ENGLAND AGAIN!!

Wow ..... so now I'm back in England which all feels very odd after a month! Its light a bit late here which is very confusing after a month of it getting light really early haha (: & its been SO hot here compared to that last day in SA!! Haha (: 


Its been such an amazing & eye opening experience I don't even know where to begin. The country is so different, yet so similar. So modern yet so old. So rich yet so poor. Its all very strange. It has been such a fantastic opportunity, & I am SO glad I went, & had the option to do it! I would love to go back one day, maybe even live there. 


Everyone I have met has been so friendly and helpful. I couldn't have asked for anything more.


A massive thank you to Anna at the Guesthouse, who was lovely & looked after me. She was so kind, & always made sure I was OK! Lovely to be able to stay somewhere I felt safe & welcome.


An even bigger thank you to the people who made this possible! Thank you to Ian & Brian who managed to take time out their extremely busy schedules to organise my time out in SA, & did so very well indeed! I can't thank them both enough for all that they have done for me.


Thanks to Tony, Trish & Dad for being able to fuel my idea & getting the ball rolling! Without the 3 of you, none of this would have been possible in the first place so thanks!! Trish - thank you for taking the time to contact all the right people, & for caring about making my experience worthwhile!


Thanks to the staff at the 3 clinics/hospitals I spent time at. To Ian at Helen Jospeh, Gillian & Briony at ACTS, and Evah & Esther at Witbank. To all the friendly and lovely people who managed to put up with me for a few hours or days at all 3 places a big thank you! You have all taught me so much, & every single person I met couldn't have been nicer to me, or more willing to teach me something new about their fantastic country.


To Nicola & Kat in JoBurg, and Meghan at ACTS - thanks girls for taking the time out to take me out! All very worthwhile & different experiences! Very good to spend some time with the locals doing something! I would have been so bored without all you guys!! (: 


& very importantly a MASSIVE thank you to Mummy & Daddy Bird for making my dreams come true (: nothing I can do will ever make up for this so from the bottom of my heart the biggest thank you ever!


& to all of you reading this ... thanks for taking the time to follow my adventure!! Its certainly been the best time of my life, & being able to share it has been wicked :D so thanks to you all for your support & hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels as much as I have enjoyed doing them!!


Love to all!
Amy xxx

Melville :D

& time to RELAX!! Spent the last 2 days just chilling out mostly! Went round to the people who had helped me organise to say thank you in the morning which was lovely (:


& then took Mum & Dad out to Rosebank to the African Markets! Was lovely & I got lots of presents & souvenirs :D hehe (: was very nice!! Am getting good at bargaining! We went for the dinner with the 2 people we had met on safari which was really nice (:


& on friday it was a bit chilly!! Very nippy so we wrapped up warm & went for a walk round Melville & just filled in the day which was actually very nice (: was a good way to end the holiday of a lifetime! We went back to our favorite Cafe for lunch so that was nice too!


Fly tonight!

SAFARI :D

(Saturday - Wednesday)


WOW what a brilliant experience :D loved every minute of it & defo have to go back sometime sooooon :D hehe (:


The camp we stayed in with Tydon Safaris was lovely (: a tented camp with only 6 tents so was small & quiet.....listening to the African bush was amazing :D the tents had toilets & showers hehe (: but at night it was lovely to sit around the camp fire & eat food cooked on the fire in a traditional African bush way! & the guides were very lovely (:


First day we went out on a night drive which was wicked (: we saw Giraffe & Rhinos, & I got to hold a Chameleon :D hehe! We were just driving along & he stopped and just got it out the tree haha (: it was funny! He didn't wanna let go of my hand either hehe (: & the Giraffe's were amazing up close to see :D very lucky....although once it got dark it was a bit chilly!!


