This past weekend and surrounding days have been absolutely delightful. This explains why I haven't had time to blog--life has been too busy and fun. Allow me to tell you about the past five days in easily digestible separate blog entries:
Some interesting patients from clinic and hospital on Friday:
1.Two year old boy who presented two months ago with difficulty breathing, chest x-ray shows cardiomegaly (heart is 75% of the thorax diameter) and probable pneumonia, previous chest x-rays normal. We treated the pneumonia and the wheezing has somewhat ameliorated, but at all the follow-ups the cardiomegaly persists and he has now developed generalized lymphadenopathy including some huge lymph nodes in the armpits. Serology is negative. Next appointment in one week, let me know if you have thoughts or suggestions.
2.Kwashikor (protein deficiency that causes swelling because you don't have enough protein in your blood to keep the water in your vessels) baby!! This baby's feet and abdomen are hugely swollen for lack of protein, even as we try to refeed her protein. Did you know that Kwashikor means second baby because it is often observed in the older child when a new baby arrives because the mom starts nursing the new baby and not feeding the old one? In this patient, it actually happened this way with a new baby arriving in the family and her getting malnourished over the course of several months.
La journee d'acronymes, or I finish ERAS and FAFSA:
The world is really a small place. I can sit in the research lab at Albert Schweitzer hospital and turn in all the required documents for financial aid and residency applications! I turned in the majority of my residency documents two weeks ago, but I just put the finishing touches on programs that I applying to and uploaded a photo Sunday morning. And as I had forgotten to fill out FAFSA for this school year, my school's financial aid office kindly reminded me of this error with multiple emails and I was able to remedy that situation Sunday morning. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the residency decisions to roll in. It's amazing to think that I applied to residency, which is this huge process from an African country.
My other in-laws:
After I turned in my remaining official documentation to America on Sunday morning, my roommate Annie and I headed to Libreville, the capital city to take care of business there. A few weeks ago an American medical evacuation pilot/Christian missionary left a message on my blog telling us to come stay with him and his family at their guest house if I were in Libreville again. The combination of America and medical stuff made me jump at the possibility. It was a complete delight staying with them. They had American food like cheesecake (I ate it and liked it Owen!), buttered microwave popcorn, and grape jelly at their house which they generously shared with us creating us a little America in Gabon the likes of which I have never experienced. They also took us to the clinic that their church runs and helped us with a bunch of practical details. So sweet! They remind me of my in-laws who are also really good Christians, though not missionaries, which was extra nice to have that feeling of being around familiar people. And unlike all the old jokes, I love my in-laws greatly, so it was a very positive association. What a provident surprise to find each other in Gabon.
One year of marital bliss sans divorce, yay!
Speaking of in-laws, Sunday was my one year anniversary of marriage. Unfortunately Owen, my husband, is in the US working but I celebrated here in Gabon with my lovely rooommate as a stand-in. We went out to a romantic Italian dinner on the water in Libreville (Dolce Vita at Port Mole) and then watched Princess Bride when we got home. Owen and I got to gchat a little bit about our first year and agree that it has been super fantastic and we want to renew our promises that we made to each other last September 19th. We'll eat our ceremonial frozen piece of wedding cake when we are back in the US together...
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