Monday 24 January 2022

The January Blah's


Farmers burning the grasses off the fields in the mountains behind our hospital compound.
Our house smelled like smoke for several days!



That's Sick!

Just after Christmas we experienced some sickness.  We had just returned home from Lome after a couple of days visiting some family and friends as a Christmas break.  A couple of us were tested for malaria and came back negative.  We missed out on New Year's celebrations because we were not feeling great.  We have been asked by people back home if there is Covid here, are lots getting sick, are there many fatalities, etc.  

Yours truly getting blood drawn for
a malaria test.


Not feeling great, not impressed
with getting a malaria test.


The answer is 'we don't know'.  The government doesn't know.  The Health Department doesn't know.  There isn't much testing being done - except for arriving or departing from the airport.  People here generally are poorer.  The tests are expensive, and sometimes slow to be returned, so why pay to get tested and told you have something that presents flu-like symptoms when that money could be spent on medication to treat the flu-like symptoms.  The tests aren't always accurate, so why get tested if you don't have symptoms?  (See the previous sentence if you do have symptoms.)  The reality is, most on our compound have been exposed to coronavirus either directly because they work in the hospital, or indirectly because it comes home with the medical professional.  Many have been sick with the symptoms Covid presents.  But these are also similar symptoms to influenza, early stages of malaria, and so on.  We've probably had it but we'll never know for sure.



Snake Bite?

There is a possibility that I received a snake bite.  I say 'possibility' because I didn't see it.  I was walking in the field on the compound and thought I stepped on a stick that flipped up and kind of kicked with my ankle.  Later, I noticed a trickle of blood running down to the strap on my sandal and didn't think much of it.  The next day at lunch time I felt some pain and stiffness and noticed some decent swelling around my ankle - and those two tiny prick marks close together around the place where it hurt.  How strange...

Those two tiny marks, they hurt!


After being assessed by a surgeon (that stopped by for birthday cake) he suggested it was a bite.  A couple of days later I showed it to one of the doctors who has been here for a couple of decades.  He's seen enough snake bites in his time.  His comment was interesting to me, but not so to my wife.  "You didn't die within two minutes, so that rules out this, this and this species."  (I forget the exact ones he listed)  "You didn't die after a couple of hours, so that rules out these other species.  You're not bleeding out of your eyes, ears, nose or mouth as far as I can see, so that's good.  Watch for infection and keep it elevated."  So far, so good.  God is watching out for us!

When my parents found out, my dad asked for my golf clubs if I died.  That's compassion!



Waterfall Hike

We were able to take a big group of visitors and a new surgeon and his family on a hike to Wli Falls.  It's the tallest constantly flowing falls (doesn't stop flowing in dry season) in West Africa.  Found straddling the border of Ghana and Togo, the falls offer a strenuous hike with a great reward.  It's like climbing 144 flights of stairs... loose, rocky stairs.  But the view, it's totally worth it! (And my foot was elevated - going up the mountain!)




Here is a view of a part of the trail, the last section before the descent to the base of the falls.  






Work Around The Hospital

The maintenance team removed the old boiler which runs our hospital sterilization and laundry services.  We then installed a larger, more modern, faster boiler in it's place.  With a new feed water system and a new pH balancing filter and aerator, we were ale to get it all wired, plumbed, pipes fitted  and fired up over four solid days of work.  

It is so nice to have new equipment in place of old; equipment that isn't limping along "with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel", as John says.  This should last several years before needing major service.


Nine guys were required just to move this beast 
through the door into its final position!



Up next is the installation of two new autoclaves (sterilizers) for the OR department and a new digital xray (finally, after FOUR years of fundraising and waiting!).  Lots of work but so exciting to replace an obsolete, 40-something year old film xray machine - and accompanying dark room for developing the xray film - with some newer technology!  Pictures to follow.




New Year leftovers

Like some New Years resolutions, these photos didn't make the cut.  There just isn't enough space on this blog post.  That doesn't mean they aren't interesting though, so I'll share them here.



A truck arrived with a container of medical supplies, mostly drugs for our pharmacy.  The entire container was held on the trailer with two 2" ratchet straps.  For a 20,000lb load, for those that don't know, is woefully inadequate and unsafe.  But it arrived safely so...?



But not much of a surprise considering the condition of the rear tires on said trailer.  These following pictures are from the rear tires on the left and right side of the trailer.  Oh, Togo...






A bunch of the shop guys went together and purchased a cow for Christmas / New Years celebrations.  They killed it (I have the video but my sister will be very angry if I post it) and butchered it behind the workshop.  They used no butchering skill.  None whatsoever.  Only a machete was used to hack it apart.  They divided up the entire cow.  I mean, the entire cow.  Guts (intestines, kidneys, stomach), hooves, skull, the hide, all just chopped into pieces and equally shared among the group.

The literal chopping block

Meat divided, men happy!

The last morsels being scavenged.


Stilt walkers on the beach in Lome



A couple of days after the grass-clearing fires, this was the view of the mountain.  Charred grass
with trees still mostly green.  And a moto rider on the switchback, just for good measure!





An old friend came by to visit.
(But left after biting Hudson!)



Thanks for taking the time out of your day to catch up with a bit of what's happening with us.  Thanks for supporting and praying for us.  We couldn't be here, doing what we do, without you.  Our heartfelt thanks.

If you'd like to contact us via email: penny.missions@gmail.com
You can follow on Instagram at  5cent_mission
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2 comments:

  1. What an update - Wow! God is looking out for you all indeed. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Loved reading and seeing this blog! That waterfall was amazing!- we're so jealous, lol Makes me "homesick" for Togo if I can even say that after just our 3 week trip😄 So glad you're ok with the snake bite- and that your golf clubs are safe for a little longer😆
    The new equipment looks awesome too- can't wait to get back!
    We miss you guys- tell Christine and the boys hello!

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