The Three Legged Race

Better day

2012-02-14T08:11:00.001-08:00

So today was still very hard on my leg, etc...but it was more organized anyway. We did ward rounds with the Consultant (attending physician) and determined who would be booked for the Operating Theatre for the next two days. It was interesting and obvious how disease and infection spread easily here as we saw 98 patients and the physician touched all of them and didn't wash his hands once. It was pretty awful, and he was the head teaching physician, great example guy.

After rounds we were done by noon. Saw 98 patients between 9:30 and noon? Crazy right? So we headed home for lunch and a little R&R, then off to downtown Blantyre for exchange of money and purchases of fabric for our hand made future clothes. Also, we stopped at the travel agency to book our weekend trip to lake Malawi for this weekend.

The hustle and bustle of the city was so interesting to see. Lots of tailors with their old pedal singer sewing machines on the sidewalk ready to make you a shirt. The smell of gasoline after each car drove by made my throat hurt and they put dye in their rubbing alcohol so people won't drink it (and go blind).

Now we are finished passing out the money and just chilling. The evening dinner is a large lot of us. I'm finally feeling sleepy so hopefully I will sleep tonight. Love you all!

Hardest day

2012-02-13T12:31:00.001-08:00

Today was really, really hard. I attempted the walk to the hospital and then had plenty of hours of standing and walking from here to there inside the spread out hospital campus. After being thrown into the mix, my friend Dana and I spent four or more hours in the men's surgical ward rounding on patients with the interns.

Our first patient of the day was the most exciting part of the day. He was a boy who was fishing on a river and got attacked by a crocodile! What a story. We definitely don't get those in the states. Don't worry, considering, he is actually healing pretty well and scheduled for a skin graft on Wednesday which I hope to see.

After that it was all down hill, we were rounding for 4.5 hours, hot and very dehydrating, I didn't bring enough for lunch and I still hadn't gotten any Kwatcha ($) exchanged so I couldn't buy anything for lunch. We were told before we broke for lunch to be back "after two" to help finish some stuff and that the registrar (British for resident) would meet us at 3:30pm to pull out some chest tubes. We stopped by at 2:15 and could find no sign of anyone, then came back at 3:10pm and as we walked into the ward hall, the intern walked out with chest tube and machine in hand. And I was like "you're finished" yup. "with all of them!?" yup "all three?!!??" yup. We had stayed around and missed the one cool part of the day. So with a FML attitude we began to walk home after a recent storm with more clouds looming. Luckily the rain was finished for the day and we made it home but I immediately had to take my leg off for the rest of the day. Everyone says the walk is 15-20 min. But I can't make it in less than 30.

So when we came home to no Internet, no power, we just met Yvette on the porch and griped about our days until we were clean out of complaining.

Then the lights came back on at 8pm and it was 1 hour after match results came out. So we all checked and I got my #3 choice of St. John's Providence. After a day of multiple defeats, this one was the straw that broke the camels back. Not that I won't get a good education there but it feels like a cold shoulder and like I didn't win the popularity contest.

Sorry no pictures today but I was just too tired. Like the mom on Bridesmaids says, if you've hit rock bottom, there is no way to go but up!

Malawi 1.0

2012-02-12T10:49:00.001-08:00

I finally made it to Blantyre, Malawi yesterday and was met at the airport by Dr. Taylor. How nice it is to have a familiar face in a foreign land bring you to there home and welcome you with Steak dinner, Maize bread and Mango crumble for dessert. I don't think I will go hungry here.

I arrived just in time to get the last bottom bunk, few. And there is an old tub in the bathroom so bathing won't be an issue!

The house here at the Blantyre Malaria Project is full of people. And Dr. Taylor knows many people around town, and they know her.

After waking up in the middle of the night I finally got back to sleep for a bit and it wasn't until closer to six that a duck qwacked outside sounding exactly like my alarm on my phone. So I was up.

We went to hike mombezi which is a mountain just outside of Blantyre. The city is surrounded by three beautiful mountains. I did not make it to the summit but I made it about 1/3 of the way up. About a 2.5 hour fairly technical hike. There were even two river (small one) crossings that I didn't fall in to. I was pretty proud that I did that and did not fall, but any more would have been too much.

