Kikuyu Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center

ON to the Masai Mara

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:09:58 +0300

We finished up the work part of the trip on Tuesday. The group that was working with the orphanage went to their facility in Kitue a 4 hour ride away. It houses approximately 800 orphans with HIV in family units. They grow trees to make furniture. sunflower seeds to make oil for energy needs and have green houses to raise food. They are working toward being self sustaining. The group returned on Monday evening having “experienced” the best of Nairobi traffic jams. Tuesday was a day of rest.

Those of us at the hospitals finished up our work and projects. The chairman of the hospital board hosted dinner at an exclusive club. The deputy secretary general of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa attended. HIs attendance was humbling and pleasing as it indicates the importance of our relationship. We ate Yama Choma which is grilled goat, along with chicken and vegetables. The Yama Choma is a classic Kenyan dish. Dinner was followed by some speeches of thanks. It was a good evening. All of us have undertaken tasks to continued to improve the hospital.

This is the last posting for this trip. We are all very grateful for your friendship , support and prayers.
Doug

meeting with THe Chairman

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 20:12:44 +0300

Those of you who have followed my blogs may remember that last year we completed what is called an Memorandum of Understanding with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the Kikuyu Hospital and Wilson Rehabilitation Foundation. We met with Mr. Nderi, the Chairman of the Board of the hospital, Dr. Kimpiatu, the CEO, and Dr. Sitati, the head of orthopedics. Mike Barrett, Mike Shreck and Becky Quick also attended. I think the review went well. We talked about the needs for the future. In the coming year we would like to purchase a used portable xray machine, and even better a new C arm for the OR. We have just purchased two new operating room tables that can be used with xray. They will be shipped in a container provided by Samaritans Purse along with 6 anesthesia machines given to us by Samaritans Purse.. We are very grateful to them.

I had the opportunity to see the private office of Dr. Kingori who was the chief orthopedic surgeon when I first came here. It is in a suburb of Nairobi. He has carefully set up the office to be low overhead but able to provide physical therapy, xray, and minor out patient surgery with spinal anesthesia and regional blocks.

The rest of the group is spending the night at Nyumbani village ad branch of the orphanage. They will return tomorrow afternoon.

It seems amazing that we will be heading for the Masi Mara on Wednesday. Thank you for your support and continued prayer.
Doug

Elephant Orphanage

Sat, 7 Jan 2012 21:31:41 +0300

A busy day for everyone

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 20:39:29 +0300

Wow we have already been gone a week. It has been productive in many ways. One of the most useful aspects is how much Mike Barrett, Mike Shreck, and Becky have learned about the General Hospital. There are many patients with fractures treated there and it is useful to understand better how that part of the hospital works. I think of all of us Becky has been the most integrated into the team.

We did six cases today. The only one that was relatively forward was the total hip replacement. I actually operated on an ankle fracture that was only 3 weeks old. My other case was a both bones of the forearm that was 3 months old and not healing correctly. It has been fun working with Mike Danaher. It is rewarding to teach as I work. I like the rounds on the inpatients because there are interns, residents, physician assistant, and nursing students along with other attending surgeons so the teaching and discussion is lively.

We are doing some sight seeing tomorrow, and going out for lunch on Sunday. It will be nice to rest. The IT person here assured me there would be internet access all weekend.
Blessings,
Doug

Mike learns about surgery

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 19:00:50 +0300

Dr. Kerr told me that it only takes thirty seconds to see something you've never seen before in Kenya. From the time we stepped off the plane I've seen a lot of new things. Even in the hospital, Dr. Kerr and I have dealt with cases I will never see in the states. Many of the patients wait weeks before coming for surgery and it complicates treatment. The biggest reason why the patients wait so long is because they don't have the money to pay for surgery. In the US many people get into a car accident and are rushed to the ER for immediate treatment. Here, patients come to hospital and wait for multiple days for family members to raise enough money.

It costs about twenty five dollars a day to stay at the hospital. If patients who are admitted can't afford it, the hospitals actually hold them accruing so much debt they eventually releases them and waives their fee. It's not a bad option for a lot of these people because they receive three meals a day and warm bed to sleep in, which is most-likely a better situation than back at their home.

While half the group went back to Nyumbani to farm with pitch forks and machetes, I spent the day at the Kikuyu Orthopedic Rehabilitation Centre. This was my third day at the operating room and I was first assistant for two elbow surgeries with Dr. Kerr and Dr. Kigera. I've learned various techniques such as scrubbing, suctioning, retracting, tying sutures, and even drilling screws. For only being a junior at Binghamton University, getting hands on in the operating room has immersed me into the medical field. What's even crazier for me to think about is that the skills I am practicing here I won't be allowed to do again until I am in my third year of residency.

Mike D

Sharing experience and Knowledge

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 21:17:39 +0300

I was in the operating room at the Kikuyu Orthopedic Rehabilitation Centre today. It was enjoyable and fun, because I was able to share my experience with tears of the knees ligaments. I taught Dr. Kigera one of the attending surgeons how to repair chronic tears of the ligaments on the outer side of the knee. I had to borrow from lessons learned in my residency to tie the ligament graft into the bone because they do not have the devices I use at home to do this.

