Pediatric ward was full of extremely difficult cases last week and into the weekend. More cerebral malaria than ever, and the kids are coming in worse than Dr. Miller has ever seen in all his years of tropical medicine- seizing and/or unresponsive. The kids have done amazingly well though! We only lost one little boy. Two earned themselves the nickname Lazarus. One boy was resuscitated four times and went home healthy. The other one came in seizing, low oxygen saturation, had to start an intraosseous for emergency medicine, after over 20 pokes eventually got a head vein to give blood. Two days later he is climbing around in bed crying when mom doesn’t feed him boey (this starchy broth stuff) fast enough haha. I have learned to never underestimate the healing power of God! We have also gotten quite a few newborns with sepsis sent from a dispensary in a town 2 miles from here. The treatment is long but the babies have all done well so far. This morning (Monday) we sent home everyone but two kids. The entire hospital is feeling really empty! Especially after Saturday when 13 patients came in at once from two car accidents. There have been close to 50 patients sometimes, but right now there are only14. But it’s a Monday and the clinic usually sends quite a few people for hospital admission because they get really sick as they wait over the weekend.
Even though I’ve been here for five weeks and have gotten used to a lot of the differences at this hospital, it seems like every day there is still something that comes up (nursing friends I will share some good stories with you later) when I can’t do anything but shake my head, remind myself that I’m in an underdeveloped country, and continue to function in a calm and productive manner. Gentleness, patience, kindness…. those are some good characteristics that I have been made aware of how little I have. God knows the change of attitude I need and He is sure trying hard to make those adjustments in me!
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