Mike's life at Kijabe

I figure that it is about time that I update you on what I've been doing for the past 2 weeks, and I actually have a chance to sit down and write tonight, so here it goes. I have been spending a lot of time in the hospital so far. Just some background; Kijabe Hospital is a 250 bed full service hospital with medicine, surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, ob/gyn services. It is also an academic teaching hospital where 8 Kenyan national interns are trained each year. I have been rotating on one of the internal medicine services for the past two weeks, and will spend one more week there before I spend the final 2 weeks with the anesthetists in the ORs.
My first day at the hospital was last Tuesday. I then took call on Wednesday night, and was also on call all of the past weekend. Today was actually the first day that I was not in the hospital as we drove out to a rural clinic about 2 hours away. It was a great change of scenery. A "typical" day lasts from 7am until 5pm and is spent between morning conference, rounding on patients in the wards, a lunch conference, and taking care of patients in casualty (the British term for the ER). My first night on call last Wednesday was not too bad. As a student I am the first call for anything they need in the wards or that comes into casualty. I was at the hospital until 12am and then was not called back until 630am. The weekend however was very busy. I was able to sleep from about 4am until we got up for church at 730 on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and was in the hospital from 2pm until 2am on Sunday. Fortunately I did get to go to church though!
There is a huge variety in the types of patients and in the problems and disease that we see. From a learning aspect it is phenomenal. From road accidents to poisonings to end-stage AIDS and many many others. The downside to this is that many of these patients are very sick and there is little that we can do for them. I think that I have had at least one patient die who's care I have been directly involved with almost everyday for the past week. That's more than I saw during the rest of medical school. It has certainly taken its emotional and spiritual toll and I was so thankful for the refreshing of God's spirit from the church service on Sunday. I needed it.
From here out my schedule is not as rough as I don't have anymore weekend calls and only have 1 call per week for each of the next 3 weeks. I am quite thankful for that. We covet your prayers and thank you for them, please keep them coming! God bless!