Chatting on the beach
January 30, 2011
The best moments spent in Malawi, are the moments at the beach, chatting with people. It's like you're being taken out of time, like everything is the way it always been and always will be.
This has been a lovely weekens at Cool Runnings, Senga bay. It must be my favorite place... 99% because of the people there. Sam, the owner. A timeless lady, who might aswell be 25 as 75, She is beautiful, with thick long hair all the way down to her hips. There is Henry and Felix who works in the bar and in the garden... Two wonderful malawians, always smiling and helpful, and they always gets your coffeorders wrong, but that is like a part of what makes thyem wonderful..
And my boys on the beach! In the beginning, I was a good costumer. But now, I am a friend. They share their food with me, even though they know I have enough money to buy whatever I want for myself. But they insist. I most of time sit with them in their shelter with wood craft on the beach, chatting about nothing and everything.. Listening to the waves clasp the shore, gazing over the lake at the fisher men in their little wooden canoes heading against Lizard Island. Polishing some wood crafts with the guys.. It is just so amazing.
And one of them, he is a hero. The guys found a starving little boy outside their shelter last week. He was almost unconscious from hunger. They took him to Sam (who is also a nurse) who tested him for everythingg.. Malaria, TB, Pneumonia, HIV... The little boy tested positive on everything. Stage 3 HIV. But this guy, he took care of him, and found out that his mother had died from HIV and his father had then abandoned him. The boy was devastated, and knew nothing about medication for HIV or anything. He thought his life was over. But ”my” guy stood up, in a room full of other people, and talked to the boy. And he said ”Look at me! I am strong, I am healthy. And I am HIV positive. As long as you take your mankwahla (medicine), like I do, you will be just as healthy as me!” And the boy could smile again, and now my lovely beach guy is like his mentor. Helps him out, reiminds him to eat food, helps him and explain the medication for HIV... It is beautiful. This guy is quite fat, have bad skin and wears old worn out clothes. He washes himself in the lake using a piece of old fishing net to clean his body. He is poor, and he earns his living by fooling tourists to buy a lot of crap. And honestly, at first sight you might get a little scared of him. But I think he is one of the most beautiful people I've ever met, and he has a heart of gold.
Now Im back in Nkhoma, to tired to go to Isabelle for dinner, so I had some chicken at home.
Work tomorrow, back to reality...
And by the way, I now know what Malawi means! Malawi is chichewa, and means ”Flames”. And it is called that because in the dry season, when it is dark, there a thousands of grass fires on the waist lands and on the mountains. It lights up the sky and it is the only thing you can see in the deep, african darkness. I've seen the fires many times, and even Christian and Jenny saw them. When tthe locals see these fires, they say ”Malawi wa Moto” with means ”Flames of Fire”. Cool, huh? =)
At a crappy internet cafe...
Raining in Nkhoma hospital
Patients in the hospital (hungry baby =))
Washing the children, also in the hospital.
My health passport (with emergency triage colour)
Surgery: removing lypoma.
Nkhoma Market (rainy season)Well today Im in Lilongwe! Found a crappy internet cafe, but the internet is fast(er) so that is at least nice... (note that in malwi internet cafe does NOT mean they serve anything to drink or eat....) The weather is HOT and moist. Had planned to go to the lake really, but didn't feel well this morning and besides we are going next weekend. Se I decided to just do some shopping today, pay for the safari with Sofia and Daniel in february and have some ice cream. Nice! =)
But on the way here we hit a dog.. =((( The driver didn't even sound the horn or break or anything, just drove right over it. Bomp! And noone reacted. I felt horrible.... =( But i am not surprised.
Here, they only stop for goats. they sound the horn for people (if they don't move they get run over) and they just drive over dogs without refelcting. It's becasue a goat is worh more than anything, cause a goat means money and food.... Horrible!!!
Yesterday our oldest clinical officer fell ill. He had a heart attack, and almost died! He was taken to our ER and taken care of all night ( not by me and link, we were asleep. So the malawian nurses did an excellent job on their own! which is great!). And he survived! Everyone said he would have been dead if not for this project, and I think that is true, cause there would have been no good place where everything he needed was collected without it.. Anyway, he is fine now, and very grateful for the ER.. He said that it was good for him as a staff members to exerience the difference it makes... =) But I felt felt so sorry for him, he is one of my absolute favorite persons down here.. He is around 75, and an excellent surgeon.. And very calm, and always understandning... So I am very happy he made it.
ANyway, 83 days to go!!! =DDDDD Wish I had a chocolate calender or something to count down.. :) Longing to come home to Sweden and Norway!!! Especially to Christian. Miss him so much you can't believe it....
This is our ER before and after! =)
Bye bye!
One more week!
