This will probably be my final entry before returning to England (and hopefully a bit longer than the last!) I am now one day away from completing my elective and, in a rather cliched way, can’t believe it’s gone so fast! This last two weeks I’ve been doing lots more clinical work, including delivering babies, suturing, assisting in theatre, doing procedures like lumbar punctures (with no local anaesthetic – eek!) and running clinics in outpatients! I’ve certainly learnt a lot, though how much of it will be relevant when I return to the UK remains to be seen – but it certainly makes me appreciate just what we have back there.
On Tuesday I went out with the Home Base Care team for the day – they are nurses who go out into the rural communities and provide nursing care, medications and food for people who are sick at home and unable to get to clinic. It was quite scary as I was suddenly expected to be the senior member of the team and decide management plans for patients on the basis of very little information, and prescribing from a very limited range of drugs. It was also very harrowing to see some very sick patients and not know how on earth they were going to get to hospital for the care they desperately needed. At least ARVs are free now; if they weren’t then I think the country would be fairly rapidly decimated. Even so, for some patients getting the few emalangeni required for the bus to Good Shepherd for their refills is a Herculean task.
Rachel and Lucy have now left, and we have two new students from Southampton called Laura and Catherine, so Tim is very happy he won’t be left on his own after this week! We’re still trying to plan our final weekend’s activities, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something fun – at the moment the “Cuddle Puddle” is high on the agenda (it’s a spa in the Ezulwini Valley). Tonight is our final braai and we will say goodbye to Joel and his wife Lynette who has been visiting this week, so things really are slowly winding down. I’ve got my car booked for 5:30 (eep!) Monday morning to take me to the airport, and then once I get to Jo’burg am planning to spend some of my 11 hour stopover going to the Apartheid Museum, which has been recommended to me. And then it’s just lots of flying and a fair amount of sitting around and I’ll be home! Assuming I can fit all my clothes and the large amount of dodgy souvenirs into my suitcase…
Thursday 31 July 2008
Wednesday 23 July 2008
Bullet points
- I really hate internet this slow.
- I have been in theatre today, assisting with a C-section and doing a D&C almost by myself, which was minging.
- It's a very small world - bumped into Betsy at the weekend in Manzini, completely by accident (though easy to spot her as we were probably the only white people in the city)
- Tim says I have to mention him in here so he doesn't get upset.
- I'm running out of internet time. Joy.
- I have been in theatre today, assisting with a C-section and doing a D&C almost by myself, which was minging.
- It's a very small world - bumped into Betsy at the weekend in Manzini, completely by accident (though easy to spot her as we were probably the only white people in the city)
- Tim says I have to mention him in here so he doesn't get upset.
- I'm running out of internet time. Joy.
Saturday 19 July 2008
Mbabane and Manzini
Again this is from a time-limited internet café but I'll try to update asmuch as I can. Last weekend Rachel, Lucy and I went to Mozambique which wasan adventure in many ways! First of all not being able to get a bus fromthe border to Maputo so ending up in a truck full of plastic chairs, thengetting stopped by the police multiple times on the way to the city(fortunately they didn't take money off us, which has happened to severalof our friends). The city itself is a huge sprawling mess - completelydifferent from anything in Swaziland! The centre is bustling with peopletrying to sell you things, and some very modern Western buildings but somevery run-down ones too. The suburbs get progressively less nice untilthey're basically shanty towns. Our hostel was good, if noisy, and rightnext to the beach, though it was a bit too cold for swimming!We spent Saturday on Catembe, strolling along the beach in search of arestaurant which was further away than anticipated! It was well worth it onarriving - I had the biggest prawn I have ever seen, along with some othervery yummy seafood. We went to the famous fish market in the evening,though it was much quieter than anticipated, and bought our fish then tookit to a restaurant to have it cooked! From there, we went to Coconuts nightclub, which was good fun, with nice cocktails although prices wereapproaching UK levels. This was a pretty late night so the next morning wasa bit of a wash out, but we found ourselves back to Swaziland bymid-afternoon in time for some catch-up sleep before a week of work.I've been doing Obs&Gynae stuff this week, both in outpatients and theatre- got to assist in a few C-sections which was cool, and even got to(attempt to) suture! Outpatients was fun; I was seeing my own patients butwe had one translator between 3 of us, which makes the Cambridge-Calgary model break down a bit! I've taken the day off today because one of thedoctors was going to a conference in Mbabane and has brought Joel and mealong to explore the city - though there's not much of it to see. Tomorrowwill probably be more baby-catching, followed by trying to write up some ofmy project before my supervisor leaves! I can't believe there's only 2 weeks to go now; time really has flown by out here. Now I'm just in theprocess of trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible so there's room in my suitcase for souvenirs etc
...As a brief add-on, as the last internet cafe I was in wouldn't let me post this, I'm now in Manzini, having spent lots (in Swazi terms) on gifts, souvenirs, Africa tat etc. Weather is good and we've just had KFC, so I'm very happy. Not sure I'll be able to bring any clothes home though!
