PICKLES

Day 37-  3:30pm - A cool 81 degrees F, feels like 86  Humidity 80%

Can't say I've ever imagined 81 degrees with 80% humidity would feel cool, but in Ghana its hoodie weather... and much welcomed by yours truly.  It's cloudy and drizzly too, almost qualifies as SF weather!

The past couple weeks have been somewhat eventful.  The weekend of the Nov 5th a few of us headed about 2.5 hours west on the coast to Busua beach. Supposed to be one of the best beaches in Ghana partly for it's beauty and partly because of the surf.  The first evening was great.. stayed at this little hotel owned by a french couple.  I walked into the bathroom first and looked up and staring back at me was the adorable face of a monkey in the window.  Had a delicious swordfish dinner accompanied by an equally delicious bottle of wine. Enjoyed the last glass with my feet in the sand listening to the waves crash. Perfection.

The next day another 6 or so volunteers joined us, and brought the rain along with them. After hiding out under cover for a couple hours we decided to endure the wetness and head to our lodging for that weekend which was about 20km away in Butre.  The roads had started to flood so it's probably a good thing we left when we did.  We had to drive through a little village on the way there and the ride ended at a foot bridge that looked a bit questionable.  In those situations it's best to just go and not spend time thinking about it too much... we all made it safely!  About the time we arrived Mark had given into the stomach pains that had been nagging him all morning, he went from a little queasy to SICK fast.  As the hours passed his condition worsened and by 8p three of us were in a taxi headed back to Cape to get him to the hospital.  What an experience the hospital was.  Mark got fluids and a couple of injections for nausea and malaria and was asleep within the hour, lucky for him.  I managed to get some sleep here and there, sitting in a plastic chair next to his bed in the Accident and Emergency department with 3 other patients around us.  One of the gentlemen in the room had been involved in a car accident and unfortunately the hospital just didn't have the means to treat his ailments. I watched him decompensate throughout the night, receiving zero medical attention.  He passed on just as the doctor arrived for rounds in the AM.  Thankfully Mark was discharged after a few liters of fluid and a couple of prescriptions, I left with eyes opened a little wider.

The HIV clinic is going well.  It appears to only be run by this one woman who is a volunteer herself.  She's starting to get involved with an organization that is putting on youth soccer and health education events, so that's pretty exciting.  Reaching out to the youth is really the only way to get ahead of the rapidly spreading virus.  The clinic is actually run from the prenatal clinic inside one of the local health centers.  They can't test everyone, there just isn't enough funding or time for it, but in the days I've been there I'd say we test about 20-30 pregnant woman, and their husbands if they are present and willing.  One of the women who has been diagnosed delivered last week so we went into the village and brought her medication for the baby and some formula.  Fati, the woman running the organization, also educated her on ways she can prevent spreading the virus to her child... provided it hasn't happened already.  I've emailed a couple of distributors for test kits hoping for donations or at least working out a discounted price but so far haven't even received a response.  A past volunteer started making website for Needed Life but seems to have let it fall by the wayside.  SOO ***To my technologically inclined friends out there... anyone willing to donate a bit of time to help update the website please send me an email!*** The website is www.neededlife.org.  And if anyone would like to make a donation let me know, anything helps. 

No more births to report.  There was one last week while I was there doing exams, but they forgot to tell me.  Trying to ward of discouragement... there's still time to see at least a few more before I leave.  The midwives seem to be extremely grateful for the lightened workload and time on their feet so even if no more babies come, their gratitude is enough for me. 

Went to Accra last weekend to say farewell to James along with Mark, Elin, and Georgie.  After a day of watching rugby at Ryan's Irish Pub (where I FINALLY had SPINACH) we had a much needed chinese food feast for dinner and went back to Ryan's to meet up with a few South African's we had met during the day.  One of them lived in Accra and he had been clamoring on about his house all evening so a few of us went there after the bar closed.  It was no joke. Security guard, swimming pool, marble kitchen, flat screen tv's, leather couches.... def. not the Ghana lifestyle I've experienced!  We had a swim and I got to sleep in a real bed. Turned out to be a great night!  Did some touring of Accra the next day... nothing really noteworthy.... except for the Koala supermarket which carries western products.  I splurged on a jar of pickles!  It's the little things in life...

I'm still having trouble uploading pictures to my blog, but have posted several on facebook the past few days for those of you haven't seen them yet.  Hopefully I'll get the blog worked out soon for the facebook non-conformists!!
 

Hope everyone is enjoying their cooler climate this time of year brings.  Stay warm and think of me Thursday when you're enjoying all the deliciousness.. and Friday when you're reveling in all the day's good buys!  

xx

Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them...  -Alan Watts

Positive Mental Attitude

Day 19- 4:15pm  Cape Coast, Ghana -87degrees F, feels like 100 with 73% humidity
 
FIRST THINGS FIRST: GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!