On the second day we went off into the Kruger for the day. It was fantastic, & we saw SO many animals which was wicked! The suspense as to what you're going to see next is brilliant hehe (: we saw Zebras, Giraffes, Elephants, Hippos, Lions, lots of Birds etc etc! Was excellent :D we saw Elephant's crossing the river & then they was a herd of about 20 in front of us! Was brilliant! The Fish Eagles were really amazing they're sooooo large its unbelievable but they are very beautiful birds to see :D


The third day we did a bush walk back in Sabi Sands in the morning! We left before sunrise & it was lovely. Seeing the sunrise was amazing. We didn't really see any animals but it was quite cool to be wondering around! We  found a Kudo tooth which I bough home hehe (: Its massive!! We tried to track some Elephant's, but we got to the end of the camps land & we coudn't go any further! It was pretty cool though (: we then got to chill for the afternoon in the sunshine at the camp which was very nice (: in the evening we went on another drive in Sabi & saw all the big 5!!!!! As we came in we saw Buffalo, & the guide sat me up on the front of the truck in the spotters seat & we drove right up to them!! It was amazing to be so close to them!! He then told me afterwards they're the most dangerous of the big 5!! Aaahhh!! We then saw the Black Rhino who was a bit fierce, and couldn't decide whether to run at us or not!!! & then we saw 3 lions lying down happily on the land next door. Then once it got dark we came across a whole big herd of Elephants! He put the lights off & we sat in the dark listening to them chomping and walking. They make such little noise for the size of them when they walk!! Its amazing (: but me & mum were a bit worried they were gunna creep up behind us hahahaha (: then as we were driving back to camp a Leopard just walked out in front of us, followed by a second one! We pulled off the road to follow them & they mated in front of us!!!!! We then followed for a bit which was amazing (: Dad loves them :D


The forth day we spent back in Kruger, & again we were very lucky & saw lots. The weather was very dull & cold so we all wrapped in blankets on the truck :D hehe (: we saw Giraffes fighting each other, & we actually heard the whack as they hit each other with their necks which was a bit gross!!! We saw Ostrich which are apparently rare in the Kruger, & a Sabel which is rare too!


On the last day we took a scenic route home, & saw out of Gods Window & lots of other pretty scenery. We also stopped at a place for some yummy waffles :D hehe


A big massive thanks to the guides at Tydon for a wonderful experience!! I defo wanna go back again :D hehe (:

NOAH (Nuturing Orphans of Aids for Humanity)

(Friday) Spent the morning with the charity NOAH. & it was soooo good!! Such an amazing & worthwhile charity. Theres around 100 Arks (as they're named) looking after approx 200,000 children who have been orphaned through AIDs, or who are vulnerable. They provide pre-school facilities and then an after school club too. 


I went to one Ark, and met the children who were sooooo happy & smiley it was unbelievable. These are children who have very little or nothing in the world & they are the happiest children I've ever met! They sang us songs & danced which was really cute & funny to see (:


We then went onto a second Ark just to look around at a smaller site. This one was self-funding, so had a bakery oven to provide bread & scones to the local community! It was really good to see. The Arks also have their own vegetable patches to teach the children about the importance of food, and to grow their own things!


I then got to go back to the first place & spend playtime with the Kids. It was brilliant. They all wanted to touch me & hug me & hold my hand & play with me!! It was so lovely. They were very sweet & happy. They all wanted to play with me so we got to do skipping, the limbo & Whats the Time Mr Lion which was really funny listening to them all laugh & squeal! 


Such a fantastic & amazing experience! So very lucky to have had the opportunity to spend some time with them in this way. I couldn't have asked for anything better!

Mummy, Daddy & Apartheid!

(Thursday) I got picked up at 8 today so got a bit of a lie in haha (: & got driven back to Melville. Where of course mum & dad were waiting for me!!!! Was wicked to see them & have some company .... 3 weeks is definately a long time to spend in a place so far from home on your own! Had so much to tell them was brillant (: Is also pretty strange now I have got so used to being here it feels like home & just feels like they've come to visit like they do when I'm at uni :P haha!!


We went to the Apartheid Museum, which was just WOW! Most of it having happened long before my lifetime, I had not quite realised the full extent to all the problems faced here. They really did have a tough time of it, & it illustrate to me yet again how lucky we really are in the UK to not have had to live through such segregation & violence. Mandela really has been an amazing influence to these people, which was illustrated to me on Monday when it was Nelson Mandela Day. Was brilliant & just so eye opening to see. My favourtie quote from Mandela was:


"To be free is not merely to cast off ones chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others"


& then we had yummy dinner :D off to bed now as have to be up early again! Being picked up at 6:45 to go to a breakfast charity dinner and spend the day in Soweto with the NOAH charity! Looking forward to it (:

Wards (:

