Happy Birthday Avery!

Saturday was my little buddy Avery's first birthday. Avery, you are so handsome! I miss you very much, and I am so sad that I wasn't there as you ate your first piece of cake. I can picture the huge grin on your face as you opened your presents. You are my favorite little man ever, and as soon as I get home I am coming to give you big hugs and kisses. I love you!

Anne and I have been experiencing more of the preventative aspects of nursing here as we've joined the community health nurses on some of their outreach programs. One day, we went to rural villages on a vaccination outreach program, where they try to "mop-up" and catch the adults up on their tetanus and yellow fever inoculations. The two of us vaccinated at least one hundred adults in one hour, and I think we suprised the nurses at how quickly we worked our way through all those people, but that's how we white people do it. When there's no handwashing facilities available, things move a little faster. We felt like we actually did a measurable task this day, because we made a visible difference that we could quantify. We needed this, and it probably helped us more than we helped the people, because we needed to feel productive.
Last week, we visited a couple of other villages for well-baby checkups. Finally, some healthy babies! We went really far out one day, to a village where many people have probably never seen a white person, so our presence was appreciated among the mothers. I think just seeing us there shows them that we care, especially when we tell them how beautiful their babies are. Anne and I teamed up and weighed the babies, ages 6 weeks to 2 years. It's so cute, because we put the naked baby in a sling and hang them from a hook on the scale. Some of the babies hate it and kick around, especially if they are afraid of the white girls, but most babies just go with the flow and hang in the air without complaint. It's a really nice program that these communitly health nurses provide - the babies are weighed, vaccinated, and checked up as needed. The mothers are educated on breastfeeding and nutrition, and they are starting mothers' support groups in each of the villages. We love visiting the clinics, as we are able to learn from the nurses as well as support the things they are trying to do. Last week was actually fun!
Last week we also spent some time in the operating theatre with Dr. Opare, the medical director, and we were able to discuss post-op pain control with him. He took our suggestions, and starting today he will medicate his patients for pain immediately after surgery. Small step, but a huge improvement on patient care. Now we have two surgeons medicating earlier, which means that patients may actually wake up from surgery without experiencing high levels of pain, ultimately resulting in a faster recovery.
This past weekend, Anne and I made an escape to a very nice hotel a few towns over. We were able to enjoy hot running water and CNN! We even had an air conditioner in our room, and a microwave (only the third microwave I've seen in Ghana so far). We slept a lot and really enjoyed the clean, almost bug-free environment. What a vacation, a great chance to relax and enjoy the quiet. We were not once called "obruni," so it was almost like we weren't in Ghana at all. We are also planning a trip to Cape Coast, to see the slave castles there before we finish our time here.
We were told, by another non-Ghanaian, that we can only realistically expect a 10% return on our efforts here, meaning that the amount of change we're able to make in three months will be minimal. For a country that is so far behind with so few resources, the opportunity for advancement is limited. It has taken us two months to accept this, but we have finally come to the realization that we will not be able to revolutionize the place in just a few months time. We are really trying to adapt to the Ghanaian pace, and as we experience more environments outside of the hospital, I think we will broaden our knowledge of healthcare in Ghana.
We still miss home, probably more than ever, and we are really looking forward to seeing everyone again. So we just ask for your continued prayers and support - we really need it!