Shark Diving!

All of the interns went shark diving in False Bay. The only type of shark that is present in these areas is the Great White! We all got on a boat called the Barracuda and went out to sea. The waves were so huge and we had to break through them to even get out to the ocean. The waves were at least 2 meters high! When we finally got to shark alley the sea was so rough and our boat was rocking from side to side. One of the interns got sea sick and threw up overboard, at the time I sort of laughed. Libby and I were one of the first to get in the cage. I don't know why they called it a cage, there were giant holes in it that I am sure a sharks head could have fit through. We got in with a weight placed around our waist to keep us down in the cage. We only had a wet suit on and a mask, no scuba gear! We got in and placed our knees on this yellow bar that was inches away from the front bars of the cage. I guess if we stuck our feet on the bar they would stick out through the cage and get bitten off. They strung a tuna head on a piece of rope and flopped it in the ocean, kinda like a cat toy, to attract the sharks. They would bring the tuna head right by the cage and the sharks would swim so close you could almost touch them. When they got close the captain would yell," DOWN" and you would hold your breath and sit at the bottom of the cage to see them. One of the sharks got really excited about the tuna and bit the cage... thankfully I wasn't in there for that! The sharks were so huge it was unbelievable.

When we got out of the cage I was starting to feel a little sick... so was Libby. Both of us ran to the other side of the boat and threw up... I guess you could say we were chumming the water for the other group.. Plus, the camera man got it all on film and referred to Libby and I as, "the puking blonds" for the rest of the trip. Overall, great experience and I can't believe I did that!

Capetown

Capetown is stunning! Unlike Durban, the streets are clean and it is much more of a city life. I definitely don't feel like I am in Africa. Capetown has the greatest gap between the rich and the poor. Some parts have beautiful homes with huge yards while the townships are tin shacks that are end to end. Capetown has unbelievable views of mountains and the ocean. I swear this is where National Geographic comes to take pictures!
The medical program in Capetown is a complete 180 from Durban. Things here are so much more organized and run much more smoothly. I am working at GF Jooste hospital for the next few weeks. Jooste sees the poorest of poor patients. Most patients are stab wounds or gun shot victims. In some of the bad parts of town, people will get shot for their cell phone!! Libby and I are working in surgery and are able to see some pretty amazing things.
These past weekends in Capetown have been some of the best times of my life. We went on the Garden Route Tour, which was full of adventure and amazing views. We went on a canopy tour and zip lined through the canopies. We also went to an Ostrich farm and I rode an Ostrich!!! It was so crazy/gross. Those are the biggest birds I have ever seen and man do they run fast!!! The best part of this trip was going Bungee jumping off the highest bungee in the world! Libby and I were the only ones to do it! I still can't believe that I jumped off that bridge, it's 216 meters high( about 600 and some odd feet) YIKES! I have video of my jump to show everyone! Also, that weekend we went to an elephant park and another safari.
This weekend the other interns and I will be going shark diving with great white sharks!!!! I'm not going to lie, I am really nervous/scared, but I can't come all the way here and not do it!
Internet is hard to find and also expensive so I probably won't be able to update for about another week! Miss you Steph and Anu! Wish you were here!

The first day we arrived












My Host mom












The Orphanage











Jumping at the Beach

Rugby!!

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Libby, Rebecca and I went to the most amazing Rugby game between the All Blacks and the South African Springboks! Jade's (from my sorority) aunt lives in SA and took us to the game. She got us tickets to sit in box seats! It was one of the coolest things I have ever been too. We got to sit in the box and eat and drink all we wanted. Everyone arrives hours before the game and they have a braai, which is basically a BBQ. This was such a huge international game and the parking lots were full of people tailgating!
The first picture is of the stadium. The players are so huge that they look like boxes with legs attached! The second is of Libby and I, we got our faces painted and Jay(the aunt) bought us some Springbok hats. The third is of Rebecca, Libby, Jay, me, and Gavin. We stayed with Jay and Gavin that night after having another braai. AMAZING! The last one is of us with the crazy Springbok fan. haha he was just walking around to all the tail gates like that, it was so funny we just had to take a picture.
We were so lucky to have met Gavin and Jay, they are the nicest people I have ever met. Hopefully we will get to see them one more time before we leave for Capetown.

