DayLums In Pittsburgh

Thanksgiving in Michigan

2011-11-27T20:25:00.002-05:00

2009 Update

2010-01-24T11:22:00.001-05:00

Greetings from the ‘burgh! As of January 2010, we’ve been in Pittsburgh for 18 months. We’re enjoying life here, and not just because both the Stillers and the Pens had banner years.

Ryan: The big story for me in 2009 was being able to continue teaching. I had a nice adjunct gig at LaRoche College in the spring, but found out mid-summer that they were slashing the department budget and eliminating all adjunct positions. Then, just a few weeks later, Allegheny County Community College called me (I had apparently entered myself into their database when we moved here — I had completely forgotten about it) and asked if I could teach Photography 1 and 2 starting in the fall. Photography was myfirst love in the art world, so I was more than happy to accept. It has gone very well, and I am returning this spring. I’ve also found a good home as a ‘utility musician’ at our church, where I play guitar, bass and occasionally percussion as needed. I’ve found a lot of great bike rides up and down the hills in Pittsburgh, and may do a little racing again in 2010. And, of course, we have our dogs to keep me company when Hillary works longer hours; I’ve become a big fan of Cesar Milan and now consider him to be one of our finest modern-day philosophers.

Hillary: I’m now half-way through with my internal medicine residency, which feels great! The program continues to be a good fit. I’m constantly challenged and humbled by illness, medicine, and our “sickness” care system. I’ve decided to pursue geriatrics and palliative care medicine (each are one year fellowships) and health outcomes research related to critical issues that face older adults at the end of life, especially with respect to transitions in care (i.e. the countless difficulties related to care in multiple settings by multiple providers). Personally, we’ve gotten more used to how each month’s schedule can be very different, and learning to make the most of my time “off”. I definitely miss not being able to travel as freely, but Ryan and the dogs are always happy to hang out with me. We have favorite post-call “breakfast” places and multiple parks that we enjoy walking in.

OTHER 2009 HIGHLIGHTS
10 days in Wichita, spending time with Ryan’s family, including Lori, who was home from her first year of teaching history in Kazakhstan.
Adopting Mika from a local foster organization when he was 6 months old. It’s been great to see the dogs living well together.
An updated bathroom, remodeled basement, and freshly painted rooms. Ryan had a productive summer!
Clinical research courses over the summer, which were great for what I learned, but also for the schedule and chance to join my family in Monterey Bay, CA to celebrate my grandmother’s 85th birthday.

Spring in Pittsburgh

2009-04-26T14:15:00.006-04:00

Winter has passed and Spring is here in Pittsburgh. It actually feels like summer, with temps in the mid-80s. The first third of 2009 has gone quite well for us. My intern year is nearly over, with just two months remaining. With each passing month in Pittsburgh, we find ourselves enjoying this city more and more. Ryan has one more week of his 2nd semester of teaching Intro to Illustrator, Graphic design for interior design majors, and screen printing. Things have gone well. We hope they'll offer him another contract for the fall.

Current highlights and recent happenings include:
Remodeling our bathroom from "band-aid" pink toilet and tub, hideous wall paper, and forgetable vanity to sleek, Euro-style with the help of IKEA fixtures, Ryan's color sense, and the handy-man help of our new friend, Bill Capcara.

Enjoying Sadie (14 mos, 57 pounds) and Mika (11 months, 30 pounds) - here are their "beauty" shots, taken while Ryan was taking an eBay picture.

Exploring Pittsburgh with Ryan's parents and celebrating our first Easter at our church, Jonah's Call. Ryan is enjoying playing with the worship band, and I like that it meets in the evenings, so I can make it most weeks. http://www.jonahscall.com/

Planning for our (garage) rooftop garden (the sunniest and safest place on our property) - this is the view from our upstairs window.

Mika Joins the Pack

2009-01-20T19:21:00.004-05:00

We have a new pack member as of about two weeks ago. His name is Mika, and he is a true "Heinz 57" dog, as they say around here -- your guess is as good as ours as to what breeds he represents. He was abandoned at six weeks of age, and he is now 8 months old after spending a long time in a nice foster home.

He is getting along well with his big sister Sadie, and learning lots of obedience commands. He is not the social debutante that Sadie is, but once he gets to know you he will sit right on your lap and wait for some ear scratching. We like him!

Steelers' Country

2008-11-22T17:58:00.005-05:00

Yep, we live in Steelers' Country. This city loves their football. No longer do we see "Go Badgers" on Madison buses, now we see "Go Steelers!"

Christmas came a little early for Sadie. We fashioned a new collar for her. The yellow helps us spot her among other medium-sized black dogs at the dog park or Camp Bow Wow, places she loves to play at. Ryan also recently saw some dogs who had fashionable Old Navy jackets (for only $7) to help keep warm. With a little help from Google, I found a simple dog coat pattern, and now Sadie has a new coat (it cost us $11, but at least I made it in the US). It's reversible yellow and black. Don't worry, we won't often walk her around with the yellow side out, but we do hope it'll help against the winter wind. We're glad Sadie can show her true Steelers colors.

For us, while winter has come to Pittsburgh, we hope it won't last as long as it did in Wisconsin. Ryan is in the final stretch of teaching his two sections of freshmen Photoshop. He's also gearing up for the three new courses he'll teach next semester. I had three lovely weeks doing an outpatient rotation in Rheumatology and am now doing two weeks of night coverage at the hospital. Before doing this, I didn't realize that the night interns are actually at the hospital more (6PM-7AM) than when we work during the day (7 AM- 6PM). I hope the coming week of nights goes very quickly, and am looking forward to having my parents here next weekend.

