both? Either way, this experience has definitely changed my view of the world and my definition of what I "need." I think it will probably take me a while to fully process my experiences in Kenya and will likely ramble on here more in the future... so get excited! ;-)
I did want to give a little explanation for the title of my blog "Where the sidewalk ends." Not only is it one of my favorite poems (you can read it at http://kyleysenglishblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/where-sidewalk-ends.html ) but I feel that it is totally fitting for this time in my life. Not only was I visiting Africa (not many sidewalks there...) but I am also rapidly approaching the end of residency. I feel like up to this point, I have always had a goal in mind (being a doctor) and have been working hard for the past 10 years of my life to make that dream a reality. Well, the path to being a doctor includes college, medical school and residency. You go where you get accepted or match. Pretty straight forward really. But NOW... check, check and check. Done, done and done. So what's next? It just seems like almost limitless possibilities! I love my job and one of the great things about it is I can basically do it from anywhere. Sooo... the sidewalk has ended, it's up to me to figure out what the right next step is for me! How exciting-- and overwhelming!
Anyways, enough rambling for one night. Hope this post finds you all well! Love you all!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Good-bye Eldoret!
Well, my time here in Kenya is rapidly coming to an end… We leave Eldoret on Saturday morning for Mombasa for a few days of rest and relaxation at Tiwi Beach. One week from right now I will be boarding a plane in Nairobi to make the long journey back home. I am both excited to get back and sad to be leaving. It has been impossible to try to relay the feelings and experiences of this journey to you all and I apologize for that. I do hope that you will forgive me over the next few months when I undoubtedly repeatedly use the phrase “When I was in Kenya…”
So as promised, I wanted to tell you all about my experiences in Busia and Port Victoria visiting a few of the rural HIV clinics. There are 18 clinics run by AMPATH (formerly Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV now broadened to Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare) and they are responsible for providing care to over 55,000 HIV positive adults and children here in Kenya. (website is http://www.medicine.iupui.edu/kenya/hiv.aids.html if you are interested in learning more!) The clinics I went to care for more than 10,000 people-- about 8,000 in Busia and 2,500 in Port Victoria. And these are not big towns… It was shocking to me to hear some of the statistics: about 1000 children are treated at the Busia clinic, 70% of the women treated at the Khunyangu clinic are already widowed. According to Dennis, the Kenyan resident who was there with me, women are much more willing to be tested and seek treatment and therefore often times outlive their male counterparts. I think being a single parent anywhere would be challenging… but add on the stress of extreme poverty, a large number of children (5 is the Kenyan average), and high likelihood that the other parent, as well as some of the children may also be positive. Unimaginable.
Despite the prevalence of the disease, there is still such stigma attached to this diagnosis. Many people who do seek treatment travel long distances to go to clinics out of their town in attempt to avoid seeing anyone they know. And travel here is not necessarily easy, nor does everyone have the money available to make such a trip.
There were so many patients that I saw over those two days whose stories broke my heart. It was quite overwhelming and I had to hold back tears several times. Just to give you an idea, one was a woman about 40 y/o who recently tested positive. Her husband worked out of town (as is common in Busia) and was only able to make it home for 2 weeks out of the year. He has not come home now for over 3 years and she has not heard from him. It is very possible that he has either a.) run off with another woman who he has likely infected as well b.) he’s aware of his diagnosis and too ashamed to come home or c.) he’s dead. And she has no way of knowing either way. Now she, through no fault of her own, is left with 4 children, little source of income and HIV.
The impact of this disease is shocking, most notably on the women and children. Recently I was also able to tag along on several OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) visits. This is a section of AMPATH that focuses mainly on meeting the needs of orphans of HIV as well as those children and families already suffering from the effects of extreme poverty and HIV. We visited one 13 y/o boy who is HIV positive, an orphan (both parents died of HIV), and the rest of his family has shunned him. They refuse to allow him to live with them, to help him seek treatment or to pay his school fees. Without help from AMPATH or another organization similar to it, this child would undoubtedly have little chance of a real future. And he is a sweet, bright kid who has little to no control over his circumstances.
I feel so blessed to have been able to have this experience. No doubt it will take me a while to process some of the things I have seen here. But I have met some amazing people, seen some wonderful things, faced some fears, maybe helped a few people… and I think/hope have learned and grown through the course of this trip. It will be something I will never forget…
Looking forward to seeing many of you soon! Hugs from Kenya!!!
