Hi all! I’m excited to share with you all of the exciting things I’ve been able to do in the past two weeks! First, an update on the job. So far, I have had ample time to conduct preliminary research for suction devices and their use in surgery, specifically orthopedic surgery in East Africa. Last Thursday, I was able to attend PCEA Kikuyu hospital, where I had the opportunity to observe two orthopedic surgeries with my coworker. I was preparing myself for a gruesome day, being unable to bear the brutality and archaic nature of hip replacement surgery, but as incisions began and odd-geometried tools were being pulled out and used to help this patient return to a higher quality of life, I only found myself leaning in closer to get a better view. I was so fascinated by noticing the differences in the healthcare environments, comparing what I could see to the little exposure I’ve had in the States. Many things were shockingly different; the scrub nurses not necessarily wearing gloves while prepping the patient, the use of an IV stand to suspend the patient’s leg above horizontal, only secured by a piece of gauze tied to either end of the stand and their toe. The simplicity in the use of their suction machine. It was simply wheeled in, plugged in, connected to its fresh suction catheter and tip, and turned on. No troubleshooting, no pressure modulation, no intent to understand why the suction seemed to be working at 1/2 power, maybe. During the surgery, luckily for me (and not so luckily for the surgeon), I was able to witness an occlusion in the line during active surgery, the problem I am working to resolve. Watching the surgeon’s methods to remove the clot helped confirm some of the ideas I have to resolve the issue, as well as sparked new ideas. When they were finished suturing the patient, I was keenly able to ask some questions to clear up some questions I wasn’t able to see; ‘How does your mindset change when you have to deal with a seemingly mendable problem?’ or ‘Do you have a maintenance team who cares for these instruments, and are they reliable?’. In my time since then, I have been able to reassess my problem statement, work on new design briefs, research ISO standards for these machines, and develop a rough-cut parts list for a potential prototype. We are still hoping to get our hands on one of these devices relatively soon, so that I can get some hands-on experience with it and test out my prototype ideas. We will also be working with our lawyer on a patent searching mini clinic to ensure we are operating in a safe legal domain. So far, I have been making solid, timely progress on my milestones for the summer!
Coming up this Tuesday and Wednesday, I will be meeting with Casey and the other Rice students here in Kenya on different programs for some continued needs-finding and clinical observation. I’m hoping for some more exposure to these suction machines and any other observations I can make to potentially pose other issues in this lower-rate healthcare environment. 
In other news, Emma, Jasmine, and I were able to visit Hells Gate near Lake Naivasha and Mt. Longonot! It was such an awesome experience getting to bike through a national park and see its diverse wildlife, while also hearing about some of the history. I think zebras have made an impressive jump on my list of favorite animals. We were able to see and walk through the gorge where the stampede scene in The Lion King was modeled after. There were a bunch of kids on a field trip to this park at the same time, and they all insisted on giving me a fistbump (or maybe it was the other way around, I couldn’t tell who was more excited). We’ve also been able to get some dinners together, play some bowling, and I was able to actually get a round of golf in, which was surprisingly stressful before I eased up and relaxed, and enjoyed my environment. I’ve learned Kenya has good soups; I’ve been making an effort to try as many as I can. So far, my favorite one has been a simple beef soup with white rolls. I’m slowly picking up on some Swahili, with the help of the Uber drivers. Okay, bye for now!
