"Backsteet's back, alright!"

First Priority for today’s post: Happy Birthday to my amazing husband! I wish I was in the states to celebrate but I know we will have a lot of fun when he comes to join me in 3 weeks! Plus, I know that some awesome people will be celebrating with him!

Today Alex and I went to a near by town, called T.Y., to look at some of the weavings. The woman that ran the place was so incredibly pleasant. She would show us different tapestries and explain the story behind them, or simply what they symbolized. Her words often made the tapestries seem even more beautiful. Additionally she showed us where they make them and walked us through the process. They are all hand made and can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month to make. The picture I have here of the men is one of the most popular tapestry designs- it is called “The circumcision”. Circumcision is an optional cultural ceremony. At one time it was kind of a rite of passage for boys. Usually at age 15 they were sent to live alone in the mountains for 6 months and then would be “honored” with a circumcision. The process remains the same, but it is no longer required. Imagine explaining that tapestry to visitors in your home!!

Alex and I walked around a little bit too and grabbed some lunch at a near by hotel that was known to have good pizza. The weather has been just beautiful during the day so we sat outside where a band was playing. I think we heard some “killing me softly” with a nice Sesotho accent (that is the language spoken in Lesotho). Between songs the singer tended to use a soft sultry voice as though he were in a romantic night club, which was kind of hilarious! Overall it was a nice lunch with a decent glass of wine.

Of note- we had a taxi pick us up to take us to T.Y. in the morning. We got into the car to some regular local music playing, but it was promptly changed to Backstreet Boys by the driver. I wasn’t sure if he thought we would enjoy it, or if he just did. Needless to say, listening to “quit playing games with my heart” as we drove through the Lesotho mountains was quite a memorable experience. =)

We are going to a worship service at a nearby orphanage tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing all the children- it should be fun!

Missing all of you!

HIV lesson of the day

Today was mostly educational. I went to a lot of lectures that were a review of things I learned in medical school but have never really been able to apply in residency. The lecture I found most interesting covered how the counselors tell the patients about their disease. As a physician, it is so difficult to counsel patients without all the medical lingo. The most impressive part was that the counseling starts at age 5! I was so amazed by this that I thought I would share it with you guys- don't feel obligated to read it- but it is pretty interesting!

So the teaching goes as follows:
Your immune system is like soldier- its job is to protect your body. When your soldiers are present they protect you from the bad guys (illness). Sometimes certain bad guys (HIV) overwelm your soldiers and make you more vulnerable to other bad guys. However, taking your medicine will put the bad guy to sleep. .. so he is still there but can't cause trouble when he is sleeping. If a patient forgets to take their medicine the bad guy wakes up and starts causing all kinds of trouble.

She also made a few other points- like how with education the kids will remind their parents to give them their meds because they don't want to bad guy to wake up. Or how the parents must make sure and put the meds out of reach so the kids don't take a bunch at one time in an attempt to wipe out the bad guy! It was very interesting and I felt very impressed by the counselors ability to relate to the children.

The picture diagrams that the counselor uses while teaching this are at the following website. Just ignore the first few pages with questions and skip to the first picture.
http://bayloraids.org/adherence/files/adherence-supplementary.pdf


On another note. . . .


We had a baby shower today for two of the doctors. They did some singing and a whole lot of laughing! The weather was just perfect too. I hope I take home some of the positively these people exhibit everyday. Oh- and apparently marshmellows are big here. . . they are basically served at every event!

Oh, so this is what jet lag feels like. . . .

So I arrived in Lesotho yesterday around 11 am. The flight from London to Jo-burg (that is what everyone calls Johannesburg here) was horrible. The flight was full and sleeping didn't work so well. The food was not so great either. Luckily my flight from Jo-burg to Maseru was less than an hour and uneventful.

Everyone here is so incredibly nice- I am already in love with the people. I have 3 other girls living with me in the "cottage" right next to the clinic. Two of them are leaving this weekend. The other one is actually my roommate and her name is Alex. Turns out, she is the daughter of my residency director, Dr. Mark Ward. She attends UNC- premed and is going into her junior year. OF the other two girls, one goes to St. Agnes and the other attends Rice. It seems that most people that hear about the clinic are from Houston in some way. Needless to say, I am the old one of the group and am often answering questions about medical school etc. We went out for dinner last night and had a lot of fun. I even peer pressured the girls into splitting a bottle of wine. =) The bread- I think it is called NAN- is incredible. I have a lot to learn about the food and the language and can't wait to explore all of it.

I will have to take pictures but have not yet because I am still in such a fog. I have felt so out of it since I arrived. The bed I am sleeping in is comfortable and plenty warm, but I still had trouble sleeping last night. I am sure in a few days I will be better adjusted.

I shadowed a little in clinic today. . . I have a feeling that learning the HIV management will not be too bad. Everything is very standardized and I have a guide book to refer to. I will probably shadow for a few days and then start seeing patients myself. They have a week of lectures too that should help orient me.

Hopefully I will be able to update everyone a little more tomorrow or tonight. For now I think a nap is in order- I still feel so off!

London Airport

I arrived in London around 11:30 this morning (5:30 for you guys). After walking around without much sense of where I was supposed to go, I finally asked for help and was promptly redirected. I am now status post lunch, coffee, and a teeth brushing! The flight was not bad at all. It was very empty so I had the whole row to myself. Once I FINALLY got comfortable, I slept for most of the flight.

Hoping my next flight is as nice as the first. Maybe I will even get in a movie or two. . . . .

And here I go

Hello friends and family! I am new to the blog thing so if my posts or pictures are a little atypical, feel free to critique my blog etiquette! As this is my first trip abroad, many of you have requested a blog so I decided to go ahead and try this out! Please feel free to send me messages, questions etc.

I am currently all packed and ready to go. Ryan is very impressed with my ability to pack just one large bag (I do have two carry on bags though =/) . I am curious to see how I will do with such a limited amount of clothing! My flight leaves this evening and I will have a 7 hour layover in London. I have never been to London so I am sure I will spend most of my time staring out the windows or eaves dropping on the locals (don't you just love a British accent! ). I will then head to Johannesburg and later arrive in Maseru, Lesotho on Wednesday. So far I am not so worried about the long hours. . .I am used to the 30 hour calls and hence, have quite a routine to get myself "freshened up" as needed. However, sitting on the plane for 10+ hours is going to be a challenge. Do you think the person sitting next to me will mind if I sit indian style???

I am looking forward to an amazing adventure and can't wait to take all of you along for the ride! Stay tuned for the events to come!