So what has happend since last time? Just the normal, I guess. Some bad things, some good things. A lot of children passed through our E.R. I have some statistics! =) Not from me, but from the hospital.. In december m2010, we had 715 admissions (that means only children). And of them, only 15 deaths! That is only 2 %, and everyone says that is extraordinary, and an impossibly low death rate! And a big reason to this is our project... =) It feels really strange, and off course good, but strange as well.. That you actually CAN make a difference, just the way you are. I never thought I would be a part of something like this... =)
Yesterday I assisted on a skin graft (or more observed). A skin graft is when they move skin from one part of the body to another to cover a wounded area. It was very interesting! They took like a giant epilator (and ladies, you know how pleasent they are...! (not!!)...) and just shaved the skin off.. Ick! I'm glad the patient was asleep.
Hehe but before he wasa given the anasteashia, he asked me to marry him! =) hehe! He told the clinician thay I was beautiful and could be his wife. I thank him so much for the offer, and told him that unfortunately I was allready married.... ;)
Well, what else can I say... I feel better, the grass is green... decapiteted some more snakes...the bugs keep on coming.. oh yeah.. One morning i woke up, looking up at a scorpio. Inside my bed net. Must have been there all night, cause I tuck the net in under the matress when I sleep...(might have forgotten though..) Luckliy, they are not deadly. Just poisonous. Anyway. I looked at it for awhile, deciding if it fall down on my head if I tried to move... Then I took the chance, and Link came in and we could get it out... I drowned it in soap... (Maybe I can write two books after this! Not just future best seller "100 ways of opening a bottle of Fanta", but also future pulitzer prize winner "100 ways to kill a bug"....?)
Anyway, I can hear work is coming.... Better go to the ER.
Christmas Foam!
Today I feel much better... Not sad at all! Think i was veeeery tired and dehydrated yesterday after giving blood in the middle of the night. Today I had som fanta (BEST rehydration drink EVER!!! It has like all the shit you need when you are dehydrated... It's awesome! =)) and I had a lot to do at work. It was a good day. enough to do, but not stressful..
Well, yesterday when I was home crying over disney movies, Link had an interesting case.. a gut who had had a bicycle accident, and the steering wheel (is that the name for it...? The thing you hold on to with your hans when yo ride i bike...??) ((No wait, Handle bars is it, right..?)) Aa anyway, the handle bar (?) on the left stabbed his chest, and left an open woung, three centimeters in diameter, right into his lung. Link said you could see the inside of his lung through the hole. They stabilized him and sent him to KCH in lilongwe.
Today, we had a lot of kids, as usual. Nothing special. Just tons of Malaria... And one thing bothering us is that the government has decided (or something, i don't know the politics concerning it) to not handle out more LA (the malaria medicine)... So we only have what is in stock, and then we only have Quinine... that is very strong and has very bad side effekts... aaa well. That is at least not my problem to solver, even though is botters me..
'
I am now sitting in our living room, faceing our lovely garden.. but unfortunately, I have to keep the curtains down =( Know why...? Cause people are all the time coming in to our garden, knocking our door to ask for money. So I pretend I am not home. Just let them knock.. it sounds really "cowardly", but imagine! every 20 minutes someone comes and knock your door.... gaaaaa!
I am now gonna lay down a little bit and rest.... Tiiiiireeedd!!! zzzzzz.....
Mentally exhausted
And now it is lunchbreak, we are watching Disneys "Tarzan" and I'm crying like a baby...
Yeah, one fun thing... Yesterday I made an LP, Lumbal punction. =) Doctor Ewa from Poland has been teaching me, and when I've done 10 sucessful LP:s she will write me a "delegation" or something that i can put in my CV =)
And yeah haha, I was woken up tonight by the Ngari from the lab at midnight. Ít was an emergency, a woman had had twins and her uterus had ruputred so she was bleeding out of control. She was O neg, and can only recieve from other O negs. They had no O neg blood at all, not even in Lilongwe. So they had to take mine, or she would die. So they did =) I hope she is ok, I will go check on her later today.
Now, i'll eat something i think. And cry some more over Tarzan.. ;)
Sorry about all the complaining....
M
Crazyness!!
Wow! There have been so many patients this year... Since the first of january, we have admitted 560 children in peadiatric ward!! And it has not even been two weeks! The malaria season is really here.. I'm really just waiting for the fever to hit me, as I am on no prophylaxis. But it is ok, i have medication at home if that would happen so no one has to worry. En eeee why i am on ny prophylaxis..? Cause there are three diffrent ones... ONE is way to expensive, ONE am I not allowed to try due to psychological side-effects (if you have like problems with night mares, sleepingdissordes, depression or any thing similar,you are not allowed to take it) and tha last one, the one I tried to begin with, made me vomit like a pig.. All the time being crazy nauceaus, so I gave it up. But Im fine =)
Anyway, the amount of children (im not even caring about counting the adults!!!) is overwhelming!! The line outside is sooo long.. And tthey ahv enot yet managed to build the roof that was supposed to be finshed in october (hrm hrm) so everyone is just standing in the rain... And it is pouring! Waterfalls from the sky! So every patient is also suffering from hypethermia.. os we have to warm them up. I think last week, they had 180 children in peadiatric ward... And that is a ward with 24 beds.......(!!!) And on top of that, there is usually only one nurse at work. Aii aii... BUT obviously, our emergency system has made a big diffenrence. People are more aware, and the fact that the traige has been done and the room has been used had minimized the deaths. Those who has been working here for many years says that this year is one of the WORST, looking at how many patients are coming. The hospital is crowded! But the deathrate is the BEST ever! =D Not many children die anymore and that is mainly thansk to the triaging! =D So I am actually proud! I know, im swedish.. it is not allowed to say that yourproud over something you have done... But fuck it! I am! =D
Yesterday, at 7 pm, I still had not showerd or eaten since I got off the planne the day before.. We hade not power, and no water. Then I heard the the guest house had at least cold water. so I went there, took a cruciating cold shower, brrrrr! An the MOMENT i stepped out of the shower, shivering, barely alive, hehe... The power came back! POFF! And the hot water came back! POFF! Grrrr.... Good to ahve it back! But WHY oh WHY did it have to wait until after i tormented myself in the ice cold brown guest house water...??? hehe. Anyway. It was refreshing.
