Three days - complete

So, we are sitting here discussing ice cream in the middle of the jungle.

And its not even hot out!

While walking to dinner this evening we were discussing just how cool it was after the hard rain this afternoon. It seemed like a "night" rain since it usually rains that hard at night here, not during the day. Day rains are a bit less tumultuous - most of the time.

The guesses on the current temperature ran from 67-72 deg F. Turns out it was 80 deg F.

I guess we have adapted when we think 80 deg. is "cool".

Eric and Wendy were wonderful hosts, and Rachel's green beans from Libreville fit the fried rice combo perfectly. After Eric's just cooled from warm brownies, we were content to sit and chat while Esther (10 mo/o) entertained us. Wendy is due with their second baby this summer, and they are very happy that Rachel, Renee's niece who is an ultrasonographer, is here. "Very Happy" is probably an understatement as they would like to know if they should expect a boy or a girl :-)

The guys here (surgery residents) are definitely enjoying both Renee' (Ob-Gyn) and Rachel's expertise. So much so, that the acting-Chief resident asked Renee' to assist on a rather large thyroidectomy today! That was followed up by the removal of a huge uterus, and again with case that Renee' hasn't seen a quite few years :-) Enough to keep her happy for sure!

Rachel (or Rrrrahshell as the residents call her) has been busy going between cases seeing in real live living color the organs and structures that she has, up until now, only visualized on the black/white/gray screen of an ultrasound machine. She has said several times "that doesn't look like the pictures in the book", or "so that's what it looks like!". When she isn't in the OR she is off to other parts (buildings) of the hospital scattered around us to do ultrasounds for all kinds of conditions - even an eye :-) Which, by the way, was still attached and functioning well! She had to explain how she did it!

Fun to still be learning.

The walk home after dinner also included a brief perusal of the heavens - one of the clearest nights I've seen in the jungles. Brilliant stars with the massive milky way stretched out overhead. Beautiful :)

Rachel Thompson walked with us and we started looking for spider eyes glinting back at us from the rocks and grass along the path. Brilliant green glass dots sprinkled along our path. I didn't make Renee' and Rachel G. feel any better to hear our "oohs" and "aahs" as they walked along in their flip flops wondering how many of the critters were actually around!

Speaking of critters, the Thelanders have new pet! They've named him Einstein. I've seen him once, and believe the name "Houdini" would be more apropos. He's one of the largest "mice" I've ever seen - aka, probably fits well in the rat family :-) I keep telling Joanna (the lady of the house) that just because he comes and goes through their attic without invitation doesn't mean they have to hunt him! So far he has eluded three rat trap, eaten all the bait, and never stepped in the glue traps. At the moment, he is still the elusive unwelcome mammal that makes noise over their heads at night. My recommendation to give up the fight and adopt him as a pet isn't making much headway. I'm still on rat patrol call every-other-night in case a trap snaps. I didn't get a chance the swing my machete the first time I chased him out from under a door, but I'm better prepared now - he is definitely big enough to hit (but I'm still calling him a large mouse so as to encourage the pet idea). At least it isn't a snake.

And we haven't seen any snakes thus far. For the record.

To sum up the past three days:

~30 operations over three days with 2-3 residents operating isn't bad at all. I'm doing purely "general" surgery, meaning my operations are Nothing that I "generally" do at home. Prostatectomies, Hysterectomies, Orthopedics, Hand...but I did get in on an epigastric hernia :) Even Renee' is stretching her boundaries like assisting on a large thyroidectomy today! She is good at anything she puts her mind to :) Incredibly good teacher. And the guys are really enjoying her input and expertise. Very blessed to have her with us.

It is fun to work with these guys - all capable, good humored, excellent work ethic, and personable. They obviously know and walk with God. His spirit is evident in the way the work with the patients, and each other. Fun to see their progress over the past few years. Keir (the Director for PAACS - the surgical residency) is doing an outstanding job. We definitely feel blessed to be able to work in assisting in the teaching of the residents and care of these patients.

Never a dull day!

I'll have to talk about that some other time.

