Departure

It will be a sad good bye no doubt.  The people of Afghanistan offer so much of their good hearts.  The fact that their land is lodged between world super-powers has never been their fault.  They are strong and proud and have the potential for greatness...not in the way greatness is often measured by our individualistic consumerism.  Enough lamentations.

I am off to the airport in a few hours, and will be checking with Aman, the security adviser to see that it is safe to do so.  An American killed Afghan civilians this morning in the Panjwai district - my heart goes out to all of the families who are suffering.

The nights remains cold, and living in these tents has resulted in dozens of preventable deaths this month

Argh...no photos today as the system is acting silly and  won't upload
Well, I will leave it at that then.
I should be on Canadian soil in about 36 hours.

Be safe,

Jodi

Happy Women's Day

This is a land of polarities.  No balance.  No middle-ground.  No certainty.  Just wild swings of experience and emotion. 
When you speak to someone here about an event that is planned for an hour or a day or a week in the future, the response is "inshallah".  I thought that was a statement of reverence, but I am beginning to think it reflects the uncertainty of existence here.
 It was a rough morning.  The baby who I thought might recover from meningitis was extubated and carried home to die this morning.  The family has eight other children at home to be concerned about.   A patient attendant was struck and killed on the road in front of the hospital...leaving 5 children motherless.  
If you are a praying sort of person...well this might be a good time.

On a happier note, it is International Women's Day, and there was a celebration at the hospital.  The women dressed up, lots of make-up and bling!  Great food, and wonderful speeches (at least I assume they were wonderful...most were in Dari and one was in Pashto)  Here are a couple of pictures for you. 

This is Zahkro.... she is leaving for a wedding in India tomorrow and I will miss her!

Some of the nurses enjoyed having their photos taken.

This one cracks me up.  Mohammad Shah and Rahim have Jen between them.  Now these guys are pretty liberal in so many ways.  For this photo, I asked them all to stand as close as culturally permissible.  And then I had to back up several steps!

The cleft surgery program is doing beautiful and amazing things for so many Afghans. 

This little guy learned how to do thumb wars today.  I guess that is enough to make it a good day

He honestly has a beautiful and happy smile...just not for the camera.

Peace be upon you

Spring may be here!

Ah spring!  Warm days and melting snow.  It is so beautiful.  Look out front of the hospital.... the snow has melted and revealed rose bushes!

I am told they are quite spectacular when they bloom.

John, a gyne surgeon is here from the USA.  He performed 2 laparoscopic hysterectomies today, and it is speculated that it is the first time this surgery has been performed in Afghanistan!  Imagine the benefits for women with this less invasive surgery and quicker healing time!  His plan is to teach the techniques to the Afghan surgeons.  A ripple effect is set in motion.

I have been working on teaching some of the nursing supervisors to teach CPR.  Here are a couple of pictures of the group in action  (I was unsuccessful in uploading videos to this site)

That is Fahima doing "baby baby are you OK?"

Here are Tajuddin and Mohammad Rahim doing 2 rescuer CPR on an infant.  Rahim told me he likes this picture because it has a world map in the background.  I couldn't agree more.

And here Fahima and Mohammad Shah are practising 2 rescuer CPR on an infant.

Hamid (the guys nicknamed him 'Karzai') spent a lot of time reviewing the notes.  I am so impressed that they all managed the whole course in English - Hamid's fourth language!







They are all finally OK with me taking pictures of them!  I am so pleased.  They are even sharing their jokes with me....even the LIMEZ jokes  :)   I am so happy!

Feeling so good

It is amazing how quickly life here feels normal.  The daily trip to the hospital, the security check by armed men, the mirror looking under the truck.  Marathon hellos to everyone.  The warmth and the welcome.  The whispered "salaam" from beneath burquas.  Visiting patients.  Patient rounds with the nurses and then with the doctors.  The really interesting questions from the doctors regarding the differences between our countries.  The occasional handshake from a man.  Teaching a group of interested and motivated students.  Downloading information to feed appetites hungry for knowledge. ( I will never again take our access to books for granted).  Meeting the doctors and nurses from neighbouring provinces who have come to learn from the staff at Cure.  The pride of being a small part of something so good.
The stories of loss.  Being in country that, after decades of invasion, doesn't have the resources to take care of everyone.  Being here means looking into the eyes of a young man at the clinic who is having a heart attack and learning that no hospital has room for him.  Seeing the pain in the eyes of the doctor who tells him the bad news. 
OK, I don't want to dwell on the sad stuff right now.