LUPS

2008-10-23T20:45:00.003-04:00

LUPS = Lawrenceville United Progressive Supper. LUPS is an annual highlight of our new neighborhood. It started about 10 years ago as a small group of neighbors who wanted to see each others' houses as they were doing massive remodeling to their turn of the century row houses. Since then it has grown to be over 100 people, and is quite the event. This year's dinner was this past Saturday on a beautiful fall night. We started out with appetizers at a Middle Eastern-styled coffee shop down the hill from us, and then all moved in well-coordinated fashion to different homes for soup, salad, and entree courses with groups of 8-10 other Lawrencevillians (my term!). I was amazed at how well coordinated it was, and glad too, since I volunteered to help coordinate next year's LUPS without even having experienced this one yet.

We hosted a soup course, and while our house wasn't decked out with festive fall decor, we didn't splurge on expensive wine (or any alcohol at all), and Ryan and I were somewhat under-dressed, we still had a great time. I made a no-fail Annabel soup, we had yummy hot apple cider, and even Sadie did ok in her crate with all the commotion. We love our neighborhood and that it has cool stuff like this that helps us get to know our neighbors.

And now for a cute Sadie picture:
She loves peanut butter. One of our neighbors even gave us an "empty" peanut butter container.

"Look, ma! No paws!"

Salmon Fishing in Michigan

2008-09-03T13:35:00.003-04:00

Had a great trip to the Lum's fishing cabin in NW Michigan! We caught 5 fish apiece over three days, all between 12 and 16 pounds . . . they really put up a fight. Now we have lots of fresh fish to eat. Mmmmm

Kitchen Complete

2008-08-27T11:01:00.004-04:00

The kitchen is done, except for a few finishing touches. We're quite happy with how it turned out. Now it's time to start cooking again . . .

Serious Sadie

2008-08-22T12:17:00.002-04:00

How could you not love this dog?

Life and kitchen in progress

2008-07-25T18:03:00.006-04:00

We've had a full couple of weeks. I'm almost done with my first clinical rotation. I've been doing Cardiology, which has been interesting, humbling, and overall a good experience. I appreciate that the teaching faculty involved in my residency program value patient care, teaching, and teamwork. My schedule has taken some getting used to, being on call at the hospital overnight every fourth night, but a post-call nap goes a long way and we're doing well. I'm starting to think about research and exploring mentors within the areas of Geriatrics, Health Disparities, and/or Palliative Care.

We're continuing to settle into life in Pittsburgh. Ryan has now removed a lot of the carpet upstairs, including in the guest room, hallway and stairs. We still can't understand why it was the fashion to cover beautiful hardwood with carpet. We're also beginning our kitchen remodeling project. Here are pictures from when we bought the house:

We have about half of the IKEA cabinets assembled and installed and are beginning to remove the old cabinets. By Tuesday, we'll pull out the rest of the cabinets and have 3 weeks without a kitchen faucet while we wait for the countertop to be fabricated. It'll be great to have the kitchen finished by the end of August. We're excited about how it'll look and function.

While I work, Ryan's been training, walking and playing with Sadie (we have a favorite dog park that she loves to run at), making art and volunteering at a print-making organization, and playing music with the small emergent Episcopal church that we've been going to called Three Nails (http://www.threenails.org/). We enjoy that it's focused on community, liturgy, and is only two weeks from our house. Hopefully, we'll be able to join a cell group on a semi-regular basis in the next few weeks.

Burr and Natalie, good friends from Madison, are in town visiting for a few days this week. It's been a great visit and excuse to see more things here in Pittsburgh. They went to the Carnegie Museum of Art, and then we went to the Zoo (and saw the baby tiger) and to the Mattress Factory, an art museum with large installation pieces.

Sadie, Brooms and Bekalu

2008-06-30T21:16:00.003-04:00

Sadie continues to get bigger and smarter (although not always at the same rate). One of her current obsessions is the broom, or anything with bristles. "Broom War" is a favorite game pictured here.

She loves people, although small children need to be brave around her, as she sometimes "loves" them flat on the ground. Bekalu seems to be fine with her, though.

Pittsburgh Zoo

2008-06-28T17:16:00.004-04:00

We've been enjoying our zoo membership -- this time I brought a camera along and snapped some of the more photogenic animals. We have guest passes, if anyone wants to come and see for themselves!

New Fence

2008-06-11T12:23:00.007-04:00

The Days are hard-working, joyful troopers! In what may have been Pittsburgh's hottest days of the summer, the five of us put up a beautiful new white picket fence for Sadie. Ryan's parents and sister explored Pittsburgh with us as we made three trips to two different Home Depots, dug post holes, painted, measured twice and cut once to put up the fence - all in very hot, sunny, and humid days. The results are grand, and seem to be enjoyed by Sadie as well.

Beyond the physical labor, we enjoyed trying more eateries, a good visit to a new-to-us church on Sunday, and the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. The PGH Zoo and Aquarium is excellent and very close. We look forward to using our membership and guest passes with anyone who visits.

Home Improvement, Part 1 of ?

2008-06-09T08:51:00.004-04:00

Our house was built in 1950. We bought it from the daughter of the first owners. Her mother lived here until she was in her 90s, only moving out a few years ago. When we first saw the house, we were really excited about the space and the original wood. We were less excited about the plethora of window coverings, the glass chandelier, and the carpet, which left a continuous musty smell.

Last week, we pulled up the dining and living room carpeting, replaced the light fixture, removed the window drapes, added new window valances, and generally spruced the place up. Here's how our dining room changed:

And our living room:

We're very pleased and enjoying our "updated" rooms. Now if only the air condition can be serviced to help us with Pittsburgh's near record high temps of 90+ with humidity. It's been a heat wave here!

Graduation pics

2008-06-09T08:08:00.017-04:00

It's been three weeks since graduation. It feels like longer with the efforts of setting up life here in Pittsburgh. However, it's never too late to share pictures. It was so nice to enjoy graduation weekend with my side of the family.I was honored to have my dad serve as my escort at the official graduation ceremony.

