June 28 #2

We left Sunyani after visiting those sites and hopped on a bus and drove 6 hrs into the Central Park of the country to the Mole National Park. This was awesome. Animals all around. We had to be careful. Our accommodations were in this park. I was standing with a group of people as we were getting our room assignments and had a small plastic bag in my hand with trash from the bus. There were baboons all around. One of them was brazen enough to approach our group and grabbed the bag from my hand!!  Since it was trash she was disappointed (there was a baby holding onto her belly as I noticed later.

Thieving Baboon!

There were also warthogs just roaming around eating the grass just like goats! There were not harmful and they even had babies with them. An elephant also came into the yard. It wasn't huge but not a baby either. There are monkeys around as well and you have to watch your food when you are eating at the outdoor dining room. I also went on a safari ride thru the rest of the park. We saw antelope, deer, monkeys and baboons. We were just like in pictures where we sit on top of a 4x4. It was cool! I also took the leap and slept overnight in a treehouse in the jungle.

Treehouse in the African Jungle!

We had to walk about 1 1/2 miles to get to it. We had a guide and he had a rifle! It was pretty cool! Didn't get much sleep. The animals and birds were pretty noisy! We heard a hyaena during the night! We visited a typical village during the day. It was sad to see people living in such poverty.  We met the Village Chief and saw how they made Shea butter. So cool! The houses are made of clay and Shea butter and the roof is from tree branches!  The hotel facilities were pretty elementary. They have limited water so it is only on for a few hours each day and it is a trickle. The provide large plastic buckets of  water for you to take 'bucket' showers with and to flush the toilet. So with the limited water and the same clothes for 4 days, I am sooo very happy to now be in Kumasi! It has been an awesome adventure thus far. Took us about 8 hours on the bus to get here. I have pictures on my camera and my phone so will post when I can get access to my daughters laptop and now that we have internet in this location. Will post again!

June 28 Catchup!

Sorry this is mt first post. It has been a long and busy few days. Flew to New York on that first day and then flew to Accra, Ghana which took about 11 hrs. Then we boarded a twin prop plane and flew about half an hour to one of the main cities, Kumasi. This city is about 4M people but very far behind compared to the US. After getting to Kumasi we then took a bus for 3 1/2 hrs to a small place of 80,000 called Sunyani. This is where my daughter and the other students have being staying. Unfortunately, my suitcase did not join me to Kumasi. There is only one flight a day so we had to leave it as we were coming back to this city on Saturday which is today! I had one extra change of clothes in my backpack carry on which helped but in being those two sets for FIVE days was worse then camping! It is so hot and humid that my clothes were wet most of the time! We are now back in Kumasi and I have my bag! Hooray!..and of course internet access. Hooray! So let me tell you w hat I have been doing. On the first day in Sunyani we really just met up with the rest of the group. Then we  toured the clinic and regional hospital. My heart goes out to these sweet people and the health professionals trying to help them with limited resources. I wish I have money to give them or at least to buy a bed for one of the wards. The clinic said they can only help the number of mothers who are in labor with the number of beds that they had. There were 6 beds and only 3 with mattresses. My daughter said that she was trying to help a little boy about 5 who was hit by a car. He was not doing well and they needed an x-Ray of his chest. They had a machine donated to the hospital but they did not know how to use it! My daughter has been an x-ray tech for 15 yrs and tried to help but ran out of time :-(  the dr at the hospital also told us that they did hv a CT scanner but they used it, they had to divert the power from the rest of the hospital in order for it to work! So sad!

June 23 Regional Hospital, Fufu, New Dudds!

Spent the day in the Regional Hospital today. This is the largest hospital in the area. Amanda Truong, a medical student from the U, and I were able to shadow a dermatologist all day today. There is one exam room and he calls the patients in 1 at a time. He also had 3 Ghanian PA residents with him today. It was so interesting to chat with practicing PA's in Ghana. The cases we saw today were interesting but also had an element of frustration because of lack of tools. The provider literally has a pen, a chair, and a desk. Nothing else. Dermatology in the US is deeply rooted in procedures, taking biopsies, draining abscesses, scraping off skin samples. Very different form of practice here. However, the Dr. we were working with was very skilled and could recognize the skin conditions just through history and sight. A hefty challenge for me, even basic dermatitis looks very different on African skin than what I am used to.

Victoria Stephens and Olivia spent another day in Chiraa. So, so close to helping with a delivery. Mother came in at 42 weeks in labor, contractions 2 minutes apart. However, her water had not broken yet. The midwives do not rupture the membranes, so the patient went off to the regional hospital by ambulance. The girls were so disappointed. 2 more days, maybe they will get lucky.


Olivia helping to smash the Fufu (our dinner)

We received our Ghanian outfits! Hooray! Master Paul, the tailor, made these dresses for the girls. Fabric cost about 14 cedis-about $5 and it costs 20 cedis to have the dress made, about $7. Ridiculously inexpensive. 