We were invited to the home of one of the surgeons for a traditional Afghan dinner.  The food was delicious, and the room was shockingly cold. 


 

The K Love guys were exhausted and jet lagged and had a bit of a snooze

We were assured that this is perfectly normal at an Afghan dinner - a room full of men eat, dance, then fall asleep.  What was not normal was having women in the room.  Ah the challenge of mixing up cultures!

Movie Stars and DJs

Another fine day at Cure! 

There is a new nurse wondering about.  He sports a fine head of lustrous curls.  Now, I thought nothing of it given that Afghan men are very particular about their hair, and openly admire the hair of other men.  Even when being picked up at the airport  the security adviser, Aman,  advised me to find the driver by "look for the tall man with nice hair". 
So back to the new nurse.  It turns out he is an Afghan TV actor who is here to make some money on the side!  Who knew?? 

The team from K-Love radio has arrived - exhausted of course as it is a long flight.  They seem very very nice, and have generated a ton of support from American listeners.  We had burritos for dinner!  With lots and lots of cilantro  (sorry Es)

Safe travels J & E   :)   It will be nice to have you back in Canada eventhough I hear that winter is still hanging about.
Here too!  See: 

On a completely different note,
Here are some photos from the women awaiting fistula repair surgery:

Their lives are about to be transformed!  I am so excited for them.

I also took a couple of pics of hospital rooms for you, just so you can get an idea of what it is like. 

Another bit of Afghan culture?
This is cute....
Dr Jerry tells everyone that his son has called him to say that he is engaged.
The Afghans reply "you mean that you called him to tell him he is engaged, right?"


My heart goes out to everyone who is getting hurt by fear and hate.  Peace is a better way. 

3 cups of tea

There really is something behind the 3 cups of tea phenomenon.  You see, we drink tea together every day.  It is an important part of Afghan culture.  The staff at the hospital have moved from being warm and generous to absolutely and sweetly affectionate.  So here are some photos of the people I have had the pleasure of spending time with this past week.

Monisa, an expert in obstetric fistula:

Haji Mohammed Sharif Amiri, a natural leader and fantastic nurse:

By the way, most Afghan nurses are men.  They have a hard time hiring enough female nurses to care for the female patients.

Here is Musa who took over for me in the explanation of depolarization to one of the new nursing grads... which is perfect really.  If we can help instil the value of knowledge sharing....  well, wouldn't that be just ideal?

Dinner tonight was, um, interesting.  A very traditional run to a local market produced this:

Yes, that is a stack of fish...heads and all

And no, don't worry...I didn't run to the market.  The security situation still has us limited in terms of mobility for us westerners.

I learned something interesting and disturbing today.   Government run hospitals are 'free'.  But ( and here is a big but) services inside are attached to either fees or bribes.  Example....nurses won't change dressings unless paid by patient to do so.
Frightening??

It is so incredibly good to be part of a teaching hospital.  I am meeting doctors and nurses from far and wide, including neighbouring countries, who have come to learn. 

Oh, and thank you to Joe for the wonderful aromatic and delicious Alaskan coffee!  Yum!

Tomorrow a team from K-Love radio station arrives.  They will be following the story of a little boy who is having his cleft palate repaired on Tuesday.  This should be an experience!

Starfish

Well, no pictures today....this internet connection is dodgy and has developed an allergy to uploading photos.

But the good news is that there is electricity and heat and running water all at the same time.  :)
It just doesn't get any better!

The CPR class got postponed due to ongoing protests and security concerns.

Back to work tomorrow, and I hear that Sundays are very busy as it is the first post-weekend day with lots of new admissions.  Looking forward to it! 

We had dinner tonight with the hospital Medical Director, Dr Rick Manning and CURE VP Joe Davis-Fleming.  Wonderful people!

Joe inspired me with the story of the boy on the beach with the starfish.

