Vanovers' Travels
Kenyan welcome
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Tenwek's Cardiothoracic Center - the largest cardiothoracic hospital in sub-Saharan Africa
What a blessing this will be to all those children and young adults with rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease! The official opening is coming up later this year (2024) and Franklin Graham is scheduled to be there for the dedication ceremony. Samaritan's Purse has been a significant partner in bringing this project to fruition committing to provide $4 million of the $45 million cost of construction. The center will be named after the late reverend Billy Graham, Franklin's father, and is projected to be the largest cardiothoracic hospital in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Russ White, a longstanding missionary CV surgeon from the U.S. has been instrumental in training the 2 Kenyan physicians who will be heading up the physician leadership of the new hospital, and also in obtaining funding for construction. His vision and leadership are not mentioned in the video, but it is safe to say that this project would not be happening were it not for his lifelong commitment to Tenwek Hospital and the Kenyan people. It has always been part of the mission that the Kenyan trainees would eventually take over the leadership of the hospital, and the key medical staff positions...it's exciting to watch it actually begin to happen!! Dr. Agneta Odera, and Dr.Arega Leta will be the first cardiothoracic fellows trained at the new hospital, and will then take over leadership of the program going forward. Both Dr. Odera and Dr. Leta were in general surgery training together at Tenwek hospital under the supervision of Dr. Russ White, and Dr. Carolyn Spears - two long-term missionaries associated with World Medical Missions (the international mission arm of Samaritan's Purse). Marilyn and I have been a witness to this project as it has been developing over the years and are very excited to see it coming to completion! I think back on all the patients that I have helped care for on the medical service over the years who have suffered from advanced rheumatic valvular disease and advanced heart failure and am very thankful that they will now have a program that can help them survive and perhaps even thrive!...God is good!!
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Budapest 2024
It is the end of our journey and we are again headed
home…this time from Budapest. We travelled from Nairobi to Budapest and met up
with our friends from the Netherlands (now living in Portugal) where we spent four
gloriously sunny (but chilly) days exploring and relaxing. What a beautiful
city is Budapest! We stayed in a fabulous hotel (Hotel Moments) in city center
and were able to walk to most places that we wanted to visit. We arrived on
Saturday morning and had a great lunch of pizza and beer across from the
stunningly beautiful St. Stephens Cathedral (named not for Stephen of the
bible, but for one of Budapest’s first kings and city founders). We would tour
this beautiful structure the following day with our friends Peter and Petra,
but first we had an E-bike tour planned for Sunday morning which would take us
around all the major sightseeing areas of the city. The day was cold and brisk,
but the sun was out, and our guide was highly informative and friendly. We saw the Heros Mall and learned much about
the founding of the country. We also visited an outdoor skating rink and park,
the Budapest Opera house, the Museum of Terror (where the Nazi party of Hungary
imprisoned and interrogated political prisoners during WWII), the Parliament
Building, the Buda Castle district, Matthias Cathedral (named after another
Hungarian leader), the Chain Bridge across the Danube River, the city market
center, and the thermal baths. This
cycling tour gave us an excellent overview of the city, and some basic
information before our more in- depth visits to some of these same sights. Between
these visits we sampled some outstanding meals of Hungarian goulash, Chicken
Paprikash with Hungarian noodles, and “Chimney cakes” filled with pudding (or
ice cream), whipped cream, and topped with chocolate and nuts! We also had some
delicious meals of Thai food, Lebanese food, and Italian food…and of course
sampled some Hungarian wines and beers. Some highlights of our time here included the fabulous St. Stephens Cathedral (built in the late 1800’s),
and perhaps one of the most beautiful and intricately designed and decorated
churches that I have ever been in. The amount of detail in every aspect of
construction and design was astounding – from the beautifully constructed floor
tiles and patterns, to the marble columns, carved wooden columns and
confessionals, golden overlaid chandeliers and candelabras, fresco paintings on
the ceilings, and stained glass of the upper stories…the colors blended
beautifully, and the overall effect was simply stunning. The pictures below do not do justice to the
actual building. By comparison, the Matthias cathedral ( in the Buda castle
area) was beautiful on the exterior, but somewhat disappointing inside. (St Stephens cathedral is located in Pest, the more “middle
class” area of the city). Another interesting structure located in the Buda
Castle area is the “Hospital in the Rock.”