My grandmother looks and is 83 years young. I'm grateful that she could make the trips both to Madison and Pittsburgh. Her help in packing, unpacking, cooking, sewing, etc was much appreciated! Here we are on our Lawrenceville front porch.

On the Web Again... from Pittsburgh!

2008-06-04T12:01:00.004-04:00

Yay! We have internet in Lawrenceville, the location of our new Pittsburgh house.

We've had a very good week! Ryan drove a very full 26-foot Penske truck and trailer from Madison to Pittsburgh over two days. We made it for our closing with time to spare. We were met by my mom and grandmother, as well as some new and old friends, who helped unload our truck, which was a huge help.

Our first week has been full of good connections for Ryan, unpacking and settling in, and exploring new restaurants and places to walk Sadie. My mom and grandmother were a great help to have as we settled in. We're very happy with our house. We've pulled up two rooms worth of carpet to reveal nicely finished hardwood floors underneath, removed lots of old drapes and replaced a few light fixtures. The place feels more like our own each day. Pictures are soon to come.

Tonight is Sadie's first Obedience class and we continue to hear of good church communities that we're interested in learning more about. Ryan's family will be here over the next week to help us explore Pittsburgh and continue making the house our own.

Fun times in Madison

2008-05-24T21:44:00.007-04:00

Our last weeks in Madison have been very good. Graduation last Friday was a great time to celebrate with my family. We've enjoyed seeing friends and eating at our fave places. Moving is a lot of work, but we've had great help and time to get things done.

We are also enjoying Sadie, who's now nearly 4 months old. She seems bigger every day and may almost be half her adult weight. She's all puppy, which means she loves to lick, chew, and play. She recently discovered the garden hose. Given her interest in it, we think we can train her to water the yard.

Thankfully, she's also learning some things, including walking on a lease, sitting before being petted, and shaking with both paws. We can't wait until she's better at coming when called and being less rough when playing with other dogs. She's a social dog and has enjoyed our outings to hang out with friends and their dogs.

Ryan did a 10 mile time trial race this morning, with a very long and steep climb. I'm glad I didn't miss the picture because the pain on his face is evident. Our friends, the Gartlands, hosted a farewell open house for us today. We're thankful for this great time to see so many friends and have their help in teaching Sadie to be a good dog. Now it's time to rest, as Sadie is already doing:

Pig and Puppy Playdate

2008-05-13T23:37:00.003-04:00

See the video that Kriss shot of Sadie and the piglet greeting each other:

At the farm

2008-05-10T14:44:00.004-04:00

One of the things I'll miss in Madison is the Community Supported Agriculture we were part of last year. It's run by great folks who have become friends, Kriss and Shannon Marion. We took Sadie out to their homestead last night where Ryan tuned up their bikes, I helped herd the sheep and goats to a new place to graze, and Sadie loved exploring and meeting all of the animals. Here's Sadie meeting one of the new calves. The horses and larger cows were quite intrigued with Sadie, following her around as we walked near them. They would have gotten much closer had they been able to. Sadie wasn't so sure...Piggy Lou, the mama pig, recently had a litter of pigs. One of them had some trouble immediately after birth and is now being raised inside. Sadie thought she was quite interesting. It looks like Napster 2.0 is telling Sadie a secret...We had a great time and will miss being able to go out to their place to help and hang out!

First Bike Ride

2008-05-02T23:21:00.007-04:00

Despite the fact that Pittsburgh has some serious hills, including Canton Ave, the unofficial steepest street in the world with a 37% grade (see a crazy cyclist here: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1344/1403140318_9f138eb6cb_o.jpg), Ryan is committed to cycling all around the city - rain, snow or shine - just ask about the "snow pig".

To this end, he has also researched and purchased a pretty blue, 25 lb trailer to pull with his mountain bike. We plan to use it to take Sadie to the dog park, bring veggies back from the farmers' market, or run errands (obviously, not all at the same time). Here is Sadie enjoying her first ride around the block. The carrier is intended for dogs (or cargo, but not kids) and comes with a leash attachment.You'd think she thought we were going really fast, but how fast can Ryan pull a 25 pound trailer with a 25 pound moving dog?

Computer Training

2008-04-27T20:48:00.002-04:00

Weekend fun

2008-04-20T20:06:00.011-04:00

We've had a great first week with Sadie at home. We're impressed by how quickly she's learned some things. She's been almost a full two days without an accident, although Ryan is good to get home within 4 hours so she doesn't "explode." Because I've been up early for ENT, they usually get up too, but then enjoy another hour or two of rest in the morning.

Training is going well. She's walking on a leash, coming when called (when her puppy brain isn't tired), and even fetches a frisbee and ball occassionally. Our weekend adventures included visiting a friend of ours out of town where Sadie could socialize with their dogs and enjoy a walk in the woods.

Today, our friend Jeremy helped me watch Sadie at Ryan's bike race here in town. Sadie was very sweet and didn't embarrass us!

That's our update on our puppy who has the brain of a baby but the body of a toddler.

Sadie comes home & Our soon-to-be home in PGH

2008-04-13T22:29:00.002-04:00

It's been an amazingly successful and full week. We were in Pittsburgh for five days. We stayed with neat folks, met some new friends, bought this neat little house (3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths in an up-and-coming eccentric city neighborhood), reconnected with Ryan's friend Peter from the cross-country bike tour (who actually lives two blocks from where we'll live), and I attended a general internal medicine conference that gave me an excitement for things ahead. We also enjoyed seeing my parents on the going and return trips as well. We'll move into our new house in PGH on May 28. We can't wait.