And the ice cream... Renee' is going to give me her recipe for Pistachio Ice Cream. And we all thought Breyers 5 Vanilla ice cream would be awesome tonight! And the rain has begun again...

Bon Nuit :)

February 13, 2012

First day of clinic - Successful!

Renee', Rachel, and I (aka. Ree'johnal) survived the first day of clinic here in the jungles of Gabon. "Survived" might be pushing it a bit, as it was a quite enjoyable day with a nice number of patients (steady stream), an excursion to the Ob-Ward for a check on a delivery, multiple ultrasounds for Rachel, and Renee' was in high form with most of the cases in her expert field :-)

The Residents worked efficiently and saw quite a few patients - ranging from a little boy with a swollen arm (and likely Lymphoma), a man with a huge prostate (and likely cancer), women with various uterine anomalies, infertility, and a man with colon cancer and an "apple core" lesion, to name just a few. The 2nd yr resident effortlessly reduced the jaw of a lady who "yawned" three days ago - and her jaw stuck open. They tried unsuccessfully to reduce the dislocation where she lived, then it took three days to get here from her village. She was quite relieved to have a bit of anesthetic and have her jaw back in place. Little things like that make a person's day much better.

By the way, you can't close your lips with your jaw dislocated.

Three days.

Occasionally someone asks why I would come here. I most often refer them to these blogs. It is easier than trying to sum up an answer in one sentence.

But, in short, I come because I have been blessed to have the privilege of the opportunity to work with these residents, nurses, staff, and missionaries. God opens the door - and by His grace, I just walk.

Now - getting here this time was a bit of an adventure for Renee' and Rachel! They started at about 2am last Thursday - flew from Indy to Washington DC, met with the representative of Gabon at their embassy to obtain a visa, flew to Atlanta where they met up with me, flew across the ocean, ran through the Paris airport to be the last people on the airplane to Gabon, and finally arrived 36 hrs later in Gabon in time for dinner - but without their luggage. It didn't quite make the quick trip through the Paris airport.

A few hours later we were up and off to the airport again to fly across the equator, down, deep into the jungle, to the mission hospital. As we flew over our usual stop with the african airlines I commented to them (i.e., yelled as loud as I could into the back of the plane) that from that point we would have needed to drive another 2 1/2 hours. About 12 minutes later we landed. 12 minutes vs. 2 1/2 hours. Crazy.

Ever wonder why I enjoy flying? :-)

The gals were very glad Joanna T. is such an incredibly kind hostess - after 2-3 days of travel they were ver ready for a change of clothes. And, thankfully, our luggage arrived last night before midnight.

Speaking of midnight - just before then I received a call from the house next door. It seems a certain rat has been stirring in their attic for at the past few days. Traps and glue have not been successful in trapping the beast. However, a few hours into the wee hours of the morning, the phone rang and I was scurrying up into the attic myself to see what was banging around in the dark.

Turns out the rat had eaten all the bait, successfully avoiding the traps, and had been industriously chewing away at a large plastic travel bin. I caught site of the critter as it made its exit, just before I could swing my machete. I would have slept better having bagged the beast of the night, but instead had to go back to bed for an hour and wonder about better options. Just before dinner tonight we made one more foray into the attic - but still not rat, and I reset one of the traps.

We are going to win the contest before the trip is over. Or else Keir (Joanna's husband) will come home and solve it for us! The kids and I had fun hunting for it this evening anyway :)

Tomorrow will be a full day. Three OR's are scheduled for four residents along with Renee' and I. Rachel will be busy with Ultrasound I'm sure - she is quite a good teacher and the residents are enjoying her teaching immensely.

Somehow I'm scheduled on two hysterectomies and Renee' is scheduled on a thyroid - so it should be interesting for the both of us!

So, the week has started. Good food. Good fellowship. Good work. And a whole lot of thankfulness to be here at this time. Thankful for God's faithfulness as we have looked into the many faces of hurting people. I know there are tough times ahead. And I'm thanking God for his grace and love already.

I mentioned the lady with her jaw stuck open for three days...because it is one of the easier things to talk about. There are more painful examples, but that will do for now.

Thank you for your prayers. God IS good. Thankful for what He does through each of us.

John