So as promised, I wanted to tell you all about my experiences in Busia and Port Victoria visiting a few of the rural HIV clinics. There are 18 clinics run by AMPATH (formerly Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV now broadened to Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare) and they are responsible for providing care to over 55,000 HIV positive adults and children here in Kenya. (website is http://www.medicine.iupui.edu/kenya/hiv.aids.html if you are interested in learning more!) The clinics I went to care for more than 10,000 people-- about 8,000 in Busia and 2,500 in Port Victoria. And these are not big towns… It was shocking to me to hear some of the statistics: about 1000 children are treated at the Busia clinic, 70% of the women treated at the Khunyangu clinic are already widowed. According to Dennis, the Kenyan resident who was there with me, women are much more willing to be tested and seek treatment and therefore often times outlive their male counterparts. I think being a single parent anywhere would be challenging… but add on the stress of extreme poverty, a large number of children (5 is the Kenyan average), and high likelihood that the other parent, as well as some of the children may also be positive. Unimaginable.
Despite the prevalence of the disease, there is still such stigma attached to this diagnosis. Many people who do seek treatment travel long distances to go to clinics out of their town in attempt to avoid seeing anyone they know. And travel here is not necessarily easy, nor does everyone have the money available to make such a trip.
There were so many patients that I saw over those two days whose stories broke my heart. It was quite overwhelming and I had to hold back tears several times. Just to give you an idea, one was a woman about 40 y/o who recently tested positive. Her husband worked out of town (as is common in Busia) and was only able to make it home for 2 weeks out of the year. He has not come home now for over 3 years and she has not heard from him. It is very possible that he has either a.) run off with another woman who he has likely infected as well b.) he’s aware of his diagnosis and too ashamed to come home or c.) he’s dead. And she has no way of knowing either way. Now she, through no fault of her own, is left with 4 children, little source of income and HIV.
The impact of this disease is shocking, most notably on the women and children. Recently I was also able to tag along on several OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) visits. This is a section of AMPATH that focuses mainly on meeting the needs of orphans of HIV as well as those children and families already suffering from the effects of extreme poverty and HIV. We visited one 13 y/o boy who is HIV positive, an orphan (both parents died of HIV), and the rest of his family has shunned him. They refuse to allow him to live with them, to help him seek treatment or to pay his school fees. Without help from AMPATH or another organization similar to it, this child would undoubtedly have little chance of a real future. And he is a sweet, bright kid who has little to no control over his circumstances.
I feel so blessed to have been able to have this experience. No doubt it will take me a while to process some of the things I have seen here. But I have met some amazing people, seen some wonderful things, faced some fears, maybe helped a few people… and I think/hope have learned and grown through the course of this trip. It will be something I will never forget…
Looking forward to seeing many of you soon! Hugs from Kenya!!!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
How in the world did I get here?!?!
Hello and I hope that everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! We had a nice dinner here at the IU House with about 50-60 people, both Kenyans and Americans. The menu included such classics as turkey (special ordered from Nairobi!), mashed potatoes and stuffing… and then of course goat and ugali! Yummy!
So this past week, I have had a few moments where I had to stand back and say “How did I get here?” Monday I left (sans Naomi for the first time here in Kenya!) for a two night out of town trip. I went with a group of Kenyan medical personnel to work in these HIV clinics out in a few smaller towns. The trip got off to kind of a rough start for me as about 2 hours into the trip I started feeling quite queasy. As much as I would like to blame it all on car sickness, which was part of the problem, I think my nerves were also getting the best of me. I realized I had never really been out of the safe confines of the IU House, never not been with at least one other American, and especially never seen this side of Africa at night. As we bumped (and I mean BUMPED) along back roads, I realized that there were no street lights, the occasional mud huts along the road didn’t have electricity, and that everyone in the car with me was speaking Kswahili… and I started to feel really alone and small. I realized that there really was not much of a safety net for me at that point… and it was actually very unnerving! Now I don’t normally consider myself the worrying type so this was somewhat of a new feeling for me. It may have also had something to do with the fact that the town we were going to, Busia, sits right on the Uganda border. Nothing gets me excited like having “Welcome to Uganda” pop up on my cell phone… Lovely. So, we finally get to Busia and it is H-O-T HOT. The city that I live in here (Eldoret) is at quite a high elevation so it keeps it pretty mild. But even as the sun was going down, the temperature was going up as we drove into the Lake Victoria lowlands. We (at this point it is me and three Kenyan men) stopped for some dinner and order chicken and ugali, which is this congealed corn meal stuff that Kenyans practically live on. Very filling and cheap, but not tasty (at least not to me). Still feeling quite green, the sight of basically an entire cooked chicken hacked into pieces didn’t really help. Not wanting to be rude I tried to eat it… Really I did. I got a few bites down but did end up spitting quite a few bites into a napkin. Anyways, then to top off the night, the rest of the crew dropped me off at the hotel but explained that none of them would be staying there as it was too expensive for them (about $15/night). I don’t think I have ever felt that alone and far away from everything I know, ever, and I started to question what path had led me here…
The next day brought even more challenges. Working in the HIV clinic was emotionally draining and deserves its own blog which I will write some day soon… But yet again, my stomach was put to the test. I’m not really used to seeing my lunch alive, squawking out in the yard, just a mere hour before eating it. And once again, ugali was the main course. Perfect. I tried to block the memory of the poor chicken, now cooked in front of me, from my mind as I forced a few bites down. As a side not, it was amazing to me how many people were fed by the two chickens who gave their lives and the large lump of ugali that was served—I’d say about 20 people for what cost about $12! (I’ll have to keep this in mind for the next party I throw…You know you want to come!) While at the clinic, we also bought what would be our dinner that evening. We were in Port Victoria, right on Lake Victoria so fish are abundant. Along with our fish for dinner, the intern I was with was also given a duck (alive!) and a chicken (alive!) to take home to his family. So I think the animals in the car may have actually outnumbered the people… Anyways, of course for dinner, the fish was served whole (scales, gills, eyes, tail… the whole bit) with what else but ugali! Needless to say I am pretty sure I lost about 5 lbs over the past 2 days, thanks to the excessive sweating and lack of eating I did…
One last situation that I found myself in that was somewhat amusing… After eating the fish (which we took to a restaurant for them to prepare for us) we stayed around the restaurant which was also somewhat of a bar/pool hall. I ended up being the only woman among about 12 Kenyan men drinking beer, playing pool and speaking Kswahili… Everyone was perfectly nice and respectful (well as far as I could tell as my Kswahili vocabulary is extremely limited!) but this was the point when I truly began to wonder “How on God’s green earth, of all places, did I end up here?”
