First Week
It has been a busy first week. God has been faithful to put patients before me that I know are from Him. There are many others as the word gets out that ENT is here. It is hard to walk through the hospital without getting stopped numerous times to discuss a Tenwek employees ENT issues or the problems of their family or someone in their tribe.
When we arrived Sunday afternoon first stop was to the new Eye Dental building. Here ENT has a clinic room to see patients and store equipment. The room had been taken over by garbage and animals. We spent several hours cleaning and putting together the room for clinic on Monday. Praise God the electrical equipment all works including the SMR unit, chair, and microscope.
We spent Monday in clinic screening patients for surgery. I am teaching 2 family practice residents and they are eager to learn and are hard workers. I am praying that God will work out who is to have surgery as the problems are massive. Many cancers advanced in staging. All coming for a cure, no one else has been able to help. In this culture the oldest son is responsible for the parents so often the sons are bringing in the elderly parents.
Tuesday early morning I was called to the OR for a young man who was assaulted with a machete causing a deep laceration in the front of the neck. The surgical residents were exploring the wound and noted that the voice box and airway had been injured. The injuries were all repairable and he is healing well on the ward. It never fails to impress me how the Lord brings these kinds of injuries in when there is the right specialist available!
I spent Wednesday removing a cancerous mass from this patient's salivary gland. Another surgeon had attempted to remove the tumor and it recurred quickly. We worked a big part of the day meticulously removing the tumor and sparing the nerve that moves the face. She did well and is home recovering now.
