Early End of the Week

We have had Internet access issues and have had to put the blog on hold. The week was eventful and stimulating. The best thing that happened was that Emily was hired by Thomas College in Waterville as their new political science professor!
Life went on here in Botswana, however. I was asked to consult on a patient with a huge pericardial effusion that prompted an echo-guided pericardiocentsis and resulted in >2L drainage. The next day, I encountered a man with a hemodynamically significant effusion (early tamponade) that also required an echo-guided tap and resulted in >200 ml drainage that relieved the tamponade symptoms and signs. Other findings this week were an ascending aortic aneurysm (nearly 6 cm) with AR, acute AR in a poor woman with underlying hypertensive heart disease, cryptococcal meningitis, AIDs, and TB (I think she had acute infective endocarditis), Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve in a patient with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a secundum ASD with RV enlargement and pulmonary htn.
Barbara’s birthday was today. She did some therapeutic shopping at the Botswana Cultural Center (a wall hanging for Duncan and an African story book for him also). We went out for dinner at the Gaborone Sun hotel, and had a very enjoyable meal, served in relaxed Botswana style.
We have been struggling with the Internet, and have had to delay contribution to the blog. Our Email access has been limited. Hopefully I’ll be able to convince the folks at the BUP office that fixing our internet access and ability to print are priorities.
Friday morning Barbara and I are traveling to Chobe, a game reserve in the northeast part of Botswana, where we'll be for 3 nights. We'll spend an additional night at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. This should be a great trip and both of us are ready for a break!