A frustrating day..........

It was back to the lab today. Mondays and Tuesdays are the busy days for histology. There were a lot of specimens for Gaspard to process. I worked on re-organizing the histo lab for a more smoother work flow. Irenee worked on doing spreadsheets for the training of the other techs that will be learning how to do histology over here.

There are some things that I still need/want to get done before I leave here on Friday. I was hoping when I got to the lab this morning that I would have answers to emails about lab issues and questions that I had sent at the end of last week. It was not until I called Bill, and woke him up, that I was reminded that it was Memorial Day today. So the emails I needed answers to, I would not be getting!! Anybody who knows me, when it comes to my work, I can get easily frustrated when things don't go the way I would like them to. Today it was one of those days!! The time difference plays a big part here. When I am starting the day, all of you are in REM sleep mode!! By the time my day is ending, yours is just beginning. I was told that things can go slow here, and now I see that! For me....that spells frustration!!! But I will move forward with what I can do for the remainder of my time here.

So I did a lot of research on the Internet to hopefully find the answers that I needed. I did find some answers, but I could go no further without some more help from my contacts back home. I take my work seriously, these are patient lives that I am dealing with. They are real people, not lab rats!! I do not want to jeopardize specimen quality. 

One thing that I want to do when I get home is to try to organize some sort of donation to the lab and to the 2 wonderful young men that I have been working with. Irenee and Gaspard do not make a lot of money. Irenee is married and has twin boys that are two years old. He rents a house near the hospital, I saw it from the road below.It looks very tiny and I am sure it is not like ours. Most houses have dirt floors, limited electricity. I would like to get things for his children....clothes, shoes, toys, etc. I know they would appreciate anything they were given.

Gaspard lives about an hour and a half away from here. He rents a room and goes home on Fridays to be with his family for the weekend. He is married and has a 4 year old. He was telling me that Kevin will start school next year. I would also like to take care of him with school supplies, clothes,shoes,etc.

They only get paid once a month........

The hospital was started by foundations, grants and contributions. There are the crazy little things that are needed here. It is not like our hospitals where we can put an order in and receive them.I have started a list of the things that they need and could use. 

It is crazy,to me, but no one has cars here!! They can't afford them, so they either walk or take crowded buses. But as I've been told, it is free to walk, money to take a bus....

If anyone who is reading this would like to help,in any way,please contact me at pjviens@gmail.com

At lunch, I did not eat much as I had a headache that was making me sick to my stomach. I told Gaspard I needed to come home and rest, I was of no value to anyone or myself.

It was probably the best thing I did. I slept for about two hours which settled my stomach and got rid of the pounding headache.

I started to get some things packed and put away. I will be leaving here in 4 days.

When I return to Kigali on Friday night, I will be staying back at the PIH house where this adventure began. On Saturday I plan to visit the Genocide museum. From everyone I have talked to, they have told me to make sure and go. The tragic event is set very deep into the people that live here. I watched the movie Hotel Rwanda on the plane....it is a heart wrenching movie.....watch it someday!!

I will also be doing some craft shopping after the museum. I have seen some of the work that the people of Rwanda do, and it is beautiful, so I am looking forward to spending time shopping!!! 

Well it is time for me to go to bed.....it was an uneasy day and I look forward tomorrow being much better.

Thanks for following....

Love to you all! <3