We also finally were able to adopt Sadie today. She's now 9 weeks old, which we feel is about 2 years old in people years. She whined a bit on the way home, but thankfully kept her doggie treats down.

After two quick accidents in the living room, she is now quite content in the kitchen. She's not a fan of the lease, but is doing ok with her collar. It's great to have her with us and this will be a great chance for Ryan's patience in all things to show through!

Sadie the Boxador: 2 months old

2008-04-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

We visited Sadie today. Born on Feb 4, she and her 3 litter mates are now 8 weeks old. She's very well-socialized, playful but not an instigator. She came right up to us, asking for a tummy rub.
She'll be with her dad (Willie the Boxer) and her mom (Maggie the Lab) for another week.
We look forward to bringing her home with us next Sunday. Hopefully she won't get too carsick on the way home, but we'll be prepared...

We head to Pittsburgh on Monday, by way of Detroit, and hope to find a house to buy. I'll also be attending a General Internal Medicine conference that will help me learn more about the community-based health research happening in Pittsburgh and Ryan will be exploring his options within the art community. We're looking forward to meeting up with friends (new and old) and learning more about Pittsburgh.

Last day

2006-06-10T02:05:00.000-04:00

It’s hard to fully express the depth and breadth of the experience we’ve had here in Jos with Faith Alive and NIFES. It has been wonderfully rich and enjoyable. We’ve learned of many effects of HIV/AIDS on this Nigerian community from the perspectives of patients, family, providers, and partnering organizations (PEPFAR, IHV, CRS, AIDSRelief, MCC, APIN/JUTH, Evangel Hosp, NIFES and others) committed to awareness, testing, treatment, and social rehabilitation here in Jos. The work is great. We’ve been privileged to serve alongside the staff of FA, and encouraged them in our “goodbye seminar” at Staff meeting on Wed to continue to work well, with good communication and teamwork. We feel our contributions have been good, small and simple ones – friendships, a logo, compassionate clinical care, an initial analysis of ART here, quality and respectful photos, videos, brochures, pamphlets and articles, joyful interactions and cross-cultural exchanges.

Faith Alive is in a time of great transition. Since Dec 2004, more than 1600 patients are receiving ARVs. Treatment of 2000 individuals is the expected sustainable goal for FA. Since Oct 2005, a large new hospital complex has been under construction. Commissioning will happen on the 23rd of June, and furnishing and effective usage will continue to be worked out for many months to come. It’s the next step in the vision for FA to be a place of excellent training of providers, including a medical library, conferences, and eventually a Christian medical school. On the 13th of April, 2006, the entire lab, medical records, and much of the clinic space, including the in-patient ward, were lost in an amazing fire. Things that were replaceable are slowly coming through God’s provision and the generosity of many, including the formation of the new Faith Alive Foundation (www.faithalive@faithalivenigeria.org), soon to be a 501c3 organization, and which Ryan has been asked to serve on its board in a communications capacity. The work at and through FA is great.

Thank you for following our trip with a desire to learn more about HIV/AIDS, Jos, Nigeria, and us as we’ve been here. We look forward to continuing to be involved with our many connections to Jos, especially through FA and NIFES. We’ll closely follow next year’s elections, pray for stability and peace, and look forward to returning to Nigeria next Nov and Dec.

Posted from Berlin at Annabel and Erik's place!

Working Hard to Wrap Up

2006-06-03T04:48:00.000-04:00

The title summarizes what Ryan is doing. With the 10th Faith Alive anniversary coming on 23rd –24th June, he’s working hard to get all of the things he’s produced to the printer ASAP (not unlike his work at the NSC). I enjoyed going to Yankari National Park with Carmen earlier this week, though, the animals were mostly “inside,” as in not out at the river because it’s rainy season. Thursday I gave a lecture to med students at JUTH on “computer applications in medicine” for Dr. Chris, which largely emphasized what are still only potentials here. Next Wed will be our final day with FA and we’ll share at the staff meeting – Ryan’s putting together a simple slide show with some of the 300+ pics he’s taken and I’ll share highlights from the research analyses I’ve done. We hope to encourage the staff by reflecting back to them the unique and quality work they’re doing here. We’re extremely grateful for the chance we’ve had to learn so much here in Jos about HIV/AIDS, to work alongside wonderful people at both FA and NIFES, to complete projects (at least our parts) that we think are of reasonable quality and helpful to others, and to have had the times of rest we’ve had. Life has been a different and simpler pace here (especially for me), which has been enjoyable, though, we’re also looking forward to reconnecting with our community and work in Madison in July (after some time in Berlin and RI).

Wrandom Writings #4

2006-06-03T04:34:00.000-04:00

Do your arms feel like they’re going to fall off from lugging that baby everywhere you go? Sure, we’ve all felt that way. Unfortunately, babies tend not to stay put very well when you carry them on your head (see previous Wrandom Writings), so another solution must be found. Perhaps one of those expensive baby backpacks you can get at REI? Who has that kind of money? No, all you need is an ordinary strip of stretchy fabric, and your baby carrying woes are over! At first, it might not seem that safe and secure, but with a little practice you’ll soon see that you can take a baby just about anywhere like this – to the store, to the hairdresser . . . even on a motorcycle. And let me tell you, the babies just love it, and they have greatly enhanced hamstring flexibility to boot. So don’t delay – get yourself a fabric wrapper, and bring new meaning to the very American phrase “Baby got back . . .”

