Still Alive

So, I haven't made good on my promise of weekly updates. The big excuse, of course is lack of internet access. I've always like peppering my blog entires with photos, but our unreliable occasionally available dial-up speed access has made that pretty impossible. As more time goes on, I feel like I have to say more to catch up and it just seems like more work, so I'm in this descending spiral of inaction... Anyway, no excuses. I'm here, and I'm posting. Work in Lesotho has been a mix of all imaginable emotions. It ranges from the fulfilling to the tragic to the frustrating. I'll try to get more interesting stories posted later, but for now here is a summary of what I've been doing. I work mostly at the "Center of Excellence" which is our outpatient pediatric treatment center in the capital of Maseru (the pretty building from a few posts back). We see anywhere from 60 to 140 patients per day, ranging from people just coming in for testing to kids who are on death's door to kids who have been on antiretrovirals for a year or more and are very healthy on treatment. We're up to over 800 pediatric patients now. I also work in the inpatient pediatric ward at Queen Elizabeth II hospital, which is the national referral hospital, but considered by most people to be the worst. There are a limited number of specialists and very limited diagnostic testing, but the facilities are run down, and the staff have been overworked and seen so much death to the point of being apathetic. Suffice it to say it's a difficult place to work, but there are occasional victories there. Much more fulfilling has been the outreach work a few colleagues and I have been doing at a district hospital in the mountain town of Mokhotlong. The district hospital is also understaffed, but with fewer patients, it feels much more manageable, and the staff are much less cynical. We've been making regular trips to work in the pediatric ward, at the HIV/AIDS clinic, and at a few village health centers. The work has included both direct patient care, and a lot of training and mentoring. Although the work in the capital is rewarding, I sometimes feel like just one of 8 pediatricians at the Center. But, in Mokhotlong, I'm able to be the only doctor in some cases and feel like if I weren't there, patients wouldn't get care. We've also been collaborating with Touching Tiny Lives, a small nutritional rehabilitation center which cares mostly for AIDS orphans. They are a very dedicated group of people who do a tremendous job of making sure the money they get goes directly toward the kids they serve, and do an amazing job of stretching each dollar to get the maximum impact. If anyone is interested in donating with the knowledge that there money will be well-used, this is who I'd donate to. In terms of family, Ella continues to demonstrate what a happy and adaptable personality she's been blessed with. She turned 2 just a few weeks ago, and has started being a bit more whiney, but still more pleasant than most two-year-olds I've met. Her favorite things now include penguins, jumping on the bed, and Nemo (especially Nemo). Hyunjoo has found life here a bit isolating, especially since she has been staying at home with Ella. There is a fair amount of anti-Asian sentiment in Lesotho. It's partially due to the number of Chinese-owned textile factories which have a reputation for being very hard on the employees, and partially due to the many Chinese owned shops which have opened across the country and undercut local competitors. Although she hasn't been the victim of anything more than some ignorant comments, there are stories of Chinese people who have been assaulted or worse, so it does limit her freedom, at least in Maseru. But, there are brighter points. Hyunjoo is pregnant again, and due in early August. The pregnancy came as quite a surprise since we had to do in-vitro fertilization to have Ella. Although there are lots of stories and myths, it's actually pretty rare to conceive naturally after in-vitro, so we were pretty lucky. We've decided to go to Korea to have the baby with Hyunjoo's family, so we'll be leaving Lesotho in mid-June. It should be nice to have a few months in Korea. I'm planning to study for my pediatric board exams and take Ella on regular hikes up the mountain behind my in-laws' apartment in Seoul. Hyunjoo is looking forward to seeing her family and eating lots of Korean food. Ella is eager to see her grandparents and cousins. We've taken a lot of trips and seen most of the highlights in Lesotho and South Africa. I'll try to post about them later. For now, there are some photos on our fotki site. We've also been fortunate to have a few visitors. My sister, Liz, spent a month and a half with us, and I think our relationship has gotten stronger and that she enjoyed the experience. And my mother is coming to stay for a few weeks in May, which we very much look forward to. We're planning to be back in the States by mid-September to begin house hunting and I need get all my certifications updated and take my board exams before starting work in Bellingham, WA in November. I guess that's it for now... Hopefully the next post will come sooner, but I'm not going to make any more promises. Until next time...