The rest of the group went with a guide to the summit so I followed the fork in the road down by myself, not following proper boy scout protocol I'm sure. But I made it back okay. At one point the signs (painted rocks) said "Hyenas Quiet Hide." And since I wasn't with the guide I took this to mean that if I saw any I should be quiet and hide. So I picked up the pace a little, getting out of there as quickly and quietly as possible. I was saying in my brain "Carl would be so mad at me if I got eaten by a Hyena." so I got down the mountain and when all was said and done Dr Taylor came to pick us up. She informed me that the sign was indicating a "hide" for viewing the hyenas, with a similar meaning of a hunting blind, a noun not a verb. I had to laugh at myself for how I read the sign and my thoughts about it.

Then after showers and some rehydration we took the walk over to the hospital for the tour. On our way it started to drizzle a bit and out came a double rainbow. Yes, it was all the way across the sky. But our tired selves had left all cameras at home. Still, it must be a good omen. God's promise of things to come.

All in all a pretty good start to this crazy thing I'm doing here. And here are some photos: the house, a few of the trail and view and one of me asking myself "what have I gotten myself into"

Becoming the minority

2012-02-11T12:38:00.001-08:00

Traveling from Detroit to Amsterdam to Nairobi to Ethiopia to Malawi is a very interesting transition into the African continent. First the people around you have different accents and are speaking different languages. Then when I was in line for the flight to Nairobi the population became close to half white folks traveling to Africa and half black folks headed home or to see family. Then I was met at the airport by Ashford, who will lead my trip with Carl to Meru in March, and suddenly I was the only white person I could see. I am now on an Ethiopian Air flight and am definitely in the minority. It is very humbling. And one might think since I live in Detroit where the majority is African American that I would feel similar but when you go anywhere else in SE MI you will be mostly surrounded by white folks. The airport is mostly white in Detroit, the restaurants we frequent are pretty white, etc. But here it leaves you with a feeling of vulnerability that I wonder if that is what a black person in a mostly white world is feeling regularly, daily.

Speaking of vulnerability, part of my nerves of going on this trip were due to the recent violence in Africa, Kenya in particular being surrounded by Sudan and Somalia to the north. But one of my seat mates on my Nairobi flight was with a group headed into Sudan to work at an orphanage for a week. And I realized, the places on my itinerary are pretty tame in comparison. So if people are brave enough to go into those countries who have even more struggle, I can be brave enough to live in Malawi and travel to Kenya. Screw you state department warnings;)

I met a white woman from Connecticut while waiting in line for Visas at Nairobi. She had spent some of her years in Ann Arbor and commented on how people tell her she has more of a Midwestern personality. She said that she cried a lot when she first moved back to Connecticut because the people were like Ice. I'm glad we Midwesterners are a friendly folk, I think that has helped me meet many cool people along the way.

In Limbo

2012-02-09T20:42:00.001-08:00

Beginning two straight days of travel (almost three) is a daunting task...but as I walked to my departure gate I was met by reminders of a home I love. National Coney Island was right next to my gate and across the way was a Michigania store with all of my favorite Pure Detroit apparel, Zingermans coffee beans and other things that I love about home. The TSA guy was complimenting me on my I (*outline of Mi map) MI shirt. It is somehow easier to leave knowing I have a loving family and home that I love so much to come back to.

Another comforting factor is being surrounded by traveling veterans. They know how it's done, and it's nice to know that there are people making these trips every day. The man across the aisle from me was speaking Italian and the men in front of me are speaking in German. I overheard another woman's conversation about how her dad speaks fluent Swahili and she's been traveling there with him for years to work in outreach programs. And another feature of my trip so far that comforts me: for my first 7.5 hour flight, I get the whole seat to myself! How often does that happen??

And there's nothing like a little in flight complimentary wine to calm the nerves. So anyways, off I go to the wild blue yonder! I'll try to keep the blog talking regularly! Love you all!