Anyways, obviously I made it home safe and sound so no worries! Less than three weeks and I’ll be back in the states, which I am both excited and sad about. I do love so much about this place… but it is hard being away from all of you back at home! Please continue to keep in touch! Love to you all!
So this past week, I have had a few moments where I had to stand back and say “How did I get here?” Monday I left (sans Naomi for the first time here in Kenya!) for a two night out of town trip. I went with a group of Kenyan medical personnel to work in these HIV clinics out in a few smaller towns. The trip got off to kind of a rough start for me as about 2 hours into the trip I started feeling quite queasy. As much as I would like to blame it all on car sickness, which was part of the problem, I think my nerves were also getting the best of me. I realized I had never really been out of the safe confines of the IU House, never not been with at least one other American, and especially never seen this side of Africa at night. As we bumped (and I mean BUMPED) along back roads, I realized that there were no street lights, the occasional mud huts along the road didn’t have electricity, and that everyone in the car with me was speaking Kswahili… and I started to feel really alone and small. I realized that there really was not much of a safety net for me at that point… and it was actually very unnerving! Now I don’t normally consider myself the worrying type so this was somewhat of a new feeling for me. It may have also had something to do with the fact that the town we were going to, Busia, sits right on the Uganda border. Nothing gets me excited like having “Welcome to Uganda” pop up on my cell phone… Lovely. So, we finally get to Busia and it is H-O-T HOT. The city that I live in here (Eldoret) is at quite a high elevation so it keeps it pretty mild. But even as the sun was going down, the temperature was going up as we drove into the Lake Victoria lowlands. We (at this point it is me and three Kenyan men) stopped for some dinner and order chicken and ugali, which is this congealed corn meal stuff that Kenyans practically live on. Very filling and cheap, but not tasty (at least not to me). Still feeling quite green, the sight of basically an entire cooked chicken hacked into pieces didn’t really help. Not wanting to be rude I tried to eat it… Really I did. I got a few bites down but did end up spitting quite a few bites into a napkin. Anyways, then to top off the night, the rest of the crew dropped me off at the hotel but explained that none of them would be staying there as it was too expensive for them (about $15/night). I don’t think I have ever felt that alone and far away from everything I know, ever, and I started to question what path had led me here…
The next day brought even more challenges. Working in the HIV clinic was emotionally draining and deserves its own blog which I will write some day soon… But yet again, my stomach was put to the test. I’m not really used to seeing my lunch alive, squawking out in the yard, just a mere hour before eating it. And once again, ugali was the main course. Perfect. I tried to block the memory of the poor chicken, now cooked in front of me, from my mind as I forced a few bites down. As a side not, it was amazing to me how many people were fed by the two chickens who gave their lives and the large lump of ugali that was served—I’d say about 20 people for what cost about $12! (I’ll have to keep this in mind for the next party I throw…You know you want to come!) While at the clinic, we also bought what would be our dinner that evening. We were in Port Victoria, right on Lake Victoria so fish are abundant. Along with our fish for dinner, the intern I was with was also given a duck (alive!) and a chicken (alive!) to take home to his family. So I think the animals in the car may have actually outnumbered the people… Anyways, of course for dinner, the fish was served whole (scales, gills, eyes, tail… the whole bit) with what else but ugali! Needless to say I am pretty sure I lost about 5 lbs over the past 2 days, thanks to the excessive sweating and lack of eating I did…
One last situation that I found myself in that was somewhat amusing… After eating the fish (which we took to a restaurant for them to prepare for us) we stayed around the restaurant which was also somewhat of a bar/pool hall. I ended up being the only woman among about 12 Kenyan men drinking beer, playing pool and speaking Kswahili… Everyone was perfectly nice and respectful (well as far as I could tell as my Kswahili vocabulary is extremely limited!) but this was the point when I truly began to wonder “How on God’s green earth, of all places, did I end up here?”
