Stares, Hospitality, and Pain

Hello again!!

Although it is tough to believe, I have actually been in Ethiopia for more than a week already!! I have sort been able to establish a routine beginning with running and breakfast before rounds at 7, typically rounding until 9, OR until 5-6, and clinic in between operations. I get to take call with the residents on Monday and Thursday, so far those have been busy until midnight then things settle down. There are so many things that I wish I could write about, even better would to be actually sit down and talk with you all. Instead, I will address the three topics that are the inspiration for this title.

Stares: This may come as a huge shocker, but I really stand out in the crowd down here and it seems like every person that I pass is just staring at me. Part of this is probably my own insecurities and the side effect of being a new culture, but it is still weird. The people-watcher in me makes me really curious as to what they are thinking when they see me, a nameless white person. I am assuming that they automatically see me as wealthy and as an opportunity to get out of their current poverty. Being this far from Addis do they probably assume that I am on some do-gooder trip like the thousands of other “frinjes” (foreigners) that had to come through. (Point of clarification, I harbor no illusions about how limited the good that I am doing on this trip is, this is more of a fact finding mission.) I hope to talk with one of the residents about this to get more insight.

Hospitality: I have been amazed at how welcoming all of the missionary families have been. They must have made a schedule for who would make dinner for me because they have fed me pretty much every night. Along those lines, my mother and sister will be happy to know that the hospital has also been feeding me very well too and I have sort of developed a taste for injera. The staff have been made it a point to welcome me to their Bible studies and to make sure that I am not getting bored.

Pain: The final point is a very difficult one and has really been weighing on my mind. Many of the orthopedic patients have large open wounds from trauma or from debridement of osteomyletis (bone infection) which require wet-to-dry dressing changes up to 3 times a day. After a while, the tissue will scar over and it changing the dressings will hurt less, but the initial bandage changes will exquisitely painful. I would imagine that most of the dressing changes of this magnitude done in the western world would be done in the OR under aenesthiology. Additionally, the patients have absolutely no money for narcotics so most are on aspirin (more for its antiplatelet effects), although some of the wealthy patients can afford tramadol.

That’s all I have for now. I really appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers!! I should have those pictures coming up soon.

In Him,

David