Hectic days, starry nights

Five weeks over and counting! Since Transkei New Year, things have been heeeeeeeeeectic here. For those of you who don't know, hectic is one of the three favourite words of South Africa (the other two are YAR and shame)




The hospital has been crazily busy – we've been working 7.30am to around 6pm and later every day, and the unfortunate doctors on call have been out at all hours of the night as well. Zithulele ARV clinic last Wednesday was utter joy, it seemed like every patient there had decided they would come to the wrong place, at the wrong time for the wrong reason. I ended up going all over the hospital trying to track down files, doctors and medicine so by the end of the day I was totally knackered.



Last Wednesday night we had a braai at Marlie and Megan's (a physio and an OT) which was good times. We sat around the fire until midnight and watched an incredible lightning storm that was going on in the sky. The lightning here is something else – storms often cause people's rondavels to burn down! I've also never seen so many stars as there are here, you can see billions of them because no one has power.



Thursday was never going to be easy with two of the three pharmacy staff away for training. Between myself and Thabo we had to run the main dispensary, do the ward orders and run a massive clinic day. Eventually we decided to let me run ARV clinic with a translator and Thabo would struggle on down at the main dispensary. It was a looooooooong day. My translator was also working for the doctors so I only had help about half the time and had to try my best in isiXhosa the rest of the time. It actually worked out alright and I'm getting much better at speaking the language :D I then progressed to the next level of my Pharmacy 101 training and started dispensing at the front counter, i.e. making up the prescriptions for all the patients that get seen in out patients department and on the wards. This job is crazy! Can you imagine the NHS letting a random loose with zero training?



On Friday, we had the inaugural 'Jabulani Grand Tea' which is basically an excuse to eat cake and drink tea once a week. The hospital has their own grand tea after rounds on a Friday so we thought our little group of volunteers would have one too. Kate (who used to be an OT but is now running a programme to support local mothers) made a massive plate of flapjacks which were stunnnnnning. Now you will probably be imagining those nice oaty/honey things (especially Ella if she's reading) but in South Africa a flapjack is kind of like a Scotch pancake. See my previous posts about pancakes and you'll understand why this was major success...



Anyway, back at work I carried on with all the usual chaos until finally at 3 o'clock I was dragged out by Dr Gatley. Somehow I ended up looking after the Le Roux's daughter Emma (cutest child on earth) which involved running away from lions and driving to Johannesburg and exciting imaginary stuff like that – good times! Next up was my first chance to see something other than ARVs in the hospital when Liz (aka Dr Gatley) took me on call with her. First up we went to see a woman who had miscarried but still had her placenta in place so needed a uterus evacuation. Liz sent her up to theatre, then on the way there (about a 300m walk) ended up having to see a further two patients [two babies who looked horrendous, but you'll be glad to know they are looking better now!] before actually scrubbing in.



The theatre here has all the equipment you'd expect for surgery so it's in no way inferior medicine, but I was struck by how different it is from surgery I've seen in the UK. When I was watching cataract surgery in Dumfries, there was a doctor and about 3 nurses sitting in, scrubbing in and out took forever, I had to be briefed on where to stand etc etc etc. For a uterus evacuation [which I presume is a slightly more risky procedure], I just wandered into theatre with Liz, who scrubbed in, anaesthetised the patient, prepared her with the drapes, iodine, stirrups etc all by herself. There was one nurse who stood and watched, so I think we just about contributed equally. It's incredible that here a doctor in their third/fourth (?) year of practice can do all that by themselves! This would be such an amazing place to train as a doctor.



Sunday was another Hole in the Wall day, this time actually at the Hole :D It is THE most beautiful beach. The sea there is actually still enough to swim in, good times, so we had a relaxing day sunbathing, swimming, reading, chatting and of course the inevitable beach braai. I also got my phone sorted out [thanks Mum :D] so I am back in the world! Thank you everyone for your texts: Megan especially for the daily updates and Tides for the epically long one you sent on Thursday, keep me posted on the wonderful courier headlines!



Monday night after work was...you guessed it, a beach braai! You have to believe me when I say I am working hard here, not just eating and going to the beach. This time we were at Lubanzi (see the pic of me on a beach with cows) and a massive crew from Zithulele was there: Sam and I; Liz; Tom, head of JRHF healthcare; his wife Jo, a doctor; Roger the gazelle, JRHF manager; Lisa, an OT; Patrick, a random volunteer from Louisiana and Asanda and Jumi, HIV counsellors. There was an epic sunset and plenty of food, what more could I want?



Tuesday, what a day. It was my first clinic that I had prepared for solo, from the referrals, printing prescriptions, packing them and then actually going out and dispensing. We made the 40 minute journey to Ngcwanguba in the blistering heat, a theme that continued throughout the day. We had an expected list of133, plus another 6 who decided to turn up randomly and we counted pills, gave out packs and did the paperwork for four and a half hours straight. It was really hard work and I was sweating after about 5 minutes, but we were finally finished and it was an overall success. The great news is that it all starts again next week!



On my return on Tuesday, I found that Sam had the house key in Umtata, a big town about 1.5 hours away. Homeless, somehow I ended up going to...could it be? Yes, the beach! This time the wind proved a bit much so Liz and I went home after about 20 minutes where she cooked dinner (mince on a roll with chips which sounds random but is soooooooooooooo good) for me and also for Sam who had returned.



That night also saw the arrival of two new couples: Bernard and Sarah from Belgium and Megan and Jof?Geoff? (no idea how to spell it) from the UK. Bernard and Joff are doctors, Megan is a physio and Sarah is taking over from Roger as JRHF manager. It's great to have new people to chat to :D



Wednesday and Thursday were both ARV days, completely ridiculous in terms of how many patients there were and when we finished (7pm on Wed!). Some highlights were seeing patients completely on my own for an hour due to lack of translator and then breaking into the clinic through the window after we closed to get meds for a sick baby who was being admitted. You've got to love this place :D



Today had been the most scorching day ever – 37'C! I've never been anywhere so hot in my life. The temperature stays near 30'C all night as well. Be thankful for Haddy weather! Although I won't lie, I love how sunny it is here. Pharmacy was as per, then here we go again, guess where we went? A third trip to the beach this week :D I should just give up on blogging and just write pharmacy, beach, food because that is the three words that sum up my life right now!



I received SEVEN letters today, I am absolutely chuffed – thank you Auntie Kathryn [although no one else would agree that my writing is legible let alone nice!], Grandma, Marje, Fiona CLEAT, Megan [especially loved that photo] and obviously Mum x2, the toothbrush was a great source of amusement to the doctors! I'll get around to writing back soon, I think the reason my mail hasn't hit the UK may be that I sent it by land mail...I blame my bad isiXhosa for that one. I tried to post some on Tuesday but the post office queue was an hour (not quite as long as the really inefficient Haddy PO tho!).



Plans for the next while: a wedding tomorrow [good times], Bulungula weekend next week and Project Trust are coming at the end of Feb. I'll send a virtual prize to anyone who can guess how many braais/beach visits I have before I next blog!



Off to have dinner now, and there is a killer storm outside so power will probably be out in the morning!



Salani Kakuhle



xxxxx



P.S. Gregor I'm still working on finding that isiXhosa word for you....