Busy

It has been a very interesting and educational last couple of weeks here in Douala. We continue to average 10 deliveries a day. As expected the C/S rate is very low, although I have done as many as 8 C/S in a single 24-hour period. Most however, were scheduled repeats. The sisters do everything possible to get patients as close to term as absolutely possible because of the high infant mortality if even a bit preterm.  Preeclampsia and eclampsia seem fairly common. Unfortunately there is no Magnesium sulfate available and very little in terms of acute antihypertensives. The only drug for seizures is valium. 

Again, I can’t tell how hard the sisters and staff work here. The work is never ending for the sisters since they live here and they never get away from it.  Even when they are not on duty they are always aware of what is going on. The convent is right above the maternity unit and so they hear things all night long (as do we sometimes).

That being said we had an exceptionally nice weekend this past weekend. First, we attended the wedding of one of the surgical techs, Julius here that we work with. We attended their wedding mass on Saturday morning and then went to their reception on Saturday night. We got another lesson in “Africa time” just in case we had forgotten from last year. The mass was scheduled to start at 10:00 am and actually started at 11:40 am. It was very nice and a mixture of African as well as some traditional Latin mass (e.g., Agnes Dei was beautifully sung).

Sr Christa and Sr Lidwina with the happy couple

The reception Saturday night was held at a very nice venue and very well attended. It was scheduled to start at 8:00 pm and actually started at 11:20 pm. It was very much like an American reception, at least as much of it that we were able to stay for. Unfortunately, we had to leave early around 12:40 am at which time it had hardly started. Apparently it is not uncommon for these things to literally go on all night and finish about 6:00 am. We will find out today what time it actually was done.

Sr Odelia at Kribe Beach

We had to leave early because the sisters treated us to a day at the beach on Sunday.  We left around 7:30 am and drove to Kribe which is about 2 hours south of Douala right on the Atlantic ocean. It is a very beautiful area known for its beaches and hotels. It is usually very busy on the weekends with people getting away from Douala. CY, our driver and Sister Odelia, the Mother Superior went us and we all had a great time including a great lunch of grilled fish at a hotel restaurant right off the beach. It was the first time there for Sister Odelia and she loved it. On the way back we stopped at the hospital and convent in Edea where the sisters provided us with another meal, especially fufu. Sister Odelia was having such a good time we also had to stop along the roadside and pick up some freshly killed and prepared “bush meat”. Sister loved it and ate it in the car on the way home. 

Today, Monday , we are paying of course for our day off. The clinic was very busy, one C/S so far, and a eclamptic who has seized twice so far today. We hope she will recover.