Koeksisters

Lauren in particular was hoping to go to the see and treat clinic or the outpatient clinic as we call it. Today doctors from an organization called TIBB were coming as well. TIBB is pretty much just natural medicine, but not to the full extent of a “sangoma” or traditional healer. These doctors actually attend medical school, just an alternative one, and still prescribe antibiotics etc, but tend to lean more towards cupping to relieve stress, and more natural ways to deal with things besides a prescription. Lauren was interested in seeing what exactly they do, and Miles and I were both willing to tag along. But, we found out that clinic was too small today, and they didn’t want three people in one patient room, so the three of us couldn’t sit in. We headed back to orthopedics for the day instead.

I came back to orthopedics first, and Mitchell immediately put me to work. He was about to start doing new dressings on a woman, and then put a cast on. Instead, he delegated the task to me. I cleaned and dried the wound, wrapped it, and then started on the cast. It was pretty fast paced, but I was glad for that. Miles and Lauren came in soon after that. Throughout the day, I took out more sutures, did some more casts and removals, and most interestingly, took out pins.

In certain breaks, an exoskeleton brace is put on, which is called a Hoffman. It’s pretty much horrible. There are usually about eight pins that are through your bone, and stick out way past your skin, and are stabilized with a huge metal contraption around the leg. I have seen quite a few, and have even assisted in changing the dressings on these patients, but never got to see the pins removed. Today was our chance. Miles helped Mitchell loosen the extremely tight brackets on the contraption that were holding the pins in place, and then he also assisted in unscrewing the pins from the bone and out of the leg. Mitchell asked if I wanted to take on out, but I just couldn’t. I felt too bad, because the patient, although given pain medication, was still in visible agony. I just watched instead.
After work, we had our weekly meeting with Marion and Avril. We talked for quite a bit and had a lot of fun, and then did a quick “workshop” that Avril had set up for us. She had blood pressure straps for us to practice correctly reading the “machine”, and suturing tools as well. It was good practice and it’s always so fun to spend time with them. We always have such an enjoyable time, sometimes not even talking about anything in particular. I just adore them. Uncle came to pick us up and brought us all back to Joan’s house because we were going to get a lesson from Joan on how to make koesisters, an Afrikaans tea doughnut that are to die for.

Making the koesisters was quite a process, but a very fun one. We were in the kitchen from about 8 to 11 at night. While we were waiting for the dough to rise, we talked and laughed away. Joan’s niece Megan and her son Jeremy were both there as well, so it was quite a group of us. We learned some funny Afrikaans words, learned how to make Joan’s fairly famous koesisters, laughed and joked, and then ate some yummy final products with tea before bed. It was such a lovely night (: Hopefully I can glean the same results back home when I attempt them.