(Wednesday) Today I spent most of my time on the wards. It was soooo interesting to compare to the UK, & to be able to see more problems which are faced in this line of work. The ward is split up into medical & surgical patients. The surgical patients all had bad burns or wounds from the coal. It made me realise even more the importance of their occ health system. The wounds were worse than any I've seen before, & these are seen regularly at the hospital! The medical patients were mostly those with badly controlled hyperglycaemia or hypertension, although there was a stroke patient & a psychotic patient too! It was really interesting to see the nursing care for these patients! They all wore the ACHH pyjamas all day, which I found very strange to see as in the UK we now encourage patients to bring in their own PJs to wear, & encourage those who are able to get dressed to do so during the day. The patients just looked so weird & all the same in their same generic uniform, like an old fashioned institute! They seemed to have no real identity for themselves which I found quite different indeed! I also got a chance to go into the TB ward & see the patients there. Its amazing (: its all negative pressure so the doors only open once the others are shut and so on in order to prevent the spread of disease. All visitors and nurses have to wear masks in to help prevent spread too. Its so posh & modern ... a sharp contarst to the rural areas & government hospitals! I got to join in the Drs round which was wicked too, as I got to listen some more to the diagnosis and treatment of all the patients to gain a better understanding of it all! They don't have many women in the hospital, so if any are admitted the tend to be kept in the side rooms away from the men! Again segregated wards, most of which no longer exist in the UK! Chatting to the nurses was great & they've all been SO friendly & welcoming to me. They love to teach me their knowledge, & love to hear about the UK from me! They still can't believe I'm not cold :P hehe! They were so lovely to me, & made me promise to come back again one day! We will see!!! 


Seeing Mummy & Daddy tomorrow (: wwwwooooo!!

Mines, Wards & Occ Health!

(Tuesday) Today has been a pretty mixed day & I've managed to do a bit of everything!! Haha (:


Spent the morning in the mining clinic at Kriel mine with one of the Drs. Tuesday is their chronic day, so there was a lot of patients with problems such as hyperglycaemia & hypertension. The Dr doesn't see too many patients, but spends the time checking the chest X-Rays from the occ health checks. All of the mine employees have to have an occupational health check every year to be approved to do the job they do. They have their eyesight checked, their hearing checked, a chest X-Ray done, urinalysis (to detect drugs too), vital signs checked and see the Dr or nurse. I found the strictness of the whole thing quite interesting, as if they fail their work cards are blocked so they can't get into the mines, making it more necessary for them to make the changes needed in order to pass! The strict rules mean their health is kept in check and keep them fit for work! The X-Rays illustrate any early signs of TB or silicosis, that can be treated so that they aren't spread. The Dr then has to decide if the employee is fit for work or if aspects of their jobs need to be changed. Pregnant women aren't allowed to opperate heavy machines, work below ground or work in high noise so their jobs often need changing once they discover they are pregnant. I got to see what normal CXRs were, and what the signs of TB to look out for where! Old TB also shows up on X-Ray so this needs investigating before the person is signed off.


After we got back to ACHH, I spent a bit of time in the ward with the nurses. Its pretty quiet, as they are trying to steer away from having in-patients in the hospital as obviously its better for everyone if they are out working! The explained the admission process to me (all patients come in via casualty down the corridor before being admitted to the ward) & then I got to help do an ECG! They didn't really understand how I didn't know how to do it....as even their students take bloods and run drips! But it was a good experience to be taught, even though neither of us could read the end result!!!


I then went over to the Occ Health department, to see the process in work! The Dr had said to me its like walking in one door & out the other, although I didn't quite realise to what extent this is true! You literally walk in one door, round all the different rooms having different tests and then go back out the other door :P !! They get realllly busy & can see upto 120 patients a day!! Craaazzzyyy! (: but the process is so interesting, as I can't think of anywhere in the UK that is so thorough at checking their employees health so regularly! They may check as you start work, but certainly don't re-check for any problems yearly! So great to see such an amazing initiative in a less developed country than our own.

Oupatients!

(Monday) Nice early start at 6:30 ..... haha! On the way there it was really strange because you literally drive into mines! All you can see is fog & smoke, and the temperature dropped to -2.5!!!!!! It was crazy! The matron who picked me up said that when its really bad it can take up til 10 o clock to get into work! Craazzzyyyy!

