Elective Africa: Chapatis

Happy Tuesday!!

Today Jess and I went back to CPGH and this week we are working in the “CCC”-Comprehensive Care Clinic. This is where all of the patients who have been diagnosed with HIV come to receive their treatments. Care varies in this clinic from medical treatment to education in maintaining a life with HIV. The patients can come here to get condoms, medications, questions answered, or counseling. I was really nervous before coming to the CCC because in American there is a stigma on patients with HIV. In Africa it is so common and seen so often, it is treated just as meningitis or TB. Which are both very serious illnesses, but they don’t come along with such a terrible stigma. I sat in with a doctor today who was seeing patients who were having complaints of sicknesses other than HIV. The doctor was very interesting to work with and was continually teaching me. She was really nice too. I feel like in America HIV has such a bad stigma and is rarely talked about—therefor it is hard to learn about. After the hospital today we came home and relaxed for a bit. I helped my house mother wash the sheets and then she taught us how to make CHAPATIS! Which is easily one of my favorite foods over here. They are a mix between sweetness and a tortilla shell.

Yesterday after I typed for the blog, Aijah, Jess and I took the dogs for a walk to the beach. This was quite comical as the dogs have never been outside of the compound. They are both just 6 months old and being trained on a collar. They actually did really well—until we got to the ocean. They weren’t fans of that one bit—understandable.I am really trying to spend as much time with my new friends, which are more like family, before I leave. I can’t believe what a great relationship I have formed with everyone I have met over here, I am going to miss them terribly. One of the night guards, Frank, has been having some really serious health problems over the past 4 weeks. I’ve been consistently asking him how he is doing (and he always says fine) but everyone else says hes very sick. A couple of weeks ago he was telling me about how he had to come and get a loan from his check so he could afford his medications for his stomach ulcers. Well over the past week it has gotten worse and he is vomiting up blood and seeing blood in his stools. He went to the doctor and they said they wanted to do some testing (a barium enema to be exact…for you medical people) but he can’t afford it. It has been getting worse the past couple days he told me tonight. I asked him when he gets paid if he will be able to get it done and he said probably not since he already got money from his check early and he has to pay rent and bills. Frank comes to work every night at 630 and doesn’t have to be here until 7. He has been sick the last 2 months…very sick actually, and has the biggest, warmest, friendliest smile I have ever seen. Tonight I asked him how much his test costs him and he told me 5000 kenya shillings which is like 60 USD. Jess and I talked and we are going to get him a card with the money for the test tomorrow. So I need you guys to say a couple prayers for Frank that this tests has good news and we are able to figure out what is causing the bleeding! Tomorrow we are going back to the HIV clinic. I hope to learn more (which I know I will)…and I will be able to share more with you on the HIV topic. I am not quite confident enough to share what I learned today…because while it is very educational sometimes information gets lost in translation. I have written down questions and facts to be sure I am accurate…because I definitely don’t want to be giving you guys false information! So enjoy the pictures…and be prepared to hear all about HIV tomorrow J

XoXo,