photos

Welcome to Chitokoloki :) Just a few photos to give you a small 'picture' of my new home and my new work. 

 These sweet girlers came for a sleep over the second weekend I was here and helped me learn how to use my stove :) This fabulous meal was prepared by them and eaten snuggled with a ton of blankets watching a good movie.

We have been having a new road made in front of the hospital- a very controversial location :S as it runs between the hospital and the lab and we send a lot of children and elderly patients out to the lab from the hospital for blood work. However, it does provide for great entertainment :) There are crowds and crowds of people that flock, even the hospital staff, to watch the goings on outside the hospital.  These sweet little boys are creating a road of their own mimicking the construction they've seen.

These next photos are scenery of the Zambezi. It is so beautiful here. I have yet to see a country that I have not called beautiful but where I have been in Africa is the most beautiful of all. Sometimes I think God must have looked over His world and decided' there is so much dirt and destruction and sickness and sorrow and suffering here I will pour out extra beauty in this place so that people can see I am here. In all of this I am here and it matters to me!'

 

Nyampasa: mother of twins. This woman, Freida, is the mother of 8 children- not unusual here :) She has two little boys, I think 8 and 6. Twin girls Mbuyi and Kapi who are 4. Twin boys Chrisy and Happy who are 2 (and are two of the sweetest, happiest, friendliest babies I have met!). And twin girls again Gladys and Precious who are only a few months old.

What an amazing woman to be able to manage all those children and still smile and have such happy children!

 Club feet is a congenital disorder frequently seen around here. This little boy has been in plasters (casts) for most of his young life. We removed the plasters and then tried to encourage him to stand. Ever seen a kid afraid of his feet? or the floor?? He screamed and screamed and screamed. Dr. David and missionary nurse JR along with myself and two other short term visitors tried for almost an hour to get him to just put his feet on the floor. Explaining to mom that she mustn't carry him around on her back any more proved unfruitful as when he returned for ortho day he was securely tied to her back ... he's back in plasters now, but maybe next time will be more fruitful

These are some of my patients with wounds.... Fairly straightforward these two... but we have a run of terrible wounds right now- I have never been so frustrated with flies before :S

But what a privilege to be able to care for these dear people even if I can't really speak to them!

 

 VAC dressing, Chitokoloki style :)

This little boy had an osteomyelitis in his left tibia when I was here last time. They started a fibula transfer on him and then he disappeared for 2 years. He is back in hospital now, they completed the transfer and are now waiting for the ortho surgeon to return with a pediatric ex fix. He has the sweetest smile tho! We fixed his cast up to that he would be able to walk with crutches and weight bear as his affected leg is about 2-3 inches shorted than his other leg.

Somba and her darling baby girl- one of our long term wound patients

The colony sunday school. I am hoping to get over here to help out every other Sunday. So many darling children! Its very transient tho as many of these children are related to patients staying in the Colony. But still a wonderful opportunity to share God's love and His plan with them and maybe touch their lives for Him.

 The Colony sewing class. This is for the adult woman most of who are staying in the Colony as patients or caregivers. I think some women are also from surrounding villages.

 Entertainment for the day- a huge sand bank from the new road going in

Ortho Day! An orthopedic surgeon comes about every 2 months and does a whole marathon of surgeries. So Thursday in about 5 hours the surgeon saw 66 patients from Chit hospital, from Chavuma MH and Loloma MH. We had 24 patients on the list for surgery but cancelled two- one for lack of equipment and one for a positive malaria slide. However, in their place we had two emergency surgeries :S  A bowel resection with a temporary ostomy and an ectopic pregnancy. I wasn't there for the resection, but I did help with the ectopic- scary stuff, I can't believe how much blood she lost! But she seems to be doing ok now :)

 

This is my ward before the Orthopedic surgeon came to visit... it seems so calm and simple...

 

and this is after :S ... so many crying babies! But most are straightforward surgical care so not too difficult right now :)

The corridor full of patients waiting to be seen by the surgeon.

Assessing patients

 

 

 

 New friends. This is Love and Mary and Somba who having been coming over to play and to teach me new Lunda words... like peni and mapaperi... many times I have to call them out on their Zambish :) a pen is nsonekesu and paper is chipapilu

 

 

 

I want to thank each of you for all the emails and comments and msgs! It is so encouraging to know that people back home are interested and especially are praying!