NIFES (and other updates)

2006-05-28T17:27:00.000-04:00

Over the past week and a half, we’ve finally had a chance to connect with staff and students of Nigerian International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES), a sister movement of college students to InterVarsity-USA. Last Sunday, we went to a Large Group meeting of Vet students. It was a lively fellowship of about 60 students where we could tell they enjoyed meeting together and sharing God’s work in their lives. We spent two days this past week at the headquarters here in Jos. We’ve been graciously welcomed in by folks who’ve also hosted Francis F, Ann C, Jeanette Y, and others from our Madison IV community. It’s like meeting up with extended family. Ryan led out of Ephesians at their chapel, and I shared from Daniel tonight at a meeting of NIFES alumni and supporters. Ryan has been working on promotional materials for their tri-annual missions conference in Nov 2007. We’ve been officially invited back, and are excited about the possibility of returning to Jos to serve again with Faith Alive and NIFES. I’ve met with their coordinator for HIV/AIDS awareness and share in his passion to bring correct and holistic information to college students and provide them with an opportunity to be tested. Less than 10% of Nigerian college students know their status, and many still have misinformation about HIV and STIs. I’ve dreamt of the possibility of a partnership between 2-3 US college students coming to volunteer in the area of HIV/AIDS awareness and testing among fellow Nigerian college students, and secondly, perhaps also raising funds to enable testing of all 6000 students from West Africa who will be at next Nov’s conference.
Regarding other things we’ve been up to, I’ve finished the first draft of “Expansion of HIV-1 Screening and Anti-Retroviral Treatment Programs in a Resource-Poor Setting: Results from a Faith-based Organization in Nigeria.” I look forward to Dr. Chris’ comments. Ryan is working steadily on the 2nd Edition of “Touching Lives,” a full-color 28-page magazine highlighting the 10th anniversary of the ministry of Faith Alive, as well as the video of personal stories of how people infected and affected by HIV.
And lest you think it’s been all work and no rest for us, we enjoyed a nice hike yesterday at the highest place in Jos, Shere Hills (including a little free climbing near the top,). It was great to be out of the city for a bit. We’ve also had delicious grilled Tilapia from a roadside stand, met with Carmen for lunch on Thursday, and haven’t yet tired of wonderfully ripe mangos on a near daily basis.

Wrandom Writings #3

2006-05-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

I was once told that my head is 'not just a hat rack'. This is true. It is a convenient carrying place for all sorts of things besides hats. You can put ten pineapples up there. Or 20 gallons of gasoline. Heads are amazingly useful, and in America, underutilized, appendages. Why, in Madison, I hardly ever see people carrying cinder blocks on their heads. Why is that? Carrying things with your arms is such a waste of energy. I know I'll never make that mistake again. Next time you see me, I'll be kicking it with my computer bag on my head. After all, heads are for more than hats . . .

HIV awareness

2006-05-22T15:59:00.000-04:00

One of the great strengths of FA is the collective life that is thriving within the Support Group. Coming out and sharing their testimonies is a challenging step to decreasing the stigma around HIV/AIDS. Members have committed to doing what they can to help others understand HIV and be tested to know their status. Their message and witness are clear: HIV is not a death sentence. The group regularly has opportunities to do HIV awareness. As an example, yesterday, the Support Group was invited to participate in a Special Lecture on AIDS/HIV and General Health sponsored by the Women's Wing of a local mosque in Jos. Members of the group, a mixed-group of Muslims and Christians, gave testimonies of living with HIV and led a discussion on methods of transmission and ways to prevent the spread of HIV. HIV was explained as a condition that must be taken seriously, and importantly, can be treated but not cured. An emphasis was placed on sexual education of youth, including HIV testing before marriage, and disclosure of status to spouses. They encouraged all present, especially the leaders, to be tested to know their status, and trained in HIV awareness so that they can counsel members of their community. One of FA's pastors emphasized that even if someone is HIV-positive, God will not desert them. The remark was made that it was amazing that Christians were welcomed into a mosque to share on this topic. Indeed, even as a Christian-based organization, the group seemed to be well-received and appreciated for its role in talking about HIV to reduce stigma and raise awareness of ways people can prevent and seek treated for HIV/AIDS.

HIV and Men

2006-05-19T02:42:00.000-04:00

Sunday’s FA support group debate topic was “Why are men dying silently?” Easily ninety percent of support group attendees are female. Roughly 70% of voluntary counseling and HIV testing done at FA is requested by women. Many women find out they are positive after the death of their husbands from undiagnosed AIDS. Here in Jos, there is agreement that the HIV epidemic will not cease until effective ways of reaching and treating men are found. Reasons for the silence men keep are complex. We heard rumors of very rich men who pay to have doctors supply medications outside of hospitals so their status remains unknown; another accounted that her husband took pills for “typhoid” rather than disclose his status to her. The stigma felt by many HIV-positive people is tremendous. A man may even be stigmatized by his wife or close family.

Challenges were made for married women to invite their husbands to the support group. Discouraged women were challenged to never cease praying for their “drunkard, smoking, always going out” loved ones. Attendees were encouraged to speak with their pastors about how church families need to do more to support HIV-positive members. For my part, I was humbled to serve as the “doctor” on the panel as I was challenged to respond to, “what will our society be like if men continue dying in silence?” Beyond major expansion of ARV therapy, the ultimate health of the community depends on the living examples of HIV-affected people telling their stories in ways that others can hear and follow.

Wrandom Writings #2

2006-05-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

So you've been saying to yourself, "Gee, I sure wish there were more goats around here!" Haven't we all thought that at some time? Well, Jos is where the goats are at. There are goats everywhere you look -- goats crossing the road, goats peering out of windows, goats jumping out of alleys. Where do they come from? Who do they belong to? And what are they doing over there . . . that's disgusting. Anyway, goats are clearly the most popular local source of red meat. They can eat anything, live anywhere, and they don't taste too bad after all. I'm surprised we don't see more of them in Madison. They are natural environmentalists, eating all the garbage they can find and converting it into natural fertilizer. So next time you feel a need for a companion, forget the Labrador -- get yourself a goat. I know where you can get one real cheap.