After a tour around the hospital, I spent today in the outpatients clinic. It was really interesting to see a clinic that wasn't just HIV treatment, but more general treatment too! There is a lot of patients with hypertension and hyperglycaemia, and all the patients have medical aid from the company, or have their own medical aid. The hospital is so nice & posh as well .... its like the hospitals in the UK! Very modern and nice (: & everyone has been so nice & friendly!! Saw a wide mix of patients which was really good! The nurses get to do loads here, they take bloods and prescribe all the meds needed and make a diagnosis. Was great to spend some time with the nurses :D learnt a bit more about the training here too .... & its just so hugely different to the UK its weird! I guess its more like our older training for our general nurses! They get a bar for their epaulets with each part of the training they complete eg. one for mental health, one for midwifery etc! & they train at different levels (an assistant, a staff nurse or a sister). Tomorrow I am going to go to the mining clinic with the Dr (:

Witbank!

(Sunday) Got picked up this morning to go to Witbank! Was lovely and sunny on the journey was so hot in the car! Was so strange because everything is just so brown around you! Brown grass, brown trees .... thats winter for you! Was also very strange seeing sudden townships, mostly houses made of corrugated iron sheets. They seem to spring up from nowhere, and then suddenly it is all you can see. There is a lot of disused mine sites here, and the old ones were not properly excavated and looked after when they closed down! Am staying in a lovely Guest House that serves dinner too :D wooo! Looking forward to the hospital tomorrow! (: getting an early start though .... pick up at 6:30 am! :O

Chillax!

(Saturday) Spent the day chillaxxxiinnnggg to the max today! Was lovely :) got to spend some time filling in the family about what I had been up to all last week! Went for a walk for lunch & that was it :D haha! Am off tomorrow to Witbank in the morning getting driven there it takes about 2 hours! Looking forward to it! Getting to spend til Thursday in the coal miners hospital of Anglo American!! :D

Training & an almost real sized plane!

(Friday) Today was training for the staff, so I got the opportunity to compare theirs to ours! Was a good day & was cool to be part of it! Was thorough and all linked to things in the clinic. There was a talk about Wills, which was really interesting particularly as a lot of the patients don't have one when they die, or have not written them properly so they do not get counted! This makes things a lot more difficult. Another session was about TB and how it is spread and the best ways to be protected etc. Was really good & informative, especially as some of the background staff didn't really know the info, unlike the nurses & Drs who have had the training!! We also did a session on what OT is all about, which was brilliant fun. We got to play with playdoh and make things :D hehe! Was really good for the staff as most of them didn't know what OT was, or who to refer. The final session was an open forum for staff to discuss issues about the clinic, and have things explained to them. I thought this was a brilliant idea as it means they're all reading from the same page and ensures any mix-ups are cleared up! We then got a very nice chicken curry & the afternoon was going to be spent doing a mini sports day to end on something fun! All in all a very successful day :D


I then had my lovely flight home, on not such a small plane this time! On the way the plane was about 30 of us, 1 seat aisle then 2 seats (I got the billy 1 seat of course haha) & we didnt need steps we just walked up and in! One air hostess & job done!! Coming back it was 2 seats aisle 3 seats :O haha! Must be a busier time than 6:30am on a Monday :P surprisingly some of the business people I had flown with on Monday were on the same flight home, having probably spent the weekend working!


I have had such an amazing week I cannot begin to explain how life changing and eye opening it has been. This is why I wanted to come to Africa, to see the things I have seen this week & last week. One person may not be able to make a difference, but maybe one person can teach others what life is really like for these people, & then someday perhaps a difference will be made when people begin listening!!

Community Care & Birthday Cake!

(Thursday) Wow. How do I even begin to describe the things I have seen today? If you sit at home & think about what you think Africa is, what you will probably think is what I have seen today. Being out with the community team has been such an amazing privilege, a real eye-opener of how these people I have been seeing REALLY live.


The first lady we visited had a CD4 count of 1 (usual for us is around 500ish) when she started ARVs a few weeks ago. Yet today was her birthday, and she was doing incredibly well. The ladies I was out with said you would have never thought she was the same lady they had seen a few weeks ago, who could barely sit on her own. & there she was when we turned up dancing!! Amazing (: we had the honor of being able to sit down with the family after seeing how she was doing, and have birthday cake they had bought! It probably cost almost half of what she gets to feed her family, yet after we had sung some songs and said a prayer we all got to sit down and have some. About 12 of them live in the house, & as we ate all the chickens, dogs and new baby goats were running around us! Was great to see! Such a privilege and something I certainly won’t forget for a very long time to come!!


