Further to my last entry, I have not yet taken my typhoid vaccine; never seems to be a good time to take the chance of the GI side effects - this weekend I am on call for everything I do, and on Sunday Veronique and I will be leaving for Charlottetown until next Wednesday. This is a dual purpose trip, firstly to visit Genevieve and celebrate her birthday (23 today!) and secondly to attend the Palliative/Hospice Conference there this coming week.
Tonight I made an inventory of the many medications, mostly this represents antibiotics which the Kijabe Hospital seems to want the most.

Further anticipation

Today I have spoken with a colleague who has just returned from an African vacation where he managed to see a Cheetah, amongst other beautiful wildlife. he also described an interesting interaction with the Masai with whom he traded his wrist-watch for a Masai hunting knife...hmmm.

Further preparation: the vaccines!!

I have previously started vaccination against hepatitis A and a booster for B. I have also recently updated my tetanus vaccine. Today I have secured further vaccination in the form of typhoid vaccine from the Public Health Unit (for information purposes, the oral vaccine apparently has a longer duration of action, up to 7 years of protection; indeed, I prefer this to an injection, one of my personal peeves. I have also been advised to bring along Cipro, start Malarone 1-2 days prior to departure, to bring along DEET 30%, to consider mosquito netting ( the latter two available at Army Surplus or Trailhead in downtown Kingston), and maybe water-purifying tablets. mention was made by an earlier counsellor to consider rabies vaccine. In view of my prior history of a tendency to traveller's diarrhea, I have decided I will take Duokoral as a preventive measure. Naturally, I suspect the PHU may naturally be over-inclusive with the advice provided. Reality is that the greatest danger to my health would likely be a road accident, for which it is difficult to prepare.

Anticipation

This experience has been a long time coming. I have been encouraged to visit Kijabe for several years now by my friend, colleague, and mentor, Ivan Stewart, who has been involved with AIC Kijabe Mission and Bethany Kids for several years. I have received unqualified support from my wife and four children, and my colleaques at work have been very supportive with encouragement and medical coverage for my busy medical practice from which I will be absent for 2 1/2 weeks.
In preparation for my visit I have been exploring Kijabe online, have written and heard from the director, and have spoken with Ivan in person. We are in the process of collecting a variety of medical supplies and medications to be taken along for the hospital and outpatient clinic. In reviewing the online list, I have tried to use it as a guide to the most needed supplies. I have had a generous donation from Pfizer via Jodie Murphy, have managed to scrounge a number of pharmaceutical samples from my own practice, but hope to acquire more antimicrobial medications prior to departure.
It is exciting to anticipate the experience of a place I have only read about and to imagine the reception, the atmosphere, the surrounding countryside, and the fascination of meeting people who actually do this work day-in and day-out year-round.