October 21, 2014

Now we hear there is another diagnosed with Ebola in the USA. One
death and 2 alive. Lots of media coverage and not much about the
1000’s that die from other causes such as traffic accidents.
Apparrently not much media attention to Enterovirus D-68 that has
paralyzed some and killed some others. Not many die from traffic
accidents here in Chad because we have no roads that you can travel
fast enough to do much more than break bones when motorcycles collide
etc. One certainly does not want to travel after dark at any speed
because of ox carts, stalled vehicles, goats, cows, pedestrians, etc
that would be in the road.

We just have the usual malaria and malnutrition that kills lots of
people because they don’t get treated in time. Mike and Chris Kelley
are trying to get nutrition center going but money or lack of is a
problem. They are still trying to get oriented on how to run it for
which patients. You cannot give free food to everybody so lots of
screening has to be done.

We see about one intestinal perforation from typhoid per week and
lately averaging about one amputation of either leg or arm per week
from various causes. There are a few more hernias and hydroceles
than there were before. The census especially surgery should be
picking up more as we get into the rice harvest. They are harvesting
their peanuts (groundnuts) and millet and sorghum grain now.
Danae had fever probably from malaria and is taking Malarone now.
Says she is feeling better now. Addison is feeling better and her
abcess is healing. We are fairly healthy otherwise. Now Dolores has
aching all over and temp of 100.5 so probably beginning malaria so
will take her meds..

Mason and Kim McDowell are going down to Moundou being that word that
the container with some of their things maybe is released from customs
and needs unloaded and stuff sorted out being that some things are
theirs, some are for Mike Kelley and some for Moundou and some for
James Appel.

Dry season maybe is finally arriving as I see that the humidity is
down near 50% for the first time in several months according to my
hygrometer.

Ever looking upward and forward.
Our emails are drbland@sbcglobal.net and dfbland01@gmail.com.
Love Rollin and Dolores