The next person we managed to find in was the man I had seen in the clinic the other day, who had lost all his skin and turned white. It was great to see him doing well at home, & his son was staying with him to help him out on a few things! The sense of community in the rural areas is really something (:


The last patients we saw were very cute! They were 2 little boys of 5 & 7. Their mother had died, and their father doesn’t want a lot to do with them so they stay with their grandmother. Despite being very old she looks after them very well. We asked the 7 year old about his ARVs and asked him to show how he takes them (this is to check his adherence and understanding!) & at 7 he could place out all the pills correctly, & say how often he took them! It was amazing. He reminds his grandmother of the time when he has to take them! It was amazing to see, & it really made it hit home what life is like for these children. They were lovely little boys, & when we left ran to the gate to wave to us as we drove off. So lovely to see 2 very happy little boys!

Colpo, Babies, IPU & RAIN!!!

(Wednesday) I spent the morning in the Colposcopy (Colpo) unit. This was really fascinating, but not for the faint hearted! Skip ahead if you’re squeamish!! Haha. The unit takes referrals from abnormal PAP smears, even from different clinics as the hospital waiting list is long and they perform the procedure under general anesthetic making it a much riskier procedure. Basically the procedure is to remove any abnormalities from the cervix. It’s amazing to see it done, and it is usually highly successful at reducing these ladies chances of developing cervical cancer (also a massive problem in HIV+ patients!). Only those with high grade lesions are seen, and the procedure is done with local anesthetic. I won't gross you out with the details, but I did find it really interesting!


I then had an amazing opportunity to watch a lady have an ultrasound at 20 weeks ..... with twins! It was really fascinating, just amazing to see!! Now I know how pretty and cute Little Bird once looked, shame it changed so much with age :P hehe! The Dr was trying to see what sex the babies were, and thought they might both be girls and at that one of them had a wee proving her theory correct! They were really active stretching their arms and legs and moving their mouths. It really was a great thing to see!


In the afternoon, I went to the Inpatients Unit (IPU) or Hospice as it used to be known. It is a few kms down the road, and is set up to care for the patients at the unit to save them from going into the main hospital. It has a male and a female bay, very different to the mixed sex approach now in the UK. It has a small isolation room for 1 patient, perhaps who has TB which may be drug resistance. They do not necessarily barrier nurse but it keeps them separate from the others. There were only 4 patients so it was very quiet. There are currently students at the IPU, and they had a teaching session whilst I was there on TB. They were also told about holistic care - something they didn't have a clue about so I told them! It’s something we learn in the UK from day one, further emphasizing many of the differences I have already found! However, they do seem very knowledgeable and their training is just different to ours.


& then it rained .....lovely reminder of home! Haha

OT, Monkeys, Follow-ups & Bible Group

(Tuesday) Today I spent the morning in with the Occupational Therapist (OT). She only had one patient booked, so I got to spend some time talking to her about the job. It seems very similar to the UK, although like nursing it is a 4 year course!  They have a lot of good equipment, although not to modern as that I've seen in the UK. The patient I got to see was a young girl who had had 2 strokes in 2009 & 2010. She is making remarkable progress. At first she couldn't speak for nearly 2 months, and now she speaks SiSwati & English very well indeed! It was great to see the things the OT did with her, mostly stretching based. Again very similar things I have seen on neuro patients in the UK, mostly getting the muscles in her arm and leg (as her left side was affected both times) to loosen. She also helps her with her memory and school work. It’s very rewarding to see. The biggest problem the OT has is keeping up with patients. Follow ups in a rural area are rare, and patients struggle to get to the clinic regularly. Therefore, simple stretches they can do themselves at home are the best type of therapy for them!


Whilst in with the OT, we saw a monkey on the roofs outside! One of the men was telling me they are a nuisance as they are always around, and like to try and get in the window if you leave them open! He told me not to leave my window open at night or I would wake up to find a monkey snuggled in bed next to me hahahaha!


I spent the afternoon with the Dr, again with follow up patients. Some had TB and needed their follow-up meds. TB is a common problem in HIV+ patients, and is a notifiable disease so patients need to have a green card with their details on. I also saw a man who had turned white! His skin had peeled off a few years ago, and so he had lost all the pigment in his skin. It was very strange to see, and they have no idea how it has happened. They think it may be related to the HIV, or be something like Michael Jackson had! He also had alopecia (hair loss) so had no hair and very little eyebrows! Certainly an image I will never forget.


