Muhimbili Day 4

I am very proud to report that I have navigated a couple of things successfully by myself since coming to Dar.

I have ridden by myself in a bajaji--which is a little cab that is sort of like a bike taxi only it's motorized.  Other names could be a tuk-tuk or rickshaw (thank you Nameeta).

I have successfully hailed a cab down twice and ridden it back to my apartment while directing the driver to the address using a combination of English and Swahili.  (The English-Spanish mish mash is Spanglish, not sure what the English-Swahili mash up would be).  Tonight I even argued with the driver who was going to charge me 150% of what I have paid every morning and afternoon since I've been here--which by the way is the mzungu rate (white person rate).  So I said Hapana, Hapana (No, No) and we argued and I got out.  I was feeling very successful until I ran up to the apartment and became convinced that he was going to get the police and come knocking at my door somehow.  I was alone and my imagination got the best of me---Dee says he would have had to bribe the police to come which would be more than the $1.50 that I refused to pay.  I feel better but I will haggle price before getting in from now on.

I have successfully purchased an internet modem at the Vodacom booth and bought credit while asking for the right thing and paying the correct price--not a mzungu price.  And I will report that the woman pronounced Lindemulder better than anyone in the US ever does without me correcting her!

And......I successfully managed not to scream like a little girl when I large rat came running down the hall at me tonight on our ward as I was leaving Muhimbili.  I do confess to muttering "Oh that's gross" several times under my breath and will make a wide swing past the door it ran into tomorrow.  I'm sure it's just one of very many rats that I hope never to see again.  It's friends the cockroaches really are enough.

Speaking of cockroaches, I guess that's another success.  I have managed not to squirm too much when there are cockroaches crawling over the charts that I need.  I think I manage to disguise the way I shake them off and I don't make a face!

So many successes.

We did have another death on the ward last night--so for everyone counting that is 3 deaths in 3 nights.  They have all been very very ill so not shocking but still very sad for their families.

Things I really miss:
Not being able to talk directly to families.  I find that I go back a lot to check in on kids (I know, shocking to those of you who know me) and I can't talk to the mommas and I do a lot of gesturing that I do not think they understand and pretty much make a complete fool of myself until everyone is laughing at me.  I think they appreciate my effort though. 

So while we may think that we spend hours talking to families at home, and we do, I think it's really hard to do this job when you can't give information.  It's like having a Spanish interpreter all day long--but at least I know the Spanish interpreter is saying what I'm asking, with this I can't tell at all....

We continue to be very full, more new patients keep coming out of the woodwork.  There is a new infant ALL somewhere in the hospital that we are trying to locate.  4 months old, not really sure what we are going to do with that but we'll see.  They are telling me she is in an intensive care unit somewhere and I'm not sure why but she will come over when stable.  I'm not sure she can stabilize until we start treatment but that's a task for tomorrow.

We also located the other child who flew in from Shirati 2 days ago.  She is 13 years old and got sent to the women's gynecology ward because of suspected germ cell tumor.  So needless to say AYA oncology would be an even more difficult concept here!  She is coming over to us tonight. as well.

Nameeta and Kristina are doing a great job gathering everything that I keep adding to their lists so I hope they have room for clothes but I can't wait for them to arrive because we need a few more hands and everyone is very excited to have them to teach!

Good night from Dar!