Anyways, obviously I made it home safe and sound so no worries! Less than three weeks and I’ll be back in the states, which I am both excited and sad about. I do love so much about this place… but it is hard being away from all of you back at home! Please continue to keep in touch! Love to you all!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Crossing over
So time is just flying! I can’t believe I’ve been here almost three weeks! I apologize for not writing sooner! Last week was very busy with many people headed back to the states for the Thanksgiving holiday so we spent some extra time enjoying our last few days together. It is going to be much quieter around here for the next few weeks…
Last weekend we (Naomi and I) traveled to Nakuru (the 4th largest city in Kenya) which is about 2-3 hours away from Eldoret. Nearby is Lake Nakuru National Park, known for its extensive wildlife. We spotted many animals including flamingos, water buffalo, baboons, lions, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, rhinos… And we got some amazing pictures, especially of the giraffes and the hyenas. One of my favorite pictures is of these two hyenas that we spotted hanging out near a small watering hole. It seemed at first that they were just keeping cool in the water but as we approached, one of the hyenas stood up and actually had a dead bird of some sort in its mouth. He and his buddy just stared us down as if to say “Yeah, just try to come get this delicious treat from me. I dare you.” So needless to say, I didn’t try to get the bird… but I did get a great picture! I also really liked watching the baby baboons play and the giraffes run. We also had this amazing moment where we spotted a momma rhino and her baby running through a somewhat wooded area. We were kind of in a hurry because we had just heard where the lions were hiding out so we were driving kind of fast. The momma rhino was kind of corralling her baby to stay out of the way of our car as they were running. Now when else in my life am I going to get to see rhinos running beside my car?!?! I continue to be amazed by this place...
Besides safari, I also learned a lot more about Kenyan people and culture, thanks to our driver for the weekend Francis. During the long drive I was able to ask him a lot of questions about recent events here in Kenya, including the violence that occurred here earlier this year. There are 42 different tribes here in Kenya, all with their own cultural practices and languages (though most also speak Kswahili and English). Not surprisingly, there is often mistrust and suspicion between members of differing tribes, especially in the political arena. This makes politics here a little more complicated… Earlier this year, violence broke out mainly targeting members of the largest ethnic tribe, the Kikuyu, after many believe that the presidency was obtained unfairly. Many homes belonging to Kikuyus were burned and hundreds of people were killed, 35 of which (17 children) were killed while seeking refuge in a church here in Eldoret when it was burned to the ground. Francis told us that nearly 150 people sought refuge in the IU House, where I am currently living, during the violence. And still driving through the beautiful countryside almost a year later you see evidence of this tragedy. We have passed through towns where many of the buildings have been burned. On our trip to Lake Baringo several weeks ago, we passed over a deep gulley where many Kikuyus had been thrown to their death. Already in my three weeks here I have passed several IDP (internally displaced peoples) camps where those whose homes were burned down are staying. They are basically just camps with tents. It breaks my heart to see so many children playing among the tents. And many of these people have so little to begin with… Of course, I can in no way claim to even begin to understand the complexities of Kenyan politics and culture, but being here has made me want to learn more and to increase my own awareness of things occurring outside of my own safe little niche.
Work at the hospital over the past few weeks has also been eye-opening and quite depressing at times. I thought at first that maybe I would get used to the way the hospital system works and then wouldn’t be so frustrated by it… but I’m still waiting to get there. Often time tests that we order don’t get done for any number of reasons. Most surprisingly for me, if a family cannot afford for a test to be run or a treatment to be given, it is not given. This just seems so WRONG to me, especially as the kids have no say in how much or how little money their parents make and they are the ones suffering. We had a 9 year old little girl who came in with kidney failure. By the time she came to the hospital, her kidneys were scarred and nonfunctional. She was also blind because her blood pressure was so high (240/180 when she came in!) secondary to her kidney disease. In the US, this child would have been placed on the kidney transplant list… Here you can only get a transplant if you can afford it. And who can afford a kidney transplant??? So this little girl died last week… It was just a completely foreign idea to me that there are things that could be done to help this little girl… just not available in her case because her family is not wealthy. It is just so frustrating… and I know that this is just one story among so many similar.
Lastly, I did want to let you all know that the Indiana University/Kenya program that I am now involved in was featured on the Indianapolis evening news every night last week. You all can watch the news stories and see where I am working (look for the bright yellow walls… that is the peds ward where I work!). The little boy Owen that they talk about on one of the pieces (the one entitled “IU Kenya med students”) is one of the abandoned kids I take care of and absolutely adore. Also, interestingly Joe Mamlin, the one who started the program, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. And I had lunch with him today! Pretty impressive!
