COME WORK AT MUTOMO HOSPITAL KENYA! WE NEED YOU!!!!

I have NO IDEA how such a little hospital in the middle of nowhere Kenya manages to recruit some top surgeons and dentists from all over the world, but they do. The Sisters of Mercy who run Mutomo Hospital must have a direct connection to God and Sister Mary, the director,  must have the red phone hidden somewhere in her office.

Maria is one such surgeon, a colorectal surgeon to be exact, who is one of the most humble, brilliant and capable people I know. She would argue with me (the humble part) BUT I have seen her at work. She is also the funniest person I know, which is why I love to hang out with her. Check out her blog and you will see what I mean (wanderdoc.blogspot.com). She also HATES to have her picture taken so I was lucky to get these.

Dr Maria discharging a happy patient
Mya (Swedish surgical resident assisting)

Maria teaching Mya to look for placenta previa

Mutomo waiting area
(check out Maria's blog for more pictures)

Maria nonchalantly pulling something out of someone's
eye. He smiled saying "THANKS, MUCH BETTER"
afterwards and walked away...no pain meds.
I would have needed 20 mg of valium to lie there!

I was also able to meet with the Mutomo directors to discuss their needs for a rehab team. Maria and the other surgeons are adamant they need a PT, OT and ST (Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Speech Therapist) on their team. They see a lot of trauma fractures, burns as well as general medical patients that are in great need of rehab especially after surgeries.

Meeting with the directors
Sister Mary to my right

I have to admit, this would be one fun place to work. There is such a good team of professional Doctors rotating in that it would be a phenomenal experience for anyone. Mutomo Hospital has a HUGE potential for anyone who wants to set up a rehabilitation department and likes to problem solve. This would be a great project. There is ample space with good access to the outpatient and inpatient wards as Sister Mary showed me.  It would be a place where you would be soo welcomed and anything you could provide re teaching to the staff would be greatly appreciated. No red tape here!

Dr Alexander and Maria at work 

removing a surgical dressing from a new skin graft

radial and ulnar fracture
(there are no ORIF's done here)

Manually reducing the above fracture
(remember the old time "bone setters"?)

Despite being such a small town, there is ample social renewal after hours. The staff and team are social and welcoming. We had a rotating BBQ on the back porch of someone different every night (the Doctors and staff live in houses in the same compound all a few feet from each other) Anita, the director of the HIV program, is not only an incredible director, she is also an incredible COOK!

Anita and her "spread" 

the best burgers I have EVER had! 

small kitchen, BIG food 

a nightly scene

I did manage to do some shuffle jogging, baking, sleeping and laughing while here. Here are some scenes from town...it has an old southwest feel and the terrain looks and feels like Sedona in the USA. Though it is warm (90's) during the day, it cools off nicely at night.

views from my run 

morning sun 

sedona?

nice colors 

odd trees with goats for good
measure 

at least I ran first 

Now some views from town! Everything is within 10 min walking distance including the bank, the market, the "stress free" (nice restaurant) a seamstress, pharmacy, leather worker, fruit stand and general store. I felt like I was walking through an old western movie! It was so quaint and people are very friendly here.

Like Maria said, lots of donkeys

Maria's house helper

old clapboard shops 

the town well 

The town Saturday Market
 (quite big when it is open)

One of many seamstresses who will make whatever
you'd like 

Sneaking a peek at me!

Buying things for supper
Imagine doing this daily! How nice! 

SOO COME ONE COME ALL! Anyone interested in volunteering through CMMB to work here should contact the CMMB office via their website CMMB.com. You can also contact Sister Mary directly...I have a feeling if you use the red phone, she will answer right away!

MUTOMO BUGS!!

NEVER in my life have I seen such prehistoric creatures! I had to capture at least a few to document this....what's funny is that people run away screaming from cute chameleons yet brush these guys aside like they are a pesky fly....

Now that's one BIG bug!

Look at the camera and SMILE!

The prettiest bug I've seen

I couldn't figure out why this stick was walking!

Biggest bees nest!!
WRONG! Just a bird's nest 

A VISIT TO THE CMMB OFFICE IN NAIROBI AND THEN 6 DAYS IN MUTOMO

On April 25th we headed to the CMMB office in Nairobi to visit Angeline Yiamiton Sipar and her staff there. It was great to meet the team behind all the local project development and implementation. They are a great support to the field staff in Kenya and the most amazing hard working people.

