KENYA- London Airport

We're sitting in London Heathrow airport. We have a 5 hr layover here. There's a mall (of sorts) in the airport but it's mostly things like Harrod's and Burberry's of London so a little out of our price range. I saw a little silver python clutch in Harrod's for only £625. That's about $900 I figure, so just admired it! It's so interesting to see people from all over the world wandering around. It turns out there is a shower here that I used for free. It was really nice as it had been a couple days since the last shower and a lot of dusty bumpy roads since then.  Friday was spent traveling to Nairobi. It was all highway and closer to Nairobi it was 4 lane divided highway. It was interesting to see the cows, burrows, sheep etc along the road even as we got into the city. There were vegetable gardens and burrows grazing in the median in places. Then random roadside stands just up next to the highway so you could pull over whenever you saw something you needed. We stopped to buy souvenirs in a couple places. One was a bead making place that hires single mothers and needy women. You could walk into the shop and see them making beeds, painting them, firing them in a kiln then making the necklaces, etc.  Wherever we shopped things were definitely Kenyan. None of this "made in China" stuff here. For supper Patrick made us reservations at Carnivores. When you walked in there was a big BBQ charcoal grill with all kinds of meat cooking. It reminded me a little of Hu Hots. There was a menu board with one price at the top then a long list of meats including crocodile and ostrich. So they brought a little bowl of leak and potato soup then a salad on a lazy Susan that you could take what you want family style with a choice of sauces round the top. Then waiters came one at a time with a long sword with meat on it. One had chicken, then another pork ribs, beef, ostrich, lamb, ox balls, crocodile etc etc etc. you could say 'yes' or 'no' on each one so they would put the point of the sword on your plate and cut off a piece of whatever it was or drop a meatball on your plate. We had a little flag on the table that we left up as long as we still wanted more meat then we laid the flag down when we "surrendered". I've got pictures but am using Kevin's iPad so can't load them right now. We are all willing to visit with any group and give slide shows so don't be afraid to ask. We have sooooo many stories we haven't even begun to tell and more pictures than you can count.

Being in London at least ends the bathroom adventures! The toilets flush with toilet paper right there and no squatting options to even consider. Tony came with us as far as Heathrow. The rest of the team from Omaha and Fremont are traveling through Amsterdam. We'll meet them in Mpls but Tony is going through Atlanta and already took off. He entered the team late when someone else dropped  out at the last. We are looking forward to being in our own beds tonight. 16 days is a long time to be gone and although we've toured around and seen a lot we also worked hard under difficult circumstances and unique challenges. We've come away with yet a new view of the world. The Kenyans were welcoming and the country is beautiful. NN

Safari

A weekend of relaxation. We visited the Maasai Mara today and saw so many things, animals, people, foods... We stopped a couple of land cruisers to discuss some of our findings on the Mara and of course one group was from Colorado and the next from Wyoming!?! We visited a Maasai village, saw how they lived and in what they lived and I now see how the kids are so easily burned and why they all have upper airway issues... No chimneys and open fires in a 10x10 room...

Day 3-Africa

The the day started innocently enough, stepping on a momma cats tail in the dining area of the Panorama... If you read Dr Novotny's quips you know "hurry up and wait" is part mantra and 99% truth. The outpatient pediatrics department continues to be busy with triage by the "clinical officers" who are, as far as I can tell PA's. they also cover or do rounds in the various units like pediatrics... Malaria seems to be a diagnosis most familiar although many tell me it isn't that common here. Lots of vermox, amoxil and metronidazole. Cough medicine is in a tie for 2nd, even if a tiny one under 6months... I am in awe of Laura the wound nurse... I get to help her especially on the Peds unit with burn/wound care. So many burns and the scarring can be so difficult for anyone but mostly the kids.

Day 2, Naivasha District Hospital
Spent a few hours with pediatric and maternal health triage. Just like most clinics, Mondays blow, Tuesdays, get better and then it has the end of week "spike." Ok, may I NEVER complain about a Monday again... +/- 200 patients thru triage and sorted out to labs, X-rays, inpatient and God only knows where on earth... Happy Monday! Pediatrics continues to have 40 full beds, with 1-2 or maybe  3 kids in a bed with a parent or 2 for "support staff..." Nurse on duty in charge of the whole crew... Nurses be thankful in USA! Attended a breast cancer support group with one of our fave nurses and she of course was doing this after her regular shift and continued to be a Godsend with a smile to everyone.  God's blessings to all in the USA, happy "fat Tuesday!" KH

Day 1, Naivasha District Hospital

The +columbusmedicalmission has begun just this morning!
The needs are many and the pace of a clinic/hospital that run numbers like these is hard to fathom. We have met many workers in the clinic/hospital that continue to sort thru the patients and get things done. I don't think nursing has much to complain about, the general nurse in pediatric ward there was a 40:1 ratio most days!!! Parents, grandparents aunts and uncles all help with patient care and then go outdoors to wash linens and clothing and hang it on the fence, then return to help with treatments, or just to share a bed/ get a nap with usually another patient AND family member(s)... (Yea, read it again, it is correct).
The family does the majority of cleaning, washing, and comforting of patient. I am not sure any of us had any expectations like this but a definite eye-opener!
More tomorrow
K

Krayons for Kenya

Hello and thank you to Columbus +Brownie troop 50194 for not only their donations to our CCH Pediatrics clinic in the form of Valentines and decorations for the office, but also the cool pencils the kids get to take home!!! Makes our days easier during the flu season...
A special thank you to Shawna and the Brownies for donating 2 cases of colors for the Kenya mission trip! There should be some colored fotos with serious artwork if we can figure how to put a foto on the blog!
We started our doxycycline regimen today and are patiently waiting for the trip to begin...