Dear Ones who care about Tanzani

First of all, things are going along fabulously here at Nyakato. The RAM (Remote Area Medical) came from May 5th to May 19th and saw over 2000 patients. The only pictures I took were with the regular camera, but I'll include digital ones as soon as I receive them.

Because they could only see about 150-200 patients a day (only), they passed out numbers each morning. The patients came earlier and earlier, 6:00 A.M., then 5:00 A.M., and then 3:00 A.M., and then camping out all night.

The team leader was Jean Jolly and she is an organizational whiz. The team consisted of people who have made many, many medical mission trips, to Central and South America, and a few who have been to Africa before, as well as people just "jumping on the band wagon" of mission medicine. They were a dynamic, powerfully motivated group who did fantastic work. Dr. John Scanlon saw 70 to 120 eye patients a day and went through all 2000 pairs of donated glasses from the Lions Club of Winona, Minnesota. He also screened for future eye teams, finding 55 people with bilateral cataracts who will be operated on by Bob Brown's team in January of 2008. Dr. Scanlon also identified 9 children with congenital cataracts who will receive surgery at Seko-Toure hospital by a pediatric ophthalmologist from the U.K. who now lives in Dar es Salaam and will come up to Mwanza one week every 4 months to operate on these children and safe them from a life of blindness.

Dr. James Shipley from Canada (and brought his daughter along to help and help she DID), saw patients from early, early morning until dark. Our regular staff at Nyakato Health Center worked long, long extra hours to accommodate the large crowds. Wayne Smith, M.D. and his wife Kristina who is a Family Practice Nurse Practitioner saw hundreds of patients and Dr. Jennifer Hanan, OB/GYN worked dawn to dusk, too. Judy Stoops, R.N., Wendy Hand, PA-C and Sara Squires PA-C did triage and treatment, and Dick Stoops did crowd control to keep the front desk free from bottlenecks and to keep people from panicking when they were afraid they might not be seen. Sally Lundy was Dr. Scanlon's right hand while he did all those eye exams. WHAT a team. My friend Laurene Greist, a psychologist, came after the RAM team had arrived and fit right into the group doing blood pressures and vital signs as soon as the patients were "through the door."

Our wonderful Mayo medical student, Katie Hecksel, did her final rotation before returning to Rochester to graduate as an M.D. She blended to beautifully into our staff for the month she was here, it was impossible to think of her leaving. Sadly missed. Katie also worked some days at Hindu Union Hospital with Dr. Arvind Kochar. We really appreciate the local hospitals who open their arms to our visiting medical students, residents, and fellows. It gives each student an opportunity to see and learn what medical care is here in Tanzania at several differing levels.

My friend Dodi Silver came from Chicago. Unfortunately, one of her plane connections was 9 1/2 hrs. late and Dodi, who was taking Malarone, which must be taken every 24 hours, delayed one dose for 8 hours and came down with malaria and was very ill. She recovered nicely with Coartem, the malaria medication we use here, but it was a rough trip for her for awhile. Katie, Dodi, and I made a trip to Arusha to get meds and supplies, so they got to see the animals in the Serengeti and at Ngorongoro Crater.

John and Catherine Nosek, professors from Winona State University brought out a team of 18 students (17 girls and one guy) who worked like busy, busy bees and painted the whole inside of the health center. They ALMOST got done, but did enough that we can have a team of Tanzanians finish up what they almost completed. These young people came with devotion to service and willingness to work. Having a clean, painted, professional looking environment makes the health center stand out as a professional place where quality health care is given. It helps the patients feel confident as soon as they come onto the premises. Thank you students. Your gift means a great deal to all of us.

The house next door came open for occupancy, so we've been re-modeling it. We have now moved into it but there is not enough furniture, so we have lots, and lots of things just in piles on the floor. Little by little........