Halfway

2006-05-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

We’ve had another very good week here in Jos, about halfway through our time here. Our experience here resembles an international-student internship of sorts as we learn and work in a different culture alongside other committed professionals. Altogether, we’re very grateful for this opportunity to live in Jos and serve at Faith Alive. We can see the benefit of our flexible help and specific skills, and thoroughly appreciate the generous hospitality of Dr. Chris and others in hosting us here.

Our work is progressing well. Ryan has a rough-cut of a “Voices” video composed of interviews he’s done with FA staff members discussing their personal experiences being diagnosed with HIV, the effect of their status on their lives and family, and the strong source of support that FA has been for them, and allowed them to be for others. Beyond statistics and public health goals, organizations, and outcomes, the most significant costs of this disease are on individuals and families.

Tomorrow, I’ll lead part of the weekly support group for HIV-infected persons. I will be facilitating a “debate,” which in my understanding is posing a question, like “Is it good or bad to tell your church/community about your HIV status?” and then members discuss aspects of the question back and forth. Although much of it is in Hausa (of which I’ve learned only a tiny amount), I trust that it will be helpful to those who come. For the next few weeks, Ryan will be involved each morning assisting in teaching the incoming Computer Skills class, which is part of FA’s Social Services arm that teaches skills like sewing and knitting to HIV+ people.

Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed or commented; it's nice to know you're out there!

Wrandom Writings (#1 in a series)

2006-05-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've asked yourself recently, "It's all well and good to cruise around Jos in the clinic vehicle like you do, Hillary and Ryan, but what of the rest of us? How are we to navigate the streets of Jos?" Well, friend, you are in luck. Jos has the most efficient public transportation system on the planet. It is remarkably simple, combining two elements Nigeria has in abundance: cheap Chinese motorbikes and people willing to risk their lives for less than a dollar a day. For 20 naira (about 7 cents) you can go anywhere in the city, and there are so many motorbikes that you will never have to wait more than 6.3 seconds to get a ride. Got two or three people? No problem. Need to carry a 19" television or a stack of 15 ft. steel rods with you? Think nothing of it! There really is only one downside to this remarkable system -- a statistically significant chance of becoming a permanent part of Nigeria's road system. Dr. Isichei notes that there is a ward in Jos's main hospital just for motorbike injuries, and they see about twenty each day. So when you come to Jos, bring your helmet and motorcycle chaps, and hit the road the Nigerian way (link for photo). . .

An update, finally.

2006-05-07T15:16:00.000-04:00

1) Faith Alive Hospital – the ground floor is almost complete. The plan is to use five rooms on the first floor, hopefully by next week to see patients each day. It’s good to see progress happening toward the completion of the building, though many of us are anxious to see the building done soon.
2) Ryan – Slow but steady progress is happening with the three main projects I’m working on: the magazine, brochure and video. I’ve filmed and transcribed a couple more interviews with FA staff, and they have great things to say. I think these stories will help bring to light certain issues of living with HIV that most Americans (including me, before the last two weeks) have ever considered.
3) Hillary – This past week I started writing a scientific manuscript summarizing HIV screening, ARV treatment, and patient outcomes at FA for the first 12 months of the PEPFAR program. It’s great to be able to use my research training to help Dr. Chris share his work in this way, as well as to help manage his patients each evening in clinic.
4) Our living arrangements – we moved on Saturday into an apartment that Dr. Chris has arranged for volunteers to stay at. We share a 4-bedroom place with Biana Grogg, and have come to appreciate the few hours a day that the electricity comes on.

By way of comparison… (Written last Thurs, but the rains have knocked down the antennae used for transmitting, so it’s been hard to post, in the infrequent times we’ve had electricity.)
As Americans, we spend a lot of time reflecting on similarities and differences between what we know of Nigeria, with respect to the U.S. So, a few random musings…
1) Public health crises. In Nigeria, undernourishment, along with constant needs for the basic provisions of life, is very common. Lack of clean water and electricity, not to mention jobs and affordable education, leaves many in society without any margin or reserve, esp. when exploited by AIDS. In America, obesity is arguably our #1 public health concern, sometimes related to over-consumption of food (as well as material goods and workaholism).
2) A full and free health care clinic. Faith Alive Hospital aims to provide as much help as they can to those who need it most. Thus, patients receive care, medications, counseling, food, transport money, skills training, and even surgery or housing, if possible for FA assist in these ways. In America, we may feel the insurance we have is inadequate, or for 44 million who don’t have any, my naïve view is that the “health care system” lacks compassion and thus, hesitates to try to help. I think there are few places where the “least of these” are truly welcomed as brothers and offered compassionate assistance in a sustainable way.
3) Poverty. Most Nigerians believe America is purely a land flowing of milk and honey. We do have poverty in the U.S, though it is less common and less extreme than it is here in Nigeria. However, why do we so commonly assume it is the fault of those who are poor in the U.S.? In Nigeria, it is easy to see that poverty results from the lack of honest and just governmental provision.
Inspite of the fire and the rains, the incomplete hospital building and the daily challenges of life in Nigeria, patients continue to consistently seek and find care provided through the Christ-centered medical and social ministry of Faith Alive.

Family

2006-04-30T17:47:00.000-04:00

Even more than what we personally see, our view of Jos is informed by the people we meet and interact with. We enjoy the opportunities we have to chat about how and why things are the way they seem to be here in Jos. Seeing Barb and Frank last Thursday night was a great treat, as we’ve shared many experiences together in Madison and now here in Nigeria as well. They’ve had an outstanding trip here all around and it was interesting to hear some of their experiences and insights. Tonight, we had the special treat of going out for Chinese food with the Isicheis, their good friend Fava, Sharon Hale, and Biana Grogg.

