In town this week, Jon and Tafera are giving a training, so it’s quiet around here but busy as we prepare for a trip to Addis. I have the opportunity to take an intensive two-week medical course taught by a world-renowned doctor who wrote “The Village Medical Manuals”. Dr. Mary Vanderkoi is a world leader in tropical medicine and from all reports, offers the training all over the globe (she lives in Ethiopia) and in each place, it’s not messing around, much is required and I am back to reading a textbook. I’ve forgotten how to study.
(*Photo credit to Samantha F)
I’m not a medical person. I am a person who may pass out at a description of a wound. However, this won’t qualify me to treat but feel that it could be a blessing in our community with an ability to assess true emergency and also learning basics of lots of things. Other people in the class are doctors and medical people, flying in from other countries to get her training. Yeah, I am not intimidated about this at all. (reading between my lines, YIKES).
(*Photo credit to Samantha F)
One woman I talked to who is a nurse took the course and found it helpful. Especially when she was asked to cut her own thigh and then suture herself up. WHAT? I’ve been reading a lot about boundaries and margin and I must assert myself here and lay a boundary down. I enrolled only after explaining it was contingent on not slicing myself and then doing my own stitches.
It’s good to be completely out of comfort zone sometimes, right?
*Samantha was a visitor from California and she is a phenomenal photographer, catching so many beautiful moments. It’s hard to come and capture real smiles, real life and she did that amazingly well.
7 comments:
Oh good luck, Amy! YIKES is right! Sounds like a good opportunity, but a stretching one too!
That last picture is just beautiful :)
Oh my goodness - I'm like you Amy, I get a little lightheaded just talking medical stuff. We will be praying for you. This will be a blessing for your community for sure :)
Gracious me! Please set and stick to your boundaries! I think you will do fine when you are faced with a real life situation. It's afterwards that you might fall apart, but that's normal.
So good to know that your internet has returned! I've missed you! Praying all goes well for you regarding this medical training. I know how big of a stretch this is for you!
I love medical so this sounds awesome!! Hope it goes well and is a complete blessing. Hope you enjoy it more than you think you will.
Wow! I am impressed with your ability to learn new things and stretch yourself. When it comes to medical I tend to avoid and muscle through at all cost so I don't have to deal with the medical institutions here. Our Father is definitely giving you opps for growth that are practical. Blessings. Steph
Oh Ames!!! Self-suturing...I would not sign up for that either.:) But the experience and info sound so valuable. Praying that God will allow your mind to soak up and retain the info.
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