Grandma Judy ReCap

Overdue Journal Ramblings ... the pace of life has picked up and I have been remiss in my communications.

Wednesday 14^th … The round robin mode of teaching started today. It is still a challenge to get the children to follow directions, but much more manageable this way.

I took baby M this afternoon so Julianna could take a nap. M wants to eat every hour or two all day and night. She has no sucking reflex, so must be fed with a spoon. Julianna has 4 other little ones to manage at night … not an easy task.

I have developed quite an infection in what started as a heat rash (perhaps complicated by bug bites). My wrist is inflamed; the children keep touching it; and now I am covering it with gauze pads held in place with an Ace bandage (tape sticks to my skin only a few minutes with all the moisture).

Thursday 15^th …Went with Nurse Debby to a clinic around the corner. We took two of the numerous kids who have a rash. We also wanted him to look at my wrist. He prescribed an ointment for the children and an anti-biotic cream for me. He said to leave the area open to air; stop doing hot compresses; use the new cream. Romana is very irritated that I am leaving my infection exposed and I must stay away from all children unless I cover the area. The BH rule is that all breaks in the skin must be covered due to the number of immune compromised children here.

Friday 16^th … I went with Sarah (lead volunteer) and a little one to the public health department of the police hospital for a follow-up visit. We picked up lab results then sat in a hot, crowded hallway for an hour before seeing the doctor for 5 minutes. The child is fairly new to BH and tested HIV positive. Our task was to pick up a second test to see the what-ever count which would determine whether the child would start treatment at this time. The count is high so no treatment as yet. All HIV positive persons must register with the Public Health Department. The child will see the regular pediatrician next week if he (the doctor) is able to return from his trip abroad. The volcanic ash over Europe has really put a cramp on travel to and from Africa.

Julianna, one of the baby house mothers, came to me with a problem. She described what she does during the night with the children … change diapers of a child with diarrhea, give a drink to a healthy toddler, change the diaper of a very sick infant, etc. Communication is not easy, but she finally got across the concern of needing to wash hands between each child. The water is located outside the building. We came up with a solution of purchasing two small buckets and a soap dish so that she can put together a wash station each night.

Saturday 17^th … Rachel and I went to the Madina Market with Vero and Faustina. WOW!!! What an experience. See Rachel’s colorful description on the blog site www.monica-daileydozen.blogspot.com

We were able to find the tables and stools, buckets and wash pan needed to help organize the baby house washing and sanitation process. We will use some of the things while we are here.

Rachel started sun bathing baby M’s little bottom. It is the worst diaper rash I have ever seen.

Sunday 18^th … Went to church with Romana in an air conditioned conference hall. It was a much quieter, more western type service.

Bought an oval tub to bathe baby M in and a container for the laundry powder. I am so glad we have undesignated donated funds so that we can immediately fill some of the many needs we are encountering.

Monday 19^th … Sorted the meds, etc. into 3 boxes … BH, Mamma Laddie, and the Presbyterian Clinic (the latter two up north). I have already given Nurse Debby some of the meds.

Tuesday 20^th … Left BH at 6:45a to go with Romana and Gabriel to the US Embassy to get his exit visa. I had been warned not to bring food and that water must be left at the security station. Also my purse must be airport screening ready, which it was. First they found my USB drive, then my pen light. Are those tiny objects really capable of blowing the place up???

I took some games for Gabriel to play while we waited … and waited … and waited… over 3 hours. Romana said it would take almost as much waiting just to pick up the visa on Friday. I can almost see the wait to process the paperwork on the initial day, but the long wait to just pick it up is absurd. I’m glad I went once, but certainly it is not worth going again.

We spent the evening at Doctor Julia’s place, with Rachel practicing on a good piano until the power went out. Rachel’s fingers were delighted at running over the excellently tuned keys. The piano at BH is out of tune and there are about 5 keys that are dead. We hope to go to Dr. J’s every Tuesday.

Wednesday 21^st … Worked with Julianna to bathe baby M’s bottom with soap and water after every poop. This is a hard concept for someone coming a few weeks ago from the north where she didn’t have clean water, very little soap, and had never seen gloves.

