Rest...

First week back has been great.  While being here certainly can be just as, if not more, taxing and draining than back in the states, there is a degree of serenity for me as I move into the weekend.  Friday was rather light and I only did 2 procedures-both below knee amputations, one being a revision.  Dr. Muvu scrubbed in with me for the first time this week and it was good being back in the OR with him.  We work well together and are both open to learn from each other in our own ways.  I had my laptop with me and I was able to show him some of the complex cases from New York that he was interested in and we discussed patients together.  He expressed interest in visiting to which I extended an open invitation.  We chatted about a lot of things including how things were around here during the Ebola outbreak a couple of years ago.  He told me that the entire hospital shut down for approximately 2-3 months during that time and thousands of people died who didn't even have the virus.  Many died of other causes (heart attacks, trauma, cholera, or other ailments) simply because they couldn't get any treatment secondary to the hospital closure-sounds like it was a chaotic time.  The overall death toll reported he said was not all secondary to ebola, but inclusive of all etiologies.  Pretty interesting fact.

Almost every car & truck was packed like this.

Barracuda is actually a tasty fish!

I was done by early afternoon and got back to hotel with the plan to ensconce myself in my room over the course of the coming weekend-at least Friday and Saturday-with the incumbent election processions.  Tuesday is election day and all of the candidates for President (over 20!) will be rallying in the streets.  I was advised to lay low and avoid going out into the streets which I had no problem with-I was able rest Friday and today.  As I sat in the cafe looking out of the window across the street there were so many people up and down the streets-cars and trucks teeming with supporters of the different parties.  I haven't received any calls about any major traumas so it appears that things have remained relatively civil.  Will see what the ER looks like on Monday, but I'm hopeful it stays that way.

I spent most of the day resting and talking with the hotel owner who seems to be a very nice Lebanese gentleman who's been in Liberia for 36 years.  It's pretty cool to hear him speaking Liberian English to the workers here!  He offered me barracuda for dinner which was amazing.  Sunday I have plans to attend church with Lydia and a luncheon with her brother and friends-looking forward to having some good Liberian soul food!  Glad to have some down time and recharge for next week...