Me-Ow!
Ya it's true we found a little baby kitten! I was with my friend Emma a Med student from the UK and we were doing some work at the hospital when we took an unplanned turn. Emma noticed a black ball of fur at the corner of the fence. We knelt down and poked at it a little, we were sure it was dead- but then it's little head raised up. Emma and I looked at each other and got the same idea...we need to save her! I put her in my bag and we were off. We decided to name the kitty Tsepo, which means Hope in Sesotho! We took her to the store and got some food, flea & tick shampoo for dogs (twas the only one), a leash (shoe laces), and cream. We got home and a bath was the first order of business. The water turned brown and bugs started falling off of her/him (sex unknown). There were still bugs/sticks on Tsepo after the bath but we decided she needed to eat...STAT! So we fed her then put her in her little box and we went back to work. Emma & I got back to find Tsepo- stiff as a board, we thought she had died and rigor mortis had set in. We sprung into action. Core body temp needs to be raised- we put her in a warm bath and she was so weak she couldn't even stand up so we wrapped her in warm towels and just sat with her. I took her Vital Signs, she had an irregular heart rhythm and very slow rate, and she was barely breathing. We even had to give Tsepo CPR because her body just shut down but we weren't about to give up! I did Kangaroo care (putting her on my chest). I decided to make an incubator for the cat...ya I know. A cardboard box with candles in it, a glass pan for Tsepo to lay in, and a blanket to cover the box. We monitored her vital signs, gave her cream, and antibiotic eye drops for her eye infection. We spent the rest of our day caring for Tsepo and keeping her/him alive! She started to eat and warm up, Vital signs became normal and she just looked stronger. We called my cousin Kim via Patty on skype to get some tips on how to care for Tsepo. Now she is great! Running around and eating...she's so cuddly and cute. We are going to give her to someone who we work with who lives in Lesotho.
So ya...Emma & I saved this little kitty's life (I guess school is paying off)...and now we know why the name Tsepo was Purrrfect!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Peace, Health, & Motivation
Well Hi There!
It's been a week since I've written...hope everything is good with you.
So what's been going on in Lesotho?
So wednesday I did a skills day where I helped teach the nurses @ Leribe hospital, just basic nursing skills. It was fun but rather upsetting. The healthcare system here, especially nursing, needs some work. The nurses are working 1 nurse to about 15 patients. The equivalent of our RNs are not doing daily assessments of their patients, not giving meds, leaving work early, and just not caring. I understand that the nurse-patient ratio is very intimidating, working conditions are shit, and drive and support are absent but people need care! People in Lesotho tend to become nurses because it is a secure job, not because it is a passion. This is upsetting as well but it gets into development and poverty issues which is a whole other story.
This is for the nursing people who are reading this- other people might not care about this section:
So we had to teach the nurses about VS, I&O,injections, foleys, physical assessments, and IVs. The nurses here, like I said aren't doing daily physical assessments, and if we're lucky we get a set of vitals. When we were training them the guy didn't even put on his stethoscope to take my BP, I had to remind him how to take a BP. Mentioning words like inspection and palpation appear to be Chinese and locating the auscultation point for the apical pulse was like an easter egg hunt! The wards are terrible compared to our standards- honestly it makes me so grateful to be in the US where infection control is practiced. The wards are rooms with beds in them, Maluti has curtains, the other hospitals (as far as I've seen) do not even have curtains to divide the pts. The hallways reak (sp?) of urine and it is such an upsetting sight to see 3 nurses talking while there are pts who are in pain, have no IV and dehydrated, and in need of basic nursing procedures. The nurses don't have specific pt assignments they all just work together. The culture is very community based which is great but in a healthcare setting there is no accountability for pt care AND you assume that "someone else will take of that" so it doesn't get done. Today for example we were teaching physical assessment on a pt and he threw up. The nurses STOOD THERE! After we said, "we should probably do something about this" 3 nurses meandered into the hallway. The 1st nurse came back to the room and guess what she had...a MOP! No towel for the pt, no clean gown, or new bedding but a mop! It took 15 minutes to clean this man after he threw up! I was so upset and they saw nothing wrong with what was happening. The culture here is very slow paced and relaxed which is great but again, in a healthcare setting it can pose difficulties. The nursing schools here are good, the nurses are taught a lot of information and it is good useful HOWEVER there is NO critical thinking. Their classes include lectures without discussion or questioning (I'm sure some of our professors would love that), and just straight fact memorization. The concept of evaluating a pt based on clinical indicators or abnormal assessment findings is foreign and asking someone to critically think about potential complications/risks R/T a certain illness is almost incomprehendable. Our main goals include strengthening nursing skills and critical thinking, improving nurse leadership and management, and restoring drive/empowerment to the nurses. So far I think we are making some improvements but it is going to take A LOT Of work and motivation.
