First 48 hours in Soroti

(Because it took me so long to post these I'm just going to copy them out of my journal- hence the wrong chronological order)
So we arrived in Soroti Sunday without difficulty. Tara, a Ugandan friend who works for SM had a friend of his bring us to Lugogo mall where we met Tim and Angie (missionaries who work with International Teams), loaded our stuff and rode about 5 hours up-country. We are staying in the "guest house", which is the other half of Tim and Angie's house. It is very nice, no AC or pool like last week but we'll adjust. In the evening we went to Amecet and joined the staff for evening worship and got a brief tour. We we introduced to their newest two babies who are both newborns and premature. Both are getting tube feedings every two hours and meds frequently.
Monday morning we got a more in depth orientation. We met all of the children- a room full of babies- two to a crib an all under two months old, a room full of "toddlers", who are the right age to qualify but all developmentally behind and the youngest two who are still not doing well. Oh and 3 "preschool aged"kids- two girls who live here all the time and one boy who is just here until he is healthy again. For that many to care for there is a schedule and Els runs a very tight ship but it seems good. We got our schedule, for the first two shifts Cree and I are together but from there on out we are on different shifts. It will be a challenge but I'm, sure we are up for it.
Monday afternoon we went to the market because Angie has been cooking for us but we will cook for ourselves shortly. The market is unlike anything you are picturing right now. (Unless you have been to a 3rd world country of course.) It was great and when we go back next week we will be sure to get pictures. It is the only way you would understand.
Monday night just after we were wrapping up with supper we got word that some visitors of International Teams, who were coming from Kenya, were in a bad wreck. They were just outside Soroti when the front axle of their truck broke at 100 km/hr and it flipped several times before hitting a tree. They were brought to Tim and Angie's house. The first that I talked to was complaining of sever rib and shoulder pain and said that we was riding with his arm resting outside the vehicle just before the accident. He also remembered hitting his head and had a bad headache. The second also had multiple abrasions and pain, also hit his head- no LOC though. The driver was the worst. He was dragged from the vehicle and was unconscious for at least 30 minutes and very confused when he came around. He had at least 3 lacerations to different placed on his head and his right hand was smashed up. He had battle sign bruising around both ears but was alert and oriented by the time I saw him. Soroti hospital had little to offer them and Kampala was the nearest but 5 hours and on dark roads..... The decision was made to put them in the guest house for the night. I did neuro checks and other care like pain meds q 2 though the night and they all did just fine. But to add to the challenge it was Cree and my first shift at Amecet at 7 am. We arrived nearly on time and fed several of the toddlers breakfast. Because they are sick and malnourished they are developmentally behind and only one feeds himself. We jumped from there to giving infant bottles. Several of those guys are very little and feeding them is a challenge too.
We both got to laugh at ourselves though when we needed to be taught how to change diapers (not "simple"disposable by a long shot, not even "easy" rubber pants, these things have to be tied on!) Each baby needs a different amount at a different time. Just when you get one to stop crying two more start. When you aren't handling the infants, the little bit older ones need all the attention you can give. (picture 8 pound 10 month olds).
By the time our shift ended at 3pm we were about done in. Ben did a great job helping out too. He is also, maybe more importantly, working on fixing the washing machine. 20 kids in diapers is a lot of wash by hand. So in one 24 hour period I got to be an ED triage nurse, a neuro intensive care nurse, a NICU nurse and a peds AIDS nurse.... I'm in over my head! But really starting to like it....