November 12, 2010

I’m back from Afghanistan.  It is great to be with Sally and Henry.  Henry is a happy little guy, cruising around and looking for all things electronic to destroy.  Back at work, hernias, gallbladders, appys, lumps and bumps.  It is fun.  Getting my application together for vascular, endeavoring to be the oldest living fellow of all time. 

When I got back we took a trip up to New York for Henry’s Christening.  We also visited New Hope, saw the ‘rents in DE, went to Cape May, visited Princeton (class of ’32 for Henry??) and had a very nice time. 

Besdies that all is well.  I sent some moneyto Kilembe for the Christmas party this year,  Everyone there seems good.  At any rate, here are a few pictures….

Henry and me when I got back:

The house on Cherry Street

Here is one of Sally and Hnry greeting me in the airport:

JAX airport

And before the Christening.  My nephews Jack and Samuel are in the picture, as well as my brothr Chris

Henry's Christening

KMH Holiday Party

Here are some of pics of the KMH holiday some of my family and friends here in the states helped to fund.  These folks work hard and don’t get paid a lot, so they deserve some recognition and a party every now and then.  Here is a pic of Dr. Edward Wefula giving what I am sure was one of many speeches.  Looks like the bishop is taking a call. 

Dr. Wefula's speech at the KMH Christmas party

 Here is a pic of the chow line.  I think I see some Kilembe classics….Posho, Matoke, goat.   I must say, the cuisine grew on me.  I miss smoked Matoke.

Smoked Matoke anyone?

 No Ugandan party I went to was complete without Nile Special or Club beer induced dancing to the wee hours…

Tearing some rug at the KMH Christmas party

More old school pics of Kilembe…and some new pics too

Kilembe looking down the valley

I got some more old pics from Mr. John Nasmyth-Miller, one of the first police officers in Kilembe from the 1950′s.   They are really great so I thought that I would post them. The pic above is looking down into Kilembe’s valley.  The  pic below  is the end of the railhead from Kasese.  But there is no Kasese yet.  My word. 

 

Kasese roundabout in the rift valley 1957

 The pic below is some mineworks from the valley.

Kilembe Concentrator Plant

The pic below is also from the valley and it looks more or less the same today.

Kilembe's Valley

I got some pics from Dr. Edward from the hospital’s end of year party.  I’ll post them soon.

Old snaps of Kilembe

I recieved the nicest email from one of the first police officers in Kilembe.  He sent me some great pics from the 50′s.  Below is the Anglican church.

Kilembe Anglican Church

Dr. Baroda and wife, Kilembe mines physician

And above is one of the first docs who worked for the mines.  I’m guessing medical conditions weren’t that different.

Alot of the original buildings of the mines are still standing.  The houses below look pretty familiar.

Kilembe house from the 50's

The equator sign is the same one Sally and I took our picture at last year.

On the equator

More of the nice housing that is still standing.

Kilembe

Little One

Our little one arrived Jan 8th at 4pm.  Henry Joseph came into the world at 7lb 6oz.  He and Sally are doing great.

Whoa! Welcome the world Henry!

 

7 pounds 6 ounces

 

Henry Joseph

More Henry Joseph

Sally and Henry

I raised a little money for Kilembe for the holidays.  Two of my friends, Cecil Gouke and Mark Sottosanti, as well as my brother Tim, my mom and Grandmom (91 years old!) chipped in and we raised $1500.  It went for medical costs and to defray some of the cost of the holiday party at the hospital.

Besides that all is good.  Jacksonville is cold, and we have had a lot of visitors here for the new baby.  I miss Uganda some, but am getting ready for my next overseas mission, this time on Uncle Sam’s dime.  I’ll try and write some about that when I can.  There is another volunteer now at Kilembe from CMMB, Chrtisty Foster.  I have enjoyed reading her blog.  I also hear from Sr. Theresa and Dr. Wefula at the hospital.  They are doing well.  Likewise my friends from the Cobalt company are doing well.  They report they went to Ishasha again for New Years.  A beautiful blue moon, but no lions this time.

Baruku, or Moska?

Sally and I are back in the states.  Before we came back we went to Egypt, and it was grand.  We went out to the Sinai peninsula and hiked up Mt. Sinai in the middle of the night.  We went snorkling and scuba diving in the Red Sea and I got quite sick from Egyptian food.  We missed Barack Obama by a day.  We went to Aswan and Luxor, took a cruise on the Nile, saw the pyramids and the sphinx.  Really really fun. 

We are living in Jacksonville Florida now.  We both started new jobs, Sally as a nurse anesthetist and me as a general surgeon.  Actually right now I am waiting to do an appendectomy.  The practice here so far is pretty tame.  A lot of hernias, gallbladders, lipomas, and appendectomies.  No typhoid.  Also it is nice to have power, sutures, anesthesia other than ketamine, etc.  I really miss Uganda though. 

We are doing pretty well, settling in.  It is hot here, a lot hotter than Kilembe.  Funny because in Kilembe we were 20km from the equator.   It didn’t take long to adjust back to the U.S.   I’ve put a lot of weight back on.  Daily trips to Dairy Queen will do that to you.  We spent some time with Sally’s family in New York, and then drove down here.   We stopped at Kiawah Island in South Carolina on the way, and went to a wedding.   We got some good news too, we have a little one on the way.

The Rokonzo tribe in Kilembe have an unusual way of naming folks.  No one really has a last name, only a first name and then a birth order.  First born males are Baruku, first born females Moska.  I was very confused when I first arrived in Kilembe since there were so many named Baruku.  I caught on eventually.  At any rate our little one is due in January, so that makes him at least part Ugandan I’d venture.  We don’t know yet – Baruku or Moska.  I know this though, we heard the little heart beat with the doppler 2 weeks ago, and it was amazing.  We go for an ultrasound in 2 weeks, and I’ll try and post it.

I am planning to go back to Uganda.  It won’t be soon, maybe in a year, and only for a short visit.   I am going to bring a lot of medical supplies, and work there for a short while.   I am looking forward to it though.   

So that is it for now.

Best,

Joseph

May 16, 2009

Out to dinner with the docs and anesthesia officers

Here are some farewell pics from the week.  Above are the other Doctors and anesthesia officers who work at the hospital.  We went to dinner the night before I left.  Below is Sr. Theresa, who runs the hospital.  We went to dinner with her earlier in the week.

With Sr. Theresa at dinner

And a parting goodbye picture of Sally on a boda-boda motorcycle taxi going down the mountain.

Sally on a boda boda

Thanks to everyone for reading and for the support!  It was hard to leave, but I hope to come back, and will help from the U.S. as well.  Kilembe is a wonderful place and I am proud to have worked there.