In the evening I went to a home bible group with the OT. It was actually very interesting, although I felt a little out of place! Christianity is the main religion in SA, and ACTS is a very spiritual and religious place. It was great to see young people my age meeting up to have some discussions about their faiths, and to sing and pray and preach. It is interesting to see how much faith has an influence in these peoples lifes, despite the many diseases and illnesses around them.

Jet Planes, Screening and Testing

(Monday) Today I had to get up at 4am to get to the airport for my flight to Nelspruit! It was sooo dark and cold, but the roads were for some reason quite busy! We took off just as the sun was rising - a spectacular view as you float above the orange and red morning sky in a plane! Nelspruit is a lot warmer than JoBurg, but everyone keeps on saying it is cold! They need to come and live in the UK! Haha. 


Once I got here and got shown around, I spent my time watching the screening process for new patients. It all seems very formal, but has to be done as patients aren't allowed to be registered at more than one clinic, and to be moved have to have a transfer letter. Also, if they change ARVs without needing to, they may build up drug resistance. The main language spoken is SiSwati (no idea if this is spelt right!!) so the nurses had to explain to me what was happening after the patients had gone! It’s very strange to listen to, as they add in random English words and phrases! Haha. 


I then spent time in with the nurse who was testing the patients. They are given pre and post test counseling, and the test is a simple finger prick test with a result in 3-5 mins! If it shows up negative, they can have a 2nd test to verify the result. It’s quite interesting to see. From there they have bloods done to check CD4 counts and viral load, before they come back for results to see if they can start ARVs!


I spent the afternoon in follow up appointments with the nurse, which were mostly straight forward cases who just needed repeat prescriptions. Bloods are tested yearly once patients have been on ARVs for a year, so there isn't much to be done for the inbetween patients!

I'm BACK :D

Hey everyone! I'm back in JoBurg and reconnected with the virtual world!! Had such an amazing and eye-opening week, has been such a privilege to spend the time at the ACTS clinic, & I can't thank the people that have helped to get me there enough! Was definitely one of the best experiences of my life! Have kept a blog of everyday, so sit tight & I'll copy in! 

Into the Rural!

Hey everybody! Im at the ACTS clinic now!! Its so pretty completely in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by pretty countryside! Here has a much more relaxed approach to life than the busyness of JoBurg! Is lovely here! The people are very friendly! Have got a nice room on site, and am cooking for myself which is ok! (: have a timetable for the week so I know where I'm going & what I'm doing! No internet connection in my room though so posts may be rare!!

Spent yesterday in different aspects of the clinic. Saw the screening process for new patients, which seems rigerous but has to be done. Patients can only be on one programme at one clinic, and here can only take on HIV+ patients so it seems tough but its just the rules! Some patients just hop from clinic to clinic so they are trying to prevent that. I then spent some time with the testers, and results are 3-5 mins!! Its brilliant! I spent the afternoon in follow up appointments.

Today I am with the OT this am, and a Dr this pm! Just seen a monkey on the roof!! Haha crazy! Will post again whenever I can!

I'm Off!!

Hi Everybody! Tomorrow I fly off to Nelspruit in the rural area of the north! I' going to spend the week in the Childrens HIV ACTS clinic! Hopefully going to be an amazing experience! I get picked up at 4:30am tomorrow for my flight ..... ahhhh! (:


Don't know if I will get internet up there so hang tight & I'll be posting as soon as I can! Speak sooooon! Amy Xxx

Markets, Souvenirs & Books hanging from the ceiling!

Today I went back to the Market which was amazing! Finally managed to take some photos so look below to find the amazing sites at the market! It was brilliant & I got some lovely souvenirs and gifts for people!

Beaded objects are very popular & you can buy them everywhere! They are so clever, sculpted on metal, and bracelets on safety pins!

The pictures and paintings were absolutely amazing & so pretty! They must take hours to make but they are so clever. All different sizes, and some made of wax batik on banana leaves! Beautiful (:

& when we went for lunch there was books hanging from the ceiling!! So effective it looked SO cool!!

Markets, Lunch, Cinemas & Amazing Popcorn!

Today I spent the day with 2 girls from the research department, who agreed to spend some time with me and take me out at the weekends! They are so lovely & kind! Its been wicked to make some friends so I don't feel so isolated!


