TeVo and the Technicolor Leisure Suit

So as we prepare for our travel day, I don't have much to report.  One lost passport by one of the team members has created a lot of drama, but should all be ok in the end.  We are packed and markedly lighter than we came.  TeVo picked up some amazing bling one of the interpeturs, Brahma, gave him:).  Dr Emma also pictured, picked up some new garb as well, which is funny because TeVo is a cheer dad as well.

Amy, Dr Sara and Charlotte also were looking stunning this morning.

It was a beautiful morning on the Cassamance River as we prepared to leave for Ziginshor.

We got everything and everyone packed into the van.  Amy feeling a little squished back there:)

A quick stop by hospital and Dr Tandian (tan-jin) to leave some final blessings for him and then of to celebration at clinic in the village of Bamacounda.

Meeting at clinic, the Assistant Prefect arrived and gave a speech under the watchful eye of Michael J Fox:). Reused some banner and turned it into a tent.

Back into the van, what Amy, Terry and I thought was going to be a relaxing, comfy trip in the "new" van ended up being another African adventure after 7 nationals decided to hitch a ride to Zig with us.

Saw a local traditional character on the road that goes from village to village scaring the children in full dress and with machete..

More Africian humor...

Dr Soh- so you Americans drive on the right side of the road?

Me- yes

Dr S- British on the left?

Me-yes

Dr S-do you know what side we dive on in Senegal?

Me- ? Right Side?

Dr S- no, the Good Side:)

Translation: they drive on the side with the smallest potholes, and if a bigger truck is coming the opposition direction, he gets to pick first.

 

Imagine driving 3 hours like this..

Made it to the airport in Ziginshor..

And here is the road leading to said airport..

May check in later in Dakar, but will send this since I have Wifi

-b

Sadio's Sedhiou Surgery

So after a late night, Charles (interpetur/photographer) and I went to the hospital here in Sedhiou.  We met again with the new surgeon in town Dr Tangien.  So operating with a interpetur in an Africian operating room outside of the big city is pretty tough, but this experience went so much better than I could have imagined.  Having operated there before, and just operating in Africa in general got me prepared with a few necessities that made all the difference. I had an extremely interesting/intriguing conversation with Dr Tangien over the 2 1/2 hours we operated.

It's still mind blowing to me how little resources and equipment he has to operate with day in and day out.  Dr Tangien was an extremely gracious host and I happily I left him two suit cases full of supplies.  The genuineness of his appreciation and how we both knew I made him a better surgeon for the people of this region with just some basic supplies considered essential in the States was pretty cool.  On to Surgery.

Sadio  (also known by some in US as Keisha) had her hand burned 3 years ago, it was contacted down and barely useable.

Her hand before.

Surgery Pics

So this is what her fingers looked after separated and extended.

Our skin graft site off her upper arm.  I took a really big graft and was little worried and rightly so that I wouldn't be able to get it completely closed.  I used some tricks and got it nearly closed, but she is better off with granulating wound in her upper arm than not enough skin on her contracted fingers.

So onto the finger grafting, lots and lots and lots of little stitches later, it looked awesome.  

Final product, I was really pleased:)

So during surgery, Charlie informed me I got a text from Amy letting me know she had started pulling teeth.  Before I made it out to clinic she had already extracted 3 teeth and was on a tear to pull out more.

Then she was on to teaching the children outside the clinic how to brush so they could keep their teeth and then gave them fluoride treatments.

So again TeVo was operating like a mad man while I was gone.  He was almost injured when the ceiling started falling down on the new roof of this brand new clinic.  So...when they build a new building they use timbers that are rough sawed and one with a big portion of the bark still attached started falling of while he was operating...he and the patient both escaped injury, 

He also told me he was going to do a mastectomy and showed me a picture similar to the below....I was like what, what, what are you doing?????  Let me see first there tough guy!!

Yeah, TeVo thought it was funny the back of this Muslim man's leg looked like a boob, was actually a weird lipoma and of course, he chopped it out.

ATIYIA (strong hot tea)

Still kinda gross, but I'm getting pretty use to it at this point because it tastes so good.  These are the neighborhood boys cooking up some Atiyia to keep us going throughout the day.  Tea is awesome,  but only two glasses to use all week long for several hundred volunteers and patients with no running water or sanitation to speak of, definitely less cool.

