Catching Up

A lot can happen in only a couple of weeks. The past few weeks have brought interviews for interns, a three day quality seminar, lots of interesting patients and our first real family vacation time since arriving in Kenya. Here is an overview…

So as many of you know, soon after arriving I was assigned/volunteered/roped into taking over as the director of interns here at Tenwek. I am still trying to figure out everything that this means while attempting to not cause our program to collapse. Last week we had our interviews for our clinical officer interns (the COs and MOs follow totally different schedules which makes things confusing at times). For the past couple weeks, I have been reading through applications with my assistant director attempting to figure out who we feel would be a good fit and benefit from doing their internship at Tenwek. After narrowing the pile down to 25, it was time for interviews. We actually made pretty good time and after a day in the board room, we have our list of candidates. Lord willing, they will be starting work with us in a couple months.

Quality health care is important no matter what country you find yourself in.  Tenwek has committed to improving the quality of care that we are able to provide.  In order to achieve this goal, they have brought in a quality specialist for a couple of seminars.  This was the second of four three-day meetings for Tenwek.  Representatives from all aspects of the hospital have attended and we have already seen a lot of positive changes.  As one of the casualty/outpatient representatives, I can say that we have changed quite a bit in the past several months.  Lots more to work on but it has been encouraging to see improvements being made.

If you have read my previous blog posts, you know that there is never a shortage of interesting cases here.  Last week was no exception.  In only a couple of days, we took care of a patient who was on the losing end of an encounter with an elephant (amazingly, he had only a femur fracture, rib fractures, and a clavicle fracture).  I think a similar lesson can be learned here as with the patient who lost in the encounter with the hippo…when you see an animal that has you outweighed by thousands of pounds…go the other direction!

The following day we saw a patient who was minding his own business, walking along a path when BOOM an antelope ran into him.  I suppose it could be worse.  He only ended up with a femur fracture.

That same day we saw probably one of the most interesting ortho cases I have ever encountered.  One of my nurses called me over to see a patient who “has a piece of bone or something in a bag.  It was sticking out of his injury.”  In my pessimistic mind I was thinking that it was likely debris from the accident (it was yet another road traffic accident).  Then I was handed the bag.  What I saw was not so much a piece of bone but rather the entire thing.

I had to go over to view the x-ray to confirm what I was looking at.  Sure enough the x-ray showed a missing talus!  I can honestly say that I have never seen that before!!

Medical patients are not always as easy to diagnose and often determining adequate treatment can be challenging.  One day last week, a young child came in.  He had been struck in the head by a stick several weeks earlier.  For the past two weeks, he was admitted at another hospital and was treated with antibiotics.  (It is often difficult if not impossible to figure out what treatment has occurred and if the treatment was appropriate.  I will never complain about transfer records in the U.S. again!)  The patient was febrile, appeared ill and clinically had meningitis.  What was difficult to determine was if the stick in the head was the initial cause and if an abscess had formed.  (In the U.S. a CT would be done immediately and we would quickly have an answer.)  After seeing the LP (spinal tap) fluid, the other consultant and I began the arduous task of determining appropriate antibiotics in this setting.  (Meningitis after trauma with a possible skull fracture +/- an abscess.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last I heard, the child was beginning to improve.  We are praying for a complete recovery.

 

Those who are friends on Facebook know that we just returned from a mini vacation…the first one since we arrived in Kenya.  We have been able to do a few day trips together but this was the first time we were able to get away for a couple days as a family.  We were able to spend a couple nights at a resort close to Naivasha lake.  It was amazing.  The boys were in heaven with the pool, television, comfy beds, playground and buffet meals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another highlight was taking a boat ride to Crescent Island where we were able to walk around amongst the wildlife.  We saw hippos, monkeys, countless bird species, camels, zebra, giraffes, gazelle, wildebeest and other incredible creatures.  Noah was a little worried as we came across hyena droppings.  He also made sure to tell us repeatedly that “I think I’m gonna vomit” as we walked near carcasses of wildebeest that had died.  Being able to walk with the animals was such an incredible experience though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer requests:

1.  As always, I would ask that you pray for our patients.  Not just for physical healing, but more importantly for spiritual restoration.  The goal of all of our clinicians at Tenwek is that we could use our clinical skills to introduce our patients to the Jesus, the only one who can bring complete and eternal healing.

2.  Pray for continued healing for our family.  It was good to have a couple days to get away, especially after losing Grammy Walker.  The boys continue to process the loss of Hannah in a healthy way but we all still have our moments/days when things are especially hard.

3.  Pray for those who have recently lost loved ones, especially those who have lost children.  We have been so blessed by the prayers of thousands.  Just this week we have been made aware of others who have recently begun the long journey of saying goodbye to a child.  They too could use the same support we have been blessed with.

4.  We remain so thankful for the ongoing support we receive.  Every e-mail and care package are treasured.  We recently were blessed to receive hand delivered gifts by a visiting physician.  The boys received Legos and a car and we were also given some delicious treats!  The boys also received hand written notes from the visitor’s sons who only two years ago lost their brother to a brain tumor.  Please pray for this dear family as they continue to move down the unending path of grief.

5.  Next week I will be traveling for two days of MO intern interviews.  Pray that we will have wisdom to again select those who should be training next year at Tenwek.  Also pray for wisdom as unique circumstances are making selection/timing difficult.

 

As I’ve been writing this, I have had music playing in the background and a song by Lincoln Brewster has really hit home for me.  I hope it speaks to you as well.  Jeremiah 10:6-7 “No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.  Who should not fear you, King of the nations?  This is your due.  Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.”

 

Surely children weren’t made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn’t how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can’t be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name
The power of Your name

Surely life wasn’t made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Jesus Your name
Is a shelter for the hurting
and Your name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only Your name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus Your name
Holds everything I need

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see this world be changed
By the power of Your name

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

The power of Your name…