A year of new things

2012-01-23T08:27:00.001-08:00

I just stumbled across a friend of mine's blog www.yearofnewthings.com and fell in love with the idea. Did you know that cities that rank highest on life satisfaction polls are ones that have plenty of opportunity for adult learning and new experiences. I think Detroit is a secret bastion of these types of experiences and so I'd like to join the new thing a week bandwagon.

A few things that might be on my list:
Do some street art/ mural painting
Sing a solo
Shoot a gun (at a target in a very controlled environment)
Live in Africa
Buy a house?
Go to Vegas/gamble a little bit
Try the paleo diet for a week
Be a doctor
Learn Spanish
Knit a sweater

I'm open to suggestions. And obviously not all of these can be accomplished in only one week. But I may try to do this. This week I think it's safe to use a med school requirement as my new thing.
I had never ridden in an ambulance until today. So far the day has been slow and we only transported one patient but I am doing something new and learning a new environment and perspective. Maybe if I say enough of the jinx worlds, like "slow" or "quiet day" then we will get more urgent calls. Until then it gave me the opportunity to write this blog from the back of an ambulance.

Hamsterdam

2012-01-19T04:03:00.001-08:00

I got an email from my mom today from Amsterdam. Sounds like the perks of being a premium member, or at least associating with one have lifted her spirits. Glad my mom has people all over the world!
I call it hamsterdam because of a moment with one of Carl's youth groups. The girl started saying "yeah, there is a place where they eat Gerbles, I think it's called ...hhhhamsterdam!". We couldn't help but burst out laughing! She was so sincere! Anyways, keep my mom in your thoughts and prayers as she makes her way to Kenya!

Kenya or Bust!

2012-01-18T16:39:00.001-08:00

Today I said goodbye to my mom as she took off for Africa. It is not very often you get to say "See you when we get to Africa Mom!" Carl and I will be rendezvousing with her there after the month and a half of my Malawi Surgery rotation. Well, her trip started off good, she got to go in the luxury Delta lounge because she ran into an old neighbor. She has a lot of people that love her in Kenya, so I have faith she will have fun and be well looked after. Meet you in Africa, Mom!

How Michigan was formed.

2012-01-12T18:18:00.001-08:00

Day/Night

2012-01-09T16:21:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Anna saw this shot down by Campus Martius and we just happened to be heading in and out from dinner at the right moments!

Kathy's Class List

2012-01-07T16:11:00.001-08:00

Kathy's sewing class list for Meru, Kenya. 10 days away!

Kathy's Class List

2012-01-07T16:08:00.001-08:00

Kathy's sewing class list for Meru, Kenya. Just 10 days away!

Jesus recycles in Detroit

2012-01-07T09:03:00.001-08:00

Anna as Ralphie as Bunny.

2011-12-27T10:59:00.001-08:00

Perils of cross stitch.

2011-12-26T18:53:00.001-08:00

p37.mov Watch on Posterous

Courtesy Bad Robot / Ghost Protocol cross marketing video iPhone app. The true meaning of Christmas.

Angry birds IRL

2011-12-22T22:00:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Had a great afternoon giving Casey and Sam their early Christmas gifts - matching sets of irl angry birds!

Messiah in Petoskey

2011-12-16T21:09:00.001-08:00

Realized tonight just how much of an ear worm Handel's Messiah is! Got to see Dad in the chorus with Carol and George and Sherry and Rick. Nice night bringing some beauty to this season which seems particularly dark this year. Mom would have loved this concert. - Carl

Rainbows in Detroit.

2011-12-15T08:32:00.001-08:00

Moose pretzel

2011-12-08T20:02:00.001-08:00

We realize that we only post about our dog. Our friends say that means its time to have kids...well, that will come soon enough (not that I am suggesting any current news).

Christmoose!

2011-12-08T07:51:00.001-08:00

I rode this. Because this is AMERICA!

2011-12-07T19:09:00.001-08:00

p112.mov Watch on Posterous

@acedeuceanna - Tree Hunter

2011-12-03T09:23:00.001-08:00

Nice day at the zoo.

