Cameroon Update #1

Hi Everyone

It is sort of tough to know where to start since so much has happened  in the last few days.  I will just try to summarize and fill in the  details in person later.

Today was my first day of work on the peds wards.  The day started  with chapel service at 6:45 this morning.  I was wide-awake and on time.....probably because I woke up at 4:30am.  I did go to sleep at  8:40 last night so that may have something to do with it.  At the end  of chapel, I was introduced to the hospital and I had to give a short speech.  This surprised me a little but shouldn't have at all.  It's  an Africa thing.

After rounds, we went to morning report.  The hospital here has  developed a residency program to train new doctors better.  It's  actually a fairly novel concept here as most medical graduates just go  straight into practice....often not very good practice.  The  missionaries here have put together residency programs in internal  medicine and surgery that are very similar to what we do in the States  only on a much smaller scale. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

After breakfast, I rounded with one of the Cameroonian residents in  the pediatric ward.  There were 20 beds all filled with 20 patients.   There was pretty wide range of disease processes today from  malnutrition to HIV to tuberculosis to femur fractures (don't let your  children climb trees in Africa....trust me).  There were several  things I commonly treat in the States and a lot that I never treat.  I  had to rely on the Cameroonian resident on several of those things,  but he was great.  There are still very frustrating cases that would  be very easily prevented if these kids and their parents had access to  the healthcare resources we take for granted everyday.  All in all,  it's a very humbling experience.

Tomorrow is Saturday so I may try go hiking around the hospital in the afternoon.  This is easily the most picturesque setting EVER for a mission hospital.  The surrounding area is very rural and extremely  poor, but the backdrop is crazy beautiful.  We are in the northwest  highlands of the country, and the hospital is nestled into a mountain  side.  The view is unreal.  I will take some pictures but will  probably have to wait until I get back to show them to you.

Please continue to pray for wisdom for me in making medical decisions (specifically in situations where my experience is slim to  nonexistant). Please also pray that I'll be an encouragement to the  other missionaries here.  There is a new OB from Texas who was  previously serving in Ghana who arrived the same day I did with his  family.  He is here to start an OB/Gyn residency, and his family is  trying to get settled.  Please pray for them as well.  They have a  middle school-aged son and 2 girls similar in age to Lily Kate and  Aubrey.

I'll try to write more soon.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Stephen