Well the internet has been out at the guest house the last several days. We have been writing a bit, waiting for an opportunity to post. So here it is...
2/10/11
Today, I (Dianna) performed 2 lumbar punctures. These were done on Allou and Kadja, two little children who have leukemia (total of 3 at the hospital presently). This precious boy, Allou, and girl, Kadja, are already forty plus days into their treatments. Chronic steroids have turned their thin, gaunt faces into little round, moon facies. Sherri and Brett try hard (clapping hands, singing, balancing a bottle on his head) to make these little faces smile with occasional success. Weeks of IV sticks and ketamine shots have made them quite fearful of the hospital staff. No porta-caths or PICC lines here and peripheral IV sites seem to last only a few hours. This is sad; their anxious faces and terror-filled cries pull at my heart. One must cling to hope in the medication’s success, yes, but more importantly in God’s mercy. Might He provide strength and courage anew each day for Allou and Kadja along with the other patients as well as the hospital staff.
From Dean:
I assisted the surgeon today. An older lady has been in the hospital for about a month with a non-healing foot wound. She has had problems with her foot for a long time and she finally had an amputation (done here by an OB/Gyn) across the middle of her foot. The skin graft didn’t do so well after the amputation, so she has been here while they try to come up with a new plan. Today we debrided some of the unhealthy tissue in hopes of trying another skin graft. I hope that Jesus Christ is glorified when people see so much concern for an older woman that many may more readily dismiss.
It is very encouraging to join in the worship service each morning before the workday starts. We don’t understand the language (French and Bambara), but we can hear the enthusiasm in the singing and the speaking. We usually know the passage of Scripture being referenced, so at least we can follow along in the Bible.
2/12/11
Internet remains down. We have had a relaxing weekend thus far. This weekend we are “off” from hospital rounds. So what have we been doing? Well, we had Julie, Bryan (the interim school teachers here for the missionary children) and their 7-week-old son Caleb over for dinner last night -- an attempt at Friday night pizza which was a decent success. We have enjoyed visiting with Julie and Bryan and look forward to more time with them over the next few weeks. Today we walked to the local street market with Mary, a nurse who is finishing her Bambara language study before starting full-time at the hospital. Gracie enjoyed the ride in her Bjorn and was quite a conversation starter with the locals! We discovered a variety of new foods that are accessible: papaya, plantains, green beans, and pineapple along with various peppers and spices.
Several new folks are staying at the guest house with us. There is a group who has been vaccinating cattle out in local villages; they are staying over for a couple of nights before returning to Bamako homeward bound. We have enjoyed getting to hear their stories about their time in the villages. Hopefully we will be able to take a trip out to one of the surrounding villages while we are here.
Well our borrowed internet time is over. We will post more when we can.
Blessings,
DD&G
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