It's Friday

A good day today - I didn't make any little boys cry.

Lots of progress today with scanning - it's great to see. Once we got them to not answer their cell phones in the middle of scanning (!) and spending inordinate time on determining fetal gender (all the patients ask and want to know)... they were very focused. Notice the external monitor they use in the clinic - the patients love to watch the ultrasound. In fact, it has increased their business - word travels quickly in the villages! Bill and I were invited to join the students for a traditional Malian lunch today - I really enjoy it. It was with fonio (like couscous) with a peanut sauce on top - we don't ask what kind of meat it is. Alleye's brother's wife, who lives in Koutiala made it for the group.

Dr. Dan gets all sorts of unique Ob/Gyn cases here. The stories he tells are fascinating - as Melody expressed, she could listen to him for hours. You would never get the pathology in the US (mostly cuz patients get treated earlier). He had a woman come in with a large fluid-filled mass in the abdomen - turned out to be a large cyst - drained ~50lbs of fluid!! He's NEVER seen anything like it (maybe 20 - 25lbs). He also fixed (surgically) a woman with a vaginal septum (who couldn't get pregnant). He was feeling pretty good about it because she'd now be able to conceive (very important in this culture). So when he stepped out to tell the husband, Dan told him in Bambara, that everything is 'finished'. The expression of the husband turned to alarm (thinking his wife had died - very similar word)... until the nurse quickly responded that the surgery was finished (and successful), and that his wife was fine. Oh... the language challenges!

I didn't have my camera on me today for a great shot. I peeked into the OR to see what was going on - Olive had just stepped out (she had just delivered a baby 12 min ago in the room next door). Dr.Pierre was doing a C-section with Dr.David. Right next to them, in general contractor clothes and boots was one of the construction guys taking video! In the OR! Only in Africa!

We're eating well here - notice how my discussions turn to food a lot?! Pizza tonight. Prior meals included chow mein, pork roast, spaghetti. We're on own for making breakfast and lunch. We miss you Paula! Paula cooked for us the last trip. But they do supply all the ingredients - the baguettes are very good, lots of eggs and fruit. The bananas are amazingly sweet.