Better late than never...

Greetings one and all,

    So sorry that I didn't write this sooner.  I have had technical difficulties from the beginning.  Public computer user names not working, facebook blocking me, blog not accepting my login name, and super slow internet access.  Finally have jumped over all of those hurtles.
    So much to write about, if I forget something just ask.
    So I arrived at the Conakry airport.  The heat was quite a shock from the air conditioning of the plane, though I don't think it felt as hot as India.  While lining up for immigrations, I spotted a Mercy Ship shirt.  I squeeled with glee, and softly shouted "Yay Mercy Ships."  The girl turned around and we rushed to meet each other, so glad to find a 'familiar face' in this crowd of people.  My first friend.  Shortly after we found two other Mercy ship veterans who were on return trips.
    Outside, we met out Mercy Ship driver (who also happened to be the coordinator of the dental team.)
Our drive to the ship was a dark one, as there are not many street lights.  From what I could see in the dark, the third-worldness reminded me quite a bits of my trips to India and Dominican Republic.
    Pulled up to the ship, and my new friend and I were too giddy for words, both in awe that we were actually here.  Most experiences in the first couple of days were similar.  "I am actually on the Africa Mercy!?"  Inside, welcome paperwork had to be completed.  We stuck out like sore thumbs: the two of us as dissheveled as could be, jaws down to our knees, wonder and excitement streaming beaming from our eyes.   Newbies.
    Next day was a tour of the ship.  Once more "I can't believe I am on the Africa Mercy!"  Through the cafeteria, the mid-ship lounge with Starbucks (staffed at select times by Mercy Ship crew), past the computer stations and the International Lounge (large meeting room).  Past the academy and the library, laundry room, hair salon, bank, 'post office' ship shop, up to the deck and the pool.  So much to see.  It was like a large BC ferry.  So fun to walk up and down the halls and get dis-oriented.  I shall be sad when I no longer get lost.  A few of us (newbies and veterans,) took a landrover for a drive to a local eatery to have "Shwarmas." (Not spelled correctly.)  They consist of a pita wrapped around chicken, coleslaw, french fries and sauce.  The Guineans are ingenious!  Got my first taste of locals gathering around the fenced-in patio, staring and begging as we ate.  Our guide reminded us that you can't respond - if you give out anything, a swarm of other beggars will envelope you.  (Something we also found true in Munoz, Dom. Rep.)  ...But you  can discretely leave your leftovers at the fence and someone will take it.
   Started work on Monday.  Many experiences to tell, most of which will be featured on Troublesometeeth.blogspot.ca .
 
  The clinic consists of a big room, on the bottom floor of some compound.  9 dental chairs (which are glorified folding ironing boards), a lunchroom, a storage closet, an instrument room, a sterilizing room and a reception room.  The whole setup is portable - they brought it all into the building from the ship when they first arrived on this mission.  Long rectangle tables act as a counter for supplies, each 'unit' has one dental chair, an operator delivery tray on a tripod, and the coolest portable suction machine I have seen.  It looks like a vacuum and has two long hoses that extend the HVE tips to two separate ops.  The sludge travels through the hoses, separated in the machine, and the remaining liquid goes out another hose to who knows where?  I haven't figured out all of the details yet.  There are no portable free-standing dental lights, but instead each dentist and assistant has a pair of safety glasses with light attachment.  No need to remember to adjust the overhead light!

   One thing that I have gotten used to is the concept of "six-hand dentistry."  We work in a team of three: dentist, dental assistant and day worker (D.W.) (local resident who has been hired by mercy ships to work as part of the dental team to translate between patient and dentist.)  The D.W.'s have been trained on the job to help assist as well as translate.  Essentially, the table ('counter') is located on the other side of the dentist from where I stand, so the D.W. assists me by retrieving items from the table while I continue to assist the dentist.  We never know what teeth we will be extracting of filling, prior to the patient sitting down, so we have to run back and forth to the supply room quite a bit.  This is another reason that 6 handed dentistry works so well.

    Think I must stop now.  More to write, but it is getting late.