2011-11-25T10:20:00.001-08:00

Monster Spoon Hanging w @haprock

2011-11-24T06:13:00.001-08:00

Anna...no Moose...no Anna

2011-11-20T19:11:00.001-08:00

Casey and Sam and Puss N Boots

2011-11-19T19:12:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Took the guys to see Puss N Boots last night - IN 3D! Mostly Casey watched and Sam found things to climb on until the important parts of the movie came on...the dance party parts! We had a great time and will have to make plans for more animated fun. Love ya guys!

2011-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Heading up Mt. Pisgah to place Letter Boxes.

Many of you may know that my mom, Terry Gladstone passed away last Sunday, November 6 due to a long fight with cancer. Even in the midst of these two years we had some wonderful moments - like taking the four-wheeler up into the hills around Lake Louise to provide prayer stations for campers and hikers.

Lately we've been spending time with Dad, taking walks, and remembering my mom in every meal we eat and story we tell. Today, we even thought about putting together a little dictionary of Terry-isms. So here it is:

Fluffanated - when a dog destroys a chew toy, ripping it's stuffing out.

Kee-hoo - "Here Copper!" (to be used on walks to avoid dogs being near the main road)

'Puter - Computer

Japanese Pancakes - German pancakes

Murphy's Spaghetti - spaghetti made by Susan Murray who had no idea she was making "Murphy's Spaghetti"

BORK! - either "I'm in danger while in the woods or on a canoe trip" or "Pay attention to me because I'm the dean of this camp!"

Hold Your Licker - do not lick either me or that pillow anymore (usually in reference to a dog)

Stanley Thomas Picklebutt Niles - Uncle Tom

More to come as we think of them. We miss you Mom.

Carl

Moose as Thriller zombie

2011-11-01T18:52:00.001-07:00

We had more fun at Moose's expense the other night. He's a good guy for putting up with us.

Recapturing the 80s/90s one line shaved into my head and two shoulderpads in Anna's jacket at a time.

2011-10-30T07:22:00.001-07:00

In another life when we are...

2011-10-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

Goodnight TC

2011-10-21T18:50:00.001-07:00

Dear traverse city,
Thanks for the great month. It was really nice of you to have two and a half weeks of summer weather while we were here...it made staying in the airstream that much more fun. But the rain was nice to listen to on our "tin" roof, too.
Thanks for having so many things to do and beautiful places to see. Thanks for housing our friends Jason and Becky who are pretty awesome. And thanks for being on the bay and right next the two beautiful penninsulas! Lots of great photo ops.
Thanks for being home to Carol, George and Jaden, Sarah and Owen...it was really nice to see them so much!
Oh and thanks for the great view from the top floor of the hospital. Makes it easier to be inside all day.
And thanks for great eats and drinks like TC pie co, Higher Grounds, Slabtown and Dish.
Oh! And for all the produce stands everywhere. Awesome.
Thanks for the awesome program faculty who were so nice and made me feel really liked and appreciated. and thanks for getting me thru my first interview!
Thanks for good Michigan grown musicians!
And I'm sure I'm forgetting some things but thanks for the sunsets.

Thanks for a great month,
Anna

- Posted using BlogPress from my Phone

Haunted Cass

2011-10-13T23:15:00.001-07:00

Stopped by the office and got my annual surprise - finding the church getting all dressed up for Halloween!

Trading places

2011-10-13T18:50:00.001-07:00

So tonight, as Carl went home to Detroit for one night, my mom drove up with Moose in tow. It has been nearly three weeks since I'd seen my beloved pup and for a minute there he didn't even realize it was me...but when he did he stood up to give me a gigantic hug (the best he knows how) and made me feel loved.

When we came back to the trailer he didn't take long before he found his spot. I guess home is where the humans are...at least for Moose.

- Posted using BlogPress from my Phone

Location:U.S. 31,Traverse City,United States

2 - 0

2011-10-12T20:12:00.001-07:00

Watermelon Bombs w David Gladstone

2011-10-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Had a nice visit with Mom and Dad at the cottage this past weekend. It was nice to see them spending this important time together. My mom continues to benefit from the comfort of that place - even amidst her continued struggle against cancer.