Check out the link at:
http://www.wthr.com/global/Category.asp?c=153647
Go to the right side of the page to watch the several “Compassion for Kenya” segments
Enjoy! TTFN!
Last weekend we (Naomi and I) traveled to Nakuru (the 4th largest city in Kenya) which is about 2-3 hours away from Eldoret. Nearby is Lake Nakuru National Park, known for its extensive wildlife. We spotted many animals including flamingos, water buffalo, baboons, lions, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, rhinos… And we got some amazing pictures, especially of the giraffes and the hyenas. One of my favorite pictures is of these two hyenas that we spotted hanging out near a small watering hole. It seemed at first that they were just keeping cool in the water but as we approached, one of the hyenas stood up and actually had a dead bird of some sort in its mouth. He and his buddy just stared us down as if to say “Yeah, just try to come get this delicious treat from me. I dare you.” So needless to say, I didn’t try to get the bird… but I did get a great picture! I also really liked watching the baby baboons play and the giraffes run. We also had this amazing moment where we spotted a momma rhino and her baby running through a somewhat wooded area. We were kind of in a hurry because we had just heard where the lions were hiding out so we were driving kind of fast. The momma rhino was kind of corralling her baby to stay out of the way of our car as they were running. Now when else in my life am I going to get to see rhinos running beside my car?!?! I continue to be amazed by this place...
Besides safari, I also learned a lot more about Kenyan people and culture, thanks to our driver for the weekend Francis. During the long drive I was able to ask him a lot of questions about recent events here in Kenya, including the violence that occurred here earlier this year. There are 42 different tribes here in Kenya, all with their own cultural practices and languages (though most also speak Kswahili and English). Not surprisingly, there is often mistrust and suspicion between members of differing tribes, especially in the political arena. This makes politics here a little more complicated… Earlier this year, violence broke out mainly targeting members of the largest ethnic tribe, the Kikuyu, after many believe that the presidency was obtained unfairly. Many homes belonging to Kikuyus were burned and hundreds of people were killed, 35 of which (17 children) were killed while seeking refuge in a church here in Eldoret when it was burned to the ground. Francis told us that nearly 150 people sought refuge in the IU House, where I am currently living, during the violence. And still driving through the beautiful countryside almost a year later you see evidence of this tragedy. We have passed through towns where many of the buildings have been burned. On our trip to Lake Baringo several weeks ago, we passed over a deep gulley where many Kikuyus had been thrown to their death. Already in my three weeks here I have passed several IDP (internally displaced peoples) camps where those whose homes were burned down are staying. They are basically just camps with tents. It breaks my heart to see so many children playing among the tents. And many of these people have so little to begin with… Of course, I can in no way claim to even begin to understand the complexities of Kenyan politics and culture, but being here has made me want to learn more and to increase my own awareness of things occurring outside of my own safe little niche.
Work at the hospital over the past few weeks has also been eye-opening and quite depressing at times. I thought at first that maybe I would get used to the way the hospital system works and then wouldn’t be so frustrated by it… but I’m still waiting to get there. Often time tests that we order don’t get done for any number of reasons. Most surprisingly for me, if a family cannot afford for a test to be run or a treatment to be given, it is not given. This just seems so WRONG to me, especially as the kids have no say in how much or how little money their parents make and they are the ones suffering. We had a 9 year old little girl who came in with kidney failure. By the time she came to the hospital, her kidneys were scarred and nonfunctional. She was also blind because her blood pressure was so high (240/180 when she came in!) secondary to her kidney disease. In the US, this child would have been placed on the kidney transplant list… Here you can only get a transplant if you can afford it. And who can afford a kidney transplant??? So this little girl died last week… It was just a completely foreign idea to me that there are things that could be done to help this little girl… just not available in her case because her family is not wealthy. It is just so frustrating… and I know that this is just one story among so many similar.
Lastly, I did want to let you all know that the Indiana University/Kenya program that I am now involved in was featured on the Indianapolis evening news every night last week. You all can watch the news stories and see where I am working (look for the bright yellow walls… that is the peds ward where I work!). The little boy Owen that they talk about on one of the pieces (the one entitled “IU Kenya med students”) is one of the abandoned kids I take care of and absolutely adore. Also, interestingly Joe Mamlin, the one who started the program, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. And I had lunch with him today! Pretty impressive!
Check out the link at:
http://www.wthr.com/global/Category.asp?c=153647
Go to the right side of the page to watch the several “Compassion for Kenya” segments
Enjoy! TTFN!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Rift Valley High
Hi again! Hope that everyone is having a great week!
