March Madness

1. Loreana Bobbit Comes to Koza- Yep that’s right, that’s what happens when you get penile head cancer over here in the bush… (Most unfortunate for the patient, but fortunate for those of us who think that amputation, no matter the shape or the size, is pretty cool.)
2. Fleas, Crocs and Shist, Oh My!- At the moment, swimming in the local barrage seemed like a good idea because when it’s 110 degrees outside and you are sitting on the edge of a large body of water feeling the coldness lap upon your toes, taking a little dip is what you do. However, second thoughts were given upon Brenden and I returning home and telling of our adventures when we were strongly advised to preventively treat ourselves for Shistasoma , when we awoke to bodies covered with hundreds of water flea bites and when we were told of local crocodiles that also frequent our local swimming hole. They say hindsight is 20/20 and perhaps what we are seeing clearly is that throwing caution and abandon to the wind is not advisable.

3. Ovarian Cysts the size of Cantaloupes

4. Fete De Toro- Africa’s answer to Spain’s Running of the Bulls. One bull is locked away for four years in a little hut and on the day of its release, along with the help of perhaps too much local brew, it is let free while the villageoise attempt to trap and kill it. Meanwhile us onlookers run for our lives as this 800 pound steak bucks and horns it way through the masses. Yes, this is what we do for fun….
5. Leg Amputation- It’s an oddly surreal experience to finish up a surgery and to wheel the patient, in this case a 17 year old girl with a contagious smile, to her room while her leg, full of bone cancer and cut off 8 inches above her knee, is left lying on the table. However, it is another experience and operation I can claim to have been a part of…and an excellent way to learn leg anatomy.

6. Welcome to the Cruel World- What I said when I with my own two hands delivered a baby girl into the world. I have had the opportunity to assist on multiple C-sections while being here, but for the first time ever it was me helping pry open the walls while this stubborn girl slowly made her way through, me who caught the slippery little gal when she finally popped out, me who cut the umbilical cord, me who washed and wrapped her, me who handed her over to her exhausted but excited parents and me who has decided it is going to be never that I put myself through the same agony of having children. Birth control at it’s finest.7. In sum- Africa continues to be an awesome ride, never a dull moment and the coolest experience of my life.