"New Year, New adventures"

Things have been quite eventful the last few days, so much to write. I wish I could share every detail and facet of my experiences with all of you not here to experience it. I will share a few things from this past weekend before I try to get some sleep on my call night.

On Sunday I had a lovely breakfast with some of the other short term medical volunteers at a lady named Barbara's home. She is a nurse and now in charge of the nursing school at Tenwek--she's been here since 1981! Amazing! We had a fancy breakfast with a beautiful swedish danish too pretty to eat, scrambled eggs, and pumpkin spice coffee. :) We were accompanied by a couple who are long term missionaries in Taiwan and are friends with one of the long term missionary doctors here. They are here primarily to finally meet the Kenyan man whom their missionary daughter recently married. There entire family is involved in reaching lost people--their other daughter plans to be a missionary in Nepal!

Church at Tenwek was great. It was a bit empty at first, but about 20 min into the service the entire room was filled, about 50% occupied by children! The worship was simple but very spirited and powerful. Mostly English but some beautiful songs in Swahili. The message was Joshua chapter 1. The pastor applied the message of courage to our approach for the new year. Trusting God with the changes, challenges, and adventures this new year will bring. In church I learned about a scripture memory program for kids that lasts for several months. Hundreds of kids attend and memorize scripture at each week and there's a huge competition at the end. I wish I had participated in something like that growing up!

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:8-9, ESV

After church there was an amazing lunch at a lady named Anna's home. She is Japanese and works as an OR nurse and has been here for the past 10 years. She made the most delicious Japanese food I've ever had. Such a genuinely, kind and selfless woman. It also amazes me that so many people from across the world are drawn to serve at Tenwek. Not just the US but Europe and quite a few from Asia. I also met the wife of Dr. Bemm, the primary pediatrician who serves here. He is now back in the US for a bit longer. I met his 4 adopted Kenyan children Ellie, Esther, Shaddi (short for Shadrack-so cute!), and Hannah. They seem like such well-adjusted kids and love each other and the Bemm's biological children. The Bemm family has been at Tenwek for close to 15 years rarely makes it home. to the US or have other family visit. They have truly made this place their new home and embrace the people here as their new family in Christ.

The Bemm children: Hannah, Ellie, Shaddi, Esther

A few other short term volunteers and I planned to hike up the local mountain (Montigo) after lunch but the weather got the best of us. We thought a quick rainstorm would pass through, but as we veneered out the drizzle turned into a steady downpour. Despite raincoats and umbrellas we were soaked and muddy and turned around about 1/3 of the way. Although cold and wet and muddy when we returned, it was still a fun and memorable adventure, and I have to admit that the river in the rainstorm conveyed a special mystique and awe.

A couple other of the new volunteers include a retried orthopedic surgeon from Arizona, Dr. Kevin Baum and a retired radiologist, Linda Hippenhammer from Minnesota who helped start the CT program. Eeka, an ob-gyn from Illinois also joined us for a couple weeks for her first experience here. The CT program is a highly complex partnership between Tenwek and a group of volunteer Christian radiologists in the US who read and interpret scans sent to them. Linda informed us that the interpretation of the CTs is often very different between the Americans and Kenyan physicians. Sometimes the way appendicitis, for instance, presents on CT in Kenya vastly different and unrecognizable to US radiologists. I'm so glad Linda is here now as there are many cases (to be discussed soon!) that expertise in CT reading has come in handy.

Beautiful missionary compound

Children playing in tree house at missionary compound

Esther, Ellie and I. We got along well--especially our love of the movie Frozen!

Tenwek falls, setting off on hike before the downpour

Trying to brave the rain

Monday was a busy day back at the hospital. It was also the first day that morning conferences start up again. Each morning at 8 am there is a different topic, usually case presentations, grand rounds, or devotionals.


During the day we had some very interesting cases. One included a boy presenting with high blood pressure and headaches with an abdominal mass found on a recent ultrasound whom was later found to have a pheochromocytoma (very rare mass on the adrenal gland that we learn about in med school and always consider as a cause of high blood pressure but hardly ever see!). Lots of kids coming in with seizure disorders and malnutrition. Seems like tuberculosis and malaria is always a consideration in every patient. Thankfully many of the patients on our service were also doing better and able to be discharge home, like Abigail who recovered from gastroenteritis.

Little Abigael (purple dress) feeling better and playing with the other patients

The day was also difficult emotionally when later that day I followed up the course of one of my patients who went to the OR. The little girl Judy I admitted 3 days prior with abdominal swelling was found to have a large kidney tumor, most likely a Wilm's tumor. It was compressing her internal organs, including her lungs, and causing respiratory distress and she went urgently to the OR. Although the mass was able to be mostly removed she had a difficult time in the OR with her heart rate dropping and required CPR. Although initially resuscitated she likely suffered brain injury due to decreased oxygen and passed shortly after in the ICU. As I read the report late at night on my computer my heart sank and wonder why this happened.  I had hoped this sweet little girl would be able to have the tumor removed and then begin chemotherapy and have a fairly good prognosis. I know she needed the surgery. I continue to pray for the undescribable loss her parents must feel. I pray she is no longer suffering now and resting in her father's arms in heaven.

On a brighter note, I did have a nice time walking around the town again on Monday evening and again spoke with Mercy, the lady at the shop near the hospital. I was eyeing some corn on her table and she said "Oh let me give you a recipe that your cook can make for you!" She convinced me to buy some corn and beans for only about $0.80. These wonderful people are so kind to offer help and advice and in general, share their lives with others.

T