To be a nurse in Wamba

Hi everyone, this is Liam. Skye sent me this update to post on the blog, hope you enjoy catching up on the latest with her and her experiences in developing world health care.

I thought you all might be interested in hearing about some of the cases I'm seeing in the hospital. The problems are so different from the states where the number one killer is heart disease, a disease of genes and lifestyle. Here, it's mostly tropical disease and trauma. The most common things I'm seeing are tuberculosis - so many kinds I didn't even know existed! One patient has a mass the size of a soccer ball growing from spinal tuberculosis. Another has a grapefruit sized mass on his foot from tb. Also, HIV and syphilis. We have a lot of men with enlarged prostates and there's been an odd and recent development of esophageal cancer. There must be an environmental cause, but no one knows yet. I've seen intestinal obstruction, gangrene, cystic kidneys, rectal prolapse, a lion attack, an elephant attack (both shepherds tending their flock), a shooting, two beatings (yes, men beat by mobs of other men. Two separate cases.), malaria, many snake bites, and last night a man came in carried by the motorbike that hit him. Yes, that means I’ve seen more lion attacks than cases of diabetes! And just two people with congenital hypertension.

I'm glad to be getting used to the routine and the needs of the ward. I'm learning a lot of Swahili and about caring for people from the patients and so much about the diseases and such from the over nurses and doctors. I am a full time sponge, which is pretty tiring. But I've still had time to relax, read, get to know my neighbors and love and be loved by the sisters!

I am able to read emails easier than send them, so keep me updated on your lives too!

Report on Skye through Mom Chambless

Many people have contacted me to say they are following Skye through her blog. I recently met Hannah and her friends who attend high school in North Carolina. They found out what Skye is doing and wanted to help support her volunteer work and have organized a fundraiser for Skye. Another young woman who heard about Skye has read all her blogs and is totally interested. I know that most of you reading this blog know Skye and love her. Thanks, from Mom, for keeping her in your prayers and thoughts.

Since Skye will have trouble updating her blog, I told her I would make reports when I hear from her. Her last contact was good and bad news. She was well and feeling good. But, she had spent a week recuperating from a bad stomach bug and dehydration. She guesses she is coming in contact with bacteria that is foreign to her system and so she will expect some of this. The sisters took her immediately into their care to get her well. She says she had 6 new mothers "all tough as nails" and "who treat her like a precious daughter". They fixed her every meal, did all her laundry, saw to her every need, and made her feel very loved.

Skye has worked in the men's, women's, and children's ward at Wamba Hospital and they are all short handed. She is mostly training and observing at this point. She talked a bit about some of the types of injuries and needs being met. Some were: snake bites, an elephant attack (that is different from home), HIV, TB, malaria, and bacterial infections. On a daily basis she helps the patients by bathing them, changing their bedding, dressing their wounds, and giving medications. She has truly enjoyed her work and is eager to get back after her illness.

Skye enjoys spending time with her neightbors who all work at the nursing school. They play volleyball everyday at 5:30. They share meals together. The young children spend a lot of time at Skye's house where she keeps crayons and coloring books for them. They are her best teachers of Swahili.

What we take for granted. After speaking with Skye about her difficult water situation, I am reminded how easy it is to take something so essential to our existence for granted. Water. We can't live without it, yet, we, Americans, have it so easily. All we have to do is twist on the faucet and out comes clean, clear, delicious water for drinking and bathing. Skye says most Samburu women and men must search for low lying places and dig for water. The hospital is lucky to have a well. It operates 3 hours per day at which time, everyone in the community must collect the water in containers to be used as needed. The water is so full of hard minerals that everything gets covered in crust and that she must filter the larva and silt out. Then she must boil is twice in order to consume it. She says bathing leaves her feeling like she just got out of the salty ocean. She has not complained one bit and is very thankful for the water she does have. I am just saying, because of her experience, I am more thankful for the amazing water we have each day.