Marriage and family are very strong values in Nigerian culture. We were privileged to attend the wedding of one of the staff I’ve worked with at FA on Saturday. It was a Christian ceremony similar to ones we have in the U.S. except that it wasn’t in English, and was an hour and a half once it started (an hour later than stated). It was a joyful event to be part of. Family issues are complicated among people who are HIV-positive. I’ve recently been involved in the care of women who are now quite sick as a result of their pregnancy, despite extensive counseling by FA regarding the likelihood of highly complicated pregnancies. As more people do well on ARVs, marriage and family are complex emotional, cultural, medical and spiritual issues. While FA strives to support patients as well as possible, the effect of HIV on families is easily observable in the personal stories we hear of spouses and children who have died, and widows who raise their children amidst great challenges.

And so you know that Ryan’s here too, check out some pics – (L-R), a) Ryan, Hillary, Frank and Barb Esselink, b) Fidelis and Nanya’s wedding, c) a cool lizard with an orange head.

Rainy Season

2006-04-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

Ready or not, the rains have arrived! The rainy season started Monday. We have daily afternoon rains for 1-3 hours, and occasional T-storms much like Midwest summer storms. It’s 20 degrees cooler (mid-70s) and no longer as dusty! Our week is going well. I’ve lead 3 of 4 discussion sections at JUTH for 5th year med students (after much review and it was a bit intimidating at first). It has been interesting interacting with them and comparing our respective training systems. At JUTH, I’ve also toured and learned of the work of APIN (AIDS Prevention in Nigeria), a collaborative research group between JUTH, Harvard, and the Gates Foundation. It’s great to interact with the researchers who are involved in studying prevention of HIV transmission, esp. from mother to child. Interestingly, Jos has the largest number of people treated with ARVs per capita in Africa (and the world), and I’m beginning to understand factors contributing to this. The work of HIV prevention, awareness, screening, treatment and adherence is tangibly great; over 60 groups are involved here in Jos alone.

We’re enjoying the pace of life here. Our mornings tend to be full with clinic, photography/filming/interviews, or set appointments, and our afternoons are flexible for working on our respective projects. We’ve had a chance to visit other friends/contacts here in Jos. It’s been great to see Barb and Frank, tour Evangel Hospital, and we look forward to joining them for dinner tomorrow at the Valkenaar’s (parents of one of my MD/PhD classmates). We continue to enjoy wonderful hospitality of our many hosts.

Ryan is capturing great film and print depictions of life here at FA and in Jos. We’re enjoying the friends we’re meeting and the people we get to interact with. For those interested in seeing our pictures, a link is proving easier to use. From L-R, a) Titi – a member of the FA support group, b) Musa – a wonderful, supportive member of the Isichei household and FA, c) Blessing and the daughter of one of her students at Blessing’s sewing shop, d) the adorable daughter of a student of the FA Sewing Shop.

Sunday - FA Support Group

2006-04-23T14:54:00.000-04:00

Our first full week in Jos has been very good. It only took two days to move our rhythms 6 hours forward, and about five days to hear that my luggage is present and accounted for in Abuja! Dr. Chris will return with it on Wednesday, where he is picking up Biana Grogg, a Public Health nurse who will be volunteering for the next year. The weather has been in the high 80s each day, but with a pleasant (though, dusty) breeze. We hear that the rains are expected to start any day. I hope they hold off for 3-4 more days so that construction at the clinic site can progress far enough to enable patients to wait under a temporary structure. More importantly, we hope to move into the finished ground floor of the new hospital building soon. Floor tiles, painting, doors, and light fixtures are all being installed simultaneously (no small feat in Nigeria!) to complete work in two weeks or so.

Today, we enjoyed worshipping at United Baptist Church with Dr. Mercy (Isichei). The message, fellowship, and welcome we received were very good. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences in this service and Fountain of Life in Madison. We also attended the FA Support Group weekly meeting. This is a time devoted to praise and encouragement, fellowship and teaching – today a message from Pastor Bakut and teaching on adherence and HIV mechanisms (I think, since it was largely in Hausa, though, I understood “macrophages”) from Dr. Ben. Then, Ryan and I were welcomed as visitors, presented with gifts, and we presented a quilt that a partnering congregation in the U.S. made for the Support Group (follow link to see picture).

We’re looking forward to our next week, especially as we’re getting used to the daily pattern here. I’ll be leading 3 tutorial sections to medical students of Jos Univ. Teaching Hosp on Mon, Tues and Wed since Dr. Chris is away. I’m glad to help him out in this way. I hope Nigerian medical students are more willing to participate in discussion sections that my classmates and I sometimes were! Our home life with the Isichei’s is great. We enjoy their kids (Emmy, 4+, Prince, 3, and Joey, 5 months), who have lots of energy and love, as well as the others who live with them as part of their family and help keep things running very smoothly here.

Personal stories

2006-04-22T08:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I filmed some interviews with Faith Alive staff for the magazine/documentary project I’m working on. The first was with a man named Danny(see link); Danny, like many staff at FA, was first a patient. He came to be tested for HIV after his wife became sick and died – when he got his test back, it was positive. He lost his job when his employer found out, and he became suicidal. Thankfully, through the intervention and counseling of Dr. Isichei, he was able to overcome his depression and start on ARV drugs to maintain his health. He now works for FA in various capacities, and is forever grateful for the ministry of this clinic. He has direct insight into the stimga that HIV positive people face.

The second interview was with a Muslim woman. She also lost her spouse, as well as her youngest child, to AIDS. She came to FA hoping for someone to help, and she was surprised to not be turned away based on her religion.With her health stabilized by ARVs, she now teaches other patients knitting skills through the FA Training Center, as a way of supporting themselves during treatment.