There is a lot of limestone in the area, as well as thermal springs, and
this has created a network of tunnels and caverns under the Buda area. In the
1940’s the city of Buda decided to use these tunnels and caverns to construct a bomb shelter and hospital for wounded soldiers and citizens. We toured
this hospital and learned about the way this structure was able to care for and
shelter thousands of people during WWII. After the war, the structure was
repurposed as a nuclear bomb shelter, which thankfully was never used. Today it
has been converted into a museum and allows visitors to walk through and see in
great detail the systems established for patient care, heating and
cooling, communications, water, power, etc. It was a fascinating yet claustrophobic
experience. Another highlight of our time in Budapest was our visit to the
thermal pools and baths. These are a series of large pools and baths which are
naturally heated by hot mineral water springs beneath the Budapest area. Beautifully
designed buildings provide an entry point to these indoor and outdoor pools. Bathing
is co-ed, and clothed (though barely in some cases), and the water temperature
varies from about 28 degrees C in the lap pool, to 36, and 40 degrees C in some
of the smaller soaking pools. In addition, there are steam rooms, massage rooms
for both men and women, showers for use before or after soaking, and “cabins”
which include private changing areas and locked storage for one’s valuables. All
of the citizenry appears to converge here… all ages, shapes, and sizes. For
the young it is a place to visit with one’s significant other, to pose for
social media posts, and to model the latest swimwear (or lack of…) For the older crowd it is a
place to warm and soothe the aching joints and muscles from a day of walking
and climbing (or biking!) in the chilly winter air. We did not visit the outdoor
pools and could not tolerate the steam room for long, but the 40 degree C
bathing area was heavenly! On our final day we toured the fabulous Parliament
building (half still in use by their unicameral government and prime minister;
the other half converted to a tourist area.). We capped off our trip with a night at the Opera house where we
enjoyed a private box for four, and an enjoyable production of Die Fledermaus
(“The Bat” – I recommend reading a summary of the play rather than me trying to
explain the intricate plot!). In any case, it was a very enjoyable evening and
another great time with our “travel buddies” Peter and Petra Axt. As I write this, we are halfway between our
flight from Munich to Denver and will be arriving home later tonight. We are
tired, but rejuvenated, and looking forward to being together with Melissa and
David who arrived in San Antonio yesterday! Our trips to Kenya are always full
of stories and adventures, but our stops along the way home are equally
treasured memories. Thanks for coming along with us! Till next time, with
love….Randy and Marilyn
Veal Schnitzel and sliced potatoes...more Austrian than Hungarian |
Chicken Paprikash and Hungarian noodles |
Petra and Marilyn - getting ready to tour the city! |
Nice bike lanes makes cycling enjoyable... |
Heroes Square |
Ice Skating in the park |
Beautiful buildings and architecture everywhere!... |
The Budapest Opera House |
Interior of the Opera House |
St. Stephens Cathedral |
St. Stephens Cathedral |
Budapest Parliment Building |
Matthias Cathedral |
Matthias Cathedral...beautiful tiled roof. |
Matthias Cathedral...Buda Castle District |
St Stephens Cathedral |
The main pool in the Gellert Thermal baths |
Fully rejuvenated after a few hours of soaking!... |
Ready for the Opera... |
The view from our private box... |
The Opera House ceiling... |
Die Fledermaus...by Johann Strauss |
The cast...taking their final bows... |
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Meanderings on the Maasai Mara 2024
Lionesses, minding their cubs |
The "King", surveying his kingdom |
Curious cubs...watching and learning |
Queen Elizabeth...one of only two remaining white rhinos in Kenya |
A mother elephant and her young |
A "tower" of giraffes...eyeing potential danger on the left... |
Giraffes grazing... |
An Elephant on the Mara... |
An "old general" Wildebeest...separated from the heard...likely to soon be a meal for lions |
A cheetah...post gluttony..."where can I take a nap"? |
A Cheetah and her unfortunate prey. |
Zebras...a lion's favorite snack |
Marilyn's Musings
Tenwek has been a unique experience for me this year. I have
struggled to understand why it is so. Since the Ob-Gyn department now has three
levels of our Ob-Gyn Residency in place, a lot of the minute-by-minute
decisions are made by them. I now serve more as a consultant/staff person
overseeing their decision-making and growing surgical skills. I rarely need to
“scrub-in” to guide them through a gynecologic or obstetrical procedure, even
though I am in the room.
