Halitosis Rules

G'day.... oops no that would be from Australia..... Jambo.....

Well, after spending a sickly week last week, this week in order to help with the networking for possible work, I offered my services to help at another big church project that was having a dental team from the USA coming to attend to their dental problems.

I spent Monday and Tuesday with them working like a Trojan. The project caters for 300 children, boys and girls who attend their schools on site and sleep in dormitories on separate Campus.

I was helping organize the children attending the clinic and then it was decided I was to take over the dental hygiene role (donned in latex gloves, mask and goggles for their protection and mine!!) Should have got a pic!! The dental hygiene process was a one on one talk and demonstration of dental practices with tooth brushes and floss. Many of these children have never seen a tooth brush let alone a piece of floss. Being asked to physically show them individually how to carry out the procedure was to say the least up close and personal and ‘breath taking’!!

I did enjoy being part of ‘the team’ even though (they were from US and) everyone was working at break neck speed as they are only here for a week and were half the group that had been planned. The problems arising from the election violence had decreased their numbers as they had to change dates.

Today, Wednesday, I am back at Scann both yesterday and today I am sporting a humdinger of a headache which will soon take me back home as nothing seems to be helping. I am at present working on medical lists for the dormitories as we are blanket treating for intestinal worms – a frequent problem here and also ringworm which is rife.

My job isn’t being helped as we have been issued with 20 sets of bunk beds for the dormitories as a number of boys share beds (doesn’t help the ringworm problem) and we have had a new intake from Showground of 14 orphaned boys so our numbers are increasing. Problem is that this little exercise is causing us to re organize the dormitories which means the lists that I produced last week and put on the walls are now defunct.

Until I get new lists I am unable to update my records and therefore am unable to do the ringworm drug chart as the treatment entails tablets twice a day for two weeks for 139 boys with an idiots guide tick box to make sure each boy has had his course of pills. Maybe will have to do it next week as it will take that long for the dorm parents to sort out who they have in their dorm and 5 more beds are expected……..

On Saturday I was asked by one of the boys to take home a small puppy that he had been given as it was unwell. My resources for attending to puppies and the like is running low – no it is actually now non existent even if it is for the boys here, I cant take any more animals to the vet at the moment. I took the puppy home expecting it not to make it as it appeared to show the same problems as the puppy that died. I have syringe fed it with water and glucose and tended to it. It has got weaker and weaker until it no longer got up and walked about for short bursts, instead just slept, I was expecting to get home yesterday and find it had passed on. Instead I walked in and heard wining and when I opened the door it came bounding up to me with its tail wagging. Bearing in mind it hadn’t eaten for three days this was not what I expected. I am now in a dilemma of what to do with the puppy, if I take it back to the project it will need vaccinations and the boys will struggle to maintain it, if I keep it, it will be another mouth to feed and will need to be vaccinated……I am thinking that Kim will be having puppies of her own in the not to distant future if the signs are correct……… ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I had hoped by now to be hosting volunteers but they are in very short supply at the moment, looks like I will have to find another means of making ends meet. Everyone here keeps telling me to start my own project as I am so dedicated to doing good but seriously I wouldn’t know where to start and where would the money come from????????? Good question I thought!

Other than my stinking headache I am doing Ok, things are frustrating me a little but I think that is due to having been under the weather. I still feel I am where I should be at the moment and the thought of coming home at the end of June, whilst being great to see the family, is a daunting prospect.

Hope everyone is doing well, and health wise are healthier than me. The weather here is still hot and very dry although I keep being told the rain is coming, it really isn’t. I keep waiting for the rain so I can plant my shamba, no good doing so without the rain just a waste of energy and seeds.

I was supposed to be back with the dentists tomorrow and Friday but think my headache is my bodies way of telling me I am not quite ‘fit’ and their working day is so long!

Love and hugs all round.

Dental hygienist, nurse, vet, sewing lady, general dogs body and all……

Susannah
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