New and Old Adventures

Now that schools are back in session and the strikes are over Michael and I are quite comfortably finding our way here in South Africa… We are in the routine of hitting the gym every morning, doing our work, going to church on Sundays and taking on new adventures over the weekends. Having a routine is certainly making our stay more comfortable and less stressful.

This Friday we started our first session of job shadowing at the Themba Lethu HIV clinic. Poor Michael was nervous about the setting and I think very surprised when he saw just how relaxed the clinic and physicians were… It felt good to be back there – I know I had a tremendous learning experience there back in December and I cannot wait for Michael to experience the same! Im only glad that because I have this experience I know where to go and who to talk to, this should surely make things easier for him… We were hoping to do a full day of shadowing, but with the strikes the hospital is backed up and still trying to iron out some kinks, so we only spent 4 hours there. Mike got a tour of the clinic, saw 2 HIV patients and then went on hospital rounds with the physicians and I. I love rounds – you see so many interesting cases and I thoroughly enjoy watching the physicians collaborate together to find a series of solutions. We saw two patients on rounds and were fully briefed on their status and obstacles in treatment. Im not sure if Mike mentioned t his in his blog, but before rounds I told him that he should be aware of the fact that the hospital wards are pretty dirty and crammed – a sight Im sure he has not seen before. He was very quick to let me know it appeared to be a combination between an insane asylum, an old school, and a parking garage. I think he nailed the description. The staff are wonderful and the learning experience fantastic! This is truly rural medicine at its best… By exposing ourselves to the healthcare systems of the underprivileged we are already preparing ourselves to be better physicians for these people in need… I cannot wait for next Friday! Hopefully it will be a full day in the clinic.

On Saturday I made a trip to Edenvale Hospital where I met with Dr. Ndekera to have a letter of recommendation signed. Following this, Michael and I headed out to the Cradle of Humankind where the oldest human remains in the world have been found. Here we went to the Maropeng Museum where we travelled back in time and experienced the sequence of creation according to science. The architecture was absolutely stunning and the information interesting… I especially loved the underground water ride through dark tunnels that depicted the various stages of earth’s formation. After our tour we drove 12km to the Sterkfontein Caves where we went through a small museum and was guided on an hour tour in the underground caves. This was the highlight of my day! The caves are gorgeous and a must see!!! We found ourselves lost in the huge caverns meters underground and had to shuffle through tiny tunnels that were only one meter in height. My favorite feature was the elephant rock formation – complete with ears, tusks, and even legs. See if you can spot this giant in the photo below.

Overall we had a stunning weekend… Caving was a highlight, but spending time with my family on Sunday was great too! Pappa is really warming up to Mike, which I am always glad to see. I like to think that maybe he is warming up to me too… but we are all still in the dark and unsure of what lies ahead in terms of my grandparents’ health. Until then, there will be plenty of family dinners and new adventures.