...As a brief add-on, as the last internet cafe I was in wouldn't let me post this, I'm now in Manzini, having spent lots (in Swazi terms) on gifts, souvenirs, Africa tat etc. Weather is good and we've just had KFC, so I'm very happy. Not sure I'll be able to bring any clothes home though!
Wednesday 9 July 2008
I’m actually cheating this time and saving this entry as a Word document before I take it to somewhere with internet, just so I don’t have to worry about time constraints this time. I have quite a lot to report, but might not remember to fit it all in!
Work at the hospital is going well; I am not sure exactly how my report is going to work at the moment but I have done some useful interviews and seen a lot of interesting consultations as well as getting some handy on-the-spot teaching! Last week I went on two outreach clinics: one very quiet one in Sigcaweni (somewhere about an hour away in the middle of nowhere!) and a very busy one in Tikhuba (about half an hour up into the hills). It was interesting to see how they work out there with extremely basic facilities – Sigcaweni doesn’t even have running water! Tomorrow I’m hopefully going on one more outreach visit and then will take some time to write up what I’ve done so far, as my supervisor is going home next week.
Also at the hospital, I’ve started playing netball along with Rachel and Lucy (two other British elective students, from Sheffield) with the nurses after hospital finishes. The court is half size and not properly marked, and one of the hoops is somewhat bent, but it’s fun! I haven’t played since school, so I’m quite rusty, but so far nobody has objected.
Mlilwane at the weekend was great fun. It’s only a small park and has no big predators, but it’s in a beautiful location and the lack of predators means you can roam around pretty much as you please (just don’t annoy the hippos!) Still no giraffes though, I'm afraid fleur! The vast majority of people there were tourists from the US, UK and South Africa, often on long journeys over large tracts of Southern Africa – we get quite a few of them staying at Mabuda with us too! We actually ran into a couple who Lucy and Rachel had met during their travels round SA – it’s a very small world! The hostel (Sondzela’s backpackers) was nice – we liked our private rondavel – and a good chance to meet lots of fellow travelers. Dinner there was basic but edible, and we treated ourself to the buffet at the main camp restaurant on the other night, including impala stir-fry, which was fantastic. Having hired a car was a great bonus as it made us so much more independent and meant we didn’t have to pay to go on an organized game drive! Driving on the dirt roads around the park was a bit of an adventure but on the main roads it was fine for the most part – at least, we and the car were in one piece by the end! We went exploring part of the Ezulwini valley on Saturday afternoon and found our way to Swazi candles and various craft markets, as well as seeing House on Fire, a strange place with stunning architecture (it’s such an eclectic mix of styles I can’t even begin to describe it) which very occasionally holds massive club nights – sadly not when we were there. Naturally, I had to spend some of my money on souvenirs, which I hope will turn out to be at least vaguely useful for some people! There is still plenty of present shopping to go though; we’re planning a trip to the market in Manzini at some point to finish that off!
This weekend’s mission is to Maputo in Mozambique; we’re not quite sure how we’re going to get there yet but we’ll work something out. I’ll try not to get too sunburnt!
Work at the hospital is going well; I am not sure exactly how my report is going to work at the moment but I have done some useful interviews and seen a lot of interesting consultations as well as getting some handy on-the-spot teaching! Last week I went on two outreach clinics: one very quiet one in Sigcaweni (somewhere about an hour away in the middle of nowhere!) and a very busy one in Tikhuba (about half an hour up into the hills). It was interesting to see how they work out there with extremely basic facilities – Sigcaweni doesn’t even have running water! Tomorrow I’m hopefully going on one more outreach visit and then will take some time to write up what I’ve done so far, as my supervisor is going home next week.
Also at the hospital, I’ve started playing netball along with Rachel and Lucy (two other British elective students, from Sheffield) with the nurses after hospital finishes. The court is half size and not properly marked, and one of the hoops is somewhat bent, but it’s fun! I haven’t played since school, so I’m quite rusty, but so far nobody has objected.
Mlilwane at the weekend was great fun. It’s only a small park and has no big predators, but it’s in a beautiful location and the lack of predators means you can roam around pretty much as you please (just don’t annoy the hippos!) Still no giraffes though, I'm afraid fleur! The vast majority of people there were tourists from the US, UK and South Africa, often on long journeys over large tracts of Southern Africa – we get quite a few of them staying at Mabuda with us too! We actually ran into a couple who Lucy and Rachel had met during their travels round SA – it’s a very small world! The hostel (Sondzela’s backpackers) was nice – we liked our private rondavel – and a good chance to meet lots of fellow travelers. Dinner there was basic but edible, and we treated ourself to the buffet at the main camp restaurant on the other night, including impala stir-fry, which was fantastic. Having hired a car was a great bonus as it made us so much more independent and meant we didn’t have to pay to go on an organized game drive! Driving on the dirt roads around the park was a bit of an adventure but on the main roads it was fine for the most part – at least, we and the car were in one piece by the end! We went exploring part of the Ezulwini valley on Saturday afternoon and found our way to Swazi candles and various craft markets, as well as seeing House on Fire, a strange place with stunning architecture (it’s such an eclectic mix of styles I can’t even begin to describe it) which very occasionally holds massive club nights – sadly not when we were there. Naturally, I had to spend some of my money on souvenirs, which I hope will turn out to be at least vaguely useful for some people! There is still plenty of present shopping to go though; we’re planning a trip to the market in Manzini at some point to finish that off!
