It doesnt get any easier

As everyday passes I get a little more excited and a little more sad. The feelings that I have about leaving are very bittersweet. I love Uganda, especially Gulu. I love the relationships I have started to make. I love how beautiful and peaceful it is here. Most of all, I love the way the people make you feel here. I cant believe that its Wednesday, that its the middle of another week.
I went back to the hospital today. I arrived at 9 to a ward with 5 or 6 children in it. The doctor that comes to determine whether the child is going to be transferred or discharged came a little while later. (The normal pediatric doctor is still on strike) He transferred every child to the other pediatric ward and then went on his way to the ward in which he works. After all the children had left the day got extremely slow. I read my book, toured the lab and the medical school. Stella, the med student and my friend, was so excited to show me her room and her school. I wish I would have had my camera with me. The med students rooms are smaller than the dorms where I stayed my freshman year at UT (Shout out to Humes) and four people live in them. After touring the medical school, Stella and I went back to the ward. It was not until I was getting ready to leave that a child came. The child was a girl and had severe malaria with convulsions.
Ill interrupt here to give you a little background on how patients get checked in at Gulu Hospital. Every patient goes to the out patient ward where they are seen quickly by a doctor to determine what ward they should go. This doctor also determines the illness they are suffering from and a general treatment plan. The patients then go to the wards in which they are sent. All of this information is kept in a little green or blue book made from 16 sheets of notebook paper. The books are kept with the patient at all times (yes it leaves the hospital). Without this book the patient cannot be seen at the wards in which they are referred to by out patient. So back to my story.
The little girl has severe malaria and comes into the acute pediatric ward. Since there is no doctor on staff the nurse and med student started the girl on the recommended treatment plan. This includes a fever reducer, quinine (anti-malaria drug), dewormer (every child gets one), and a vitamin shot. After a few hours on the IV drip the doctor comes in to check on the patients in the ward. He comes to this specific child and ask about the child. He then informs the nurse that this child is not only suffering from severe malaria but also from dehydration, malnutrition, anemia, and pneumonia. And the quinine that was given worsens most of those illnesses. By the time that I left the little girl could barely breathe.
After the hospital I worked on my school work and took a nap. Nothing too exciting :) Miss everyone so much.

Quote of the day
“Doing is everything”