April 5

Friday April 5th

It was raining last night, so I did not go hyena hunting.  Maybe tonight!  We had chapel this morning at 8 am.  Most of the staff was there.  It was brief with a song, reading and a message from Dr. Eric, Medical Director and Orthopedic surgeon.  He introduced me; many of the people already knew me.

We had three short cases – changing of casts in the OR.  Usually Fridays are lighter for the orthopedic team so they can have some patients ready for discharge and have things quieter by the weekend.  I think we did 27 orthopedic cases this week.  Then I went to the clinic and the administration office to try to figure out what OR cases we have for Monday for ENT and ortho.  I also tried to figure out about seeing some patients in the clinic next week.  There is an American pediatrician who comes to the Cure clinic to see the pediatric patients before surgery.  She also volunteers in a clinic in the slums and had a few patients she would like for us to see next week.  It is still surprising to me how difficult it often is to let people know that our team will be here.  Although we know many people and have connections, coordinating with those who need our help is often difficult.

I checked the patients on the wards including my hip fracture patient from Tuesday who is doing well.  There were a few people from an Ethiopian NGO who were visiting the hospital including an anesthesiologist and a neurosurgeon from the US.  They have been a very rural area south of Addis, but they are going home tomorrow.  It is always good to make connections.

I had Ethiopian lunch again with the OR staff.  I was again thinking about going to the zoo, but it started thundering and lightening and there was heavy rain and hail for quite a while.  The same nurse who told me about the hyenas told me that morning was a good time to go to the zoo because it is feeding time, so I will plan to go tomorrow morning.  The rains are usually in the afternoon.  Maybe I will take a nap this afternoon and then go for a walk.  Tomorrow I will move to the Sheraton Hotel because the rest of my team arrives.  It seems a bit strange to stay in such a fancy hotel, especially when we are here to work with poor patients, but the owner has graciously donated the cost of our stay, and it helps keep our team together.

It is hard to believe that one week has gone by since I left home.  I think having been here for a whole week in advance of the ENT team will make it easier for next week, both for me and for the OR.