Life and memories
Looking at my pictures from the last months I see a lot of green, nature, adventures, friends, good times and small messages of peace & love to myself.
A few months ago I met a few colleagues from the UK for dinner. One of them talked about all the things he would be doing if he’d lived where I live. I asked myself why hadn’t I done what he was talking about? Besides a feeling of being stuck and a little alone I didn’t have an excuse. Something in me shifted and I told myself: I need more memorable weekends!
But first with what and why was I stuck?
I had started working fully at KCMC since January this year. Finally I had gotten all my licenses and was allowed to operate, attend patients and teach. I chose to start in the Acute Care Unit of General Surgery, the unit with the least amount of specialist (1) but most patients. Now we were two specialists (and approximately 8 to 10 residents) in the unit and would share our duties of ward rounds, outpatient clinic, teaching and supervision in theatre. Most of our patients are emergencies admitted through the emergency medicine department (EMD) with acute abdomen, intestinal obstruction, visceral trauma, infected diabetic foot ulcers or peripheral arterial disease and dysphagia due to advanced oesophageal carcinoma. The day starts at 7.30am with a morning report followed by alternating the other clinical duties. Pending operations from the night and all admissions over the day are our responsibility and consultations from other departments.
My colleague and I worked well together, with mutual respect and dedication to patients care.
Besides the clinical duties we had an increasing load of teaching and even more important (and time consuming) examining last year medical students.
It all climaxed end of July, beginning August when the department had to examine a total of 300 medical students and 30 residents in oral case presentations with questioning of up to 1 hour per student in panels of two examiners.
Furthermore the academic duties working at a university hospital in Tanzania include supervising the residents in the development of their research and master thesis which they have to complete in their 2nd and 3rd year. Listening repeatedly to concept notes and research proposals was a revelation and a crash course in research methodology for me.
What I realized and love is how gratifying teaching can be. And even more the guiding and teaching of residents felt deeply satisfying.
Adding to that I had signed up for a 6 months Leadership course in Global surgery at the University of Capetown, which entailed a one week seminar in South Africa which took place in February. The week in Capetown meeting amazing peers from different parts of Africa and the world with the same drive, passion and purpose for the improvement of surgical care globally and realizing that we are all leaders — was a profound life changing week for me!
Following this fabulous intro we were sent home to develop a project over the next four months in respect to global surgery. The topic and structure was left wide open, so that a diverse mix of projects were presented in a 5 minute video presentation each. My project would classify under quality improvement though I took one step back and decided to not push to change something on my own at a place I was not yet 100% familiar with. That in mind I spoke to my boss and we created a Global Surgery Committee with the intention of looking at perioperative care at KCMC. The committee consists of dedicated specialists from all surgical disciplines, anesthesia and nursing. We started looking at postoperative care — improving handover practices, upgrading the recovery area, training ward nurses in essential emergency critical care — and brainstorming for research projects.
I love the system thinking, the analytical work and co-leading the group. I have found some really great friends in my colleagues from anesthesia who are as dedicated and passionate about perioperative care as I am!
For good surgical outcomes it needs so much more than a surgeon — it needs a whole complex system and the perioperative care is both the measurement and the solution for its success.
After completing the leadership course I relaxed a few weeks until another big new and exciting project started - the writing of a proposal for funding of a hospital partnership project. The project is called improvement of perioperative care at KCMC and entails the training of nurses and the development of SOPs in the department of General surgery and Anaesthesia. As was the quality improvement project, the proposal writing was completely new to me.
But through spending a lot of time, support and team work we finished the proposal on time and all fingers are crossed now for it to be approved in December this year.
What amazing months it has been, what a great way of being, continuing to learn and grow every day!
The next step for fulfilling my longing for change and adventure though had come and I took fate and things into my own hands and created many beautiful memories in the last months!
The first was a very enjoyable tasty dinner with Kathrin at a private camp with a three course menu as a celebration for completing my course.
A camping trip with very good friends to a beautiful place overlooking vast landscapes.
A trip to beloved Zanzibar, connecting to a dear friend and spiritual mentor, absolutely nourishing for my soul and heart.
Crewing at a trail run event and spending time with fellow like minded trail maniacs in the beautiful scenery of SimbaFarm on the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro.
A wonderful hippie electro dancing festival night under the fig tree.
Most recently and most powerful my birthday climb of OlDoinyo Lengai - not only is the active volcano a spiritual energetic master piece but the landscape around a world on a different planet — I’ve been drawn almost pulled back to this mystic place — I left and at the same time I found a part of myself there.
The power of nature — our connection with a divine god, with the universe, I can feel it and I am connected to it deeply, more so where there is nothing to distract me.
Peace
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