Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Blog Jan 21, 2017
    We are in the midst of the busiest part of the busy season and lots of elective surgeries have come in to be done but the maternity business is more now also.   There have been a lot of c-sections for various indications and a lot of ectopic pregnancies.   Keeping Danae busy.   She has had several c-section hysterectomies for different reasons.   We had another "torsion dermoid cyst" with hair and teeth a few days ago.  We had a strangulated internal hernia with about 2 meters (7 feet) of dead intestine that we had to take out.  We had a hemangioma of a child'[s hand that we did.  Had to remove her 5th ray (finger and metacarpal).  So far it looks ok.   Thanks to someone that sent blades for our dermatome so now we hope to do some skin grafts.   We have done one so far.   Today a woman came in with part of her lip bit off during a fight with another woman.
   It is beginning to warm up again but only to approximately 100F and 70'sF lows.  The dust is not as bad as it was so the sun can get through more.   We are getting quite a few papayas from our trees that we planted by our house.  The mangoes are in full bloom.  
Juniper likes to eat from "papa's" plate whatever he is eating.   She eats a lot.
  The 17 year daughter of one our local church leaders died this past week with widespread cancer.   She had almost died 3 weeks ago as her ereters were blocked but a percutaneous nephrostomy and some cyclophosmide et. prolonged her life a little.
  Pray for the newly baptized ones and the ones in some of the outlying villages that want to learn more about the love of Jesus. 
Our email are drbland42@gmail.com   and dfbland01@gmail.com.
Continue to remember us in your prayers.
Love,  
Rollin and  Dolores Bland 
Hopital Adventiste de Bere
Boite Postal 52
Kelo, Tandjile,  Chad,  Afrique
Blog  www.weareamissionarybland.blogspot.com  

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Dec 31 2016
New Years Eve and the drums are beating, probably will be most of the night.   It is dusty and has been since the "harmattan" blew in Christmas day.  "Harmattan" is the north wind and dust that comes in about this time of year from the Sahara.  Visibility was less than 1 km (about 1/2 mile)) although it is better today.  The dust shields out some of the sun's heat so temperatures are only about 60F (15C) low and 80+F (27C) high but the locals feel this is cold.   The mangoes and kapok are blooming.   We are getting several papayas from the trees by our house.  
Christmas was very dusty.  We had a while elephant gift exchange here on the compound and of course there were gifts for the grandkids.  We also ate very well Christmas afternoon but the meal was delayed because of a surgery for an acute abdomen. (Sound familiar you medical people?)
We had two unusual cases Friday yesterday.   One was a 13 yr girl that presented with a few days of severe abdominal pain and no menses yet and had a mass in her abdomen.  At surgery a 6-7 cm lobulated mass that was twisted on a pedicle.  When the mass was opened we found hair and cartilage, bone and teeth so a "torsion of a dermoid or teratoma".  The same day we had a lady that came in with severe abd pain for several days and "constipation" for a week.   It was an intussisseption of mid small small intestine with ruptured dead intestine with much bowel contents in the abdomen.  Had to do a bowel resection and reanastamosis.  Both look ok so far.   We also had a Fulana lady that had been bit on her foot by a donkey that she was trying to separate from another in a fight.   The lady's foot was badly mangled with a lot of skin missing and bare bones visible.  She needs amputation but refused and left to go to the local "traditional healer" (witch doctor).
Pray that the love of Jesus can spread and bring peace and that we will be ready for His coming that is one year closer than before.
  
Our emails are drbland42@gmail.com and  dfbland01@gmail.com
Continue to remember us in your prayers.

Love,
Rollin and  Dolores Bland 
Hopital Adventiste de Bere
Boite Postal 52
Kelo, Tandjile,  Chad,  Afrique
Blog  www.weareamissionarybland.blogspot.com