pictures of a weekend hike

http://www.wamba-onlus.org/photo/album/list

26 March - a journal entry

A successful walk into town. I went in search for Mercy but couldn't find her. We had agreed to pick up my uniform at 4pm today. So, I went alone. Yes, I was nervous like a child, but I marched on. All the little kids yell "ciao!" at me - all the whites around here are Italian, so that's the greeting the learn. There are a few streets - all spread out. I couldn't remember how far we walked before turning right - I was hoping I'd recognize the tailor's shop when I saw it, but I didn't think to make mental notes when going in with Mercy on Thursday. I took the first right and saw a tailor's shop right away! Easy! Walked up and in and... nope, wrong tailor shop. I sead a nervous and apologetic "habari" and walked on. I saw something familiar a block down so turned and saw another tailor shop - this one looking more familiar. Yep! There's that iron on the counter (filled with red hot coals) just like before. The lady was all smiles when she saw me. I inspected my new uniform, paid for the next one and requested that the next uniform have real pockets, not just slits. A must for a nursing shirt! Proud of my own success, I mounted the street home. On the short, two-block walk I passed two roaming camels and a larch bull. Of course, everyone stared at me from start to finish and many people attempted conversation. Five young boys saw me walk passed and began shouting at me "how arre you, verrdy white!??!" Proud of their english I'm sure! When I returned home with uniform in hand, Mercy's three children were laying on my front porh. I invited them in and they have since been coloring. What a joy it is to be surrounded by children!

The Bush

I'm here! In the bush! on my neighbor's wireless internet modem. amazing, this technology. I will be brief because the internet is precious and pricey here, so I'm just going to type up a few excerpts from my journal: 23 March - The drive from Nairobi to Wamba ... All around was still green, lush farmland. We constantly saw shephards roaming with goats, sheep, cows of many kinds finding green grass. Then, all of the sudden, we were in the bush. Sister Linda was right when she said I wouldn't have to ask when we were in the bush... I'd know. The ground was red dust. The road was straight and flat. Though vegitation covered the landscape, it was all bushes. A few classic African trees [insert pre-school grade picture here]. But it wasn't totally flat. Always, the distance revealed tall mountains. Not a range with foothills, but single or a pair of tall hills covered in the same terrain. We occasionally passed a several mile patch where the trees were green with fresh leaves and grass scattered the dusty, rocky earth. Those were the places that had seen recent rainfall. Otherwise, there was just dust and grey bush. We saw very few people but occasionally we passed someone walking or riding a bike down a long stretch. I wonder where they are going or coming from!? Finally we turned off the paved road for our last 53km stretch to wamba. A dirt road marked by the lack of bushes. Like Sister Linda said - the road is like corrogated tin. A full series of bumps followed us to wamba. we passed 10 or 20 other traveling vehicles along the way. Once we passed a group of 6 or so children digging a human-sized hole searching for water. Then we got to the Samburu district - where the Samburu tribe lives. They wear brightly colored fabrics wrapped as dresses and skirts. The men have large, sagging holes in their ears with weighted earrings. The women wear their hair short - some bowl cut - with large plates of beaded necklaces. It seems that every man carries a large stick and every woman a small child in her back. They are dark as night with such beautiful, brightly colored clothing and jewelry. I have so much more to say, but I will leave you with those few but exciting images. I am setteled into my own place (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room). The biggest difference in my living in that there is not a constant water supply. So, I harvest water from the tap during the couple of hours each day that it works and store it in a large bin. When I need water to bathe or wash dishes, I just dip in my pitcher! Also, the water is bad quality. I strain it to get the mosquito larvae out then boil it before drinking. Still, it is full of minerals that make it harsh on my skin. So I will forever feel like I've washed in salt water! I am outfitted with a tailor-made uniform (I'll send pictures when I can... It'll definitely be one for the fridge... old school:) and plan to start work tomorrow! I'm so, so, so excited!!!

Address

For those of you that don't make it to the end of my previous post, here's my new address:

Skye Chambless c/o Wamba Nursing Training
P.O. Box 49
20603 Wamba
Kenya