Denny got sick. He had malaria, typhoid, and a kidney stone all at the same time. He was very, very ill. But, with medication he improved, the kidney stone passed, and he got over the malaria and typhoid. However, the following week he came down with pertussis (whooping cough) which is a growing problem for the elderly whose life-time immunity from childhood immunizations have exceeded the time of protection. After getting past all this things, Denny still had a pain in his back/side so we went for an x-ray at which appeared to show a bilobular abscess on his spine, indicative of tuberculosis of the spine. We went for a CT scan at Bugando Hospital and the head of radiology said it was "highly suggestive of TB of the spine." So, amidst all that was going on, the RAM team working like fiends, and the delivery of the container from Ft. Wayne, Indiana with the building materials for the infectious disease ward, Denny persevered. However, he was quite weak and light-headed.

We headed for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, a long trip when one is well. Endless when you're sick and in pain. Den was admitted to the E.R. and observed over night and given IVs. His clinic appointments began the following morning and an MRI revealed that though the x-ray and CT scan could understandably been read as they were, it was a misdiagnosis. There was no abscess. He has 2 crushed vertebrae from our roads out here and having osteoporosis. He has 3 bulging discs causing pains in the leg, knee, foot, ankle, depending on which nerve is being impinged. But no TB. None. (Whew!)

So, Den is doing the exercises recommended by the physical therapist at Mayo and feeling stronger every day. Meanwhile, he's wearing two of those black elastic weight-lifter's belts to help stabilize his spine. He was light-headed and dizzy because with the 20 pound weight loss - in 6 weeks - from being so ill, his blood pressure medicine was over-doing its job and his blood pressure was going too low. The medication was adjusted.

So, we came home to Mwanza and arrived just 2 weeks after we left. The RAM team had gone, but more visitors and volunteers have come. Jean Marconet and Darlene Voeltz are here teaching about solar cookers and working with the women's projects and gifted us with treated bed-nets for the health center and hostel.

We have 3 University of North Carolina med students here, Brandon Mitchel, Nick Potisek, and Gabriel Cade and his wife, Sarah McDowel who is a teacher and artist and will be working with the elementary school.

Both sets of our books, US and Tanzania are being audited. Leslie just came in with the news that our Tanzanian audit passed with flying colors; every receipt, every expenditure, every donation, grant, etc. fully noted and accounted for. Whoopee! Now we can apply for some other larger grants. Our U.S. audit is ongoing but there, too, we expect to pass easily. However, the majority of our income is from small private donations like yours. Without that support, this work would just not be possible. Thank you Leslie for keeping such good books. Thank you to each of you for your dedication to IHP and to the people we serve here in Tanzania.

Denny and I will be returning to the U.S. on Oct. 1st for only three months. We are looking for speaking opportunities in Iowa and Minnesota all during October. In November we will be heading south, speaking in Atlanta, GA on Nov. 18th. Other than that, we are open. So, in November we'd like speaking dates in Arkansas, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, etc. Same for December. We will have pictures of progress and plans for future needs.

Our prayers were answered. Den is well and getting stronger every day. He's certainly getting things done! We start the footings for the infectious disease ward tomorrow. Now Mary Ellen's husband, Peter is in the hospital very ill with a penetrating ulcer. However, the bleeding has stopped and he's doing much better. Keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers, please. Your prayerful support is so appreciated. Your gifts to us for support and for our work are so appreciated. It takes all of us........

Yesterday we officially took over the management of the hostel between our houses and the health center. We'll call it Maua Hostel and Restaurant. Maua means flower and the grounds are beautiful. The hostel needs a lot of help, i.e. new mattresses, plumbing repair, hot water, paint, paint, paint, etc. The kitchen needs updating, but we've got a wonderful woman from Dar es Salaam who experienced in catering coming up to manage the project. Another wonderful Tanzanian woman named Jane is going to put in the gift shop. She hires street girls and teaches them crafts so they'll have another way to support themselves, then we'll sell their items in the shop. It's a win, win, win for everyone. And for you, too, when your team comes to volunteer.