I already have great respect for the nurse midwives who
manage actively laboring patients. However, for the 40-50% of our patients who
need cesarean sections, I will participate in the decision making by the
clinical and medical officers (PA and Medicine interns)and the residents. I cannot
decide if I am like a “fly on the wall” or some “guardian angel” viewing from
above. Both are quite foreign to me.
This has allowed me to process patients and their clinical
situations on a bigger scale. I miss the intimate relationships I had developed
with patients in the past. But I appreciate more the challenges these patients bring
to their primary caregivers from this new perspective.
I see the trust that the
patient/mother has for them as she deals with a pregnancy loss-either early or
later in gestation. I see the fear of life-threatening diagnoses to herself and
her baby. Examples include severe hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, an
enormous number of serious blood clots and strokes, advanced cervical and other gyn cancers, heart failure (in a 17 year
old after delivering a premature baby that didn’t survive), overwhelming
infections and an unbelievably high number of twin pregnancies (1/20
pregnancies are twins in Kenya), and on…and on….
It takes a special patience to try
to educate our patients about their diagnoses. Most patients are poorly educated,
and medical jargon has to be translated very simply. I see the interns and
residents sitting for long periods with
the patients who do not even know what questions to ask.
I have seen vast improvements over
the past 12 years in the resources available to treat patients. The Blood Bank is
not as dependent on missionaries and visiting staff to donate blood as in the
past. It is customary for surgical patients to have family members donate almost
without exception, and if un-used, the blood can be used for other patients
(which is better than in the US!).
We all need success stories. Here is
mine (ours!). (JC) is a 25-year-old 8-month pregnant woman who was in a
motorcycle accident. She underwent an emergency cesarean delivery at another
facility, but the baby was stillborn. 5 days later she was transferred to
Tenwek Hospital with an overwhelming infection. We did an exploratory surgery only
to find a tear in her small bowel! This was directly related to the blunt
trauma to her abdomen sustained during the accident! General surgeons were
called in to repair it and to take over the care of the patient. She has now had seven (7!!) more surgeries to ‘clean out’
the problems resulting from the infection and damage to the bowel. We thank God
that she will almost assuredly survive. She will need prayerful care as she
struggles with the loss of her baby, AND the physical demands on her body. We
strongly lean on “We Treat….Jesus Heals.”
We all need time to escape, recover,
and be reminded of God’s sovereignty. This weekend Randy, Madison (U.S. ObGyn
resident visiting here with us) and I went of several safari rides. God’s
creativity was on full display with the variety of animals we saw and the
beauty of His physical world. We were humbled. We thank God for allowing us to be
here and to experience the broad array of emotions that we always experience in
Kenya and at Tenwek specifically.
I thank you for sharing this
experience with me/us.
Love, Marilyn (Randy and Madison)
Sunset on the Mara... |
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Monday, January 15, 2024
Another Teen, Another Near-Death Experience.
