Today was a little slower than most. My last patient/case considered
eating lunch more important than having surgery despite the fact we
were going to be able to get him out of traction and fix his femur
fracture today. Tomorrow is clinic which means two more days in
traction for the price of a piece of bread. Not quite Jacob and Esau
but a bad trade none the less. It was the typical beginning of the
second week of a short stay mission.
The second week you miss home a little more. You have a few misplaced
thoughts of entitlement as if after only one week you should be able
to assign who does what case or why you should be the surgeon to do
the "big" cases. Your mind drifts a bit and you are tempted to start
"short timing it." Then God reigns you in and the "attitude" adjust
back to a servants mindset.
I was the teaching surgeon in our cases today and it was a good day.
Chronic infections and non-unions (sometimes the same patient) , a
scope and a surprise tumor were the menu for the day after rounds and
journal club. I still had time for a good walk at the Rift Valley
Academy. It's up on a hill so even though I walked the altitude made a
good workout. The altitude definitely helped the attitude. The Rift
Valley is the largest valley in Kenya, I here it can be recognized from
space. From Kijabe you can see the expanse of the creation and adding
in the sunset eliminates all doubt in my mind and heart that there is
a great creator.
To top it all off at the end of my walk I was greeted by five
different monkeys. Four were playing in the trees and one was sitting
on a trash can about four feet away from me as I came down a hill. I
guess he was so busy trying to get into the trash can he didn't notice
me till we met eyes. He kinda glanced down at the can with a "busted"
look on his face.
We both looked at each other for a while, very still. The monkeys are
white and black and have a face that looks a little like Elias and
Jilly but a lot like "G". He won the stare down contest. I chuckled
a little and walked away as the sun went down and he continue to sit on
the waste can all the while trying to figure out how to get the top
off the can while he sat on it.
Tomorrow is clinic. We'll see lots of people. Pray for each that they
may find the healing they seek.
In His Name,
Rhett
eating lunch more important than having surgery despite the fact we
were going to be able to get him out of traction and fix his femur
fracture today. Tomorrow is clinic which means two more days in
traction for the price of a piece of bread. Not quite Jacob and Esau
but a bad trade none the less. It was the typical beginning of the
second week of a short stay mission.
The second week you miss home a little more. You have a few misplaced
thoughts of entitlement as if after only one week you should be able
to assign who does what case or why you should be the surgeon to do
the "big" cases. Your mind drifts a bit and you are tempted to start
"short timing it." Then God reigns you in and the "attitude" adjust
back to a servants mindset.
I was the teaching surgeon in our cases today and it was a good day.
Chronic infections and non-unions (sometimes the same patient) , a
scope and a surprise tumor were the menu for the day after rounds and
journal club. I still had time for a good walk at the Rift Valley
Academy. It's up on a hill so even though I walked the altitude made a
good workout. The altitude definitely helped the attitude. The Rift
Valley is the largest valley in Kenya, I here it can be recognized from
space. From Kijabe you can see the expanse of the creation and adding
in the sunset eliminates all doubt in my mind and heart that there is
a great creator.
To top it all off at the end of my walk I was greeted by five
different monkeys. Four were playing in the trees and one was sitting
on a trash can about four feet away from me as I came down a hill. I
guess he was so busy trying to get into the trash can he didn't notice
me till we met eyes. He kinda glanced down at the can with a "busted"
look on his face.
We both looked at each other for a while, very still. The monkeys are
white and black and have a face that looks a little like Elias and
Jilly but a lot like "G". He won the stare down contest. I chuckled
a little and walked away as the sun went down and he continue to sit on
the waste can all the while trying to figure out how to get the top
off the can while he sat on it.
Tomorrow is clinic. We'll see lots of people. Pray for each that they
may find the healing they seek.
In His Name,
Rhett
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