Maria, Angie and I

the Nairobi CMMB staff

took the nearly 6 hour journey south east to Mutomo, Kenya where Maria works. We hitched a ride with her coworkers who were returning home from a conference. Maria was NOT kidding at all about the long BUMPY DUSTY ride there...I know she describes it in her blog BUT she underplayed just how bad this road was!!!

Much needed lunch stop
(sister Mary (L), Anita and Maria)

riding in the BOOT with the LOOT

views along the way 

green only because it is rainy season

 We arrived just in time for sunset and a nice quiet adult beverage on Maria's porch. It was incredibly warm despite the end of the day but the symphony of crickets, the incredibly bright stars and the waxing moon was soothing to frayed nerves and a tired body. It was a nice restful sleep.

THE ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE

The next day I was pooped but though I was tired, Maria said this was a "not to miss" place...I have to say, she was absolutely right! We headed off to the Elephant Orphanage. I also remember seeing this on a National Geographic special at one point. This is an orphanage run solely on donations. Most of the elephants are orphaned by poachers killing the mothers. Some are injured or have fallen into the pit wells dug for irrigation.

The workers are very protective and dedicated. They even sleep with the babies until they reach a certain age. The elephants are limited to human contact for only 1 hour a day, which is when you are able to visit. They bring them to a roped off area for feeding....now I have to say they are absolutely ADORABLE!

They look and act like little kids...playing with each other and balls, shovels mud. Their systems are quite delicate so they are fed baby formula. They are unable to digest cow's milk. This is a HUGE expense, but through donations, they are able to manage.

AWWW

You can see how close we are to them 

Following their caretaker back to the woods for "elephant training" 

They have to drink baby formula

nose wrestling

I did manage to touch this one 

I was kicking the ball back and forth with this one 

Maybe how we treat God's creatures is a reflection of the state of our society and of how we treat each other. This place is a reflection of the Good of mankind for sure.

REFRESH IN NAIROBI WITH MARIA

I left the Brothers following a warm send off to meet up with Maria at her hotel. It was a HUGE juxtaposition going from the slums of Nairobi to the big city. It was as if I walked into any large city in the USA. Though I was in great need of a rest, we sort of hit the ground running. Maria had plans to visit several sites in Nairobi including the elephant orphanage, the Karen Blixen house, the Kazuri bead factory, the Giraffe park and the animal orphanage. We hired a driver for the day and OFF WE WENT!

Birdis with feather on headus

magnus fuzzy earus

The first trip was to the animal orphanage which sits on the boundaires of the national park. They house injured, rescued or "socially impolite" animals (one's that eat people or livestock). The goal is rehabilitation if possible and education to the general population otherwise.

Whitus nosus

It was odd seeing housed monkeys on one hand and then wild ones from the park running around everywhere. The warden said that the one's in the cages had been injured. Park monkeys often come to visit the enclosed ones (see....even monkeys visit the sick!)

Stealus of foodus from bipeds

grooming his friend stuck on the inside

Leaving the park, I heard some really neat music and saw a group of Masai dancing and singing. Their clothing is of the most beautiful fabric and colors and their song and dance is mesmerizing! I walked up and they grabbed my hands and started singing and dancing...Maria managed a shot of this. How fun! I thanked them profusely and of course donated to their cause (Because with those skinny legs, it looks like they need to eat!)

Next we headed to the Karen Blixen house. She is the woman for whom the movie "Out of Africa" was made. I recognized it from the movie as soon as we drove up. Unfortunately, it was under construction (though you could still pay the same amount to tour even though every artifact and wall was covered. We said "No thank you" and left. Maria managed a few shots before they kindly escorted us off the property (unless we paid of course)

They did use the house in the movie

the only "artifacts" not covered

Next we headed off to see the Giraffe Park. THIS WAS AMAZING! I remembered having seen this in National Geographic but never thought I would actually be here! It was a slow day so we had plenty of time to visit the Giraffes, feed them and even pet them. They are the most beautiful and gentle creatures. They are everything in person that you see in pictures.

Last but not least was the Kazuri bead factory. OK...really really neat! This was originated by a British woman to help local single mothers make an income for their families. It is now a world wide business and still honors it's mission statement. Now, however, new husbands of the female workers are allowed to be employed there. They have full medical benefits and paid time off. Getting out of there without spending a fortune is a hard thing to do!!

a less than quick get away! 

I am beginning to believe that Maria is of the same gene pool as my sister Anne Guist...anyone who knows her would know what that means...

being able to squeeze a thousand and one things into a day and all of it FUN!

Maria relaxing at the end of a very productive day