Now back to everyone:
I have been in the hospitals and clinics doing some nursing work, which has been challenging, eye opening, and I guess slightly rewarding (very rewarding in the clinic setting). I've been meeting some really great people like Victor, the Biology teacher from Zimbabwe, James the blind, Muslim religion teacher who teaches at a Catholic school, and Mamakara the Oprah of Nursing in Lesotho. I have not had an opportunity to go hiking yet but just driving around the country has been amazing. Every angle is picturesque and breath taking.
Wed- I worked at the hospital doing nurse training (that night I ended up getting a lil drunk by myself and then doing a song and dance performance for my wall- it was great).It just gets so boring here all alone at night!
Thursday- I met Victor, and talked with Mary the HIV nurse with LeBoHA who wants me to help her revamp her HIV training program and help with HIV Outreach, Education, and Testing which I LOVE!
Friday- I went to a staff meeting which was SOO SOO Boring but interesting. I'm learning a lot about Public Health and the internal dynamics and corporate bullshit that we need to deal with. We also took a little field trip into South Africa and ate a French Cafe which was just...Savory!
Saturday- I relaxed and read, did some laundry and then went out to dinner. Afterward we went to a Party with the international aid workers and we got wasted and sung karaoke! These people get CRAZY b/c there is nothing to do in this country so everyone just goes bizerk!
Sunday- I met up with the UK kids and hung out with them, It took 4 hours in a Combi ( it should take about 2 hours but...everything is slow in Lesotho)
Monday- I worked at Phelisanong again and saw some really interesting pts including a lil 4 year old boy who had Chronic itching all over his body for 3 years!! It was so bad his skin was raw and bleeding, and he had gashes from scratching. He's coming back next week for a follow up. I really love working in the clinic because it's healthcare in the most basic sense. It's just people helping people- the core of nursing. There are no expected levels of respect such as, "I'm a doctor or nurse I should be treated this way" it's just respect on a humanistic level. Here, it's ok to sit down on the bed with your pt while talking to them and call them by their 1st name, it's ok to eat your trail mix and drink your tea while talking with your pts. There are no defined rules or corporate boundaries which need to be followed it's just caring and healing in the most basic, loving sense of the words. It's fantastic to see people to grateful to receive healthcare. ALSO it's interesting to see things that we don't cover indepth in school (ie mumps or parasitic infections).
I'm doing a lot of meditation and soul searching which is great. I'm discovering a lot about myself and I think I'm getting on the right path to answering some of life's deepest questions. I'm feeling so happy here because I am so content- I'm just at peace here- it's an amazing feeling. It's almost like taking a deep breath, forgetting your troubles, and just laying back- that's how I feel most of the time.
Well, I think that's my update. Not too many exciting things happening, mostly working, so sorry the blog isn't filled with tales of me fighting lions or scaling mountains to save babies! If there is anything you want to know about it just ask! And Don't forget to keep me posted about you & your life!
THABO (Happiness) :)
It's been a week since I've written...hope everything is good with you.
So what's been going on in Lesotho?
So wednesday I did a skills day where I helped teach the nurses @ Leribe hospital, just basic nursing skills. It was fun but rather upsetting. The healthcare system here, especially nursing, needs some work. The nurses are working 1 nurse to about 15 patients. The equivalent of our RNs are not doing daily assessments of their patients, not giving meds, leaving work early, and just not caring. I understand that the nurse-patient ratio is very intimidating, working conditions are shit, and drive and support are absent but people need care! People in Lesotho tend to become nurses because it is a secure job, not because it is a passion. This is upsetting as well but it gets into development and poverty issues which is a whole other story.
