26 APRIL 2013

Morning of a very loud close thunder and lighting storms…wow… It was a rough night for all… Again no power. It is interesting that every mission seams to be a different challenge… Hard to plan. The first ones were lack of food and water, then it was equipment, heat, and at time electricity, this time it was the constant lack of power…. We a told that Benin overall consumes too much electricity and therefore rotating power failures…but to be that many?.. We were also told it was a power station issue that is being fixed… Mixture of the two..?.now the house breaker are malfunctioning…we complain at home of some issues, that is nothing to the everyday challenge these people live with everyday….but the boys found beer last night in the village near by..it was hot but good…saw a 2 y.o. With a large mastoiditis. It destroyed most of the ear and now doing dressing changes…we don’t see that at home… ER was full of patients with fever, malaria, thyroid fever, the ward has 5 small child with iliostomies from typhoid fever that will hopefully heal and will require reanastemosis…so interesting…so sad

As Nicole said, before she complained again, she will think of these people and wonder how bad we have it…

Friday

A couple of us did rounds last night and wow how it’s crowded in those rooms.. But nobody is complaining every body is happy to see us..they are just happy that surgeries have been done and are great full for what is given to them. It’s a real eye opener it always blows my mind no matter how many times I see it.. Wow how we are spoiled.. We think our system is bad..

Our last day.. I always feel so sad when it hits me that its our last day.. We haven’t had power since last evening so it’s been a very hot one we did have an amazing thunder and lightning storm thru out the night I don’t think I’ve ever heard thunder hit so close, it was nice we were getting a good little water spay coming in from the windows so it would cool us down a bit.
This humidity is starting reek havoc on my face and hands more pimples and heat rash …Louis is full of red spots from heat rash as well.. We are so not used to this constant humidity . I will never complaint about our Nova Scotia weather again.

We have 3 surgeries booked for today hopefully they will quicker then yesterday.. We only finished at 8pm with the power outages and everything. Emilienne told me yesterday that it breaks her heart when she sees us leaves. She is clutching at my arm and asking me to stay,, I have to be honest a part of me wants to.. The life style is so different.. So calm and happy..I love my Benin family and wish I could take them all with me I suppose I do in a sense they are always in my heart . Our new Italian friends are simply awesome I feel so blessed to have met them and I hope we continue to communicate with them, this hospital is lucky to have them for the next 6 months. I hope they keep teaching them sterility and higher standard. I will greatly miss them Elisa has been teaching Italian and I more French I laugh every time we talk it must sound so weird to others listening..

I am so emotional writting this this morning knowing I have to start packing. There is something so special about the people and this place it just sucks you in and it breaks your heart leaving…

Have a great day all xox Judy