I am coming off of a great weekend so am still on a bit of a high! We are allowed to have weekends off here and so most of the residents/med students that come over here spend that time traveling around Kenya. This past weekend we (seven of my colleagues and I) made a little trip to Lake Baringo, famous for its birdwatching (over 450 species!!!) as well as its frequent croc and hippo sightings. It was a beautiful 2-3 hour drive through the Rift Valley, with breathtaking views, lush vegetation, and steep roads where many Kenyan marathoners have trained. When we got to the lake, we then boarded a boat out to where we were staying at Island Camp. I had heard that we would be staying in “permanent tents” but I just couldn’t really picture this… The “rooms” were basically two-person tents with beds, a concrete floor, a grass hutch roof (like a hut) and a bathroom with running water. There was also a porch area out in front of each tent with amazing views of the island and mountains in the background. What a site to wake up to in the morning! The eight of us were basically the only people in the camp besides the employees (I think there was pretty much a 1:1 ratio of guests to employees!) so we really felt that we got the royal treatment. We enjoyed the weekend, spending time both at the pool relaxing and having a boat tour around the island. The biology dork in me really came out as I especially enjoyed the diverse wildlife and plant life! I saw many different species of birds, 2 crocs, a monitor, several lizards, and a hippo—all the span of 24 hours! So fun!!! There are also other indigenous people that live on the island and we saw many villages while on the boat tour. Often times there were people down by the shore fishing or washing clothes. It made me think of just how different my life is from those of these people… Not better, not worse… just different.
It did happen to rain quite a bit while we were on the island and on the way back, there was a place in the road that was underwater. Our driver assured us that this would not be a problem and we (possibly naively?) believed him. He did tell us our feet and luggage might get wet, which maybe should have been a warning sign for us! As we approached, we were all devising ways to get out of the “matatu” (basically a van from 1970) in case it was washed away and quoting Kenya’s new patron saint, Barack Obama, saying “Yes we can!” I was thinking of all the times I had been told not to drive through water you couldn’t see the bottom of… This water was probably up about 2-3 feet, rushing through a river bed, and the bottom was DEFINITELY NOT visible. Needless to say, our driver got us through in one dry piece, just as he said he would! Who comes to Africa to play is safe anyways? ;-)
The drive back was made even more beautiful by the rain as we spotted numerous waterfalls through the mountains. The landscape in this country is just so incredible and I know that words and pictures do it no justice. I think it is something you just have to be lucky enough to see for yourself… And I am so thankful everyday that I am able to experience this amazing adventure!
One of the other things that I have found remarkable is the extent of western influence on what appears to me to be the middle of nowhere Africa! As we drove the almost 3 hours, the driver was listening to the radio. We were entertained by such artists as Whitney Houston (I have to admit, I am a fan!), Celine Dion (Canada counts!), Peter Cetera, and Bett Midler! It cracked me up! And I actually saw a man wearing a Vanderbilt sweatshirt in the middle of Rift Valley! Now how strange is that?!? I tried to talk some SEC football with him but he wasn’t having any of it… Hmmm.
Anyways, one week down already! Six more to go! And so much left to learn and explore about this place… I’ll never be able to fit it all in! Guess I’ll have to plan a return trip! Who’s coming with me? ;-) Love to you all!
I am coming off of a great weekend so am still on a bit of a high! We are allowed to have weekends off here and so most of the residents/med students that come over here spend that time traveling around Kenya. This past weekend we (seven of my colleagues and I) made a little trip to Lake Baringo, famous for its birdwatching (over 450 species!!!) as well as its frequent croc and hippo sightings. It was a beautiful 2-3 hour drive through the Rift Valley, with breathtaking views, lush vegetation, and steep roads where many Kenyan marathoners have trained. When we got to the lake, we then boarded a boat out to where we were staying at Island Camp. I had heard that we would be staying in “permanent tents” but I just couldn’t really picture this… The “rooms” were basically two-person tents with beds, a concrete floor, a grass hutch roof (like a hut) and a bathroom with running water. There was also a porch area out in front of each tent with amazing views of the island and mountains in the background. What a site to wake up to in the morning! The eight of us were basically the only people in the camp besides the employees (I think there was pretty much a 1:1 ratio of guests to employees!) so we really felt that we got the royal treatment. We enjoyed the weekend, spending time both at the pool relaxing and having a boat tour around the island. The biology dork in me really came out as I especially enjoyed the diverse wildlife and plant life! I saw many different species of birds, 2 crocs, a monitor, several lizards, and a hippo—all the span of 24 hours! So fun!!! There are also other indigenous people that live on the island and we saw many villages while on the boat tour. Often times there were people down by the shore fishing or washing clothes. It made me think of just how different my life is from those of these people… Not better, not worse… just different.