This is for the nursing people who are reading this- other people might not care about this section:
So we had to teach the nurses about VS, I&O,injections, foleys, physical assessments, and IVs. The nurses here, like I said aren't doing daily physical assessments, and if we're lucky we get a set of vitals. When we were training them the guy didn't even put on his stethoscope to take my BP, I had to remind him how to take a BP. Mentioning words like inspection and palpation appear to be Chinese and locating the auscultation point for the apical pulse was like an easter egg hunt! The wards are terrible compared to our standards- honestly it makes me so grateful to be in the US where infection control is practiced. The wards are rooms with beds in them, Maluti has curtains, the other hospitals (as far as I've seen) do not even have curtains to divide the pts. The hallways reak (sp?) of urine and it is such an upsetting sight to see 3 nurses talking while there are pts who are in pain, have no IV and dehydrated, and in need of basic nursing procedures. The nurses don't have specific pt assignments they all just work together. The culture is very community based which is great but in a healthcare setting there is no accountability for pt care AND you assume that "someone else will take of that" so it doesn't get done. Today for example we were teaching physical assessment on a pt and he threw up. The nurses STOOD THERE! After we said, "we should probably do something about this" 3 nurses meandered into the hallway. The 1st nurse came back to the room and guess what she had...a MOP! No towel for the pt, no clean gown, or new bedding but a mop! It took 15 minutes to clean this man after he threw up! I was so upset and they saw nothing wrong with what was happening. The culture here is very slow paced and relaxed which is great but again, in a healthcare setting it can pose difficulties. The nursing schools here are good, the nurses are taught a lot of information and it is good useful HOWEVER there is NO critical thinking. Their classes include lectures without discussion or questioning (I'm sure some of our professors would love that), and just straight fact memorization. The concept of evaluating a pt based on clinical indicators or abnormal assessment findings is foreign and asking someone to critically think about potential complications/risks R/T a certain illness is almost incomprehendable. Our main goals include strengthening nursing skills and critical thinking, improving nurse leadership and management, and restoring drive/empowerment to the nurses. So far I think we are making some improvements but it is going to take A LOT Of work and motivation.
Now back to everyone:
I have been in the hospitals and clinics doing some nursing work, which has been challenging, eye opening, and I guess slightly rewarding (very rewarding in the clinic setting). I've been meeting some really great people like Victor, the Biology teacher from Zimbabwe, James the blind, Muslim religion teacher who teaches at a Catholic school, and Mamakara the Oprah of Nursing in Lesotho. I have not had an opportunity to go hiking yet but just driving around the country has been amazing. Every angle is picturesque and breath taking.
Wed- I worked at the hospital doing nurse training (that night I ended up getting a lil drunk by myself and then doing a song and dance performance for my wall- it was great).It just gets so boring here all alone at night!
Thursday- I met Victor, and talked with Mary the HIV nurse with LeBoHA who wants me to help her revamp her HIV training program and help with HIV Outreach, Education, and Testing which I LOVE!
Friday- I went to a staff meeting which was SOO SOO Boring but interesting. I'm learning a lot about Public Health and the internal dynamics and corporate bullshit that we need to deal with. We also took a little field trip into South Africa and ate a French Cafe which was just...Savory!
Saturday- I relaxed and read, did some laundry and then went out to dinner. Afterward we went to a Party with the international aid workers and we got wasted and sung karaoke! These people get CRAZY b/c there is nothing to do in this country so everyone just goes bizerk!
Sunday- I met up with the UK kids and hung out with them, It took 4 hours in a Combi ( it should take about 2 hours but...everything is slow in Lesotho)
Monday- I worked at Phelisanong again and saw some really interesting pts including a lil 4 year old boy who had Chronic itching all over his body for 3 years!! It was so bad his skin was raw and bleeding, and he had gashes from scratching. He's coming back next week for a follow up. I really love working in the clinic because it's healthcare in the most basic sense. It's just people helping people- the core of nursing. There are no expected levels of respect such as, "I'm a doctor or nurse I should be treated this way" it's just respect on a humanistic level. Here, it's ok to sit down on the bed with your pt while talking to them and call them by their 1st name, it's ok to eat your trail mix and drink your tea while talking with your pts. There are no defined rules or corporate boundaries which need to be followed it's just caring and healing in the most basic, loving sense of the words. It's fantastic to see people to grateful to receive healthcare. ALSO it's interesting to see things that we don't cover indepth in school (ie mumps or parasitic infections).
I'm doing a lot of meditation and soul searching which is great. I'm discovering a lot about myself and I think I'm getting on the right path to answering some of life's deepest questions. I'm feeling so happy here because I am so content- I'm just at peace here- it's an amazing feeling. It's almost like taking a deep breath, forgetting your troubles, and just laying back- that's how I feel most of the time.
Well, I think that's my update. Not too many exciting things happening, mostly working, so sorry the blog isn't filled with tales of me fighting lions or scaling mountains to save babies! If there is anything you want to know about it just ask! And Don't forget to keep me posted about you & your life!
