Ultrasonic Blessings

Dr. Justin at KBH

Diagnostic ultrasound is such an essential tool for us at Kigoma Baptist Hospital.  Our primary diagnostic tool is the standard physical exam and history(using our hands and our head), but there are times when we need more.  We have a standard X-ray machine which is great for chest  X-rays and broken bones.  For a number of reasons which I won' t go into, we have very limited laboratory capability.  So, having a working ultrasound machine and ability to scan and understand what you see becomes very very helpful.  It helps us look inside the heart, visualize other organs like the liver, gall bladder, kidneys, pancreas, bladder, uterus, and do OB scans. I and a couple of my colleagues have been scanning using a large, hardly portable, very old machine.  It was working, but as my friend Dr. Justin said, it is like driving a Pinto when you could be driving a Mercedes. There is so much that ultrasound is now being used for.  In the weeks before we left Kigoma Baptist Hospital i was scanning every day evaluating heart failure, fluid on the lungs, liver disease, kidney problems, etc., as well as doing 1-2 OB scans/day. 

But that's not the good news.  The good news is that through our partner organization, Baptist Global Response (http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com/), we received funding to buy a new portable Ultrasound machine!  

Then to top that off, Sonosite Corporation (US makers of ultrasound equipment), provided us with an incredible discount through their global health compassionate care program.  Kigoma Baptist Hospital now has an amazing MicroMaxx portable ultrasound machine with cardiac, abdominal, and intracavitary probes, extra battery, and carrying case.  This machine was designed to take quite a beating and work in all sorts of environments.  Needless to say myself and our other clinicians are excited.

So you want to hear more good news?  Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Mayo Clinic Rochester and attend a four day intensive course on echocardiography (heart ultrasound).  It was  excellent training by some of the world's experts.  (I am so thankful for our mission organization's program to assure we maintain the needed skills and training in our areas of work.)  While at the Mayo training I had a very short hallway meeting with one of the doctors running the program.  I briefly shared with him a few of our challenges a Kigoma Baptist Hospital in regards to echocardiography.  He thanked me for sharing and said 'write to me to tell me more please...'

So I wrote to him after returning to Michigan.  And today I received by FedEx a box with 32 echocardiography training DVDs and a signed copy of his echo book!  All of it  'Complimentary of Mayo Clinic Cardiology Education'. Amazingly huge blessing.  These materials will help me with further training and be used by my colleagues as I teach them what I have learned at Mayo Clinic.

Our prayer is that in the end we will be making better diagnoses, and God willing, with this echo information, better treatment for our patients.  And not only echo, but all types of ultrasound diagnoses with our new machine.

So, while in the USA, in addition to sharing in churches what God is doing in Kigoma Tanzania, I will be reviewing echo DVDs, reading the book, and doing as many echos/ultrasounds as I can.  

As is so often said in East Africa, 'God is good, all the time!'

A brief note: Just so I haven't totally confused some, Sally and I are now in Michigan on our Stateside Assignment until after Christmas.  Hope to see you while we're in the USA.

Daily by His grace,

Larry and Sally