A day in pictures

Today was our first day off the wards, our first day to catch our breaths. Spent the morning working on our research project, went for a hike after lunch, drank freshly ground coffee, read for pleasure, washed our white coats, picked fresh avocados, Mollie caught up with her husband, I fell asleep on the back porch.

Both baby surgeries went well yesterday. The little boy with intussusception in fact had intussusception- the oblong mass that I felt in his abdomen was his bowel telescoping onto itself. The surgeons cut out a small portion of his bowel and performed a primary anastomosis. I think he will be okay. The little girl with the jejeunal atresia tolerated the procedure well, the trick will be giving her adequate nutrition while she heals and her bowel recovers. The family medicine doctor's wife is a nutritionist, so they are trying to concoct a poor-man's TPN. That would be pretty great if it works.

Yesterday I caught up with some people with skype/facetime until the power went out. My parents looked like they were seeing a ghost when they realized my face was on the phone. Technology is nuts. I got to show them the cattle, the banana trees, and the view from the back porch. It was nice to share the view with them.

And, some pictures...

One of the back roads through Mbingo

A little pink amongst the green and brown

Finishing off "This is Where I Leave You"

Walking beyond the school for the deaf. Many children are left deaf after childhood meningitis, TORCH infections, congenital deformities, etc. There is a school on the far end of the hospital campus, many children board there as well. 

Cattle driver leading the herd back to the corral beside our house

Another house alongside a back road in Mbingo. There were children outside chasing around the chickens. The kids here are really good at entertaining themselves. Today we passed a couple boys playing soccer with an empty coke bottle and a little girl guiding a metal hoop around with a wooden stick. Things are simple but they are happy. "Gooood afternoon whiteman" they say to us. Sometimes the teenagers take pictures. 

Small hut along the road

Working on our research project, drinking tea from the plantation we visited on Saturday (Cameroon Tea Estates).

Taking a break in the shade of the banana leaves

Down the dusty path

Fresh avocado is everywhere. They call them pears here.

Some boys playing football/soccer on Sunday afternoon near the church.