THABO (Happiness) :)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Phelisanong
Well I just left Phelisanong which is a school/orphanage for disabled children...it's an AMAZING place! Sandy, the nurse practitioner I've been hanging out with, actually opened her own clinic there. Originally it was for the children but it was so popular that she opened it up for everyone! We've been working there seeing patients, and hanging out with the children which has been great. Looking out the window it seems like a painted mural of mountains with evergreen trees, fields of corn and wheat, and just pure beauty- words cannot describe it's magnificence! (I will try to attach pics to the blog).
Anywho- I'm living at the convent, Sr. Maria is 81 and a sassy lil nun- she's taking care of me. I'm living with 2 twentysomethings from the UK who are here doing some work at orphanages. They seem pretty cool so far and we've been having a good time together. We realized that we have all been waking up extremely early 5:30 or 6:30 every morning. No one is really sure why it could be because we are passed out by 10pm, maybe the anticipation of the day, and maybe the church bells that ring at 5:30 and then every 15min thereafter!!!
The children here are beautiful, each one is just adorable! I love them all. There is one little girl at Phelisanong who runs around with a shirt on, no shoes, no underwear, no pants (I don't really know why) but as soon as she sees me she runs up to me and wants me to hold her for the whole day!
I had Pappa today (corn meal/thick mashed potato consistency) one of the staple foods as well as some potatoes and some sort of fish thing that looked 'different' and tasted 'unique'...
Tomorrow I am off to Motebang hospital in Leribe to help Gillian (the nurse who's running the show) train Basotho (people of Lesotho) nurses. We will be doing skills training and teaching- it should be fun!
I am having an amazing time- the lifestyle is so relaxed and warm I'm so grateful to be back. Internet is not an everyday event for me, I have to go to the hospital to use it b/c the convent has no internet and occasionally no electricity- but we do have warm running water!
I will keep you posted and please email me and keep me up to date about your lives!
Sala Hantle (Stay Well)
Anywho- I'm living at the convent, Sr. Maria is 81 and a sassy lil nun- she's taking care of me. I'm living with 2 twentysomethings from the UK who are here doing some work at orphanages. They seem pretty cool so far and we've been having a good time together. We realized that we have all been waking up extremely early 5:30 or 6:30 every morning. No one is really sure why it could be because we are passed out by 10pm, maybe the anticipation of the day, and maybe the church bells that ring at 5:30 and then every 15min thereafter!!!
The children here are beautiful, each one is just adorable! I love them all. There is one little girl at Phelisanong who runs around with a shirt on, no shoes, no underwear, no pants (I don't really know why) but as soon as she sees me she runs up to me and wants me to hold her for the whole day!
I had Pappa today (corn meal/thick mashed potato consistency) one of the staple foods as well as some potatoes and some sort of fish thing that looked 'different' and tasted 'unique'...
Tomorrow I am off to Motebang hospital in Leribe to help Gillian (the nurse who's running the show) train Basotho (people of Lesotho) nurses. We will be doing skills training and teaching- it should be fun!
I am having an amazing time- the lifestyle is so relaxed and warm I'm so grateful to be back. Internet is not an everyday event for me, I have to go to the hospital to use it b/c the convent has no internet and occasionally no electricity- but we do have warm running water!
I will keep you posted and please email me and keep me up to date about your lives!
Sala Hantle (Stay Well)
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Finally Here!