Have you heard it?  A boy is walking on a beach that is covered with starfish.  He takes each one and places it back in the water, saving its life.  A man comes along and tells the boy that there must be a million starfish on the beach, so the boy can't possibly be making a difference.  As the boy places a starfish in the water, he tells the man "I made a difference to this one".
That is how it feels to be here in Afghanistan..... that story captures it beautifully.  There are truly a million projects that might help, and it feels overwhelming.  The maternal death rate is extraordinarily high.  The death rate of children under five is depressing.  But tomorrow I will go to the hospital and put a starfish back in the ocean.

Now, how is it that I am not getting any news about how each of you is doing??  :)
Keep in touch!

Day of Rest

Ah, Friday, a day of rest.  Good day to fight a cold with litres of tea.
This is Jerry, a paediatrician and remarkable man.... heading out for a stroll and hoping to not be noticed on the streets

It was a perfect day to do laundry, but way too cold to hang it outside

Pretty good, eh!  I thought I would be beating clothes on a rock in a stream.

It was a good day too to have a cup of tea with Zahra, a paediatrician from Uzbekistan.

Then a trip to the basement of the neighbouring building to use the exercise facilities

Those fans were definitely not needed...I kept a winter coat on over three layers of shirts and sweaters.


Luke cooked up an amazing Indian fried rice, while Jen got inspired to make a cake

Maybe it's the altitude??


Speaking of which, I haven't verified this yet, but have been told on good authority that Kabul ranks #1 in the world for airborne fecal count.  Please don't google Kabul crud.
Yummy, eh!?!

Now I am off for a good nights sleep...terrified about tomorrow.  Why you ask?  Well, I am teaching CPR all day....with a cold...and one the rudest things you can do in Afghanistan is to blow your nose publicly.  Yikes!

Comfy - despite movement restrictions

Well hello!

After a very very cold night, I have a new tank of fuel in my room!  Yeah :) 
How cold was it you ask??
-12 outside, and cold enough in my room that there was a layer of ice on my bedside bottle of water
Not now though...with a heaver sweater on it is positively tropical!  Oh the luxury of it!
 
Please ask those good folks at the jail to stop burning important literature.  It really is making things awkward for us here.  Our security adviser has restricted our movements, so I won't be going anywhere tomorrow.  If there is power intermittently  (fingers crossed), then it will be a good chance to catch up on some school work.

I spent some time on Afghan greeting today.  See, in most languages you have a simple straight forward "hello" or "bon jour", or "buenos dios".  You get the idea.  Not so in Afghanistan.  A standard greeting goes something like this:

Peace be upon you
Peace be upon you as well
Are you OK?
Yes, I am well thank you
And how is your health?
I am quite well thank you.
And how is your family?
They are doing well thankyou.... and how are you?
I am well thank you
And how is your health?
I am quite well thank you
And how is your family
They are doing well thank you

That is the greeting.... the conversation may then start.
It may take a day or two of concentrated effort to learn this in Dari.   :)
The nurses and doctors and patients are all good tutors, and are very eager to see a greeting accomplished.

Oops power is out again.....

OK, too much talking.
I will again disappoint you with a lack of pictures...
Here are a couple of pictures from just outside of the hospital.  See the mountains in the background?  I bet Kabul will be restored to stunning beauty one day

Peace be upon you  !!

Pls stop watching the news

Watching the news might make you a bit nuts  :)
So let's just focus on the positive, OK??

The Afghan people who I am working with each day are warm and caring and wonderful.  Each day they express gratitude and they know that the events in the news do not reflect the views of all foreigners.


In a few days I am running a CPR course at the hospital.  It will be the first they have ever had, and the excitement is ramping up.


Here is the classroom:

 from another view:

and here is Jen, the director of nursing:

Even the anatomy mannequins are modest in dress!

There is so much that can be done here to help. 
The remarkable strength and resilience of the people who live here will guide them to better days

I think that the obstetric fistula program here is amazing.  Word-of-mouth brings patients in from all over the country.  The stories of how they came to Kabul are beautiful and heart-breaking.  It is not at all unusual to hear of a donkey helping with the journey.

