New Pictures

Hello MOM. (who has been requesting a photo update for weeks now)

Finally I have new pictures on my Flicker Page. 

Click on the Photos below to look at more from the particular event 

Check it out

Love YOU!

Dental Team working at the Refugee Camp last month.

80's Dance Party on Deck 8 a few weeks ago.

A weekend Hiking in Togo (last month)

Sunday night we went to an African Carnival... It was GREAT FUN!

Friday's Patient Pick.. a day early.

Friday's Patient Pick is coming to you a day early... due to tomorrow being a ship HOLIDAY and us not having to work and me being away relaxing at the beach. 

So today my patient pick was a sassy little independent 7 year old. 

Meet Fermande.

Femande walked into the reception room with such confidence and as Florent the translator started to ask her mother the questions on the health history form she piped up and started answering them before her mother. She then continued on to answer for her mother as she too was going through registration. After both health histories were completed she carried her attitude into the clinic jump up into the chair no worries and did not shed one tear during her treatment. 

Now that is an independent strong 7 year old. 

 

Patient Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Today I was able to get my hands dirty and get back to my first love dental hygiene. After I finished one particular patient today who was on a dirty scale of 1-10 about an 8, I was reminded of why I like doing hygiene cleanings in West Africa or for that matter anywhere. After about a 40 min session with me the patient was transformed into a new man, and he knew it. He asked for the mirror and as I watch the reaction on his face I knew he was satisfied. It was a priceless response. He left with the biggest smile on his face as he repeatedly voiced his gratitude towards my efforts in making him a new and improved man. 

To me that was enough, that in its self was worth more than a months pay. However a few hours later the same man showed back up at the clinic. This time in a new shirt and a huge bag of pineapples, and oranges still with the same smile he left with. He said he just wanted to give me a little something to show his appreciation and that he felt wonderful. 

This is just another example of why we do what we do here. 

Friday's Patient Pick!

I thought I would start posting pics of my favorite patient of the day on Fridays. Just to mix it up and bring something new to the blog.

So today's Friday Patient Pick is...drum roll please........... Momma Clarisse.

I just loved her sweet and innocent attitude that was accompanied by her very fashionable look. 

For a 67 year old she has it going on !.!.! 

Fall/Autumn Time in Cabin 4343.

With my decorations from last year and new additions that my roommate Laura received in the mail tonight we gave our little window that gives us a glimpse to the outside world a fall makeover. 

With all the leaves and the smell of apple cider room fragrance that has now filled our cabin, my second fall away from home is going much better than last year. Either that or I have just forgotten what it is like to be at home during my most favorable season of all. I think I will go with the first possibility. 

Regardless of how many fall seasons I spend away from home, I don't think I will ever forget what it feels like to have a nice run on a crisp cool Autumn day.. with the sounds of the leafs crackling as you pass over them, or the colors that fall from the sky that range from every color on the color wheel, or the fresh breeze that fills your house and makes you just a little bit chilled, or the pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks with a good book. The moments that remind me of fall at home could fill this page if I really tried, but I suppose there is no use in torturing myself any longer. Tomorrow morning when I am running the streets of Cotonou and sweating like a crazy person I will just have to image being at home on the leaf covered trails all along thanking God for sending me here for the season of my life. 

P.S. Mom I still have the waxed leaves you sent me last year.... and yes they are out.:) 

Vi Savner Deg FrØken Emily!

We sure do miss you Ms. Emily!

They asked me if you were married yet? HAHA.

Meet Jugo.

On the first day of clinic back in February, I meet Jugo and her mother Joyce. They were sandwiched between hundreds of other people that were hoping for the mere possibility of maybe getting their sickness healed. I must admit that I was so overwhelmed that day and nervous not knowing what to do, or who we could help, or even how I was to go about getting them help. However when I came to Jugo and her mom the first thing Joyce said to me was please do you speak English. That was enough in itself to make me smile. She then explained to me that her daughter had a hole in her mouth... I looked and immediately knew that she needed a cleft palate surgery and that we could help her. Jugo and her mom spent all day at the clinic while I attempted to get in touch with the ship. Finally I had good news they could go to the ship for a screening appointment. The next day Jugo and her mom came back and when they walked in the gate to the clinic Joyce was waving a green surgery appointment card... and was yelling we have an appointment we have an appointment for surgery. 

