About Me

This blog is about Andrew Mockridge, a 5th Year Medical student and his elective in Gulu Uganda. During the 2 months, he shall be working in the Gulu Regional Referral hospital and the surrounding district undertaking research and clinical work in the hospital. The people of Gulu have suffered immensely in a recent civil war with the LRA in Uganda. Many lives have been lost and the rebuilding of infrastructure, education and communities still remains to be developed to this present day. TB and HIV are very prevalent in the region and this is where the research will be centred. I will be collecting patient details from local health offices and visiting the rural districts to identify suitable patients and arrange them to be seen by the research team in May/June time. The other part of my work will be spending time looking after poorly patients in Gulu Regional Referral hospital. I'm sure I will learn alot from a healthcare system so different to our own!

Sunday, 8 April 2012

Happy Easter!

I've just arrived back from an amazing weekend at the Rhino Sanctuary...Uganda is so cheap and there are quite a few things to do provided you are willing to travel and have a nice driver (and car). I was quite cheery by the end of the week as I was adopted by the Anaesthetic team. I did an epidural on an Emergency Caesarian section as the fetus was in distress - all went well and most importantly I am no longer doing Paeds! We also have 5 new lovely additions to our clan - 4 Docs and 1 Nurse....they have cheered me up :)


We arrived at the Rhino place on Saturday and went on a Rhino tour around the park. We got VERY close to some of the Rhinos and their babies but was told that we may need to "Jump up a tree, if they charge at you"...of course I would be dead as I could never climb up a tree! We got back and ate lunch and booked our next trip to do some birding. This was a 5:40am start zzzzzzz but we got up in the pitch black and borrowed some wellies to go through the swamp!


We started by looking for some birds on the swamp. The noise at sunrise is immense and Africa is such a beautiful and flat country, you can see for miles and miles. We then took a canoe over the swamp to the other side to try and spot the Shoebill birds. Unfortunately we didn't find any, but found many accommodating mosquitos.


We then climbed the local "Mountain" thank god we didnt go at 10am or we would have been sweltering in the heat. The views were breathtaking and the bugs were scary including the giant ants that went on attack. I hope you have all had a nice easter at home and will blog more of my adventures next week after more anaesthetics. Off to see some local boxing and have some local food. Don't eat too much chocolate (apparently its not a very manly think here to admit you like choc!?)

Debs - This is our tortoise..what shall we call him/her?


The New chicken shed that was made for £10


Me eating a whole fish - I don't normally like fish but this is GOOD!


This is how they transport livestock in Uganda!


Road to the Rhino Sanctuary


Some wasp nest - they were nasty things!


Ants/Termites crawling out the ground ewww


Me with the Rhinos


Me, Tom and James





Our Driver Steven and Nurse Rosie


Sunrise today


Beautiful


The "Clan" on tour


Canoeing


swamp full of mossies!


Giant ants going for an attack


Top of Uganda's Kilimanjaro (joking)


Friendly Gorrila/monkey thing

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6 comments:

  1. rhetorician8 April 2012 at 14:44

    great photos - will enjoy showing C the bug pictures tomorrow; she very much enjoyed the giant chocolate Lindt bunny that you got for her (via Tesco!). Did you get the photos?

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  2. Andrew Mockridge9 April 2012 at 01:28

    Glad she enjoyed the choc - no surprises there ;)

    Got the photos - Anastasia is developing really well, some beautiful pictures. Catherine looks very engaged in her activities, Liked the photo of her and Karen.

    Prof is sorting me a date out for between the 2nd and 4th July for C

    hope your all well, send kisses and hugs from me xxxx

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  3. deb tortoise13 April 2012 at 08:53

    I hope all's going very, very well. Nice and peaceful here.

    I spent yesterday afternoon in London, for my birthday treat, it was very busy and chaotic there by comparison.

    Two quick questions for you as I don't think you're getting my text messages:
    1) How much should Fury McG be eating a day? She and the fish are very well, and...
    2)Have you told the family across the road from yours (no.47) that they can park their cars on your drive? I ask because if I am near yours, they park in front of their own place, but then the cars appear later on.

    Such hum drum domesticity here, but gearing myself up for the excitement of the Grand National tomorrow. Surprise, surprise, I belive the going is "heavy" due to all the rain. Huge posters about the drought on the Underground walls in London. What a difference a few miles makes, as you know only too well!
    debs x

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Mockridge13 April 2012 at 09:15

      Hello debs! hope your ok? who did you go to London with? what did you do?

      Fury McG gets 2 x meat sachets and some biscuits. I usually feed her in the morning with the meat sachet and also put some biscuits down. Then a pouch only in the evening.

      No I didn't say they could park on the drive and I don't think Reece would have said anything. Occasionally next door are allowed...interesting how people take advantage of other peoples property when they are away....

      May put a bet on the grand national from uganda (via the net).

      Take care and thanks for keeping in touch x

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    2. Andrew Mockridge13 April 2012 at 12:42

      Actually, Reece did allow them to park on the drive..to look like someone is there :) x

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  4. deb tortoise14 April 2012 at 02:32

    I have been feeding Fury as you have confirmed, but she's always after treats! She purrs like a well tuned Harley and I have discovered she loves catnip sweeties and cat milk. This morning she was waiting for me at my front door at 6:45a: like me, her stomach is the direct link to her heart!

    Glad I didn't launch one of my verbal onslaughts on no.47 over the cars!!! I saved that for my own next door neighbour, who I caught spraying weed killer on my dandelions on our bit of front garden 2 nights ago. As I pay £1 for every little packet of seeds I buy, I was less than amused.

    I expalianed this, and my dislike of pesticides, and how he would certainly know about it if any harm came to one of my beautiful tortoises, but managed not to tell him to look after his own disgustingly messy garden before attacking mine. He has declared all is now "cool" between us. I would describe it more like icy cold!!!

    Off to see my new BFF (Fury) now and pick your dandelions. debs x

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