It did happen to rain quite a bit while we were on the island and on the way back, there was a place in the road that was underwater. Our driver assured us that this would not be a problem and we (possibly naively?) believed him. He did tell us our feet and luggage might get wet, which maybe should have been a warning sign for us! As we approached, we were all devising ways to get out of the “matatu” (basically a van from 1970) in case it was washed away and quoting Kenya’s new patron saint, Barack Obama, saying “Yes we can!” I was thinking of all the times I had been told not to drive through water you couldn’t see the bottom of… This water was probably up about 2-3 feet, rushing through a river bed, and the bottom was DEFINITELY NOT visible. Needless to say, our driver got us through in one dry piece, just as he said he would! Who comes to Africa to play is safe anyways? ;-)
The drive back was made even more beautiful by the rain as we spotted numerous waterfalls through the mountains. The landscape in this country is just so incredible and I know that words and pictures do it no justice. I think it is something you just have to be lucky enough to see for yourself… And I am so thankful everyday that I am able to experience this amazing adventure!
One of the other things that I have found remarkable is the extent of western influence on what appears to me to be the middle of nowhere Africa! As we drove the almost 3 hours, the driver was listening to the radio. We were entertained by such artists as Whitney Houston (I have to admit, I am a fan!), Celine Dion (Canada counts!), Peter Cetera, and Bett Midler! It cracked me up! And I actually saw a man wearing a Vanderbilt sweatshirt in the middle of Rift Valley! Now how strange is that?!? I tried to talk some SEC football with him but he wasn’t having any of it… Hmmm.
Anyways, one week down already! Six more to go! And so much left to learn and explore about this place… I’ll never be able to fit it all in! Guess I’ll have to plan a return trip! Who’s coming with me? ;-) Love to you all!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Greetings from under the mosquito net!
Hello all! And welcome to my new blog! I usually can keep up with people pretty well through phone calls, email, facebook and myspace so I have never felt the urge to have a blog before … But now not having an (affordable) phone to stay in touch with people, and far too many people to email everyone individually, I am going to try this instead!
As most of you probably know, I am now in Eldoret, Kenya for seven weeks working in a hospital here. My good friend from residency, Naomi, is here with me. The trip here was pretty uneventful… just lots of hours on a plane. We flew Indy to Chicago, Chicago to London, London to Nairobi and then finally Nairobi to our final destination, Eldoret. When we landed in Nairobi, it was night time so we didn’t get to see much of the city. Naomi and I both commented that didn’t seem all that different from places we had seen in the US… and then we woke up. Driving through the city during the morning rush hour was quite eye opening. People walking everywhere, old vans entirely jam-packed full of people (Seriously, they made clown cars look like reasonable modes of transportation), livestock on the road, and basically death defying driving (I held my breath several times thinking we were going to hit a pedestrian or another car…). We got to see some of the highlights of the city, including Nairobi National Park (from the road only) as well as the slums and shanty houses. I thought I had seen poor before, having lived in Memphis and been into Appalachia on a mission trip, but this was different… Exactly what you picture when you think of “third world.”
Our first trip to the hospital was also eye-opening… The pediatrics “ward” consists of two hallways with rooms off of them, each room housing 8 beds, and each bed containing either one or two children. Often times there are also mothers sitting on the beds, making the single bed quite crowded. And parents at Riley complain about sharing a room! The HIV+ rate here is somewhere between 50-75% which adds a whole new realm of complexity to the differential diagnosis and caring for these children. Malaria, TB, meningitis, parasites, toxoplasmosis, and HIV (or any combination of the above!) are often the top 6 things on the differential. And the hospital works so much differently… Lab tests take forever to get back and even then, are often times are unreliable. It is hard to know how to react to this as we don’t want to offend the Kenyan doctors and nurses but it can be very frustrating. The first day on the wards, I watched this 2 month old seize and posture (for those not medical, that means basically badness), get bagged a few times, eventually get a bolus (with another baby laying on the bed next to him) and then he was just kind of left to hopefully recover… In the U.S. this would have been treated as a code situation, this baby would have been intubated and rushed to the ICU. There are just not the resources to deal with situations like that. That baby’s mother died last week of HIV so chances are that this baby has it too. I was shocked to see that baby still alive today…
It has not been all depressing though. Today I had a great day. While I was waiting for other members of my team to show up this afternoon (punctuality is not a high priority!) I met these two beautiful sisters, Ebenezu (7 y/o) and Shalom (5 y/o). Shalom approached me cautiously at first (I kind of stand out here…) but I offered her a sticker and got quite the smile with that. She sat down right next to me and proceeded to raid my white coat pockets. She loved the hand sanitizing gel and couldn’t get enough of the sticker book. Soon after that, she was writing out the alphabet, numbers (she knew 1-100!), and spelling out her name. She not only spoke Swahili, but also English and was one of the most curious, intelligent, charming little girls I have ever met. Her sister was also absolutely beautiful, a little more cautious than Shalom, but just so kind. Ebenezu played with my hair while Shalom dug out my stethoscope and listened to my heart. Their mother said that Ebenezu wants to be a lawyer and Shalom, a doctor. I can only hope and pray that this country affords these beautiful, intelligent children all the chances that they deserve.