Then I took one of the orthopedic surgery residents through a partial hip replacement for a broken hip. We used a very old variety of replacement. It went well. The resident was able to do it more quickly than he had in the past and he did an excellent job. I have mentioned that the first group of orthopedic surgeons to be trained here in Kenya spends three months at KORC. It is the only time they are really exposed to reconstructive surgery in terms of taking care of failed fractures, total joint replacements, ligament reconstruction, and hand surgery.

The rest of the group went to the Kibura slum as noted above. They all came away amazed at what they saw. Tomorrow they return to the main Nyumbani location to do some serious gardening.

Important news today, Elizabeth Kerr Wilson gave birth to Callen Reid Wilson. He weighs only 1 lbs 8 oz. He is doing well so far and isn’t yet intubated. He will need your prayers.
Blessings to all,
Thank you,
Doug

Getting acclimated

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 18:26:58 +0300

Today the team split up into 2 groups. One group went to the Nyumbani Orphanage to wash windows and play with the children while the rest of us went to the P.C.E.A. Kikuyu Hospital. Those of us who went to the hospital spent most of our time in the OR. Our "scrubbing" consisted of Dial soap shared with another person, and our attire consisted of rubber aprons called McIntosh's and rain boots called gum boots. Becky assisted on a c-section with Dr. Mosey and had a healthy baby boy. Becky made friends with the staff who nicknamed her mzungu, which means "white girl" in swahili. Then Becky and Mike S. assisted on a fractured femur. Mike S. also made rounds with some of the medical team. Although they have limited resources, they do the best that they can with what they have. All in all the day went well and everyone was friendly and welcoming. The day concluded with taking all of the equipment and supplies to the hospital that were collected for donation.

Nyumbani Orphanage

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 18:50:45 +0300

Today you get a guest blogger - me, Gavin, Doug's "little" brother. It is wonderful to be here in Kenya! The weather is perfect - 81 and sunny - and our team is amazing!

This morning all eleven of us went to Nyumbani Children's Home for the day. Nyumbani was founded 19 years ago as a hospice for HIV positive children. Today Nyumbani has grown into an extraordinary community serving over 5000 children with HIV. The Children's Home cares for 116 HIV positive orphaned ranging in age from 1 to 25. The Home is deeply committed to providing the children with as much normalcy as possible in an abnormal situation. Despite their illnesses, their poverty and the stigma's they face in Kenyan society, the children are happy, positive and generous in their love. From the moment we arrived, they filled us with the warmth of their smiles. Some climbed on our laps, others grabbed our hands and all beamed with the most beautiful smiles you can imagine.

I was particularly happy to see my friend Mungai. Mungai came to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia nearly 10 years ago to have a Cochelear Implant placed. Today Mungai is a happy, well adjusted 17 year old who thrives in school and as a member of the Nayumbani family.

Tomorrow, half of our team will return to Nyumbani for a day of cleaning windows and playing with the children. I could get used to this! On Wednesday we will travel to visit the LeeToto clinics that serve over 4,000 children living with their families poorest of poor Nairobi slums.

What blessing it is to be a part of this remarkable community in this fantastic country!

Gav

Arrived on time with all the luggage

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 12:31:34 +0300

We arrived on time last evening. the flights were uneventful. Best of all, the luggage arrived all at the same time. We use orange duct tape and knitting thread to identify our pieces. Would you believe another person did the same thing. We only tried to take one piece of his luggage. Fortunately he noticed. We apologized then approached the customs desk. They seem to be giving more scrutiny the last couple of trips. I produced a letter saying that all the equipment was donated, which was ok. He then commented that we should get clearance letters buy the Kenya department of finance. I suggested that considering how long a process that is and that we receive materials to bring right up to our departure that it wouldn’t work. He smiled and agreed. We also had many tee shirts donated by Jay Peak of the Scleroderma Society. Since they hadn’t bee worn he talked about making us pay duty for them. Explaining that they were unused donated shirts for the Nyumbani Orphanage that he should let them pass;which he did. After hand shakes and smiles we loaded all the luggage into an ambulance and van sent from the hospital and arrived here just before midnight.

We have been to church today. Everyone is very tired. Tomorrow everyone will go to the orphanage as it is a holiday for the hospitals. We have made contacts at the general hospital for the people working there and seem to be ready to work.

Please keep Elizabeth Kerr Wilson in your prayers as her pregnancy has become very complicated. She is at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse.

Our best to every one.
Blessings,
Doug

Lots of Details

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:33:28 +0300

One thing I have learned as we prepare to leave is that I have a great deal of admiration for all the people who have led trips that I have been on in the past. There are so many details. I think some of disrupted sleep pattern of late has been do to thinking about the details of our trip.

We are almost ready to go. There are going to be 11 people. I am excited that many of them will be first timers. More later but I stop to note that there will be a general surgeon, and ER physician and an OR nurse. I had told the CEO of the hospital that I would try to help other areas of the hospital besides orthopedics. The Lord has blessed us in filling the request. There will be five people working at the hospital and six working at the Nyumbani orphanage.