So today they took me to this massive shopping centre which has an African Arts Market. It was simply just amazing! Unlike anything I have ever seen before. The African people make such beautiful items. There was paintings, jewellery, wooden animals, and animals made from beads. They were absolutely stunning and amazing! Such a good experience of what Africa is really like! Hit home where I was in the world! This country is full of surprises....in a very modern shopping centre that could have easily been anywhere in the UK was this amazing market! (:


They then took me to lunch at a very nice cafe! Everything is so cheap out here compared to sterling! One of the girls was telling me that some tickets for the World Cup were only R200 ..... £20!!!! Crazy compared to those selling for the Olympics in London!


We then went to the cinema to see Bridesmaids. Its a really good film. SO funny :D had us all laughing most of the way through! We got some popcorn & its amazing here!! Come basically unflavoured and you get shakers and add your flavour!! There was salt, salt and vinegar, sweet and butter! Such a good invention .... we definitely need it in the UK!

Tomorrow I'm heading back to the shops and market to see if I can get some souvenirs and gifts for people! Have to make some room in my overweight bag haha (:


Hope everyone is having a good weekend in the rainy UK, its nice & sunny here and warm :D hehe!

Research!

Spent yesterday in the Clinical HIV Research Unit (CHRU) at the Themba Lethu clinic! It was amazing & soooo interesting!! Even in this country there is so many ethical and legal bodies that research studies have to pass through before they are allowed to go ahead. They have reviews every so often and if the study is proving to be un-beneficial its pulled! Its so interesting and different to anything I have done before. They test new medication for HIV patients, and some drugs which are registered abroad but not in South Africa. They also do some research on the side effects of drugs. All patients have to pass through screening to be able to come onto a study, and then they have regular check up appointments to see how they are doing, take bloods, and see if the study is working. Some are double blind, meaning that both the patient and the researcher do not know if they have received the study drug or a placebo. Everything is anonymous and patients have a unique reference number incorporating their initials! Its just fascinating to see how the studies we read on paper started out (: really good day!

Dinner!

Just been for dinner at none other than .....


NANDOS!!!!




Amazing (:

Let the sun shine (:

The cold weather finally decided to go away :D wooooo!!


Have had a busy few days (: loving it out here though the country is just so different to anywhere I have been before, & its such an amazingly brilliant experience! So grateful for everyone who has made this possible!!


So what have I been upto?!


Well Wednesday I spent with a VERY busy senior nurse, who took me around the clinic & bits of the hospital. I learnt how the clinic is managed, & the ways in which things are run! Its all very hard work for such a small place, but its so busy all the time! I spent the afternoon sat in clinic again & saw some more interesting things like a pregnant lady, someone whos ARVs might not be working, and people with complications from the meds! Every patient you see, despite all having the same underlying problem, is just so different in their own way! Its really fascinating to see the diversity within one illness.


Today I went to the Childrens clinic up the road. It was amazing. They do research as well, & have a clinic the same as the adults. They see patients from birth upwards, & I was surprised by the wide range of ages they saw. They see a lot more children surviving into adolescence now, where before the treatment with ARV's a lot of the children died young. This alongside a very successful Preventing Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme, a lot less younger children are being diagnosed with HIV! It was wicked to get a chance to see the peads teams in action!


Tomorrow I'm spending the day with the researchers back at the Themba Lethu clinic (: this should hopefully be really interesting! & at the weekend hopefully going with them to a film :D woop!


Next week I'm going to the ACTs clinic in White River. Its gunna be sooo awesome I can't wait :D


So all in all very good few days = a very happy Amy! Loving South Africa, especially now its sunny! So excited for whats to come!

Themba Lethu Clinic!

WOW! Busy busy busy!!


I spent today at Right To Care's Themba Lethu Clinic, which is based at the Helen & Joseph Hospital. Its such a busy place!! They see between 500-750 patients a day! I don't know anywhere in the UK that would cope with that many people in one day its crazy!! But I've learnt sooooo much!!