Amy's new friends at the end of a long day of clinic!

Lastly for my daughter Grace I made a new Africian dish for her, as an Africian veteran she has an appreciation for missing things from home...

After several days of the same old morning baguette with chocolate/Nutella type spread.  I spiced it up and had a Resses peanut butter cup baguette for breakfast:)

Off to a cold shower after a long day and bed.

-Bi

#Road Trip#HolyCrapthatsDusty#nauseating

Here is a brief recreation of a conversation with one of our interpreters Charles, pictured below.

Charlie and Dr Brian

Charlie- So Dr Brian, what do you call someone who speaks two languages?

Me- Bilingual

C- Correct, what about someone who speaks three languages?

M- ? Trilingual

C- Right, what about someone who speaks only one language?

M- ?? Unilingual

C- No... An Americian :(

He's true and correct about how spoiled and privelaged many of us are to know only one language.  These are an extremely bright, talented resourceful people...most who speak at least two, three, six languages...well.  My brain hurts just thinking about how much they keep straight.

Our view upon arriving at clinic.

Driving to clinic, I feel terrible for the patients who walk 4,6,10,20 miles to come see us down these dusty roads.

The football players even jog and exercise down these dusty roads.

So Amy is still having a ball in her Dental realm..lots and lots of teeth to pull with Dr Sara Walls.

Getting to hold more babies.

I even barrowed a baby for awhile.  As many of you know, I really don't like babies, not until they are old enough to toss around and wrestle with, and this one didn't fit that criteria, so I ditched her pretty quick.

I have really enjoyed getting to spend time with my wife in clinic together, which is something we have never in our lives gotten to do.  It has brought both of us much joy to see each other in our "element"

The view from the front window of our clinic.

Hundreds of people waiting for a chance to get a "ticket" to be seen.

Got to see Fatou yesterday.  She is the girl who came to Ortho-4-States to get her arm reconstructed...kuddos to my hand partner, Dr McNemar.  She is doing awesome.

Amy fetching water from pump.  Glad she doesn't  have to do this every day..

Lots more surgery today in the clinic. We continue to remove lots of stuff.  TeVo is getting to be pretty brave about what he is tackling, he pretty much kicked me out of my room and I had to steal a dental chair so I could work at same time.

Took out a breast mass in 16 year old.  That made my butt pucker a bit.  Got Dr Soh to help, going to turn him into a surgeron.

Then the one that really, really puckered my butt was the 7 year old with chest/abdomen mass...dentist, Dr Sara assisted, and was really happy I didn't find a heart or bowel when I got in there.

Pics to follow on that one.

Amy, the ladies from the team with the village women who accepted Jesus Christ praying together on our way home.

Yes, that is the view from the top of the van, as TeVo and I decided to Africa Up and ride back into town on the luggage rack, my trip was shortened by the prayer above, then Cindy hijacking me to meet a regional official... I do think TeVo got to finish out most of the trip, much to Cindy's disapproval.  There is usually a whole lot of kids screaming "toubab" (white man) as you drive by normally, inside the van, imagine the excitement TeVo created sitting up top, African style, grand Marshall of the parade, like a pope-mobile..literally hundreds if not thousands of excited Senegaleese youth getting to see Terry "Toubo" Vogt!!!

Lastly Amy, Mamma Cindy, Pastor and I took a late evening 2 hour trip down an extremely rutted, dusty, bumpy road even further into the bush to meet with the Assistant Regional Prefect ( person in charge of 15,000 villages in the region and over our clinic) who had not been informed of our clinic and what we were doing.  We went to extend our greetings and request approval to continue, thankfully and extremely gracious and pleasant man, who understands and appreciates the services we bring.  So the coolest thing about a two hour trip into the Bush where there is very little electricity or lights...probably one of the single best star gazing experiences Amy and I have ever had..

I'm sure this picture will not do it justice and it may just look black, but it was literally breath-taking the beauty and immenseness of it all..

Got the news this afternoon we are approved to do surgery on another girl with a burn injury to her hand.  The new surgeon in the region is going to assist me and let me use his operating room, should be great.  I feel much more prepared to operate in Africa 3 years later as opposed the the utterly eye opening experience Dr Coy and I had in our first surgery together in Africa on Fatou...

Pray and wish me luck, it's never simple or straight forward here...

God's peace.

-B