This weekend’s mission is to Maputo in Mozambique; we’re not quite sure how we’re going to get there yet but we’ll work something out. I’ll try not to get too sunburnt!
Sunday 6 July 2008
The week in brief
Only short, because I'm on a very tight time limit at this internet cafe. I'm in Mlilwane nature reserve, in the Ezulwini valley between Mbabane and Manzini. The landscape is beautiful here, and we managed to explore some of it yesterday on mountain bikes, making it up to Reilly's Rock hilltop lodge, a very exclusive resort which nonetheless allowed us in for a drink after our struggle up the hill! We didn't go on a formal game drive this time, just explored by ourselves in our car and on foot, but have seen all the big animals here (no big predators, so it's quite safe to wander around) and watched the hippos being fed. Also did some craft shopping at some local markets, which is always fun.
The hospital continues much as ever, getting quite crowded with elective students now but so far no big clashes! I also went back to Hlane to visit the South Africans who stayed with us at Mabuda last week; they were very welcoming and the food was great, though the evening worship session was rather uncomfortable as I didn't know any of the songs.
That's all I have time for now; more later in the week, I hope.
The hospital continues much as ever, getting quite crowded with elective students now but so far no big clashes! I also went back to Hlane to visit the South Africans who stayed with us at Mabuda last week; they were very welcoming and the food was great, though the evening worship session was rather uncomfortable as I didn't know any of the songs.
That's all I have time for now; more later in the week, I hope.
Tuesday 1 July 2008
This is Africa
“TIA” seems to be a common saying around here, especially amongst the South Africans who have been passing through Mabuda Farm this week. It’s a slightly derogatory statement coming from them, usually referring to when something doesn’t work properly or takes much longer than it would elsewhere. There have been numerous examples of this happening in the last week; notably the fact I’m writing this in an internet café in town rather than at the hospital, because the communal computer has finally died – it was overloaded with viruses and didn’t cope when someone finally ran a clean-up on it! Other things include the sporadic powercuts occurring most evenings – last night meaning I had to do my washing by candlelight – not to mention the fact I’m handwashing at all! I’m afraid some of my clothes will never be quite the same again. Oh, and a guy just came up to me in the street to tell me about how he was the black Jesus and was looking for a girlfriend. Just about managed to resist that opportunity!
My version of TIA is a slightly happier one. Yes, there are problems with many things, but the same is true of the UK – just different things. Although I may have just turned down the new Messiah, and walking down the street is a challenge against all the people trying to sell me things, in general all the attention is friendly and falls a long way short of anything intimidating. I went out to one of the outreach clinics today, well off the beaten track, which was an adventure having to compete with cows for roadspace, but some truly spectacular scenery. The staff there were all very friendly and had some interesting ideas and thoughts for my project.
We've got two more medical students now, both girls from Sheffield Uni. We're hopefully going to go to Mlilwane reserve this weekend for some hiking/exploring, and might drop in at some of the many craft shops in the area for some souvenir shopping. I shall have to practise my haggling skills! At Mabuda, we've had lots of guests passing through - South African school holidays have just started so lots of people are on their way to Mozambique for surfing/diving etc. Nice to have some varied company, and lots of interesting experiences to share. I didn't do much last weekend, just relaxed around the farm, and went to church with Joel and the family who own Mabuda on Sunday. It was an interesting experience - technically a "mixed" church but led by an American priest, and generally not my style but worth the visit. We went into town to watch the football final on Sunday night, which wasn't as exciting as we'd hoped, but I'm sure you all know that by now!
Time is running out, so I'd better get going. I will try to update this before the weekend but it depends on how hectic things get...
My version of TIA is a slightly happier one. Yes, there are problems with many things, but the same is true of the UK – just different things. Although I may have just turned down the new Messiah, and walking down the street is a challenge against all the people trying to sell me things, in general all the attention is friendly and falls a long way short of anything intimidating. I went out to one of the outreach clinics today, well off the beaten track, which was an adventure having to compete with cows for roadspace, but some truly spectacular scenery. The staff there were all very friendly and had some interesting ideas and thoughts for my project.
We've got two more medical students now, both girls from Sheffield Uni. We're hopefully going to go to Mlilwane reserve this weekend for some hiking/exploring, and might drop in at some of the many craft shops in the area for some souvenir shopping. I shall have to practise my haggling skills! At Mabuda, we've had lots of guests passing through - South African school holidays have just started so lots of people are on their way to Mozambique for surfing/diving etc. Nice to have some varied company, and lots of interesting experiences to share. I didn't do much last weekend, just relaxed around the farm, and went to church with Joel and the family who own Mabuda on Sunday. It was an interesting experience - technically a "mixed" church but led by an American priest, and generally not my style but worth the visit. We went into town to watch the football final on Sunday night, which wasn't as exciting as we'd hoped, but I'm sure you all know that by now!
Time is running out, so I'd better get going. I will try to update this before the weekend but it depends on how hectic things get...
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