It has also been entertaining to see the Kenyan response to Obama’s win. I woke up Wednesday morning to cheers out on the streets. Today was declared a “national holiday” yesterday and many Kenyans took off work. There is a reggae song on the radio that I have heard NUMEROUS times with the chorus of “Barack… Obama… Barack… Obama…” You should look it up on itunes if you get a chance. It’s there! I’ve seen people wearing American flag capes and basically everywhere you go, you are asked if you voted for Obama. Today some of the orphaned kids that basically just live at the hospital had a little parade with American flags that they had made. I wish I had my camera for that…
Anyways, I should sign off for now! Not having a cell phone, I live for messages and emails so please keep in touch! I miss you all so very much and send hugs to all of you!
As most of you probably know, I am now in Eldoret, Kenya for seven weeks working in a hospital here. My good friend from residency, Naomi, is here with me. The trip here was pretty uneventful… just lots of hours on a plane. We flew Indy to Chicago, Chicago to London, London to Nairobi and then finally Nairobi to our final destination, Eldoret. When we landed in Nairobi, it was night time so we didn’t get to see much of the city. Naomi and I both commented that didn’t seem all that different from places we had seen in the US… and then we woke up. Driving through the city during the morning rush hour was quite eye opening. People walking everywhere, old vans entirely jam-packed full of people (Seriously, they made clown cars look like reasonable modes of transportation), livestock on the road, and basically death defying driving (I held my breath several times thinking we were going to hit a pedestrian or another car…). We got to see some of the highlights of the city, including Nairobi National Park (from the road only) as well as the slums and shanty houses. I thought I had seen poor before, having lived in Memphis and been into Appalachia on a mission trip, but this was different… Exactly what you picture when you think of “third world.”
Our first trip to the hospital was also eye-opening… The pediatrics “ward” consists of two hallways with rooms off of them, each room housing 8 beds, and each bed containing either one or two children. Often times there are also mothers sitting on the beds, making the single bed quite crowded. And parents at Riley complain about sharing a room! The HIV+ rate here is somewhere between 50-75% which adds a whole new realm of complexity to the differential diagnosis and caring for these children. Malaria, TB, meningitis, parasites, toxoplasmosis, and HIV (or any combination of the above!) are often the top 6 things on the differential. And the hospital works so much differently… Lab tests take forever to get back and even then, are often times are unreliable. It is hard to know how to react to this as we don’t want to offend the Kenyan doctors and nurses but it can be very frustrating. The first day on the wards, I watched this 2 month old seize and posture (for those not medical, that means basically badness), get bagged a few times, eventually get a bolus (with another baby laying on the bed next to him) and then he was just kind of left to hopefully recover… In the U.S. this would have been treated as a code situation, this baby would have been intubated and rushed to the ICU. There are just not the resources to deal with situations like that. That baby’s mother died last week of HIV so chances are that this baby has it too. I was shocked to see that baby still alive today…
It has not been all depressing though. Today I had a great day. While I was waiting for other members of my team to show up this afternoon (punctuality is not a high priority!) I met these two beautiful sisters, Ebenezu (7 y/o) and Shalom (5 y/o). Shalom approached me cautiously at first (I kind of stand out here…) but I offered her a sticker and got quite the smile with that. She sat down right next to me and proceeded to raid my white coat pockets. She loved the hand sanitizing gel and couldn’t get enough of the sticker book. Soon after that, she was writing out the alphabet, numbers (she knew 1-100!), and spelling out her name. She not only spoke Swahili, but also English and was one of the most curious, intelligent, charming little girls I have ever met. Her sister was also absolutely beautiful, a little more cautious than Shalom, but just so kind. Ebenezu played with my hair while Shalom dug out my stethoscope and listened to my heart. Their mother said that Ebenezu wants to be a lawyer and Shalom, a doctor. I can only hope and pray that this country affords these beautiful, intelligent children all the chances that they deserve.
It has also been entertaining to see the Kenyan response to Obama’s win. I woke up Wednesday morning to cheers out on the streets. Today was declared a “national holiday” yesterday and many Kenyans took off work. There is a reggae song on the radio that I have heard NUMEROUS times with the chorus of “Barack… Obama… Barack… Obama…” You should look it up on itunes if you get a chance. It’s there! I’ve seen people wearing American flag capes and basically everywhere you go, you are asked if you voted for Obama. Today some of the orphaned kids that basically just live at the hospital had a little parade with American flags that they had made. I wish I had my camera for that…
Anyways, I should sign off for now! Not having a cell phone, I live for messages and emails so please keep in touch! I miss you all so very much and send hugs to all of you!
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