Saturday, March 30, 2013

Adaptations

The following consists of nothing truly interconnected, but just various musings concerning my last two months. So enjoy the ramblings!


As I near the 2 month mark, it begins to become apparent some of the adaptations made during my stay. It has certainly been an interesting process: moving away from loved ones, changing jobs, packing all your year-long necessities in one hiking backpack and a small day pack, arriving in a brand new country (let alone a new continent), immersing oneself in a different culture....the list goes on.

By all means, it has its peaks and valleys. But honestly, that has allowed for quite the personal journey. I've experienced some of the most exciting personal moments shared right along with some of the most challenging. 

The initial move was, of course, exciting. Definitely an adventure coming to a country I have never experienced, settling into a unique community, gaining perspective on an area so very different from the US, and learning to live a much more simple lifestyle. It has been enjoyable learning these new things. 

Right from the very beginning, I will say that Kenyans are the kindest people I have ever encountered. The welcomes are so warm, smiles are eager, accommodations are readily available. It has certainly been a pleasure getting to know and slowly become part of a community so kind. I can only be extremely thankful for such a place to live. 

That friendliness has been so vital during some of the "valleys." There are certainly those days, especially after a grueling day in the ward, where I ask myself, "What exactly am I doing here?" I've found that a friendly face and a kind greeting pull you through those moments. Concerning that, the biggest thanks goes to the children. These little ones are the most sincere, the sweetest, and just down right wonderful to be around!  I credit many days being uplifted by playing soccer or tag with the kids, whether from Dala Kiye (the nearby orphanage..which will be discussed in its own entry) or the neighboring children by my house. 

Dala Kiye children. Soccer half-time photo shoot
Wild, neighborhood children. These kids are the BEST.

Obviously one of their favorite games (Yes, I caught him).
Another adjustment was towards, "African Time." It's real and it requires a real adjustment. I learned this quickly during my first days working in the OR. The nurse said, "Be here at 830 for when we open." I was there at 815 just to be prompt...and waited until 915 for the first person to show up.


Lesson learned. 


The next day, I arrived for the "830" start time at 9:00 anticipating African delay...and waited until 945. 


Moral of the story: I have to tweak the African Time formula until it's just right.




These are all just fun adaptations when moving into a different place and culture. I could write for days telling stories of different instances where I had to tailor my "American" ways to be flexible. 




However, as I said in the beginning, some instances prove to be more difficult. The primary example is the medical ward, where it is an absolute challenge to adapt my practice to a very different medical scene, limited resources, and the hardest being the extent to which we can treat the patient. Coming from the land of plenty, where our ER had all resources at the tip of our fingers, it has obviously been extremely difficult seeing very ill patients receive care limited by accessibility and/or resources. An example being a couple of recent stroke patients. The diagnostic test they need most is a CT scan of their head; however due to SCMH not having a CT scanner (understandably) and the patient's financial inability to transfer to a larger hospital in Kisii or Nairobi, the patient foregoes the scan and we manage the patient to the best of our abilities, even though the prognosis ends up being very poor.  

Another example is the huge challenge of caring for an ICU-equivalent patient with no monitors, no oxygen, and very limited medication choices (for the medical persons out there: ie no vasopressors for the severely hypotensive). Even with all the aforementioned resources back home,  this patient would still be a challenging case in the ICU. With that, it has required, if not forced, me to extremely adapt not only my nursing practice but emotional perspectives. 



It is difficult to say what this all translates to in time, but as I continue to work, live and explore here, I'm sure I will have quite the interesting journey to look back upon next year.



I will definitely keep you all posted on the journey and new challenges that await! It has been exciting and will continue to push me to new levels, making me stronger, smarter and more flexible!   

As for now, I'm going to simply enjoy these awesome sunsets!










2 comments:

  1. The time change thing must be common in places away from America, where resources are limited (hate to use the term "third world" here, but that's I guess what I'm getting at).......we run into the same "dilemma" while serving in Honduras too! Your trip sounds like it had been amazing so far! I can't believe you have been gone two months already!!! Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your journey!

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  2. Heey! Thanks for the comment. It has definitely been a great and interesting experience so far. Email me! Rick.cmalo@gmail.com

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