These are just two of the many stories of how Faith Alive has helped people in tragic, desperate situations become hopeful and healthy again. It is an honor to work with such an organization. Thanks to all of you who have been following our experiences. -Ryan

Faith Alive Foundation Hospital

2006-04-19T16:05:00.001-04:00

We’ve now participated in two days of clinic as usual at FA. Each day begins at 8:30 with a message of encouragement, praise and worship, prayer and announcements. Then, seven teams composed of a doctor, nurse, counselor, adherence specialist, and treatment support specialist begin seeing patients. The patients always see the same team, and thus have a high degree of continuity of care. Through PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief) funding and individual sponsorship ($365/year provides anti-retroviral drugs from India for one patient), about 2000 people receive treatment and monitoring from FA. More than 5000 others are on the waiting list. At this point, a majority of patients are doing well on drugs; so well that many are able to participate in jobs at FA (all Adherence and Treatment Specialists are HIV positive), the Sunday Support Group (currently membership is 200-600 people), or learn trades through the FA Sewing, Computer, or Discipleship Schools. Almost without exception, each patient, whether Christian or Muslim, is grateful for the free care provided through FA, and praise God for the new life, hope and encouragement they receive.

The photo is of Blessing, standing in front of the FA Transition House. Up to three FA patients can stay here, just a block from the clinic, if they have been rejected by their families and have nowhere else to live. Blessing is a success story. She graduated from the FA Sewing School and now has a shop where she makes items for sale, and has seven students of her own. She is currently looking for a place to rent for herself and her two sons.

We have visited many areas of FA’s work, including clinic, home-based care to the family of a man who died yesterday, the pharmacy, and the skills schools. Ryan is capturing many different views of FA to use as he updates the FA brochure, designs a new website for them and creates a documentary based on interviews with patients and staff of FA for their upcoming 10th Anniversary Celebration on 23rd June 2006. I am enjoying joining the FA staff in their respective roles to more fully understand the good work that is done here through FA.

Happy Easter from Jos!

2006-04-17T16:29:00.000-04:00

After a long but smooth series of travel legs, we arrived in the capital city Abuja, where we were warmly greeted by Dr. Chris and highly efficiently ushered around customs – so well that I forgot a bag and now we’re following up on it. All in all, though, we’re now well-situated in the 3rd story flat above the Isichei’s very active family community and have been incorporated in with constant “You are Welcome,” greetings.

This afternoon we visited the remains of the Faith Alive Clinic building. Much has been lost, from first-class lab equipment for monitoring patient CD4 counts and blood chemistries, to thousands of medical records, drugs, and other clinic equipment. The FA staff were just three weeks from moving into the new hospital next door that is still under construction. The cause of the fire was a not-uncommon electrical wiring issue. As Dr. Chris viewed the loss due to the fire, it was amazing to witness his sincere response of trusting that as God gives and takes, He will give again according to His good will. Dr. Chris is leading us all well in giving thanks in all things (an instruction that he himself has counseled HIV patients with for years, and now practices himself).

An unexpected event...

2006-04-13T16:05:00.000-04:00

Our travel to Nigeria begins tomorrow. This morning we heard from Barb Esselink, a friend from Madison who is in Jos, that Faith Alive had burned to the ground. Just now, we heard from the clinic director, Dr. Chris Isichei, who wrote, "This morning at 5am, my wife called that the medical records, all the labs, in fact the entire half of Faith Alive was engulfed by fire and nothing recovered. Of course, I have in the past few years communicated with PEPFAR people on insurance but I wish I had the funds to do it on our own. No insurance on anything whatsoever at Faith Alive including their new jeep. We have lost so much. We have lost almost all, but more importantly, no life was lost. Like Job, we praise God. He gives, He takes and He gives again."

So, Ryan and I hope to be as useful as possible to Dr. Chris and Faith Alive as they rebuild. We appreciate your prayers for the work of rebuilding the clinic and continuing the ministry of Faith Alive despite this tragedy.

In two weeks...

2006-03-29T12:25:00.000-05:00

As you know if you're reading this, we're headed to Jos, Nigeria to serve and learn (and do cool stuff). We will be departing on April 14, and returning on June 15. That gives us about eight weeks there, plus one week at the end to visit friends in Germany as we return home. We are very excited about the opportunities we will have to volunteer and learn from the Nigerians we'll be working with.

Some brief facts about Nigeria::
location: West Africa
size: 910, 768 sq. km (roughly twice the size of California)
population: 130 million
ethnic makeup: more than 250 ethnic groups; the most populous and politically influential are:
Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

What we'll be up to::
Ryan: I will be doing photography and design for a variety or organizations, including Faith Alive, NIFES (InterVarsity Nigeria), and the Nigerian Evangelical Missions Association. In addition, I will be shooting video for 2100 Productions to be used at Urbana in December.
Hillary: I will be working at an HIV/AIDS clinic (Faith Alive Foundation Hospital), assisting with public health-related projects and clinical activites. FAF provides holistic care to HIV+ patients free of charge. This learning opportunity “counts” as an international medical school rotation, and should be a great transition back into clinical medicine for me.

We will be staying with Dr. Christian Isichei, founder of Faith Alive, and his wife Mercy, who have extended great hospitality to us. We appreciate your prayers and encouragement as we travel to Jos this spring, and we hope to learn a lot during our stay. Please continue checking this site as we plan on sharing our experiences and reflections here throughout our trip.

Preparations

2006-03-06T17:39:00.000-05:00

Ryan and I will be traveling to Jos, Nigeria from April 14 - June 8. I'll be volunteering at an HIV/AIDS clinic called Faith Alive Foundation Hospital, involved in public health projects and some clinical experiences. Ryan will be helping with photography, web, and video needs of the clinic, as well as other Christian organizations in Jos.

We're very thankful for our gracious Nigerian hosts and connections. Our preparations are well underway for our trip to Nigeria. We received our visas yesterday!