A few weeks ago Jugo had cleft palate surgery and I was lucky enough to be able to go and visit them several times while she recovered. Joyce was always by her side. One night I peaked in on them and Joyce was sleeping and Jugo was just sitting in her bed looking around. On the day she left Joyce thanked me for helping them and then said how Jugo will always be able to testify to others what God has done for her and that she too will also be able to stand in her church on Sunday and give God Thanksgiving. 

I am sure you will be seeing more of this family, I have been invited to attend church with them and then visit the house afterwards. Sounds like a plan. 

At Jugo's 2 week check up. They dressed up so we could take this photo. They even brought big sister with them....  I love the hair.

Desperation Stories Part II

Early last week I wrote a post on a lady who was so desperate to get a denture replacement that she used an alias name in hopes that I would not notice and she would receive a free denture. Well if you read the post you know that she did receive the denture however not without me noticing or catching on to her sneaky ways.

Well this week the stories of desperation continue, these might be considered more sneaky and clever rather than desperate… however I think they all fall under the umbrella of being desperate.

Yesterday when I arrived at the clinic there was this random lady sitting inside the compound waiting to chat with me. How she got in without an appointment only the guards and God know that but none the less she was sitting there waiting for me.  Once I got things started for the day I attended to  her and her needs. She begged me to give her an appointment at that point and time, verse her getting in the line up and waiting her turn like every one else has to do.   

Now let me give you an update on the dental line situation. The past three Mondays and Thursdays we have had around 225 people form the line hoping and wishing they get the chance to get in. The past 3 weeks after all the appointments have been handed out I have felt like we have not even made a dent in the line. Very frustrating and sad….People are getting the clue that closing time is coming sooner rather than later and they are coming in masses. The line is so huge that yesterday when I handed out the last ticket for the week the lady ran away screaming Halleluiah Halleluiah Halleluiah.  That is just a little insight into the number of people who are showing up at the clinic weekly and what I am dealing with on that matter… now back to the lady.

So or course I explained to her that it was not fair for me to give her an appointment when the people outside had been waiting in line since about 5am or earlier. She was not happy but after several times of explaining my reasoning she left. I thought she had finally understood that she needed to form the line however a few hours later my translator comes to me and tells me there is a lady who has showed up with an appointment card with the wrong date on it and wants to be treated today. When I went to check out the situation I found out that the lady was yours truly….. random lady from earlier.  After several questions she admitted to going to her friend and asking to use her appointment card, hoping we would not know it was not her. HAHA oh my. 

Lets not forget I spent an hr earlier in the day explaining myself to her, how could I forget her lovely face. I said I am sorry but you need to form the line and you also need to get this appointment card back to your friend, because if she misses this appointment she to will have to form the line again.  SERIOUSLY!

Also yesterday when I was pulling into clinic I noticed this sign hanging up outside by the motor bike parking area that said Garde Velo 1oo F.

I thought to myself, you must be kidding me, are the security guards really charging our patients for parking. What don’t they not get about NO MONEY BUSINESS. After the line up and dealing with the rest of the stuff I deal with every day I remembered this sign. So I walked out of the compound to have a look and sure enough the sign said Keep Bikes 100F (about 20 cents), I then explained that they could not charge our patients to park their motor bikes there. The security guards informed me that they were not doing it that it was some man who lived in the area who decided to start a parking garage outside of our FREE clinic. HAHA . So I said he can not do that anymore, we pay good money to the security guards and that would be a job for them not this man who thinks he needs to start a business outside the dental clinic.

I have to give it to these people, they are very resourceful and they try every avenue possible to get what they want or need. It just doesn’t always go over that well with me.  My team keeps telling me I should write a book once I leave here…. I am thinking that I might need to consider this as my next business move. Oh what will I do without Africa?.?

Wild Hogs.

My dad and brother the two on the left hand side of the picture below, are currently on a 6 day/4 State motorcycle tour with two other father son groups from our church back home. This is the second day and I have been updated frequently thanks to the wonderful advancements in the cell phone world. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to bike around the northern sates of the USA. I believe today is Utah. 

Biking through the mountains must be an amazing experience for them. 

Them at Black Canyon.. I think in Colorado.  Yesterday Day 1