Return to Douala

We traveled back to Douala this past weekend in order to assist the regular OB/GYN there, Dr. Jean Paul to get started with introducing laparoscopic surgery at Padre Pio. He has had some training in Belgium in laparoscopic surgery but has not had much hands-on experience. The hospital there had recently purchased some laparoscopic equipment that arrived last month while I was there. I had been hoping to do a few cases while I was there in April, but it took some time to get everything organized and arranged. So yesterday, Dr. Jean Paul and I did 2 cases of diagnostic laparoscopy and adhesiolysis. The equipment is quite functional and it is all non-disposable like we used to have in the U.S. years ago. Obviously, using disposable equipment here is completely out of the question. Both cases went well and so I think Dr. Jean Paul’s program is off to a good start. He is a very good surgeon and will be feeling comfortable with the procedure in no time.

We left Douala at 5 am this morning in order to avoid our travel being obstructed by the marches and parades taking place in most of the villages and towns we must pass through during our return drive. Today is “Reunification Day” celebrating the unification of Cameroon into a single country. We saw lots of people especially school children in their uniforms preparing to march. However, we had no significant delays and go back to Njinikom before 1 pm. Traveling back with us is Dr. Nestor who is a young Cameroonian G.P. who we met when we were in Douala in April. He is stationed at a “health center” in Edea which is also run by the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis. He came over to Padre Pio a couple of time while we were there in get started in the basics of doing cesarean sections and is going to continue his training here. He is a very bright young man, but unfortunately has no surgical experience at all. However, he may be called upon to do a c/s in an emergency and so I hope to give him a “crash course” in the basics that he can build upon as time goes by. I hope at least to teach him enough to stay out of trouble in an emergency.

Speaking of emergencies, I operated on a placenta accreta  a week or 

so ago and mother and baby have done well and are going home. Juliette had had 3 prior c/s and had a complete previa. I put her in the hospital after her last bleeding episode at 34 weeks for about a week. She got her family to donate 4 pints of whole blood that we kept in reserve here for her. A week ago Friday she cut loose again and we did a c/s hysterectomy on her as we had planned. Things went very well due to some great help from our expert surgical scrub tech, Conetius and Dr. Hake who was kind enough to assist. I am very grateful that things went so well. I am also very grateful and thrilled that Juliette has decided to name her baby “Jim”. I don’t think that will be his official Cameroonian name, but more of a nickname. Just the same I am very happy.

Anyway, we are back in Njinikom and glad to be here despite that there is no water and no power this afternoon. I’m sure it will get turned back on later tonite. We hope.

The Man in the Avocado Tree

It is great to be back in Njinikom. We arrived last Saturday from Douala and have had a great first week here. There are many familiar faces as well as a few new ones. We are staying with Jim and Terry Hake again and they are both wonderful people. We feel just like at home here and they are a great reason why. Terry will be leaving at the end of May to go home and then Jim leaves about the same time as we do at the end of June.

Sister Xaveria, the hospital matron and Sister Relindis the mother superior are still here as well. They have not changed a bit and like last year are doing everything possible to make us feel at home.

Dr. Dabo, the OB/GYN I am covering for here while he is on leave, does not leave until Monday and so it has been great seeing him and his family again. It has been an unexpected treat having him here this first week and getting me back into the swing of things here. He is a very nice young man and a good doctor. His wife and children are great. Madam Dabo has prepared dinner for us twice already in the week we have been here!

Several of the children that were at the orphanage last year are now gone. There are a few new ones along with their guardians also. Some of the babies from last year are still here and have grown into little toddlers already. They all seem very happy. Also, the Dutch orthopedic surgeons were here in March doing their “crooked leg” surgery and so there are many, many children here with their casts still on. We visited 3 wards today filled with them, there must be close to 30 kids. They will be here for another 10 – 12 weeks before they go to Bafot for rehab. It is an incredible program that happens here twice a year.

As expected the weather has been quite different than Douala. It is cool enough that we wear jackets when we go to mass in the mornings. The rainy season is here and so it rains nearly everyday, at times quite heavy. Despite this there has been at bit of a water shortage because there was an extended dry season this year. At times, for example when the OR is running, water is turned off to the rest of the compound. It was off for several extended periods this past week. Rose, Terry, Jim, and I all agreed that we would rather be without electricity than water.

There is a large avocado tree right in front of our living quarters. Avocados are called pears here. One man was apparently given the assignment to climb the tree and pick them yesterday by one of the sisters. Quite a crowd gathered to watch him as he ascended higher and higher. He got quite far off on some branches and explained to us that you must pick them, you just can’t shake them off the limb. He was very successful and left with a basketful - both he and them completely intact.