Kapsabet Day 2

My day began at 2:48 AM when my head exploded, or at least it felt like it.  I suffered only my second migraine ever last night.  I was really touch and go to make our 6AM pickup for our trip to Pokot, but Susie and I were downstairs, waiting on time.  Unfortunately, Wilson Kiptoo never came.  A call from Maureen discovered that we had had a miscommunication about the date; he had made arrangements for Thursday, not Wednesday. So I will go tomorrow.  Since the medical team will have a tough day tomorrow, Susie will stay with them.

Today, we went back to Kapsabet.  Yesterday we say all the orphanage kids and widows, over 150 of them.  Today we saw the feeding station kids and some of the community.  What a difference a day makes.  We were better organized, as we had learned a lot yesterday, but the kids were different as well.  Feeding station kids receive only two meals a day from us.  We do not house them, or provide educational support or medical support.  Our goal is to keep them alive, and the difference between how these kids looked versus the orphanage kids was noticeable.

We saw over 200 people today, including 90 feeding station kids and community folks.  Their problems ran the gamut from scabies, to asthma, to scoliosis, and ALS.  And we pulled a lot of teeth.  Many of their medical problems we can do nothing for.  We cannot transport the whole US medical system to Kenya, only a couple or doctors.  We had Cherie Creech and Maureen screening community people for the doctors.  They were able to weed out most of them who had complaints that were not something we could help with or where trivial.  We joked afterwards that Cherie saw more patients than all the others combined! Dr Doke was able to identify and treat many problems for people including draining a cyst, and removing a nasal polyp a well as countless cases of parasites and heart burn.

Dr Doke remarked one of the differences in treating people from this culture, is the different way the give their medical history.  Here is a typical one: “What can I do for you today?”  “I have this pain in my hip.”  “When did it start?” “It all started when I got the flu when I was 12 years old.”  “Really?”  “Yes, that led to my first broken leg when I was 23, and then there was that bad case of ringworm when I was 34.”  In a story-telling culture, everything can be seen to be causal, even when we know it isn’t.  It makes for some interesting medical histories and some interesting outcomes.  One patient was convinced that all of her aches and pains were caused by the appearance of this cyst on her neck.  Dr. Doke was able to remove the cyst, then he asked her what other problems she had.  She replied that they were all going to go away now that the cyst was gone.  Try arguing with that logic!

I again helped Dr Sears as he refined his teeth pulling, cavity filling operation.  Some of the cases there were very bad.  I watched him face a small girl, maybe four years old, and experience sadness, frustration, and anger all within a few seconds.  She had seven baby teeth that were beyond hope.  There is no way he could pull them all at one time, and she needed some teeth to eat.  In the end he pulled the worst one and gave her antibiotics and pain relievers.  Hopefully  she’ll be able to get by until her permanent teeth come in.  She took it well, they all do, laying there still as can be while the needle goes in.  Never a wimper or cry, only a silent tear.  It’s amazing to watch.  These really are remarkable people.

Tomorrow, Pokot, I promise.

Kapsabet Day 2