Back home

Sorry guys, I got busy and sad and then in a whirlwind I was back in Berlin for 4 days, in Paris for 14hrs, then flying home. I arrived Monday at 11am, went home, ate, showered and *went to class*!!

I am exhausted. It's Thursday evening, I got back from class a little while ago and all I want to do is sleep. But I have to study. And my mom is still here. So I'm procrastinating and writing a blog post. Mom leaves tonight.

I only had 4 days of class, but I feel like I'm so ridiculously behind already. One of the profs definitely loves the Socratic method, and is pimping us hard. I also met the 1st gunner and wow, she's annoying.

I guess I better get my act together, or this semester is going to kick my butt!!!

I'll write more about Chad later, there are still many stories to tell. :) 

Leaving Chad

I'm sitting at the brand new, air-conditioned airport, remembering the 1st time I left Chad. The airport was little more than a hot and humid warehouse, with bad lighting and lots of mosquitoes. They had a turnstile gate-like thing, that you had to push and be pushed, to show your passport, pull your luggage and attempt not to lose a limb in the process. It was crazy.

Now it's organized, squeaky clean, with air conditioning which actually works. Today was 45°C and I was dying. Now I'm almost cold. *Almost.*

I'm sad to be leaving. Last time, I knew I was coming back, and even then, it was hard to leave. Now I know that I will probably *not* be coming back, or at the very least, not to Moundou. You see, Dr. Scott is leaving at the end of the month, moving to Sierra Leone. The hospital will be managed by a Chadian family practice doctor and a nurse/surgeon who will do the operations. No more western doctors or volunteers. If I do come back to Tchad, it will be to Bere, our sister hospital. But I'll feel like a guest there. It's not my hospital. It's not my African home.

Weird, I know. But I have too many memories at this hospital. Good and bad. Tragic and funny. Profound and silly.

I'm gonna miss Tchad, the hospital, the patients, and the people I worked with. I leave you with a few pictures of random moments.

Life in Chad.

The OR crew

Tite, our dressing changes expert!

We did a first-aid refresher course

Surgery w/ Dr. Scott

Suturing

Cute patients learning 

how to walk again

Riding a donkey

Football/soccer game

Hanging out under the mango trees

Patients with cute kids 1

Patients with cute kids 2

Amputations

Puzzle with peds patients