5-October-2011
Pediatric extension going up
Putting in the window frames
Attaching the extension
Remodeling for the new X-ray room
Unloading X-ray machine
X-ray machine and developer arriving
Walt Chamberlin and Major teaching at seminar
Church leaders and ministers at seminar
Working in theater with my new hat!
New scrub top and hat
Opening birthday giftsWe started a week ago Sunday with my 57th Birthday. I don’t mind saying how old I am because God has blessed me with the years to live and I have done and seen so much, I feel blessed! As one of my refrigerator magnet say “Lord I can’t die yet, I have so much to do and am so far behind, I have no time to die now!”
I had a great birthday—a quiet day of church services and after Sunday night church at the hospital I celebrated with dinner and a movie with Major, his wife Patience, Dr. Kajese and 2 visiting medical students we had visiting from Harare. They were here for 3 ½ weeks with us doing their 3rd year rural rotation. After the movie they sang Happy Birthday to me and I opened my gifts. Since I don’t eat cake I had a wonderful bowl of fresh strawberries and everyone else had strawberry shortcake! Thanks to everyone who sent BD wishes on FB, emails and cards! I received one special gift from Ma and Pa Minnis in CA which was a Happy Birthday Scrub Top and surgery hat to go with it. Our doctor said when I opened it “I hope that doesn’t mean we will have a C/Section tomorrow so you can wear your new hat this year!” I decided to wear the scrub top on Monday and continue my birthday another day!
Monday after devotions in the morning at the hospital the staff all sang Happy Birthday to me. Ben Pennington a friend from Masvingo arrived for lunch with Walt Chamberlin, a minister in Madras, Oregon. Walt came to present a 1 ½ day seminar for our ministers and church leaders, starting that evening in my outdoor dining room. We continued the Birthday celebration with wonderful Sugar Free Belgian chocolates that Ben brought me to celebrate!
When I got back to the hospital about 2:30 p.m. the doctor called me to see a patient. We both agreed she had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and needed surgery. We were jinxed by the new BD hat! I quickly helped him to see the rest of his queue of patients while the nurses got IV’s going and the patient ready for surgery. Her Hemoglobin was 3 gms (normal is 12 and above) and she was bleeding into her abdomen—so we were lucky to have 4 units of blood in the fridge that I had just brought from Harare the week before. I got the blood ready to pump in as soon as the Dr. opened her up and clamped off the ruptured tube.
Dr. Kajese was very nervous as he had never done this surgery by himself before, but I told him let’s go I will help you. Sure enough it turned out to be a difficult one with adhesions to the bowel. I kept her asleep and kept running to see what they were cutting and tying and voting “is that bowel—don’t cut there or that isn’t bowel—cut and tie!” It was a relief to all when we finished and we had pumped in 3 units of blood and saved one for the next day if she needed. We all held our breath as she recovered and when she said she was passing gas—we celebrated! Amazing little things that amuse us! She was discharged home well on the 5th day—PTL for his help!
The ministers’ conference and seminar went well. The food was well cooked for all and we had 30 leaders and ministers who attended. They finished on Tuesday evening and we showed a movie for them at the end. Walt and Ben left Wednesday morning for Harare and Walt returned to the US on Thursday after 8 weeks here doing this seminar all over the country.
Thursday was our usual busy CD4 count day. The medical students got lots of experience drawing blood during their 3 ½ weeks with us. We average 85-100 extra people who come for CD4 each Thursday. We are so thankful for this machine and we are able to start about 15-20 people on Thursday and Fridays who need to be started.
Thursday night we were happy to receive our new X-ray machine and developer that has been donated to us by a medical group in the US. It arrived on our lorry. We are now renovating our Rehab room as a new X-ray room and darkroom and hope to have the machines set up within 2 weeks.
Friday was also a busy day and I invited the doctor and med students and Mereki’s over for Pizza before our prayers and Friday night movie for the community—then I fell into bed exhausted.
The building of the Pediatric extension continues well and they put in window frames this week. They continue to work hard on the additions and they have been pulled off to get the X-ray room renovated this week.
The whole week was a bad week for ZESA (our electricity). Saturday it went off at 4 a.m. and we had none the whole day until 9:30 p.m. Sunday was better but by Monday it was on and off and then a fault developed and since Monday at 11:15 p.m. there is no electricity to present (Wed. afternoon). They “say” they are working on it!
This week I am in Harare to attend a seminary for 4 days on health care in the future in Zimbabwe. Most of it is very theoretical. Talking about paperless hospitals (when we have no electricity for up to 12 days at a time!) and spending millions for people to plan our hospitals—when they are already built and we are trying to keep them working! The reality of this work in Zimbabwe is applicable to the private sector only! Oh well I am in Harare enjoying electricity and phone services and I left Chidamoyo with no electricity due to a fault for the last 3 days!
We are excited that on Friday last week a new X-ray machine and developer arrived donated by a medical missions group in the US. We are renovating our Rehabilitation Room to be our new X-ray room and they started on Saturday knocking out windows and doors to make the dark room and room. As soon as the room is ready they will come and set up the machine! How exciting is that!