Back to Ghana:  What a difference a week makes!   I think I’m just about acclimated to the Ghanaian way of doing things… definitely a process.  As I mentioned in my last post life is slooooooow here.  But really, there isn’t much reason for hurry.   The first time the taxi driver stopped for gas after he took me to the wrong hospital I almost lost it, but it's how things are done here.  I’ve started walking slower and go out to eat when I think I should be getting hungry so that when I am borderline starving the food will have arrived.  No joke, an hour for a salad… that being said I’d wait 4 hours for a salad because they are rare here.  Lots and Lots of starch in my diet now.  A typical day is white bread with peanut butter for breakie, if I have lunch it’s usually pasta with tomato stew, and dinner is either pasta, potatoes, or rice and tomato stew.  I’m craving nutrients.  I’ve started scoping out the best places in the market to buy decent produce and have picked up some vitamins.  This is definitely manageable.

Started work at Adisadale Urban Health Center on Friday.  Such an improvement over the hospital!!  They are short staffed at the moment so there is only one midwife and a nursing assistant in the department.  After the first day they had me doing all the vitals and the physical exam portion of the antenatal visits (taking fundal height measurements, listening for the fetal HR old school style, and palpating for presentation of the baby).  Since I’m not quite fluent in Fante yet, the midwife performs the verbal portion of the exam -for now anyway. ;) Most important news of the new placement: I SAW MY FIRST DELIVERY TODAY!!!   Not anything like I imagined, and I’m positive they don’t all go this way but since it was her 4th pregnancy the baby all but fell out.  Quite impressive.  Some tough ladies they have here… she would snap her fingers during contractions and moaned a bit… and then it was over.   I’ve met 3 of the 6 midwives working at the clinic so far and I’ve given each of them my number so that if any deliveries come in after hours I’m on call.  AHHHH BABIES!!!!!

While I am enjoying my time at the new placement, I’ve been looking for ways to make more of an impact in my time here.  Sure taking vitals and performing the exam is helping to ease the workload for the midwife on duty, but it’s not exactly life changing for anyone involved.  I’ve talked with projects abroad about possibly doing education in the schools re: sex education, HIV/AIDS, family planning etc.  They seem open to the idea and if I put together a presentation they would assist with coordinating with the schools.  Even better yet, I met with a local HIV/AIDS organization today called Needed Life.  They have clinic hours Mon-Thurs and provide free HIV testing and counseling with a huge focus on pregnant women with the virus.  Every other Friday they visit different schools and do the exact education I was hoping to do and the opposite Friday they visit homes of diagnosed patients and make sure they are taking medications, have no other ailments or questions, etc.  I’m going to start working in the clinic on Tues and Thurs beginning next week and will hopefully be able to do some of the home visits in the evenings.  Needed Life was started in 1999 and is almost entirely donation based.  Once I get to know a bit more about the organization I’m hoping to do my own fundraising so be prepared for my letters!

Went to the Cape Coast Castle on Saturday with a couple other Volunteers.  It was once used as a holding cell for slaves before being transported to the Americas an has since been turned into a museum.  It was sickening.  Sunday was a mellow beach/pool day.  There is a resort about 20 minutes away that a bunch of the volunteers go to on the weekends to unwind and have club sandwiches.  Decided to go to a Halloween party at the last minute and threw together a makeshift American football player costume.  I lucked out that in one of the boy’s laundry a random Notre Dame shirt turned up, borrowed a pair of shorts and used mascara to paint lines under my eyes.  My housemate went as a woman, I was happy to lend him my bra for the photo op.  The costumes were fabulous and so creative!!  There were even jack-o-lanterns carved out of watermelons!  Perfection.  Pictures will follow in about 2 weeks when I get to a faster internet.

We're down to 5 volunteers in the house now.  James the British guy has moved on so we had a bit of a goodbye gathering for him Friday at Molly's house (Molly is the greatest host mom in all of Ghana, more to follow about her in future posts)... he did enough celebrating for all of us and paid quite the consequence all of Saturday.  James was my resident drinking partner after a rough day I could always count on him to accompany me to Oasis for an afternoon brew (or 2).  Now I turn to the Aussie who may not always be up for a beverage but is always good company.  He's become the big brother I never had in so many ways, we bicker like children and at the end of the night even when he's exhausted he's around to make sure I (or any of the other girls in the house) get home safely.  So to my birth momma and all my other mom's out there not to worry... Mark is the house protector and a perfect gentlemen.  I'll be sad to see him move on at the end of the month!

Well my loves... thank you so much for all your love and support...  sending big hugs and kisses to each of you. 


Don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you CAN do  -John Wooden