Kenya #2

This is late. But worth documenting.

So, continuing on with my daily highlights.

Monday, Jan 13: Gonna be sad to let "my" baby Mark go home. His mama is awesome--Mark is a super cute preemie. Also, HIV meds overwhelm me. I love the peds team--so fun!! Rita and Sinkeet are fast new friends and role models. Mondays here are nuts, the chaos is teaching me patience.

Tuesday, Jan 14: On call with Sinkeet--admitted two critically ill teens with HIV. Watching and feeling their thin bodies moving so slowly and their sunken eyes blink back at mine was heartbreaking. I also saw a little boy vomit a giant worm. You know it's big when the Kenyans are taking pictures, my phone died as I pulled mine out to snap one. I'm sorry you can't see it...

Wednesday, Jan 15:  Emotional morning devotions today--Dr. Kelley shared his story about losing his baby girl to a brain tumor about 6 weeks after arriving in Kenya; I cried like a baby. Went to a local grocery store to get more shampoo--they have about 100 types of lotion and (no exaggeration) ONE kind of shampoo. Walked by tons of locals and got plenty of stares. Feeling more like a minority than a celebrity. Makes me have sympathy for minorities in way I never have before--even being treated nicely, you still don't truly feel like you belong.




Thursday, Jan 16: The two HIV patients are making slow progress. I'm uncertain of their true prognosis taking into consideration my naive hope that AIDS can somehow be halted in its tracks. Had a great conversation while writing notes in the nursery with Sinkeet about the Bible, how we wish we'd read it more, and how there are books we know nothing about. I treasure these conversations that are so common at work here. So cool. It makes life so meaningful.





Friday, Jan 17: Love listening to "Children of God" by Third Day in the NICU. Resting in the truth that I am God's Beloved. Feeling very much like a helpless premature babe in one of the incubators.






Saturday, Jan 18: Coded a baby in the nursery--interesting learning experience. Learning that even with a lot of knowledge and medicine, life is not in our control. Dr. Katie Jacobson, another new fast friend and med/peds resident from UNC, has been great to have around. I so appreciate her teaching pearls, conversations, and simply watching her work teaches me a little of who I hope to be someday.






Sunday, Jan 19: Met a critical care pediatrician and NP, Dr. Minnette Son and Lisa, from SAN ANTONIO who arrived today to work at Tenwek. They're at UT and work with SAMMC peds residents. Had lunch at he Manchester's learning how true "We Treat, Jesus Heals" really is in a setting where lacking resources allow for a relinquishing of our control into the hands of God. The baby we coded yesterday didn't make it. I held the baby afterwords. The physical and emotional weight of a baby who's life is now in the hands of God is something that made my heart break.

Monday, Jan 20: I LOVE the Kenyan interns! They are so great and make me smile so much while at work. Had tea and sausage after work with Rita and Sinkeet--they make me feel so welcome here. NICU was crazy today--stressed me out.

Tuesday, Jan 21: Helped an intern with her powerpoint presentation as she's never used a computer until 6 weeks ago. She asked me to type as she dictated.