Cynthia C. is a 19-year-old Kenyan female who came into our
outpatient clinic about 5 days prior to admission, complaining of feeling
dizzy, with nausea, headaches, and chills. Her exam at that time was fairly
unremarkable and she had some blood work done which was also within acceptable
limits. Her white blood cell count was checked and was low -normal, her
hemoglobin was slightly low (not unusual for a healthy young female), and her
platelet count was normal. She was sent home with the equivalent of Tylenol to
take as needed and was told to return should she begin to feel worse. On
1/14/24 she came back into casualty (the equivalent of our “emergency room”)
with recurrent headaches, subjective fever and chills, body aches, fatigue,
nausea, and some upper abdominal discomfort. Her lab tests were again drawn and
over the five day interval since being seen in the outpatient clinic, she had
developed an acute injury to her kidneys with declining function, a low normal
white blood cell count (arguing against a severe bacterial infection), a
worsening anemia, though still relatively mild, and a severe drop in her
platelet count from 150, 000 to 20,000 (with platelet counts of 10,000 or lower
one worries about the risk of spontaneous hemorrhages). She did not look particularly ill or unstable
at that time, but given the rapid decline in her platelets, and the associated
decline in white blood cells, and red blood cells, we were worried about the
possibility of some sort of bone marrow failure of production. We made the
decision to send her to a local teaching hospital about 2 hours away, where she
would have access to hematology and oncology services and the opportunity for a
more rapid evaluation of her bone marrow. Before the transfer could be arranged,
she spiked a fever to 39 degrees Celsius (or 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit). She
began to have shaking chills, lethargy, and confusion, dropping blood pressure,
difficulty breathing, and a rapid heart rate. She required initiation of
medication and fluids to support her blood pressure, oxygen to supplement her
breathing, and rapid re-evaluation to try to assess what was happening to her. She
was literally threatening to die in front of us. My intern and resident
re-examined her and thought that she had developed some right upper abdominal
tenderness, but nothing else had changed. The decision was made to cover her
for the possibility of septic shock (a bacterial infection extending to the
blood stream), and also to check her for the possibility of malaria ( a
protozoal infection of the red blood cells, obtained when bitten by an infected
mosquito.) Malaria is not common in or
around Tenwek, because the elevation here is about 6800 feet, and it is too
cold at night for mosquitoes to survive. To test for malaria, a sample of blood
is taken, some of the blood is smeared
onto a glass slide, and the red blood cells are examined under the microscope
for the presence of protozoal organisms within the red blood cell. This was
done by the hospital laboratory and was reported as negative. Both the intern
and the resident physician remained suspicious of severe malaria because a few
cases had recently been seen in the Bomet area. Our patient had not travelled
out of the Bomet area, and specifically had not visited areas of Kenya known to
have a high incidence of malaria. They contacted me and asked permission to
initiate empiric therapy for malaria while repeating another blood smear for
microscopic examination. Having never seen a case of malaria in all of my
career as a physician, it seemed quite ironic to me that I should be called
upon to make that decision. Since the patient was deteriorating so rapidly, and
we did not yet know what was wrong with her, I agreed with their request to
initiate malaria therapy while pursuing re-evaluation. She was started on
therapy, her blood smear was repeated, and this time was reported as positive!
This disease is almost always fatal when severe and untreated (though most cases
are usually not “severe”). With treatment, the mortality drops to about 5-7%. While
this disease is almost never seen in the United States, in Kenya about four
million cases occur annually! I am so thankful to be working along side these
young Kenyan physicians here at Tenwek. This patient almost certainly would
have died without their tenacious pursuit of the correct diagnosis, and their
decision to treat for what they suspected, even though there was no firm
evidence to support it. As a result of their care, the patient has begun to
improve. She is now off blood pressure supporting medications, her fever is
down, her alertness is improving, and her blood cell count abnormalities have
not worsened further. Her kidney function is also beginning to improve. She
remains quite ill but looks like she should make a full recovery. Each night
when the team on- call takes over, the rest of the team prays over them. A
common request is that God grant them endurance, strength, wisdom, and good
decision making. I cannot help but think that God, “the great physician,” was
present with us on this particular night. Another day in Kenya…another disease
process I have never personally seen or treated. It is a very humbling
experience to work here…another example of how my “weakness” allows for God’s glory
to be more clearly manifest. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Malaria Infected Red Blood Cells |