If anyone is following this you may have noticed I missed last week – this is due to being without internet whilst in Mozambique for a little break. The day before we left for the Seaside was indeed frustrating and aspects of being here as a missionary were challenged – being committed to a project, to a life in another country is a sacrifice and one that doesn’t ever become easy so although that may all sound gobbly gook, although I’d love to spill the beans on my frustrations I am not at liberty to do so but I’d appreciate your prayers big time in dealing with current situations that are opposing me at the moment in Bulembu. So Mozambique was an ideal opportunity to escape for a few days away from growing pressure..... in fact the main reason we went there was because a good friend was missing the sea (she’s from Cape town) so she kept pestering us to go, because we are quite fond of her and could see her frustration we decided to go; leaving Swaziland and entering Mozambique was horrendous, the reason being we needed papers proving the car was ours and unfortunately forgot that so we had to call people and get it faxed to us, we also required an entry visa and car insurance especially for Mozambique!! it was also the first time that our foster daughter would see the sea ever, she is 15 years old so it was pretty exciting for her too, she collected a million shells and then finally got into the water with us, it was funny to watch because she kept falling over as the waves were a little rough and she is pretty skinny!! Anyway she seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself as far as I could see!! The water was so warm, we happened upon a location with a reef which meant when the tide was out it left a nice calm serene area, like a big swimming pool! We enjoyed swimming over to the reef and back again! Hopefully it also meant we were safe from the sharks.....!!! No no we won’t think about that!!!
The accommodation was lush not in the luxury way but in the basic, on stilts by the sea way!! We spent 5 days away from Bulembu, 4 days on the beach and 1 day in Maputo visiting our two missionary friends from England who have been working with Iris ministries for many years, we went out to eat Sea food Saturday evening, Mozambique is famous for good seafood so really enjoyed that. We travelled back to Swaziland on Sunday.
Early Monday morning I set off to a workshop (course) on Malaria for 3 days. This was extremely interesting, the National Malaria control programme with the Ministry of Health in Swaziland are running the training courses and their aim is to eliminate Malaria from Swaziland, therefore they are training as many nurses and health clinic and centres to recognise and treat any malaria patients. In the South West only 6% of all cases in Swaziland are recorded, In the North West of Swaziland the number is 14%, where as in the South East it is 10% of all cases and the North East 70%. Our area up in Bulembu is the North West so we may come across it, but to be honest in the 3 years I have been here I have only heard of one case being referred to the hospital from Bulembu. Swazi nationals are an interesting bunch of people; I was the only foreigner with them so everyone knew my name! The morning started off with a song and a prayer and also ends like that.(Can you imagine that happening in the UK?) Here’s a list of the house rules and you were in big trouble if you didn’t adhere to them: -
1) No smoking 2) Keep to time 3) Cell phones on Silence 4) Active participation 5) Raise your hand if you want to talk 6) No sleeping /meditating 7) Respect one another 8) Have fun to the fullest
I guess for my benefit the lectures were in English but every now and again they’d slip into siSwati and I lose my way a bit, then they revert back and I don’t think I’ve missed too much of importance but who knows they could just be talking about me. Haha now I sound paranoid!! No, Swazi people are an interesting bunch and it’s quite an experience being part of a Malaria course. I have learnt so much and that’s the real goal!
Second day was quite fun too, a few team games to bring a point over – if we work together we beat Malaria that sort of thing! Then we had a practical session using ‘Rapid Diagnostic tests’ RDT for short, so we all pricking each other’s fingers and I was praying mine would be negative after visiting Mozambique last week you can never be too sure!! It was if you were wondering, Ha ha.
Then there was a tricky bit which the trainer explaining kept going from English into siSwati, then asked me if I understood, so I said ‘I think so’ just for a quiet life so then she asked me to explain it back to her! In front of 30 other people ! argh I fumbled around and it was obvious I didn’t have a clue so she then drew a diagram on the flipchart just for my benefit . I think I got it finally. Did feel a bit daft though in front of my fellow swazi colleagues...............
Anyway the end of the day came and another big surprise – every nurse there was given R300 just for attending!! They certainly have big budgets to get people trained, an American lady came in at the end and I reckon the National Malaria Control Programme has got to have big sponsors from the states?
