Peanut butter pranks

Greetings from Tanzania! I just wanted to start by sharing this quote from the Indian restaurant

Be happy :)

The four of us (Ben, Jonathan, Grace, and I) are lounging in our leopard print furniture talking about our morning in pediatrics and the updates on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. We are pleased to see that Mount Meru Hospital is taking action to raise awareness about the issue. Yesterday, a huge conference/presentation was held at the hospital, in which the entire outdoor area was overflowing with attendees. While unlikely to spread during my stay, it is comforting to know that the hospital is educating their staff about the issue. 

 I have no idea what this sign says, but I know it talks about Ebola, ha!

Even though it’s a Saturday, we got up early to do one last morning of rounds before Dr. Lase heads back to Oregon. And what a great last day for us all! We were pleasantly surprised by a group of delegates from an insurance company that helps fund Mount Meru Hospital. They brought gift bags for the pediatric patients, and when seeing the little Masia girl that has been in a coma for 8 days, they promised to pay for a CT scan at a private hospital. What a relief! We suspect that the girl has a form of Meningitis, but despite a cocktail of antibiotics, her fever has worsened and her condition is not improving. We have been trying to get a CT scan to provide us with more information but haven’t been able to up until this point. Hopefully, the scan will guide doctors in the right direction to saving this girl's life. The story doesn’t end there though… the delegates informed us that they will be purchasing an entire CT scanner for  Mount Meru!! The hospital has been desperately needing one and without it, we have been greatly limited by our diagnostic abilities on ward rounds. This will be a huge improvement for the hospital! 

I think after a full week in Pediatrics, I have confirmed that it has been my favorite ward in the hospital. I am always excited to visit the kids and hear there silly stories. One little boy, who is in the hospital for an infected machete wound and very high blood sugar, begged us to go home today. He said that his blood sugar only gets high when the hyenas kill his goats and when he is forced to stay in the hospital. He ensured us that his blood sugar would be much more stable while resting at home. Hahaha nice try buddy! But seriously, how crazy that his biggest life stressor is his goat getting attacked by hyenas! I’m just think about a 10-year-old American boy and what his biggest worry would be… maybe not getting his favorite video game for Christmas? Gosh, what simple, simple lives people have here.

when having a rough day, nothing is better than scooping up a precious little African baby :)

On most days, after we are finished at the hospital, Grace, Ben, and I will walk around town to get some fresh air, more like dusty air and anything but fresh. Regardless, it’s nice to get outside and walk around. And we never fail to see something new and interesting on the streets of Arusha. Check out this guy running with a motorcycle in a wheelbarrow amongst heavy traffic. Wow, nice work! 

  Ben makes it a point to try every type of muffin at Africafe before he leaves, so we typically start our adventures with coffee and muffins at the popular Western café. After a little pick-us-up, we make a routine trip to our favorite supermarket for GIANT avocados and cashew-coconut chocolate, while also using the market to seek cover from the constant bombardment of hagglers and beggars on the streets. You really can’t buy anything from street vendors unless you’re okay with getting attacked by a dozen others. It definitely gets annoying after a while. You know what also can be annoying...when your roommates pour the shampoo out of your shampoo bottle and replace the contents with runny peanut butter. We have a little bit of a prank war going on in the house and I don’t think Ben knows what’s coming for him. You better watch your back boy ;)

Peanut butter shampoo! P.S. Ben HATES peanut butter   teehee;)

GIANT AVO!

Before I end, I’d like to thank two companies for generously donating delicious and nutritious snacks for my trip. Thanks to the kindness of KIND and BOBO’S Oat Bars, I have had a large supply of granola and granola bars to help me avoid some food allergens while in Africa. So, thank you BOBO’s and KIND! Your products really have been a life saver, especially during long shifts at the hospital