Durban Night Life

Durban bars and club are so similar to those in the states. It was nice to have sort of an American night out. The bar we went to was full of really young people because the drinking age is only 18 here!! It was Micheal Jackson night at the bar and everyone was dressed up. The music that they play is so funny. It's old American music from like the 90's. They played old school Brittany spears!!! haha it was so fun, it was like a blast from the past. Drinks were only about R12 which comes out to be like $1.50 . We had a really great time and it was a nice break from working at the hospital so much! These pictures are of some of the interns while we were out. From left to right Gina, me, Kevin, Steph, Anu.

Orphanage

This week I went to an Orphanage in Durban. It was owned by wealthy Muslims and was one of most well-kept orphanages I've seen. The kids all had nice clothes, rooms and they even had a washer and a dryer. I don't' even have a washer and dryer at my house in Durban!!!! The kids were so much fun to play with, we stayed all day with them. They sang cute little nursery rhymes and played a train game where they all followed each other in a line (left picture) soo cute! Steph brought bubbles for the kids and they went wild for them. I think we used up all three bottles in about an hour. The picture on my left was my favorite little kid. He would sit on my lab and blow bubbles, he also really liked to be held.
Not all of the orphanages in Durban are quite like this. Most of them are run down and barely have enough funds to support the children. The kids at this orphanage were very lucky. I only have 1 more week in Durban so hopefully I will be able to spend at least 1 more day at the Orphanage!!

Drakensburg

This weekend we all went to Drakensberg for hikin

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g. It was about 2 hours away so we rented a car. We stayed in the backpackers lodge at the base of the mountain range. The were hostel style rooms and it was quite the experience. It was also freezing cold and thankfully our host mom gave us extra blankets or we would have froze. We had a 7 hour hike up the mountain along the Sani Pass. It was so beautiful. I have some pictures of us hiking, but it will take me a while to load them. The rest of this week I have rotation in the nursery so that should be a lot of fun. Love you and miss you Tyler! Lue Ann Happy Birthday, sorry i missed it!

Peds

This week I am in the pediatric dept. It's not quite at as fun and exciting as surgery or OB wards, but we spend a lot more time learning and observing. Everyday there are such cute kids that smile and want to play, but it's so sad to see the ones that are so sick. Some of these children are just skin and bones, and they are so sick they can't even make eye contact. All of the aliments that we see are HIV or malnutrition related.
Outside of the hospital we are having a great time. My roommate and I hang out with our host family every night trying to learn some of their songs and dance moves. They listen to alot of songs from the 80's and it is so funny to watch them try to dance. The family is really into music and it is always blasting 24 hrs a day. Even the kids walk around all day with their ipods in... even at dinner!
This weekend we are going on a two day hike to Drakensburg. It is supposed to be a really beautiful hike so hopefully I will take a lot of pictures. Miss everyone, but mostly my BFF Alex.

St. Marys

At the end of last week, I was in another central HIV clinic. Patients moved along in the clinic like an assemly line. They were passed from cubicle to cubicle where their pills were counted, vitals taken, and blood drawn. I have never seen a room so busy, their were chairs in the hallways where all the patients sat. The strangest part was how quiet everything was. Hardly anyone spoke, they just moved through the line. I spent all day with the phlebotomist. I learned how to draw blood! It was crazy, in the states a person of my experience (which is none) would never be allowed to take blood! But I did it 5 or 6 times. It was easier than I thought, and it made me think of all the times nurses and doctors had missed my veins.
I also spent some time in the medical ward. This was were all the HIV/Aids patient with the opportunistic infections were held. This ward was were I saw the impact of HIV. Ah, Im late for my second rotation! Love you Mom!