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Friday, 16 October 2009
Emergency care
Friday 16th October
What a week! Medical emergencies in Bulembu are fortunately occasional, this week, we had a road traffic accident, an asthma attack and a diesel ingestion one evening after the other!! So I spend a bit of time on the bumpy dirt track road to Piggs peak in the ambulance, inserting IV’s and trying to maintain and save lives. The RTA was two young guys who had rolled the vehicle, one of them had bumped his head and was pretty disorientated – he had other injuries but fortunately after a load of xrays he had no broken bones, just many lacerations and bumps and bruises. The asthma attack was pretty intense, as I was the only qualified nurse around, fortunately a health assistant had just stepped into the clinic so she helped me out. After giving numerous drugs IV and IM we managed to stabilize him and take him into the hospital to get checked out. The Diesel guy really didn’t mean to swallow it while he was siphoning it out of the drums but fortunately he was well sick and I gave him an antihistamine IV to help stabilize before he took off to Piggs peak Hospital. So the last few days have been a little quieter, hubby celebrated his 50th birthday on Thursday and we’ll be having a big Braai on Saturday with many people so should be fun. I am so tired and am working like never before - must be so good for me.........A storm is brewing and the sky is filling with lightening so I will get this sent off before the power goes out again !!
What a week! Medical emergencies in Bulembu are fortunately occasional, this week, we had a road traffic accident, an asthma attack and a diesel ingestion one evening after the other!! So I spend a bit of time on the bumpy dirt track road to Piggs peak in the ambulance, inserting IV’s and trying to maintain and save lives. The RTA was two young guys who had rolled the vehicle, one of them had bumped his head and was pretty disorientated – he had other injuries but fortunately after a load of xrays he had no broken bones, just many lacerations and bumps and bruises. The asthma attack was pretty intense, as I was the only qualified nurse around, fortunately a health assistant had just stepped into the clinic so she helped me out. After giving numerous drugs IV and IM we managed to stabilize him and take him into the hospital to get checked out. The Diesel guy really didn’t mean to swallow it while he was siphoning it out of the drums but fortunately he was well sick and I gave him an antihistamine IV to help stabilize before he took off to Piggs peak Hospital. So the last few days have been a little quieter, hubby celebrated his 50th birthday on Thursday and we’ll be having a big Braai on Saturday with many people so should be fun. I am so tired and am working like never before - must be so good for me.........A storm is brewing and the sky is filling with lightening so I will get this sent off before the power goes out again !!
Friday, 9 October 2009
Busy clinic week
Friday 9th October
Last weekend was ‘pay weekend’ this means Bulembu is pretty much deserted. It seemed like half the village had left; even the milk shop is closed! Feels like a ghost town once again !
For a few hours in the afternoon hubby and I spend time with the youth treating them to milk shakes (obviously the lodge was prepared in their milk purchases) as the youth have done such a good job in helping with kids church.
I have a sudden pang of missing my own children a lot, the oldest daughter and her hubby in New York, the youngest daughter and her hubby in Kelowna, Canada, and my son and other two daughters in the UK. I feel such an empty hole but not much I can do about it, sometimes living out here and serving in Bulembu seems such a sacrifice!!! Remembering the times when some of them were here with us, such good times.....
Hubby and I met a really nice couple last evening – from Pretoria, a business man and his wife they had ran a lodge in Pretoria and have an awesome gift in hospitality. They are coming back to Bulembu in a few weeks to meet some of the managers to find out more about this place where we live.
Monday was mental, staff shortage, staff going on courses, trying to phone references for the new midwife with all the landline phones in Bulembu down. Now I know why the last midwife left! I spent the day nonstop dealing out medicines, seeing patients, calling people, emergency came in at lunch time so no lunch either! I eventually arrive home at 5.30pm, Hubby did offer to make dinner but his suggestion was not too inviting and I really fancied something tasty so I made dinner too.
In Swaziland, there are a lot of nurse led clinics and generally I can see it works well, consulting patients can be doable and the most important thing is to send them off down the 18km dirt track road to the doctor at the hospital, as I did with a lady who looked like she had a allergic reaction to possibly some of the meds she had been put on by the doctor! I was definitely not going to mess with that, not really sure what the doctor did, except add more of the same and some antibiotics which were unavailable at the pharmacy! You could say that was another wasted journey.....
Today I realised how impatient I am, It was blood draw day today and I went with the ambulance down to the hospital to drop off the bloods, I had one or two things to do and then I was ready to leave to get back to the clinic (see my commitment) . The ambulance driver decided he wanted to make some phone calls and we had to wait for the sick lady! It was hot and I was raring to get going, I was not happy to wait, everything is sooooooo slow in Swaziland , queues everywhere and always hanging about waiting...............and this grumpy new manager was ready to go home.
Today was interview day for 5 midwives, what a good day. We started off with a tour round the hospital, followed by a short dvd to explain Bulembu and the vision, then lunch at the lodge, followed by individual interviews, I’d asked my Canadian colleague and head of ministry who is also a nurse to be on my panel! I really did enjoy myself, what a great experience being able to interview and get to decide!! We’ll make the final decision in the next few days and pray we make the right one!
