The Terrible Twos

Have you ever seen a grown attending throw a hissy fit in the middle of the maternity ward? I'm talking on the scale of a poorly parented 2 year old complete with foot-stomping, fake collapsing on the floor, fist-pounding until mom gets you that extra piece of pie BEFORE dinner kind of fit. Well, I have. It was one of the more dreadful sights I've seen here in Kenya-- and that's saying A LOT. The only thing stopping me from telling him, "welcome to the club, now suck it up and take it like a man" was the fact that it would have only added to the complete lack of professionalism that was already unfolding in front of me. And it wasn't even over something WORTHY of such a tantrum. Apparently, he felt abandoned by the lack of both interns and clinical officers this weekend leaving only me, a clinical intern and the medical student to round with him. Yes, I was not happy either but did you see me going around stomping my feet? I told him I could handle things (he hadn't even bothered to show up for rounds the day before leaving me to be the attending) but he was insistent that he was needed. Honestly, when he's the attending on service, I manage everything anyway so the only thing I REALLY need him for is if someone has to go to c-section.

I then secretely relished when the clinical intern presented to me and asked me questions instead of him and the medical student stayed at my side the rest of the day to finish up the day's work. After the attending's outburst that had even unblocked laboring mothers paying attention, he barely said a word during rounds until the inevitable, "well, looks like it's tea time" statement rolled around. The worst part? He was wearing a Missouri Tigers t-shirt.... ugh! Stop representing my state while acting like a toddler!!

This was juxtaposed with hanging out on the peds ward the next day just for fun. Samantha and I brought in baby beany babies and bubbles for the kids and had a great time. Kids here are ridiculously well-behaved. And not just because they are sick, attached to oxygen, and have brain issues that don't allow them to get out of bed (which is also true, btw.) They are just... well behaved. The kids loved the bubbles and my favorite part was chatting with 13 year old Phillip who just came out of the ICU a few days ago after finally improving from steroid resistent nephrotic syndrome and PRES syndrome causing intractable seizures. He looks great now (much less like the Michelin man) and it was awesome to see him smile and hold onto that tiny bottle of bubbles like it was the best gift he'd gotten in his whole life. I think I might go visit him again tomorrow just to say hi-- he makes me happy in this crazy Kenyan world of medicine.