June 21 Monastery, Water Polo, Bar

Had a day off today. Went to the monastery in the morning and the rest of the afternoon at the only pool in town. Monastery was peaceful and beautiful. Mango trees, large spiders, and great rock formations. Looked a little like southern Utah. The pool was fabulous. There is one "nice" hotel in Sunyani and it has a pool. You can pay a few cedis to swim. They also serve pizza poolside. A little slice of heaven. We had a great water polo match with some locals. It got a little rough, no holds barred. My jaw, elbow, and other various places are pretty sore, but it was a ton of fun. 

The kitchen ladies made Red Red with fried plantains for dinner tonight. Delish. We have eaten ethnic every night. Most are pretty unique, like nothing we've tasted before. All wonderful.
After dinner, we walked to the local bar to watch the Ghana-Germany world cup match. Took a picture of Victoria Stephens ordering at the bar, first and last time that will ever happen. Exciting game, a tie is better than a loss.

June 19 Outreach

We went on outreach today. We drove about an hour outside of the town of Chiraa to a very small rural community to give vaccines, weigh babies, and offer education. Once we arrived we had the formalities of meeting with the Chief and his advisers. In Ghana, the language is Twi. They say Akwaaba, which means you are welcome. Not in response to thank-you, but to invite you in. Like you are welcome to come in here. Anyway, the Chief said many times, "Akwaaba." They then took us on a tour of the area. Down to the river, through small villages, and the best part-the school. All of the children wear uniforms. The uniforms cost 4 cedis, which is about $1.20. If you cannot afford the uniform, you cannot go to school. It is very sad to see children in the village wearing very worn clothing because you know they cannot go to school. Such a small amount that would make such an incredible difference. That is one soda from the machine for us and for them it may be the difference between poverty and a better life.
Anyway, the school was so fun. The kids are wonderful. Full of smiles. We let them listen to their heart sounds with our stethoscopes. We taught them simple hand games. Even though it is in the very middle of the rain forest, the small school was teaching exponent math, fractions, religion, twi, and more. The children are so polite and excited about learning. However, I did learn they have to provide their own 'switch' to their teacher on the first day in case they get out of line.
They kids followed us down to the village where we gave immunizations, weighed the babies, and had a little outpatient clinic. They kept dancing around us singing, "Good morning, white lady' in Twi. Victoria Stephens was able to give a couple immunizations. Olivia had 3 marriage proposals. After we got home, we played soccer with some local 7-9 year olds. We were heartily beaten again, 4-8, even more humiliating they were playing in flip-flops and barefoot. We will have a re-do tomorrow. Great day!

June 18 Municipal Hospital

 I went to the Municipal Hospital today. We spent the morning rounding in the female ward. Then the afternoon in outpatient walk-in clinic. In the ward we saw multiple patients with sub-arachnoid hemorrhage and stroke. Most with significant neurological deficits. They do have CT but it is in the bigger hospital. Physical therapy is also available in the other hospital. However, will be a long road for most of the these patients. Medication and access is limited.

We also saw a great case of pelvis inflammatory disease with hepatomegaly. We were thinking Fitz-Hugh-Curtis, but no way to confirm diagnosis.

Hospital Wards - all separate buildings



Getting drenched in the rain!

The girls went to Chiraa again today. They were able to spend the day in the lab. They did malaria tests and also did type and screen on all the pregnant patients. Victoria Stephens was actually able to smear the blood and apply the reagents to look for clumping. She was super excited. Maybe research is her calling.

Home just in time for a incredible rainstorm. Came down in sheets and the girls wanted to dance around in the rain. Something about a bucket list.

 Sorry for all the medical jargon today. We are doing outreach tomorrow, into the small villages to check weight and height of babies and give immunizations, that can't make it into the city. Should be fun! Talk to you soon. With love.

June 17 Clinic & Soccer

Another great day at Chiraa clinic. Did outpatient in the morning, like yesterday. Lots of malaria again. Immunized babies and did prenatal checks in the afternoon. Most of the women give birth at home and bring the baby to the clinic in the first few weeks for a check-up. Usually on Tuesday because that is the day they go to the market anyway, no use traveling into town twice. When... the mothers come back with their infants they come all dressed in white. It is a site to see. Rows of beautiful infants and their mothers all dressed in white. I will try to take a picture in the next few days. After the infants were immunized we spent a few hours doing prenatal checks. Much like in the US. Just measured bellies and listened to fetal heart tones. However, no fancy Doppler to use. Just a long wooden horn looking thing to hold on the belly. I struggled to hear even one. The lab supervisor, Mr DeLove, offered to show us Malaria in the microscope. When we showed interest, he found a sick patient, there are many of them, and drew his blood just for us. He smeared it, stained it, and focused it in the scope just to show us the malaria worm. Everyone here is so wonderful. So kind. So friendly. After we came home from clinic we took a soccer ball to the local field and had a pick-up game with some local teens. 3 of them against Olivia and I. As you can imagine they danced circles around us, but it was fun. Will try to do it again tomorrow. Miss and love you all.