Then I went home, we ate chicken soup and watched "the last king of scotland". Then I had night mares all night. I dreamt Idi Amin was going to execute me while I was on the phone with my mother... He held a gun against my forehead. Iiii... it was horrible!!
Now I'm at lunch, soon going back to work.
Oh, and by the way, Oliva has come back to work after having her baby, and she brings the baby everyday =) she puts her in the couch where she sleeps while Oliva is working =) I gave Oliva the phone and clothes from my parents, and I gave the clothes from Karen to her little daughter (Named Fainesi). she was very happy, and told me to thank you so much, and god bless you! =)
Ok, back to work.. Ndikupita nchito..
=)
Back in the saddle!
"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off annd back in the saddle... People are raising, their expectation.. Go on and beat them, this is your moment, no hesitation!!"
Shakira, "waka waka"
Yep, thats true.. Now im back. Back in Africa, back in Malawi, back in Nkhoma! It was not very easy to leave home for the second time.. Saying good bye to everyone again.. I miss my family, friends and christian so crazy much.... sometimes it makes me wonder why am I doing this.. But I know why, and I know I would never forgive myself if I gave up now. So close to the end! Only three months left now...s Then im home!!!! =D
I promise, my new years eve fucking promise is to give everything the last months down here, no power saving! So I have to rise up again, for myself, for malawi, for the children.. I will finish this!! We will finish this!!! Me and Link!!! Ja!
It is also sad, that this adventure soon is over... But also im SOO looking forward to coming home again...For good! This journey had been amazing, it is still amazing... I am so glad i did it, and I will never regret this. This is the ebst thing I've ever done! =)
But would I do it again....? No, Not for such a long period. At least not without Christian. If I could have him here for another year mabe I could consider doing this again... =)
Anyway, It's been amazing to be home!!!! Meet everyone, do normal things in a normal environment.... But it was so strange to be home.. It is like... I saw everyone from an other perspective. Everyone was walking,stressed out, eyes fixed in the ground, not talking to anybody.. I-phones, I-pods, laptops, Mp3-players... Everything to avoid other people, to create a cage or a bubble around themselves.. And it's like i see them from outside.. As if I don't have a bubble anymore... Before maybe I was also a bubble-person... But now.. I dont know. Something is different. At home everyone does everything to avoid one antoher. Here in malawi, people do everything in their power to let other people in. they include strangers in their family. Everyone is interesting. Why listen to a song you heard 200 times, when you can talk to a new person standing beside you? Imagine what you can learn from this new person! It is so different.. By accident I said Hi! How are you?" to a girl in town at home. She stared at me as if a was a serial killer with bad breath... And I realised, shit, Im home now... We don't greet people we don't know here. Then they might put you in jail or something.
But it is nice as well.. To be able to have your own space. here it is impossible. There are people with you all the time, 24/7. Sometimes it is quit annoying and tiredsome... I miss my home. Or my homes. It's like I hahve my heart in Norway, my soul in sweden and my body in Malawi... Where will I end up in the end?? ;) It feels like im living in trains and airplanes....
Coming to Malawi today was so fun! =) Everything is exactely the way it was. Justice was one hour late to pick me up at the airport... Phone didn't work.. Internet hardly works. Justice got stuck in a police block for overspeeding on our way bacj to Nkhoma...Everything is moist and dirty... we have no electricity, and no water. The rain is pouring down, and it is a thunderstorm. Someone has shaved spot (?????)....! He looks like a sheep! Almost no fur left.... =( Whhhaaaaat!!!??
Well, Im back, im recharged. Tomorrow I'll go back to work. Today I'll sleep. No shower. Surprise..... Good thiing my sister bought me "dry shampoo" for christmas present... ;)
I'll give you an update on the hospital job tomorrow. I've heard it's now overcrowded due to the rain... well thats good, a looooot to do! =D
Good night! =) Enjoy you fucking electricity and water. I can't believe I had clean water and electricity and good internet/phone connection just two days ago... Crazy..... Contrasts, contrasts... Contrasts are like defibrillators for the soul...