We also have received word that the new Jeep Wrangler we bought with proceeds from the Benefit of Hope in July, has arrived in Harare and they are doing the paper work to get it licensed and cleared for us—so we hope maybe this week or early next week! We are excited! God is good!
I had a great birthday—a quiet day of church services and after Sunday night church at the hospital I celebrated with dinner and a movie with Major, his wife Patience, Dr. Kajese and 2 visiting medical students we had visiting from Harare. They were here for 3 ½ weeks with us doing their 3rd year rural rotation. After the movie they sang Happy Birthday to me and I opened my gifts. Since I don’t eat cake I had a wonderful bowl of fresh strawberries and everyone else had strawberry shortcake! Thanks to everyone who sent BD wishes on FB, emails and cards! I received one special gift from Ma and Pa Minnis in CA which was a Happy Birthday Scrub Top and surgery hat to go with it. Our doctor said when I opened it “I hope that doesn’t mean we will have a C/Section tomorrow so you can wear your new hat this year!” I decided to wear the scrub top on Monday and continue my birthday another day!
Monday after devotions in the morning at the hospital the staff all sang Happy Birthday to me. Ben Pennington a friend from Masvingo arrived for lunch with Walt Chamberlin, a minister in Madras, Oregon. Walt came to present a 1 ½ day seminar for our ministers and church leaders, starting that evening in my outdoor dining room. We continued the Birthday celebration with wonderful Sugar Free Belgian chocolates that Ben brought me to celebrate!
When I got back to the hospital about 2:30 p.m. the doctor called me to see a patient. We both agreed she had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and needed surgery. We were jinxed by the new BD hat! I quickly helped him to see the rest of his queue of patients while the nurses got IV’s going and the patient ready for surgery. Her Hemoglobin was 3 gms (normal is 12 and above) and she was bleeding into her abdomen—so we were lucky to have 4 units of blood in the fridge that I had just brought from Harare the week before. I got the blood ready to pump in as soon as the Dr. opened her up and clamped off the ruptured tube.
Dr. Kajese was very nervous as he had never done this surgery by himself before, but I told him let’s go I will help you. Sure enough it turned out to be a difficult one with adhesions to the bowel. I kept her asleep and kept running to see what they were cutting and tying and voting “is that bowel—don’t cut there or that isn’t bowel—cut and tie!” It was a relief to all when we finished and we had pumped in 3 units of blood and saved one for the next day if she needed. We all held our breath as she recovered and when she said she was passing gas—we celebrated! Amazing little things that amuse us! She was discharged home well on the 5th day—PTL for his help!
The ministers’ conference and seminar went well. The food was well cooked for all and we had 30 leaders and ministers who attended. They finished on Tuesday evening and we showed a movie for them at the end. Walt and Ben left Wednesday morning for Harare and Walt returned to the US on Thursday after 8 weeks here doing this seminar all over the country.
Thursday was our usual busy CD4 count day. The medical students got lots of experience drawing blood during their 3 ½ weeks with us. We average 85-100 extra people who come for CD4 each Thursday. We are so thankful for this machine and we are able to start about 15-20 people on Thursday and Fridays who need to be started.
Thursday night we were happy to receive our new X-ray machine and developer that has been donated to us by a medical group in the US. It arrived on our lorry. We are now renovating our Rehab room as a new X-ray room and darkroom and hope to have the machines set up within 2 weeks.
Friday was also a busy day and I invited the doctor and med students and Mereki’s over for Pizza before our prayers and Friday night movie for the community—then I fell into bed exhausted.
The building of the Pediatric extension continues well and they put in window frames this week. They continue to work hard on the additions and they have been pulled off to get the X-ray room renovated this week.
The whole week was a bad week for ZESA (our electricity). Saturday it went off at 4 a.m. and we had none the whole day until 9:30 p.m. Sunday was better but by Monday it was on and off and then a fault developed and since Monday at 11:15 p.m. there is no electricity to present (Wed. afternoon). They “say” they are working on it!
This week I am in Harare to attend a seminary for 4 days on health care in the future in Zimbabwe. Most of it is very theoretical. Talking about paperless hospitals (when we have no electricity for up to 12 days at a time!) and spending millions for people to plan our hospitals—when they are already built and we are trying to keep them working! The reality of this work in Zimbabwe is applicable to the private sector only! Oh well I am in Harare enjoying electricity and phone services and I left Chidamoyo with no electricity due to a fault for the last 3 days!
We are excited that on Friday last week a new X-ray machine and developer arrived donated by a medical missions group in the US. We are renovating our Rehabilitation Room to be our new X-ray room and they started on Saturday knocking out windows and doors to make the dark room and room. As soon as the room is ready they will come and set up the machine! How exciting is that!
We also have received word that the new Jeep Wrangler we bought with proceeds from the Benefit of Hope in July, has arrived in Harare and they are doing the paper work to get it licensed and cleared for us—so we hope maybe this week or early next week! We are excited! God is good!
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