MOU

Today, I spent the day in the Maternity Obstetrics Unit. I was able to see an amazing c-section. The woman was wide awake, only numbed from the waist down. The doctor made a vertical incision right to the uterus and then cut the uterus. In a matter of seconds this baby came out. It was the most incredible experience. It started to cry and scream as it was breathing for the first time. I have never seen such a beautiful experience in my life.
Later, I got to see a live birth. The women in the clinic sit alone, without their husbands(if they had any) in a huge waiting room. They sit there until their contractions get close enough to deliver, and then they are moved to an actual bed. The rooms are so heavily used that this is the only way to do it. I went in to a woman's room just as she was about to deliver. It was her first child so the head was too big and could not fit through. So the nurse had to cut the skin to make the opening bigger. Keep in mind the woman was not on any type of pain medication and felt everything full force. I cringed at how much this poor woman felt. Finally she pushed and pushed and this beautiful baby came out. Well, maybe not beautiful at first, but after he was cleaned up he was definitely cute. A live birth is the most shocking experience. The other interns and I were glued to the wall, trying to brace ourselves for what we were seeing. This almost makes me want to never have kids and also thank my mother for going through such a thing. We are so lucky in the states to have pain killers and thank goodness for epidurals..
Meanwhile, I am having a blast with all of the friends I am making. Steph and Anu are like my friends from home and we have the best time together. This weekend we went to the beach, casino and flea market. We have such a good time together, Justin is jealous. Internet is hard to get to this week, and we are attending a HIV lecture in a few minutes, so maybe this weekend I can update again.. there is so much.!! Love you mom and dad!

St. Anne's

St. Anne's is an HIV ward in a small rural hospital. I was able to spend two days observing the impact that HIV has on South Africa. The first day I spent at PMTCT (preventing mother to child transmissoin.) Mothers with HIV came with their new borns and tried to keep them HIV negative. Fortunately, with the use of dual therapy (nevaprine and AZT) mother's have a 96% chance of keeping their child HIV free.
Breast feeding is a huge issue at this clinic. The decision is always whether to do it or not and do the risks out weigh the benefits. Every mother wants to breast feed her child, but if she is positive, she can still transmit the virus to her baby. If a mother chooses to breast feed, she must breast feed only, no mixing. One mother breast feed her child up to 6 months then started mixing food and breast milk. This scratches the lining of the child's stomach and allows the virus to enter the child's body. Her child is most likely now HIV positive. That is why most mothers choose to use formula. But again, if they don't' have a clean water supply or support from family or means of accessing the formula, the child is again at risk of contracting the virus. This clinic was an eye opening experience to see how Africa is affected by HIV epidemic.
The next day I spent in the ARV(anti retro viral) clinic and just saw patients who needed to receive them. ARV's are free, patients have access to all the supplies they need. As great as this may seem, most patients skip doses or fail to give them to their children. Some mothers often try to cheat the nurse by hiding pills in their purse so they don't get in trouble and will be able to receive their next months dose. It was also interesting that only women come to the clinic. Men still are in denial about having the virus and hardly any seek ARV treatment for HIV.

End of S-Block

This was the last week of surgery at King Edwards. The hospital is so different from American hospitals. Every window is covered in bars, and hallways are filled with patients on gurneys. To be in theater I didn't even need to scrub in! All I had to do was wear booties on my feet and wear sterile clothing, no hand washing.. The first surgery I was able to see was an acetabulum repair (hip joint.) The woman had been in a car accident and had posterior dislocated the femur. They just sliced open her hip and went right to work. It was absolutely incredible to see how they drilled in the plates and repaired the fragmented bone.
Next I saw a hysterectomy. This woman's uterus was about the size of my head or larger and it was filled with huge fibroids. When they first opened her up, I didn't even know it was the uterus. We were all trying to guess what it was when the doctor finally told us. I should have taken a picture. They just plopped the uterus right out and cut off all the vessels and sewed her back up. Simple. No one in the states would ever let a uterus like that go untreated for so long. From the outside the woman looked like she was 6 months pregnant. CRAZY!
I also got to see a boy who had fallen down the stairs and had split his humerus into a "y" shaped fracture. I saw them put plates in and screw it all back together. I can't believe the things I get to see here, I can't wait to come back in two weeks and see some more.

Surgery!!!

Today, two other interns and I were able to observe a few minor surgeries. For the team that we are following this week, they do minor surgeries on Wednesday. We got to see a lymph node biopsy and Rebecca got to assist, she even got to touch inside the incision to feel for the lymph!!!! It was so incredible, we were able to see everything. The setting was very informal and only the Doctor and Rebecca wore scrubs and gloves. The rest of us just had surgical masks on and watched. I didn't really feel unsafe, but a little exposed for sure. The doctor told us step by step how to do everything, it was AMAZING. Next we got to see a circumcision. It was quite a sight! In Africa, males get circumcised at about the age of 16. There was very little to the procedure, he was given some basic local numbing and that was it, the patient was awake. All the patients in minor surgery are awake. We got to see everything from the removal of the foreskin to the cauterizing of the small vessels. Tomorrow hopefully I will be able to assist!! We also got to see a little bit of a lumpectomy from the other theater. I noticed that the surgeries are not very sanitary. Frequently object were drops, then just quickly rinsed off and put back to use. I could hardly believe it! Most of the surgeons said they didn't have the proper tools for the surgeries, but had to make due with what they had. It was really an eye opening experience to see how other countries operate, it was nothing like the US. After the surgery the patient just got up and left, no paperwork or follow up or anything. This makes me think that I definitely do not want to get sick here! YIKES! Miss you Hilary and Al, can't wait to see you guys, love you sooo much!