More Sunyani Market Pics

June 16 Clinic & School

Went to the rural clinic today, in Chiraa. Olivia and I spent the day in the outpatient walk-in area. Victoria Stephens took vital signs all morning with Anthony, a local. The main language here is Twi, but most people speak English as well. However, it is difficult to understand. I have been able to understand more over the past 3 days but Victoria had to ask the patients to repeat m...any times. It will improve. Saw hypertension, malaria, headaches, cellulitis, umbilical hernia, and molluscum. Very similar to a traditional family practice in America, except the malaria of course. However, very little resources. Only two types of antibiotics available, two kinds of blood pressure medications, no glucose strips to test blood sugar, no supplies to drain an abscess. We did the best with what we had. No babies born today, much to the girls dismay. After we returned to the hotel, we stopped and toured a local Catholic school. The kids are so cute! Want their pictures taken, want to shake your hands. They invited us for traditional Ghananian lunch this week. The people here are so friendly. They call white people Oburoni- it literally means someone from beyond the horizon. It is a term of endearment. Because we a the only oburoni's in the city, everywhere we go people call to us and honk and wave. They try to teach us Twi or want to shake our hands. The US is playing Ghana tonight in the World Cup so they always ask who we think is going to win. Of course we are rooting for Ghana

June 15 Monkey Sanctuary

We went to the Monkey Sanctuary today. It was awesome! It was a very long, bumpy bus ride on a dirt road. But worth it. We feed the monkeys peanuts and they took them right out of our hands. The girls climbed up the inside of a ficus tree. And we visited the monkey cemetery. Great day off.

Sunyani Market

   

June 14 Tailors & Sunglasses

Spent yesterday in Sunyani Regional Hospital. This is the formal, larger one. I was able to spend the day on the pediatric ward. Saw a lot of sickle cell and malaria kids. Did have one HIV 11 year old who also had severe malnutrition. He was not bigger than Mushi. So sweet, but so sick. Heart went out to him. Hopefully he will receive the care he needs. They are very good at treating HIV here, if the patient is compliant.
On a funner note: two times yesterday the girls were asked if they were boys or girls. When I said they were girls, they asked why do they not where the earring then? Victoria Stephens and Oggie put some in for today’s adventure. Will post again soon. Love you all!
Hey everyone! Sorry for the Africa overload but this experience was too great to not share. Today we went to the market again. We bought fabric and took it to the tailors, to make into custom made dresses and skirts. I am way excited but even cooler, we hung out with some little kids while we were waiting. They were the cutest!!! I’ll put a bunch of the pictures in the Album on here. They were trying on my sunglasses and touching my hair. Not many redheads here. Actually none. Such an awesome experience. Love and miss you all! — with Lisa Morrow Stephens

June 11 Accra Airport

We’ve arrived! Crazy, we are halfway around the world and can still post on Facebook. The world really is small!

On to Ghana

My sweet daughter is posting this for me because I can't figure it out. Here is an update on what we have been doing. Via Victoria, my favorite daughter

Hey Guys! We have very little wifi so I am taking this opportunity too update you guys on how we are doing. For those of you that don't know, my mom is a Physician's Assistant student at the University of Utah, every year, the school organizes a ...group of students to travel to Ghana, in western Africa. They volunteer in clinics and hospitals here and get a chance to teach the people about medical care. This year, my sister and I get to come. It took 5 cities, 2 days and 16 hours of flying to get to the city we are in. It's called Sunyani. We flew from Salt Lake to Boston, Boston to New York, New York to Accra, Accra to a city called Kumasi, and finally a 4 hour bus ride to Sunyani. There is a 6 hour time difference here. So, we wake up at about 1 in the morning Utah time. We visited the Accra temple on Tuesday.

There are 16 people in our medical group. The other students are from all over. Canada, Montana, California, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Utah. We are having a blast. One of the first things I noticed was how crazy the drivers are here. They drive so close to each other. I am so surprised at how many accidents that don't happen, when we are stopped, vendors come between the cars, they balance their goods on their head, its amazing. The heat isn't too bad but the humidity is the devil. We visited the clinics and hospitals this morning that the adults will be working in. There are 3 different places. Everyday we buy lunch at the local gas station/supermarket, I can honestly say that Ghanaian ice cream is the best lunch. Scratch that, Ghanaian is ice cream is the best. period. I may get a chance to help deliver a baby in one of the clinics. I'm a little scared, the medical resources are limited, they don't have epidurals or ways to numb the mother and maternal and infant mortality rate is high here. It'll be an awesome experience though. The place we are staying at feeds us breakfast and dinner everyday. It is delicious. They grow the sweetest, juiciest pineapples here. There is a school right around the corner, we see the kids walk to and from everyday. They are so cute! Last night we took a trip to the local market. It is so cool, there are so many people selling every variety of everything. I was proposed to. That was very interesting. Looking forward to the rest of this trip and missing you all!!