Awakened: Day One, Ndofe

For once! I am writing in "real time"! YAY! I am finally caught up with posting my journal entries.

The thunder started rolling around 5 a.m. today and by the time 6:40 came, the rain came with it. It was refreshing to hear it falling down around us. And gratefully...it ended by 8 a.m. when we were headed up to the Clinic! Good timing.

We got to the clinic and discovered that twins were in the process of being born!! What a gift...we walked into the maternity room and there was this fresh, vernix covered babe laying on the bed while Mom finished delivering the second one in the tiny delivery room next door! I scooped her up and held her and got her crying more to clear her lungs of the fluid she had been breathing while in utero. Then before you know it...the second one came! What an amazing job those Urafiki Nurse did delivering these babes! Shortly after, they brought Mom out to the bed and then we layed those two babies right next to her - a boy and a girl. In the bed next to them was a Mom who had delivered 2 hours previous and her little one was a baby girl. We have these bundles of baby clothes with blankets and cloths that we brought with us - packages that different people have put together for trips such as these. What joy filled our hearts as we were able to present these gifts to these new Moms. Ah!...joy, joy, JOY in new life.

Today, we traveled not far from Urafiki - only about 10 minutes. It was really special to be doing a free medical clinic, right here in the Igoma district. We have been walking through this town and seeing its people and so it felt so good to be able to serve the faces that we see as we meander through the streets of Igoma.

Once again, we saw just under 200 people - 190 to be exact. These days are full and steady, but somehow today felt like it had a much better pace and as Marilyn put it, it just felt more relaxed. I think part of it is that we only had 2 Doctors on the go, and so that prevents Pharmacy from getting dumped on and also Triage from being pressured to push patients through. Today!...I got to triage! Yahooooo! I can't tell you how great it felt to pull out my stethoscope and listen to those heart rates and chest sounds - just to lay my hands literally upon these patients and have a person to person connection. I love it. I just simply love it.

Ellen had some amazing opportunites to pray with people today. The people ask for prayer and so I am grateful that we have someone, along wtih Translator, who is delegated specifically for that.

It is amazing how by the end of the day, my mind has forgotten many of the stories I long to tell - I think often through the day of writing down a name to remind myself, but usually there is no time. So, for now...these are the ones who most impacted us most today...

The young woman who tested positive for multiple STI's, Malaria, worms, and parasites. Marilyn suggested she also be test for HIV (we have a rapid test available through the mobile labs Urafiki has set up in the clinics). Sadly, she was HIV positive. Marilyn said when they told her she was absolutely devestated - they wanted to have more time with her, but she just left, sobbing. This was a woman who had been with multiple partners, possibly related to prostitution, in order to support herself. Aron was able to talk with her about the HIV/AIDS Clinic in Mwanza and access to free treatment. I hope with all my heart that she is able to get there and will follow through with her medication regimen.
Another tiny, tiny young girl, Helena, who was profoundly delayed - she was 6 and weighed less than her 3 year old sister.
Richard and his wife. Richard was 76, I think and he spoke brilliant english! When I told him we were from Canada, he said, "ah! I have been to Canada". He said he was in Vancouver, Victoria, Ontario and Quebec through the late 60's. When I asked him what profession he was in that he traveled there, he said he was an Infantry man and had actually also spent time at Base Borden...but he didn't like it there because it was too cold :) I wish I'd had more time to visit with him! I am so curious how he ended up in Canada for infantry! We had a great photo taken together and I am hoping to be able to get a copy of it back to Matari so that he can try and get it to Richard.
playing peek-a-book around a corner with another little Happyness!
A 4 month baby who was febrile. Her Mother said she had been having fevers for 2 months and had been on and off antibiotics. She seemed quite bright, but clearly something is stirring in her little body.
I couldn't get over the amount of irregular heart rates on kids! It was odd...very odd. I don't know what causes that and will have to look into it. There were also a few heart murmurs that I heard and again...all on children. At home...they would have a full work up, maybe even including an echocardiogram. Here...they just go on with life, unless there is a major compromise for them physically and they can afford further investigation and treatment.
14 more of the Orphanage children came to be seen and about 6 of them had TB symptoms. Among them was a young Albino girl, named Gladie. Seeing an albino in Tanzania is always interesting. They are white skinned, yet have very African features. And...as I remember from our last trip here, they are often at risk of great physical danger because of the instruction of some Witch Doctors to their patients to bring back the limb of an albino. I remember a documentary too that talked about various Albino communities that the Government had built in order to protect them. Little Gladie was so sweet...she had a hat on to guard her from the sun and she just had a precious little smile.
It's fantasic to watch Dr. Dany learn from Marilyn! Dany is not officially a Doctor yet, but he is approaching his final placement in the Fall. Marilyn is a wealth of knowledge!! and Dany has been gleaning from that in wonderful ways. We have seen him grown immensely over these days we have been together, from a medical perspective. He has a wonderful heart to care for people and he takes the time to hear their concerns, as any great Doctor should!
The poultry! The building we were in today, also housed a Rooster and a Hen! They were both very loud and kept wandering into patient areas and so eventually, Mama Edah had them removed :)
The wee family I saw near the end of the day. Four young children arrived alone (the oldest was 11) - it took me a bit to sort it through, but I discovered that their older brother, who is around 18 brought them. The children were Neema, Miriam, Joseph and Agnes. We had fun playing together while they waited for the Doctor :) At the end of the day, I stood outside Pharmacy with them while they waited for their medicines. Agnes (the 1 1/2 year old) was getting tired and her 8 year old sister had strapped her on her back. As I stood beside Neema and Agnes, I rubbed Agnes' back and patted her bum and eventually she fell asleep. Her little head rested against my arm as she slept. A treasured moment.

It is time for bed! I am in Marilyn's room typing this, where there is better reception, and so I better clear out so she can sleep too! Tomorrow is our final clinic day. Continue to pray for us, for health and strength. On Saturday night we will celebrate with our Urafiki friends for our farewell dinner. We are blessed to have them in our lives and to work alongside them. They are immensely hard workers and they light up our lives, quite literally.