Friday evening – the end of another busy week, time to put my feet up and converse with hubby - pizza from the lodge tonight – bliss don’t have to cook................
For any of those reading that are interested in the school, Hubby is busy taken on more staff to teach all the many children coming in and always looking for support, in volunteers coming for a year, finances and prayers. Go to www.swazimission.com to read blogs relating more to the school. Thanks
Last weekend was ‘pay weekend’ this means Bulembu is pretty much deserted. It seemed like half the village had left; even the milk shop is closed! Feels like a ghost town once again !
For a few hours in the afternoon hubby and I spend time with the youth treating them to milk shakes (obviously the lodge was prepared in their milk purchases) as the youth have done such a good job in helping with kids church.
I have a sudden pang of missing my own children a lot, the oldest daughter and her hubby in New York, the youngest daughter and her hubby in Kelowna, Canada, and my son and other two daughters in the UK. I feel such an empty hole but not much I can do about it, sometimes living out here and serving in Bulembu seems such a sacrifice!!! Remembering the times when some of them were here with us, such good times.....
Hubby and I met a really nice couple last evening – from Pretoria, a business man and his wife they had ran a lodge in Pretoria and have an awesome gift in hospitality. They are coming back to Bulembu in a few weeks to meet some of the managers to find out more about this place where we live.
Monday was mental, staff shortage, staff going on courses, trying to phone references for the new midwife with all the landline phones in Bulembu down. Now I know why the last midwife left! I spent the day nonstop dealing out medicines, seeing patients, calling people, emergency came in at lunch time so no lunch either! I eventually arrive home at 5.30pm, Hubby did offer to make dinner but his suggestion was not too inviting and I really fancied something tasty so I made dinner too.
In Swaziland, there are a lot of nurse led clinics and generally I can see it works well, consulting patients can be doable and the most important thing is to send them off down the 18km dirt track road to the doctor at the hospital, as I did with a lady who looked like she had a allergic reaction to possibly some of the meds she had been put on by the doctor! I was definitely not going to mess with that, not really sure what the doctor did, except add more of the same and some antibiotics which were unavailable at the pharmacy! You could say that was another wasted journey.....
Today I realised how impatient I am, It was blood draw day today and I went with the ambulance down to the hospital to drop off the bloods, I had one or two things to do and then I was ready to leave to get back to the clinic (see my commitment) . The ambulance driver decided he wanted to make some phone calls and we had to wait for the sick lady! It was hot and I was raring to get going, I was not happy to wait, everything is sooooooo slow in Swaziland , queues everywhere and always hanging about waiting...............and this grumpy new manager was ready to go home.
Today was interview day for 5 midwives, what a good day. We started off with a tour round the hospital, followed by a short dvd to explain Bulembu and the vision, then lunch at the lodge, followed by individual interviews, I’d asked my Canadian colleague and head of ministry who is also a nurse to be on my panel! I really did enjoy myself, what a great experience being able to interview and get to decide!! We’ll make the final decision in the next few days and pray we make the right one!
Friday evening – the end of another busy week, time to put my feet up and converse with hubby - pizza from the lodge tonight – bliss don’t have to cook................
For any of those reading that are interested in the school, Hubby is busy taken on more staff to teach all the many children coming in and always looking for support, in volunteers coming for a year, finances and prayers. Go to www.swazimission.com to read blogs relating more to the school. Thanks
Friday, 2 October 2009
Penicillin shots!!
Friday 2nd October
I spent the weekend in bed – muscles aching all over, shivering and hacking cough, felt really rough. But it appears I am not the only one, it seems like many others are falling to the same virus or whatever it is. I managed to drag myself off to the clinic Monday morning to work, not get treatment!! It was heaving with patients like never before, no I tell a lie, it was like the time before we charged R10 a consultation!! I gave at least 10 injections - procaine penicillin actually to primarily bring down the high temperature, when I first got here 3 years ago I wasn’t at all sure about this method as working in a UK health centre for 10 years the only time I gave a penicillin jab to anyone was when they had suspected meningitis, however, I have learnt that over here in deepest darkest Africa it is a regular practice that protects the individual from the immune suppressed leaving us before their time is truly up. Hence now I give it because I love giving injections and the people love receiving them because apparently it’s a sure cure for all the germs invading their body, so some things you just have to leave alone and this is one of those things!! Medics, you just have to accept it okay??