We went home with Nurse Debby at 2:30 and came back to BH with her the next morning. She spends three days a week as a volunteer … something well appreciated by the BH staff. The visit with Debby, husband Ron, and the friendly folks in their complex was great. There are people from Australia, Romania, South Africa, Bangladesh, Japan, and others that I can’t remember. A very friendly, supportive group. Rachel and I very much enjoyed swimming in the pool and taking a real shower with running hot water.

Thursday 22^nd … My infected wrist has completely healed, so I am doing the baby M sun bath. Her rash is improving, but still very angry looking. I continue having a hard time getting Julianna to wash her bottom with soap and water every time she poops, which is frequently.

We are now using a syringe to feed baby M rather than a spoon. The hope is that she might start using her tongue and develop a sucking reflex.

Rachel and I went with Romana and Bernard to see the new property. There are plans in the works to build a suitable set of buildings in an area that is out in the countryside. It will be very nice and a bit cooler than in town. There remains just the task of raising some more money to add to the existing account before construction can start.

On the way back to town, we stopped at a bead making industry headed by a woman. They acquire used glass bottles, crush them, melt the crushed glass in molds to form beads, then paint as appropriate and string them for sale. Rachel and I both bought quite a few bulk strings so that we can restring them into necklaces and bracelets to use as fundraisers this winter.

We are wrestling with the details of the trip north. Rachel doesn’t like talking about it because she really wishes we had not committed to going. She does want to meet Lydia’s grandmother, but she gets car sick and it is a very long day’s journey.

Friday 23^rd … At ten this morning Dave B and his son Tanner arrived from the Pacific Northwest to pick up Gabriel. He has been so ready to go home to American. He has been looking up at every plane he sees and wonders if his Daddy is on it. This is the icing on the cake … to see a child and his/her family unite and bond.

Julianna greeted me this morning with “I washed baby M’s bottom twice last night and it is looking much better.” YES !!!

Rachel and I brainstormed what we would like to do with the donated money. We thought of some large and some small items. We will talk about some of our ideas with Romana. Her input is valued, but the final decision will be ours.

Saturday 24^th … Rachel and I made a list of pros and cons for taking the bus north or hiring a car and driver. We finally realized that in spite of the cost, the bottom line for both of us is that most likely the bus would be so crowded we would both be absolutely miserable for the 14-17 hour trip, plus have to hire a car and driver once we get to the north anyway. The car and driver won the debate. Nurse Debby will go up with us and we are delighted.

We went with Romana to a craft fair; it was fun and we saw some interesting things, but are waiting to make most of our purchases in the north. It rained in sheets on the way home. We got soaked running from the car to the baby house where we live. Wet clothes feel rather nice due to the heat.

Romana took me to task for coming up to her apartment to get drinking water. She asked if there wasn’t water downstairs in the kitchen’s filtering system. There wasn’t … the filter container was dripping, but not enough water in the reservoir to fill my water bottle. I asked the price of a filter system … 25 Ghana Cedis (about $20). I quickly consulted with Rachel and we asked Romana to arrange for the purchase. Again thanks to all who donated money for us to bring.

Sunday 25^th … It is a beautiful day … blues skies with fluffy white clouds.

Went to church with Romana. This church is inter- or non– denominational, but follows the Wesleyan tradition and is held in a Methodist owned building. We picked up the new water filter system (it is a Methodist project). It will take a couple of days to season the clay filter, but by midweek we should have a more adequate supply of drinking water. The person in charge of the water project says each system is supposed to supply only 10 people … not the 45-50 people who draw from the system in place in the kitchen. No wonder I had to go upstairs to Romana’s area to get drinking water most of the time. None the less, I am making it one of my projects to frequently check the level of the water in the clay filter; it operates more efficiently when it is full.

Monday 26^th … My projects for today are:

1. Sunbathe baby M
2. Do our washing
3. Continue checking the water filter systems; the new one is being seasoned
4. Type this journal rambling
5. Teach the kids for the round robin
6. Sort the boxes of clothes, sheets, towels, etc. for each of the children in the baby house, updating so that each box has an appropriate number of things that fit the child

The first four are underway. It is time for the 5^th. We shall see how far into the sixth I get today. Several hours later, I can finally send this after a power outage.

We will leave Thursday morning very early for the north.

Hope things are well with you all.

Judy