Monday was my first day at work. I wasn’t expecting a lot, when does the first day on the job ever go well? However, it went surprisingly smooth. I had no idea what kind of equipment they would have, or I didn’t know if I was going to know how to use it. It would have been a long year if this was the case.
We started off the morning with a tour of the hospital. It has about 100 beds, and 30 of them are pediatric. Three doctors work here, two are Kenyan and one is a Hungarian. They do everything from pediatrics, to HIV, to delivering babies, to hysterectomies. People come from miles away for treatment.
I, of course, am working in the radiology department. My two other techs are Sampson, and Ernest. Its strange going from almost all female coworkers at home, to male coworkers here. They are both very nice and treatment me well. They have an automatic film processor which takes about 2 minutes to develop. I have also learned how to load the film in a dark room. This is all donated equipment which was probably used in America or Europe previously. I am still getting use to setting an appropriate technique to make a good image, but in time I will get the hang of it. (GSH folks, no they do not use fractions.) The work pace is a lot slower but that is to be expected. The biggest challenge has been learning to communicate with patients. I am starting to learn bits and pieces of the Luo language. All of which are related to work. I know phrases like- stand here, remove your shirt, lay down, what is bothering you, hold you're breathe. Patients just laugh when they see a while girl speaking their language.
I have encountered a wide range of patients. I man fractured his fibula because he was hit by a car. Another man thought he had a broken rib because a cow ran into him. A man had full blown TB, in both lungs. TB is the common reason we do chest x-rays. (it will be a miracle if I don't get it at some point in the year.) The condition of patients is really devastating. Today a patient was 31 years old and only weighed 73 pounds. The lack of food is very apparent. Every now and then a patient will come in who weighs about 175 pounds and they are considered obese. Haha, I have tried explaining obesity in America but they really cant fathom it.
Overall work is going well. I have done a few patients on my own which is very rewarding. With time, I will get the hang of it.
Well, i have to go. This afternoon we are going to climb a nearby mountain that overlooks the lake!
1 comment:
Some comments (because that's what the comments section is for) on your post:
-Obruni!! Ha..I bet they laugh when they see you. Espanol, Twi, Luo...you're becoming quite multilingual.
-You sure that man wasn't hit by a hippo, not a cow? I hear they can be pretty brutal around there
-You talking about your male co-workers reminds me of the two days I spent at Mo-T's and seeing Crescent/Christian in that frilly pink apron all the time.
-Please don't get TB, your mom will never let you have peanut soup again (although it might be diagnosed as a pregnancy...)
-Climbing mountains? Seriously?? Jealous.
-Miss you TONS. Thought about wearing my traditional dress today some random time. Decided against it (thought I bet I could get TLo to do it with me....)
-nante yie!!
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