The senior nurse left Monday, I have now been promoted, I have the pleasure/responsibility of running the Bulembu clinic, so the staff consists of me, a male RN from Zimbabwe who is great, knows his stuff and is a really flexible reliable guy, then there is a really super, enthusiastic ER trained RN from Canada who is here for one year, she’ll leave in February next year. We need a new female nurse/midwife to join the team, one who can speak English and siSwati and has an understanding of what we are trying to achieve here in Bulembu.
The rest of the week left myself and the male nurse as the Canadian nurse went on a course to learn about dried blood spot, this is where we test babies from 6 weeks to 18 months, a DNA /PCR test, we use it a lot to find out the true HIV status on a baby that young, otherwise the rapid tests just show the mothers antibodies, if a baby is truly positive we will start them on ARV’s as soon as possible which gives them a much better chance of survival. The rest of the team had already been on the course and were familiar with it.
I’d always called myself ‘the community nurse’ as I’d always used the excuse of not working in the clinic as the language is a barrier, but I proved myself wrong yesterday, the male nurse left to take bloods and a patient into Piggs peak and I was left on my own, I saw around 10 patients and suddenly realized I quite liked this – there was only one lady that didn’t speak English and her baby was feverish and obviously sick with a flu type illness, (so totally unethical I know) I asked a young guy waiting in line to translate for me and we were able to treat the child!! I know shock, horror but in some situations I have to just say TIA and get on with it. You have to take every case as individual , the confidential issue is important but for a baby sick with fever I’d rather understand what’s wrong through translation than just send her away because I had no understanding. So another week draws to a close and after going into Nelspruit yesterday with hubby, I am totally washed out, my sickness began last Saturday morning and I’ve pushed through and feel horrible, hacking cough, bunged up ears and exhausted. I got back from Nelspruit at 3pm Thursday and slept until 6am Friday morning. I have taken the morning off work to rest and hopefully I’ll be fit and well for next week.
I spent the weekend in bed – muscles aching all over, shivering and hacking cough, felt really rough. But it appears I am not the only one, it seems like many others are falling to the same virus or whatever it is. I managed to drag myself off to the clinic Monday morning to work, not get treatment!! It was heaving with patients like never before, no I tell a lie, it was like the time before we charged R10 a consultation!! I gave at least 10 injections - procaine penicillin actually to primarily bring down the high temperature, when I first got here 3 years ago I wasn’t at all sure about this method as working in a UK health centre for 10 years the only time I gave a penicillin jab to anyone was when they had suspected meningitis, however, I have learnt that over here in deepest darkest Africa it is a regular practice that protects the individual from the immune suppressed leaving us before their time is truly up. Hence now I give it because I love giving injections and the people love receiving them because apparently it’s a sure cure for all the germs invading their body, so some things you just have to leave alone and this is one of those things!! Medics, you just have to accept it okay??
The senior nurse left Monday, I have now been promoted, I have the pleasure/responsibility of running the Bulembu clinic, so the staff consists of me, a male RN from Zimbabwe who is great, knows his stuff and is a really flexible reliable guy, then there is a really super, enthusiastic ER trained RN from Canada who is here for one year, she’ll leave in February next year. We need a new female nurse/midwife to join the team, one who can speak English and siSwati and has an understanding of what we are trying to achieve here in Bulembu.
The rest of the week left myself and the male nurse as the Canadian nurse went on a course to learn about dried blood spot, this is where we test babies from 6 weeks to 18 months, a DNA /PCR test, we use it a lot to find out the true HIV status on a baby that young, otherwise the rapid tests just show the mothers antibodies, if a baby is truly positive we will start them on ARV’s as soon as possible which gives them a much better chance of survival. The rest of the team had already been on the course and were familiar with it.
I’d always called myself ‘the community nurse’ as I’d always used the excuse of not working in the clinic as the language is a barrier, but I proved myself wrong yesterday, the male nurse left to take bloods and a patient into Piggs peak and I was left on my own, I saw around 10 patients and suddenly realized I quite liked this – there was only one lady that didn’t speak English and her baby was feverish and obviously sick with a flu type illness, (so totally unethical I know) I asked a young guy waiting in line to translate for me and we were able to treat the child!! I know shock, horror but in some situations I have to just say TIA and get on with it. You have to take every case as individual , the confidential issue is important but for a baby sick with fever I’d rather understand what’s wrong through translation than just send her away because I had no understanding. So another week draws to a close and after going into Nelspruit yesterday with hubby, I am totally washed out, my sickness began last Saturday morning and I’ve pushed through and feel horrible, hacking cough, bunged up ears and exhausted. I got back from Nelspruit at 3pm Thursday and slept until 6am Friday morning. I have taken the morning off work to rest and hopefully I’ll be fit and well for next week.
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