Jan 1st 2014.  Another year in Kijabe.   Feels like home away from  home to Mom and I.  Nicole joins us this year with her typical enthusiasm and infectious laugh!

Trip here was long, with 2 1/2 hour delay in Amsterdam due to various reasons that sounded a bit fishy.  I didn’t sleep the entire way partially due to some horrible cough,  which I now worry is something worse!   Mom and I did get "cheap" business class tickets though (and now she is a convert), we suspect due to the mall shooting in Nairobi.



Waiting area in Amsterdam airport for flight to Nairobi.  Noticeably less nice then rest of airport!

We finally arrived at the Mennonite house at 130 in the morning or so.  Still had difficult time sleeping that night, but next AM managed to pack all are bags up to head to Kijabe.  While at the grocery store (within blocks of above mentioned mall) one of the surgeons called our driver (I have no idea how he knew who to call) asking what our ETA was.  He had a young woman with a suspicious neck mass he had aspirated and had scheduled to do a total thyroidectomy that day, but wanted confirmation that it was cancer.   So, we rushed (sort of) through the shopping and Nicole and I headed to the hospital prior to unpacking.  Course there wasn’t cancer in the aspirate, so he decided to do a REAL (for the pathology readers) biopsy and postpone the surgery.  It’s nice to feel needed!

After unpacking  we headed to the super duca and market for MORE shopping, bought 4 huge bags of produce for $20 and headed home.  After dinner of veggies with spicy sauce, pasta, English muffins and cheese we headed to bed.  

Pathology house, our Home for the next month



View from Pathology house porch.  Mt Longonot is the peak rising from the rift valley.  We're hoping to climb this weekend, health and weather allowing!

I’m still feeling crummy and skipped exercising this AM, NOT good!  After a late breakfast, headed to work.  It is a holiday here, but we went in to do the “grossing”  so we would have work for thurs.  The techs promised they would come in and start the processor.

A few of the specimens in their typical containers - pill bottles, etc.

Nicole going to work

Nicole’s exuberance was heightened (if possible) with her first specimen – a partial mandilectomy with presumed Ameloblastoma (first one for her!).  Hope the photos are not to gruesome.

Mom quickly went to work as gross room helper - the BEST!

Mandiblelectomy (removal of lower jaw).  Those are teeth at the top

 and a tumor at the bottom

Ran into a clinician in the hospital who gave me a prescription for Azithromycin.  245 Kenya shillings (about $2.75), probably would be $40 in the US.  A walk in the afternoon was accompanied by thunder and view across the rift valley. 

More later, hopefully will have more energy for photos and for work!