But the evening also gave us an opportunity to participate in another round of one of our favorite family traditions...throwing leftovers at trees! Check it out!

Morning commute.

2011-10-12T05:04:00.001-07:00

State of Theater

2011-10-10T15:29:00.001-07:00

Back and Forth

2011-09-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll take a shot at bloggerating. Spending time in TC has been pretty cool. It's a bit of a break from our usual Detroit State of Mind - just enough I found out yesterday to really appreciate both places. While travelling South to spend some time with the Wayne State Catalyst cats, I had a cool "welcome home" moment when the Ren Cen finally appeared on the skyline. But then, later that night, heading back to the trailer, I had another moment of "this weekend, with it's music and trips to the shore and etc, will be fun!"

Anywho, we keep making these silly videos. So here's another.

TC day 3, wsg SUN!

2011-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

So after two days of raining and a weather forecast of rain all week, the sun decided to peak its head out at us today. So we walked over to the edge of Silver Lake here in TC and watched a water skier do slalom. Very impressive. We realized though that our videos are not that interesting...or just that we don't have that much to say. But we'll keep it up. I got to see lots of newborns today which is always fun.

TC day 2, wsg RAIN

2011-09-26T17:53:00.001-07:00

Day 2 and Annie has already claimed the mayorship of holiday RV park! Wahoo! And the rain is pretty unrelenting which makes leaving the building to pee and shower less appealing but we are adventurers and willing to "rough it" just a little. But with Carol and George's hospitality this is hardly roughing it! But Anna's hippie doctor was right, going back to conventional medicine is hard! I just hope I can make them like me enough to hire me..,if I so choose.

- Posted using BlogPress from my Phone

Location:U.S. 31,Traverse City,United States

TC day 1, airstream move in

2011-09-26T17:44:00.001-07:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my Phone

Anna checks for the Internet - in 1972.

2011-09-26T17:34:00.001-07:00

The Three Legged Race

Better day

Hardest day

Malawi 1.0

Becoming the minority

In Limbo

A year of new things

Hamsterdam

Kenya or Bust!

How Michigan was formed.

Day/Night

Kathy's Class List

Kathy's Class List

Jesus recycles in Detroit

Anna as Ralphie as Bunny.

Perils of cross stitch.

Angry birds IRL

Messiah in Petoskey

Rainbows in Detroit.

Moose pretzel

Christmoose!

I rode this. Because this is AMERICA!

@acedeuceanna - Tree Hunter

Nice day at the zoo.

Monster Spoon Hanging w @haprock

Anna...no Moose...no Anna

Casey and Sam and Puss N Boots

Moose as Thriller zombie

Recapturing the 80s/90s one line shaved into my head and two shoulderpads in Anna's jacket at a time.

In another life when we are...

Goodnight TC

Haunted Cass

Trading places

2 - 0

Watermelon Bombs w David Gladstone

Morning commute.

State of Theater

Back and Forth

TC day 3, wsg SUN!

TC day 2, wsg RAIN

TC day 1, airstream move in

Anna checks for the Internet - in 1972.

Airstream 8-track. And it works.

Weekend getaway

Planting our four year anniversary flowers.

Ten things to know before becoming an Amputee

10 things you should know before going to medical school

City Tax

Fireworks from the RenCen

Jersey Shore: Gladstone Edition

Aging

Rafety Rirst!

Detroit, WHAT?

Sam and Casey turn 8!

Detroit All-Stars

Greeeeeen + Awesome

Awesome Spring Picnic

The Full Monty

Babooshka Moose

DSO and Car trouble

Music Filled Weekend!!!

Abolitionizer Friends

Lenten Practices

Project Do things you've been meaning to do for years

And done!

Project Simplify: Piles on coffee table

Marche du Nain Rouge

Let's All Seize the Day! (starring Moose)

Hello blog!

Anna's new running leg.

Med School Mountain

Jeff doing "The Unhappy Meal"

Moose's Chariot.

Best Christmas Wish List

Funny

Panda likes to Chat

New sister for Meg and Pan

Carl The Lion

Whoa! Somebody's not happy stuck in the picture-in-picture!

Biking around Belle Isle