The power went out, it must be Wednesday

I’m kidding, of course.  The power seems to go out most days, randomly.  That is the whole reason behind having the generators installed and the LIFT team here, so that Galmi can avoid that in the future.  More about some of the LIFT team members later.  Anyways, I had just done my midline laparotomy incision when the lights went out.  Which is actually a good thing.  We could stop and wait and just put pressure on the incision, and the lights came back on in a few minutes.  The power stayed on for the whole rest of the case, and even the next one, which started out as an Ovarian cyst, but actually turned out to be a completely different cyst.  The general surgeon Joe took over, but it was completely benign.  Oh, and check out the anaesthetist’s chart – straight from Home Depo or Canadian Tire.

Most of the LIFT team members have been coming by to see our little 900g premature infant.  She has survived her prolonged apneic (not breathing) episode and appears to be doing OK.  For the longest time she was the most popular patient in the hospital, but now she has competition from the 714g boy.  One of the LIFT team member (Eugene) was saying he would love to fly them home to Ireland to get them the full range of treatment.  Unfortunately, they wouldn’t survive the flight, so what we really need to do is improve the standard of living here in Niger.  But that is going to take some time.

Spice Row

Fresh Hot peppers and other spices

                  Every Wednesday is cinnamon bun day at the CC (Community Centre).  I missed it today because I was in the OR, but those cinnamon buns are good!  Wednesday is also market day.  Just down the road from the Hospital there is a market place.  I thought I knew where it was from last year, but after about ½ an hour searching for it and asking directions  (Yes, I'm a man, but I can ask for directions, if I have to, I guess - 3 times actually) I finally did find it.  I won’t forget next time.  It’s just past the bridge and turn right – just like the guy from Ghana said.  He says he has lived in North America, but Africa is his home.  My phone has a built-in pedometer, and it said I walked 8000 steps more than usual, and that I should save some energy for tomorrow.  Good advice.

You can buy pretty much anything here

Psalm 32:8 ESV

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you.