Let me tell you about Guallshabo.  She is 30 years old and lives in Kapisa province.  She has no idea how many people live in here village.called Senzay.  She is perhaps the tiniest woman I have ever seem - smaller even that the little women of the Karen tribe in northern Thailand.  She has given birth four times and has no live children.  The most recent delivery was at home.  The baby was a footling breech and after his body delivered his head did not deliver - ....... for many hours.  The obstruction leads to a fistula, which leads to urinary or fecal incontinence - and the risk of chronic infection.  For the woman it also often means divorce or worse.  Guallshabo is happy to report that her family is supportive of her.  She is waiting for her surgery and looking forward to not being constantly wet and foul-smelling.

As Guallshabo told her story, the other women in her room clamoured around, eager to share their stories as well.  The obstetric fistula room is a room of love and hope and the most beautiful embroidery I have ever had the joy of seeing.

I have no pictures of them...yet.  Afghans, I am told, have a funny relationship with photos.  I am going to wait to be invited to take pictures.

Day One at Cure Hospital

It sure took a long time to get here!  44 hours I think - it was snowing in Kabul which meant flight delays.  I walked the airport in Dubai for hours. 

Painless really with good coffee shops

Just ignore the $6 per cup price tag  :)

So finally met up with med-surg nurse Margo from Denver  -  a seasoned Kabul traveler

After a short diversion to Kandahar (still snowing in Kabul), we landed at the Kabul airport

Look!  Snow...really  :)  For everyone who was worried about it being too hot here

It's not - trust me
The hospital ran out of fuel today, so there was no heat in the hospital.
Funny, though, there were no complaints.  Everyone was just so thrilled to have good quality health care.  I was grateful for the head scarf as it provided a layer of warmth.

Silly me...neglected to take camera to the hospital today.  I will do better tomorrow.
What I will say for now is I have had the pleasure of meeting a phenomenal and committed team of doctors and nurses.
Shall we do this again tomorrow?

Kabul

Safely in Kabul, and looking at a computer screen covered in Arabic.  Way too tired to figure it out tonight, but I will do so tomorrow.  No pics even, I can't figure out the Arabic for attach  picture  :)
Until tomorrow.....zzzzzzzzzz

Off to the airport

Let the journey begin!
Bags are packed.
Anything forgotten is just forgotten!
We truly do rely on too much 'stuff' anyway, don't we?
The all important head scarf is in the carry on bag.  Other than that...books to read on the long flight.  Thank you Scott for loading up my Kindle with great reading!
Belly is full from a spectacular lunch at Eggsmart  -  thanks Mike!
One final cuddle with Diesel

in his very favourite place !

and Sydney

enjoying a ray of sunshine

and Scott... getting ready for uninterrupted weeks of study. 

Next post from Kabul!

Passport Photo

I know you have heard it before...and likely experienced it yourself.  You know what I am talking about.  The passport photo.  You know, the one that makes you look, well, deranged.
So, I am sharing my passport photo with you
Ready?

See?
Not very flattering at all!
Ah well.... such is life.
(Thank you Paula for the inspiration!)

A quick shout out to Marty...sorry I missed your call and a chance for one last Magwyers  :(  before departure.  March perhaps?

Oh, and on a quasi-serious note...
if you do find yourself wanting to shoot a comment or two my way (which would be most welcome for sure!), then I would just ask that you be quite respectful of the country and culture that I am about to spend time in.  Thank you.
Apparently Kabul is known for having 300+ days of blue cloudless sky each year, so I bet it is going to be really pretty.  Who knows, maybe signs of spring will start to appear in the next few weeks!

48 hours to departure

It is countdown time!
In 48 hours I will be at Pearson waiting to board a flight to Dubai.
The weather reports out of Kabul today suggest that the stay in Dubai might be more than a few hours of layover.  Apparently they are having a horrible winter in Kabul and are cold.  Yup, time to fly in some hearty Canadians, eh!?!

Actually, that particular Canadian is needed in Whitby.  But feel free to call him from time to time!  He likes the way phone calls pull him out of the overwhelming amount of schoolwork he is suffering through. 

A very first trial run

                                             Great memories of the long-necked tribe of northern Thailand.  I wonder if those rings truly do protect against tiger attacks?

They probably protect against this little tiger! 




Well hello!  Here it is....a fledging run at this thing called blogging.   There is even a random picture or two to enjoy.   Painless so far!  It is one week before departure to Afghanistan.  I will try to post something daily, but please please please do not assume some nefarious plot if I slip up, k?  And now I will return to the glamorous tasks of housecleaning and writing papers for school.