They primarily deal with those with HIV, co-ordinating their treatment regimes and checking their health. Everyone seems to have appointments but just for that day, & no particular time! They start at around 7:30, but patients can arrive as early as 5am to get a place in the queue!! They have 29,000 people on their records :O !!! They also deal with those who have TB, and provide diagnoses and initial treatment prior to referrals. Theres a counselling service for those with HIV, and services to ensure medicine is administered. They have different clinics for other illnesses such as bone problems. Theres a pharmacy where people wait for hours for their drugs to take home. Theres also a research department which is amazing! They run trials of new treatments for HIV, or for things related to the illness or medications, e.g. sore feet.


Everything is so old fashioned yet so modern all in the same building!! Theres a new computer system using bar codes to register patients, but then they write on papers which are very outdated! Their medication is behind that of the UK mostly due to costs, which isn't right! These people need the medication!!


Nurses are also very different to the UK. They can prescribe a lot of drugs including antibiotics, and can also diagnose. They're allowed to perform a circumcision! Its all very different but very interesting. They have had to step up their duties to cover the areas over here that are failed to be covered by other professions, or in fact do more because there is less of them!


Looking forward to tomorrow! (:

I've arrived safe & sound!!

Hello from the other side of the equator!!

Arrived yesterday morning! Flight was ok (: just loooooong!! Was sooo tired all day yesterday! Spent the day at Anglo American seeing their different health initiatives after settling into the guest house! Guest House is ok, everyone is really friendly! (: bit chilly over here only 5 degrees at the minute! Everyone is saying its not like Joburg to be this cold!!! Hopefully will warm up soon (:

OVERWEIGHT !!!

Today I packed my bag, and I'm overweight :/ haha! Oh what fun! So need to repack later with less stuff!!! Only 2kg over which is REALLY annoying!!

Had the last supper now too! Made sure I stocked up just in case I don't get much to eat for a month :P hehe!

Checked in online!! All rather scary now!! Very real all of a sudden ......

23 hrs, 10 mins to go!

3 days and counting!

Sooo my itinerary is all sorted! Spending my first day at Anglo American head offices, finding out some more about what they do, and about South Africa. I'm really excited about it!


Think I've finally bought everything I need as well!! My luggage is sooooo gunna be overweight!! Haha gunna have fun packing on sat! Just more ironing to do :( ha great fun! Luckily mummy is great help :D hehe (: Thanks mum!! <3


3 days, 2 hours & 29 minutes to go ..... aaaaahhhh!!

Shopping, Shopping & More Shopping!!

So Me & Mum went MEGA shopping in Reading yesterday & got me some clothes for Africa! Just need to know what to wear for when I'm in the hospital then I'm almost sorted! Feel a LOT more ready now ...... & i weighed my bag with everything in it so far & its 13kg already!! Half the baggage ... but not quite half the clothes haha oooopsy! Guess the packing will need some sorting next week!! 

Why Africa?

I guess I forgot to say why I'm going to Africa!


Soooo basically as part of our nursing course, we have to do a PDE (Professional Development Experience) to experience healthcare in a setting of our choice. I have always wanted to go to Africa ever since I can remember. I've always wanted to go & see the difference in their healthcare, & have the opportunity to work with those less fortunate than us. I wanted to work with those who are orphaned from AIDS & HIV. 


& now I have the opportunity to do this!! Thanks to Dad knowing some great people I've finally been able to organise it!! I can't wait, its getting closer & closer, and I'm getting more excited! 9 Days (:

To Copy Sophie's Idea ...... (:

Heeelllllooooo!!

Have decided to copy Sophie's brilliant idea & keep a blog of while I am away in the lovely South Africa for a month. So those of you who are a little worried can know that I'm still in one piece, & those people who would like to know what I'm getting up to can read it all here!


Its all seeming a little scarier now the time is getting a lot closer & am still no where near ready!! Waiting on my final itinerary & then I have everything in writing!! However, the man helping me has been a little busy on BBC NEWS......so I guess I'll let him off haha! Can't wait to meet such an important person!


What I know so far .....
* Im being based at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg in South Africa (Also known as the Themba Lethu Clinic)
* Am spending some days out visiting the other mining hospitals and areas managed by Anglo American & Right To Care (http://www.angloamerican.com/ & http://www.righttocare.org/) 
* Am hopefully spending some time in a rural Clinic know as ACTS clinic (http://www.actsclinic.co.za/)
* Will also hopefully spend time with the charity NOAH, who work with AIDs orphans (http://www.noahorphans.org.za/)

I think that's all for now! Will update once I know where I'm going and when! See you all sooooooon!

Love Amy (: xx