6/6/08 23:00 (6 hours ahead of the US) : Exchange Rate 7.6 Rand/Maluti for 1 USD
Whew, talk about a Journey! Before my plane took off I was already meeting fantastic people at the airport like Aziza, a UN peace/administrator worker from Tanzania, meeting her started my trip and I knew that many great encounters were to come. I left JFK @ 11:00am with Emirates Airlines (talk about a nice airline with GREAT food). The next wonderful thing that happened was row 24 H, the exit aisle on the plane- yes ladies and gentlemen I has LEG ROOM. I met H, my friend in 24 I, together we hung out during the flight and played games together while flying…I also got to catch up on some movie watching. I was wearing an HIV/AIDS shirt (big surprise I know) and when I was up getting some water the flight attendants starting talking to me. I was probably with them for a good hour talking about HIV/AIDS. I felt really honored as well because one by one they pulled me aside and starting telling me their stories and concerns as well as asking questions. I think it’s so wonderful that people who I just met opened up to me- it was a really good feeling. Another good feeling was when they invited me to stay in Dubai with them for a few days on my way back (and they said they’d pay for me since I’m strapped for cash)! So we landed in Dubai after 12hours, I walked around the airport for 2 hours and met Melanie and her twins Skye & Shannon (adorable 5yr old identicals). They were on their way to Jo-burg as well. The girls and I played together while Melanie and I chatted about plants, people, and life in general. The girls kept me company on the plane, and btw- I had an entire row to myself! I kind of felt bad at first because there were people who had no extra room and here I had a plethora of space, but to be honest after my 12 hours flight, my ass was tired and I didn’t really give a shit: I sprawled out and passed out! We arrived in Jo-burg and I had dinner with Lauren, the program director for LeboHA, she was great and convinced me to eat ostrich, “ a south African tradition,” she told me. It was pretty good I must say! After eating my friends Caesar and Ntombi (who I met last time I was in South Africa) picked me up and took me to Ntombi’s house. We caught up, went out to dinner, and then again- passed out. I asked them, as well as several other South Africans about the “traditional ostrich dinner” and none of them had ever heard of people eating ostrich so I’m pretty sure Lauren was delirious from her plane ride! Caesar & Ntombi are genuinely kind people- Caesar gave me his new sweatshirt as a gift because I was cold (last time I got a new pair of shoes from out other friend Answer), they paid for all of my food and just took care of me. After the house alarm went off at 5am we woke up, went to breakfast and they took me to the bus station. We met up with Answer at the station and decided that I would have to spend a few days in South Africa on my way back (again they said they’d pay for everything)…I don’t really know why people are giving me all these gifts and offers, but I’ll take ‘em! J A 5 hour bus ride took me to another travel plaza that was very disorganized and chaotic. I had NO CLUE what I was supposed to do, up until this point everything was prearranged and I had tangible tickets in my hand- now I was winging it! I walked into what looked like a bus station and I met a girl who was traveling to Maseru (the capital of Lesotho) come to find out she was a cop and teacher (so I was lead to the right person). She helped me along the way through bus changes, customs, and helped me learn Sesotho (the language in Lesotho). This 2 hour kombi ride (which cost 70 Rand and was a much better deal than the 700 Rand taxi cap ride that was first offered to me) brought me into Maseru from there I met Sandy, a nurse practitioner/genuine sweetheart who is the “mama” of the group. She was so kind and brought me dinner, snacks, and breakfast for the morning. She sat and talked with me for about 2 hours and told me about all the wonderful things that are happening with LeboHA including the clinic that she opened and wants me to work in. I was not sure about the accommodations here but let me tell you- there is No Roughing Here! I’m currently typing in a 3 bedroom/2 bath house in a gated community with a living room, dining room, and kitchen. There’s running water and wireless internet (occasionally the electricity goes out but we have candles. I will be moving around in terms of places to live so I’m sure if the convent is my home base (so much for the Sister Act fantasy). Anywho, I’m off to bed now, out the door by 9:30 to explore with Sandy and her husband Phil.
KHOTSO (peace)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Blog 1
Hey Everyone!
This is my new Blog for my trip back to Lesotho!
Here's the Deal:
I will be leaving the US on June 4th and flying into Dubai then off to Johannesburg in South Africa.
From there I will take a bus from Bloemfontein then into Maseru, the capital of Lesotho.
Where: Lesotho (find it on the map...Look at South Africa and it's the land-locked country in South Africa)
When: June4th- July30th
Why: To work with LeBoHa (Lesotho Boston Health Alliance) It's part of the Boston University school of public health. We will be working to help the nurses in Lesotho become more proficient in their care. We will also be going into the communities and orphanages to do HIV education/testing and community health work.
How: LeBoHa got a surplus of funding for Nursing Work and they needed some help so they offered to pay for my housing & food!
The bonus: I get to live in a convent (I'm hoping it's like Sister Act)
I'm not sure about internet access while I'm over there but I will try keep you all posted throughout my adventure!!!
Much Love!
This is my new Blog for my trip back to Lesotho!
Here's the Deal:
I will be leaving the US on June 4th and flying into Dubai then off to Johannesburg in South Africa.
From there I will take a bus from Bloemfontein then into Maseru, the capital of Lesotho.
Where: Lesotho (find it on the map...Look at South Africa and it's the land-locked country in South Africa)
When: June4th- July30th
Why: To work with LeBoHa (Lesotho Boston Health Alliance) It's part of the Boston University school of public health. We will be working to help the nurses in Lesotho become more proficient in their care. We will also be going into the communities and orphanages to do HIV education/testing and community health work.
How: LeBoHa got a surplus of funding for Nursing Work and they needed some help so they offered to pay for my housing & food!
The bonus: I get to live in a convent (I'm hoping it's like Sister Act)
I'm not sure about internet access while I'm over there but I will try keep you all posted throughout my adventure!!!
Much Love!
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