New Adventures

Yesterday we had our first full shift at the hospital.  I was in Outpatient care again and it was insane! We saw 328 patients.  I cannot imagine a nurse or midwife seeing that many in one day in the US.  It was crazy.  It is neat to compare the treatments to those I have seen when shadowing at the ER in Ft. Worth.  For all infections, they basically prescribe 3 general antibiotics, which is way too much.  They have no way of figuring out the specifics of the problem, so they have to take all 3.  This can cause a ton of problems though, because after a few separate doses, the bacteria become immune to it and the problems get even worse!  I guess they just do what they have to do. It's just going to take some time to understand the way they have to do it.
After work, we visited a local rural village about 30 minutes away.  The most entertaining part was the cab drive.  It was pretty much a huge van will TONS of decorations. They were all over the place-hanging from the ceiling, dashboard, and even the windshield!  To add to the great decor, my bench seat wasn't even bolted to the floor so we lunged forward with every bump, needless to say the roads aren't paved and it rains all the time. After determining we were going to have to hold onto each other to survive, we drive up to this huge traffic jam where all the taxis are.  It was madness! They were laying on their horns and trying to maneuver around each other coming within inches of the the other cars and of pedestrians.  All we could do was laugh at the situation! Our driver stopped in the middle of the road at one point to get a drink from a local store and this man jumped in the car and tried to steal it while we were in it!  It was hilarious!  When we were driving, people would just start running next to the car and open the door and hitch a ride.  This one pair of guys climbed the ladder in the back and sat on the roof!  Definitely not like any cab drive we had ever experienced!
When we finally arrived at the village we explored a few areas and met a family of a guy that works for OCA.  They were so welcoming and kind-just like most Gambians.  We went on a little hike through the woods and it was BEAUTIFUL! This was exactly the Africa I was expecting- not the urban area we work in.  The village was so peaceful and quaint. I LOVED IT! There was this one little boy (wearing an obama shirt like they all do) who pretty much sought me out.  He spotted me as soon as I got out of the cab and wouldn't let go of my hand until we had to leave.  It was adorable.  I've never had kids so drawn to me in my whole life.  He would hold my hand with both of his hands and just rub it on the side of his cheek.  Its amazing how you can love a little kid you can't communicate with, have never met before, and will never see again.  Speaking of kids- I finally got to hold Pamusa yesterday! He's the little boy at the lodge I mentioned in an earlier post.  He cried the first time he saw me and now I'm holding him! I swear I would take him home if his mom would let me.

Today we worked a short 2 hours at the hospital.  We are constantly invited to events and can't ever actually work! We were invited to participate in the world's nurses and midwives day! The highest level of most health employees here is a senior midwife so it's a huge deal to them. They had a parade with a band that went from Brikama Health Center to the Gambia College about 30 minutes away.  Marching in the sun at 12 o'clock was really hot, but it was actually a lot of fun!  When we got there, they had a long boring program we had to sleep through.  Afterwards we were invited to lunch with the staff.  We had benechin again (my favorite!) and had to all share one bowl.  The first time we've had a full meal that way.  I'm sure it won't be the last.  We've spent the evening shopping at the market and relaxing.  This African sun makes the days feel really long!

We had some big plans for the weekend so I am sure I will have a lot to talk about.  Saturday we are working the National Blood Drive and they are having an official welcoming party for us at the hospital.  We are constantly being celebrated for our work and as a result can't actually work! Afterwards, we have been invited to a graduation party at the compound next door.  Ana, a friend of ours, has a daughter that is graduating 9th grade, so they are throwing a little party and want us to come.  It should be fun and it's free food from the best cook around so we are definitely going to show up! That night we are supposed to have a dance party to learn more African dance- I'm very excited! We taught them the cupid shuffle and the dougie and they thought it was awesome! On Sunday we are finally headed to the beach! We'll see how "The Smiling Coast of Africa" can compare to the beaches on my resume :)
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!