My Homestay Family

My Homestay family is so amazing! The family consists of a mother and three boys. Zola is the mother and she is the most generous and sincere woman I have ever met! She is also obsessed with my diet. She makes these enormous plates of food that I couldn't finish in two days and expects me to eat it in one sitting! On top of that she thinks my roommate and I are too skinny so she gives us extra. I haven't finished a plate since I have been here. The food here is unbelievable, but also really spicy. In the mornings they have cereal, but instead of cold milk, they heat it up. I thought it was werid at first, but now I really like it. The boys I live with are so funny there names are (phenetically) mazamo, lueyanda, and mini. They always walk me to the very distant internet cafe and grocery store and also carry all my bags for me... sure wish matt could be here to see this great example :)also they have so many questions and are trying to teach me Zulu. So far it's not going so well! There are 8 other interns that are here with me and among those, 3 will come with me to Capetown. Everyone is so amazing and easy to get along with. 2 of the interns are in medical school already and it's really cool to get some inside information from them. My roommate is from washington DC and is in medical school. We share a room at our homestay and it's really nice to have someone there who is experiencing the same sort of lifestyle changes as me. In Durban they dont' shower, they only take bathes... Which I don't know about you, but washing my hair and body in a 5 foot tub while i am 5 10 is near impossible. Laundry is done by a washing machine but is hung out to dry. This being Durbans winter season and it rains sometimes, drying clothes can be tricky. So far, this experience has been amazing and it gets easier to forget the simple things I miss from home as each day passes. I miss you all so much! Love you mom, dad, tyler and matty.

My First Rotation

Today was my first rotation at one of the largest hospitals here in Durban. The experience and opportunity that I have here is absolutely amazing! This week I am in the surgery section. We did rounds and I saw things you would never even image in the States. There was a patient that was diabetic and had an infection and became septic, so they amputated her toe. After surgery they unwrapped it, and it was the most greusome yet fasinating thing I have seen. All along the foot and right to the bone was exposed. Another patient suffering from a similar problem had her leg amputated up to about mid shin. I could see the ends of the Tibia and Fibula sticking out...bone marrow too! Nothing like that would ever be seen in the States! The day continued like that and I got to see some endoscopy procedures. The entire hospital has only 1 endoscopy availible. Also, they only do certain procedures on certain days. So if a patient comes in on a weekend, they have to wait til the following monday for an endoscopy. There is no deviating from the schedule, even for emergency purposes. Mostly they treat patients with saline solutions and offer very little medical treatments. Also, it's very difficult to tell what the doctors are saying. Not only are their accents hard to understand, but they speak in whispers. Overall today was an amazing experience and I can't wait for tomorrow!

I'm Here!!!

I am finally here in Durban. The first night and day were a little rough. Right when I got in I met my host family. They are so incredibly nice and seem to be obessed with the fact of me eating. They eat enormous meals and always want me to finish my massive plate. The first time I had the African food I of course got sick because of course that would happen to me. We were on our way to the mall and I had to ask the driver to pull over so I could throw up.. Probably one of my most embarassing moments. So, needless to say that my first day in Durban was not the best. I also realized I was a little more homesick that I had ever though I would be. Hilary and Ally I miss you both so much! I am trying to figure out a way to call you guys that would be cheap, but for now I will just email you too! Al I hope your trip was fun! Today is also Matt and I's 3rd year anniversary, Love you so much matty! My rotation starts on Monday and we work about 8 hours a day. I also just figured out that we have to write 2-3 page papers weekly alone with various assignment... FUN! I miss everyone so much! The internet is hard to find in Durban so I probably won't get to update for like a week! Hope everyone is doing well!