Going Solo

The desk where I slave away...

Wednesday and Thursday ARV clinics this week have been fun. You may recall from previous blogs that I occasionally get left to go it alone without a translator. Well, now we have progressed to the stage where I don't even get one! Luckily I've nearly mastered all the necessary phrases for it to work but it only takes one sentence that I don't understand to delay us for a considerable time.




On Wednesday I worked ten hours with a 'tea break' at 12pm and the patient count stood at about 85 by the time we were done so it was fun times all round. Ben Gaunt (chief medical officer) came to tell me that we are adding another clinic to down referral [Wilo clinic if you're interested] and then another one every month after that so now we are expanding more on the ARV front. I see busy days ahead!

On Thursday morning I went on grand rounds, can't remember if I've mentioned this before. Basically, the whole multi disciplinary team [plus me for the random crack] go round the wards and doctors present interesting or problematic cases for discussion and to refresh everyone's knowledge. The therapy department and dentists also give talks on various topics and outpatients and the therapy ones in particular are inspiring to hear. It's a useful experience for future medical experience and I'm picking up bits and pieces of useful information but I have to admit when they start talking in acronyms it goes straight over my head and I never know the correct reaction when the presenting doctor says, 'Oh my word, their potassium is 2/Their HIE score was off the cards/Their U and E was craaaazy' but one day I will! Today Mhla was presenting two patients from female ward but I can't remember very much about it at all so clearly I was in the zone for that talk.







More clinic work until I had to go and teach another computer lesson to two of the students who had missed one a few weeks back. We showed them how to type up C.Vs and then printed them for them and they were so chuffed, both rushing off to show their friends. It was nice to see, but shows as usual how much we take for granted, especially as the two students were both actually older than me!



Another inspiring story from the Thursday clinic (obv I had to go back there after computer class) came right at the end of the day. A one year old who is on ARVs came in with her granny and nine year old sister to have more meds dispensed. The mother of the two girls had abandoned them to go to Cape Town and had explained to the nine year old how to mix up the baby's meds and how often to give them etc before leaving them with their granny [who was completely clueless]. This amazing little girl has been administering the ARVs to her sister for well over a month all on her own and when we spoke to her to check her knowledge of it all she was so sharp. It puts many of our patients whose have completely shocking adherence to shame! She acts like more of a mother to her sister than her granny; she's a brilliant kid who is doing a great job in a horrible situation.



After work it was time for another trip to Papazela's for a round of delicious pizza and good chats. This time it was a smaller group: Sam and I, Liz, Lisa, Megan and Joff. It was a really fun night [only marred by a dog fight which took place under the table...] as usual.