November 26, 2015 Thanksgiving Day

by Pat Rees

We had a full surgical day today, but amazingly, the last 2 cases were really fast and we were done before 5 PM! That was good as the "group Thanksgiving dinner" for all the missions folks on compound was to be at 5:30. Lilly Ann had volunteered to make my instant mashed potatoes for me so I just had to give her the box and the pan this AM before work. It was an amazing meal. OK, It was good by American standards, but to be here in the jungle and have actual turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, plus pies was unbelievable. (The ophthalmologist just came home from the national meeting where she spoke and actually won the yearly award for her humanitarian work. She brought the turkey!!!) We had "trivia questions" and then played some group game. It really was fun with lots of laughter. Unfortunately, the single gal who does Medicine-OB got called out just after opening prayer. She had been one of the "instigators" getting the thing organized. She was gone for a long time back at the hospital, and when she returned, she just got a plate of food and left, saying she needed to be alone. My heart goes out to her, as I suspect she had a bad case AND she missed all the "fun" she had worked at planning.

by Fenton Rees

Pray for Pat.
The medical director / chief surgeon will be back in the US beginning next Tuesday, (for 10-12 days I think, and the reason Pat has stayed so long in Gabon). For the first 5 days of that, the one other surgeon (Gabonese) and all the other senior surgery residents will be in Mali for oral exams. So Pat will be it! Pray that no crazy ortho or urology or gynecology problems turn up, as Pat typically doesn’t do those.

All for now,

Blessings,

Fenton (& Pat).