The Hilux truck broke down yesterday on the doctor's drive to Namindaje for the zinc study. So early this morning I got up and drove one of the project's nine vehicles to pick up Ramsey and Vegas, one a Malawian and one a Mozambiq(an?), so they could tag team drive the vehicles back from the Catholic outpost near the Mozambique border. These guys have been driving trucks on the shabby back "roads" of Malawi for quite some time, and a couple jugs of water ought to keep the Hilux's temp down for the ride back tonight before some much needed service. So the zinc study pushes on, as the project continues the search for the elusive causation of kwashiorkor (no stritchers, turns out its not as easy as robbins wishes--studies on protein replacement have not corrected kwash...)
But the early of this morning doesn't compare to my Mon-Fri schedule. I wake everyday at 4:30, to be out the door by 5, to get the drivers by 5:30, to pick up the nurses by 6:15, to be at the sites by 7:30 or 8ish for the clinics. We run clinic--distributing therapeutic food and making referrals--til all mother's and children have been seen, usually somewhere between 10 and 2 PM. The long drive back to Blantyre, dropping all at their respective places of rest, and home by 6 or 7 (hopefully!!). And early to bed, early to rise, and we start it over... 15 sites in two weeks and the cycle begins again.
Yah-like surg rotation for a whole year! Except I don't get pimped every day on the location of tissue and structure madness, just peed on a whole lot holding kids scared out of their minds by the crazy 'muzungu.' You decide whats better: feeling dumb or looking dumb? I'm pretty sure you can't lose either way:>
Coming soon: Some background on project peanut butter would probably be helpful eh? Just as soon as I can!!
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