Resilience

You definitely don’t come to Africa for an easy ride! After my initial optimism for 2019, it has gotten off with quite a bang! Fairly literally on two counts.

The New Year was greeted in an unusual fashion for us, with a complete emotional breakdown by one of the chidlers. Earlier in the evening whilst on the subject of potential New Year’s Resolutions, “GO BACK TO ENGLAND” was written by one and stuck on the wall. This was accompanied by a huge emotional outpour that lasted several hours. Perhaps it had to happen sometime. They really have done so well here. Chidlers though certainly do know how to tug on every single one of your heart strings sometimes. Between sobs; being lonely, being too hot all the time, having no friends here, missing friends at home, missing their own bed, missing their teddies, missing their bunnies, just not liking it, in fact hating it here, all featured highly on the complaints list. Quite exhausting, until we finally got them to sleep at about 9.30pm. I saw the New Year in on Omani Time, with a quiet beer and lots to think about. I was fast asleep for the actual passing of midnight (but why restrict yourself to one time zone), drifting off to sleep – ear plugs in – listening to the very pleasant sounds of the music and frivolities from the various parties going on around us.

The first big bang of the New Year occurred on our way back from a very lovely New Year’s Day trip to Peponi, with our second puncture in three days. We ground to a halt at the side of the relatively busy main road from Tanga. Fortunately, the puncture was the same offside rear again so slightly away from the traffic. Whilst we did have the repaired spare wheel, we still did not have a jack…. Kate quickly flagged down a passing car. After brief hesitation, a Mzungu woman in distress and a glimpse of three Wazungu chidlers evidently gripped the conscience of a passing 4x4. Fortuitously, this vehicle held not only a functioning jack, but three now very willing Tanzanians (one of whom was an engineer). So a very slick tyre change ensued. Perhaps not of Formula One pedigree, but all done in under 20min is not at all bad. They categorically refused any soda / beer money, but would let us wash their hands. We got home well before dark.

Today heralded the second bang of the New Year. After the morning hospital meeting (with the death report including that of another young girl, 6 years old this time and only lasting 30min in the hospital), I was given the news that in my absence last week, the mesh autoclave broke. It had been used to sterilise some small sets and one of the valves had been left open, draining the system of water and leading the element to burn out. I managed not to swear, cry, hit anything or collapse to my knees at this news. 

A serene smile is what I managed. This is clearly a disaster. And the team know it. I am just holding my breath waiting to discover just quite how big a disaster it will be. A Fundi (tradesman) was sent off looking for a replacement element today (I am not nearly as optimistic as they are that a replacement will easily be found)… Just as things had started to flow nicely, our carefully planned lists for the week (including several with mesh) have been decimated. Unfortunately, not only does this preclude the use of mesh, but we have also been using it to re-sterilise the diathermy handpieces. We are thus rather limited in what we can do, or certainly the quality of what we can achieve. Whilst far from being back at square one, this again demonstrates the fragility of things out here.

On the plus side, as I was rummaging through the many boxes of bits and bobs in the theatre store room to see what we might be able to use, I did happen across a reusable bipolar forceps set which will be very useful (just need the mesh autoclave back up and running to re-sterilise it).

We did manage some operating today, tackling a huge, recurrent hernia in a 3 ½ year old boy. It was about the size of his thigh and reached 2/3 way to his knees. It was always going to be difficult. But we went ‘polepole, polepole’ (slowly, slowly – for those that missed the vocab lesson of two days ago) and it went very well.

I am also delighted to report that on the home front, the ‘offloading’ of New Year’s Eve seems to have been very therapeutic for the parties involved. Perhaps getting these feelings aired is an important part of the coping process (and possibly some important life-skill development?). Today the household has been in very good spirits. Carpe Annum!

So, an eventful start to the New Year! But despite all these goings on, I am feeling remarkably philosophical about things. It is what it is, and what will be will be. We can only continue to chip, chip away and see what can be achieved.