The other day I went to the local supermarket and got a small journal that I've decided to write any important info into instead of accumulating tons of random scrap paper with small phrases or words or what have you. I also started journaling each patient that I sit in with while the doctor does his thing. I'll write down the symptoms, what the doc thinks, what tests are done, and the result. (No HIPPA laws  out here haha). So I think that writing all of it down to be able to review at a later time will be pretty beneficial, plus remembering all the new/differnent meds, terms, etc wouldn't be an easy task otherwise.

Had another humbling experience as an infant came back to the clinic today. (semi graphic material to follow, not for the weak stomached) He was brought the first time after the tip of his finger had pretty much been completely cut off in some sort of accident. The doctor and nurses did what they could and try to attach it back on it's place and sent him home to come back again to check the progress. Today when the infant was brought back I sat in with Dr. Martin as he unbandaged the finger. Without going into detail, it was pretty bad and even though the doctors here did what they could, it didn't take. Because of some complications, most of the infant's finger was amputated with the hope that this will be the end of this injury. Now the really humbling part of this is, were this to happen in the States, I think that there would have been a specialist that could have fixed it. On top of that, were the circumstances at the infant's home different then they probably were, more of the finger could have been saved. The clinic did everything that could be done, but because of the situation here in Africa, or more specifically in Gaba, there was nothing else they could have done. This is just a small example of the way things are here.. I feel for the people that live here, and I feel very blessed to have the privileged life that I have.

During another patient's visit, the woman carried her cute little baby girl in with her. While the doctor talked with the patient the little girl stared at me with a typical baby stare as I smiled and said hi. All of a sudden the baby burst out screaming. The mom couldn't figure out what had happened, but I acted on a hunch and walked out of the room. A few moments later the child calmed down. When the patient left I walked back into the doctor's office and sat down. Dr. Martin and I figured that it was probably the baby's first time ever seeing a white person, a really big one at that, so she probably got scared.