We have now entered the season known in this part of the world as monsoon. What that means is that for a month or two, it rains...a lot...every day. It means that there is mud everywhere, and that clothes don't dry and things get mouldy really quickly. There are usually (but not always) a couple hours of sunshine every day in between bursts of rain, though often it's just grey and drizzly even when it's not a downpour.
The rain has cooled things down a bit, though. The last month-and-a-half have been very hot, with temperatures in the mid to high 30's celcius most days and quite humid. I have been in those kinds of temperatures before, but I don't think I have ever sweat as much as I have here - especially in the OR! I am thankful, however, that I don't live in the Terai (the flat part of Nepal that is south of the foothills). In Butwal, which is less than a 2-hour drive from here, temperatures have been in the mid-to-high 40's! I haven't really said much about the heat, even though it's been quite uncomfortable and leaves you feeling sapped of energy, because I know I had a lot to say during the winter about the cold, and I don't want to seem to be complaining about every season in Nepal. But let's just say that unless you come in March or October/November, you don't come to Nepal for it's weather! One of my language teachers in Kathmandu told me that in Nepal there are 4 seasons: the cold season, the hot season, the rainy season, and the pleasant season. Sadly the pleasant season only lasts for a max of about 2 months total...and I'm going to miss it again this year! Not that I'm complaining about the reason for missing it...I'd rather be at home celebrating my wedding...but still!
The other thing that happens in monsoon, as we're discovering, is that the snakes come out. While Nepal may not be home to the deadliest snakes in the world, there are definitely poisonous snakes around. Pretty much every day these days at least 2-3 people come in having suffered snakebites. Most of them are bitten by green snakes, which release a toxin that prevents blood from clotting. Patients get swelling around where the bite was...sometimes in the entire limb...and sometimes they get into trouble with bleeding, but usually it's not too serious. Then there are the krait snakes, which have a neurotoxin - that is, one that affects nerves, and can cause serious respiratory compromise and death if not treated. We do have antivenom in small supplies at the hospital, and so most people survive. But I'm still very aware these days of where I'm walking, and nervous a snake might show up in my house. They like to come out of the rain into people's homes. One patient was bitten in her own bed in the middle of the night! Her home is just steps from the hospital. I would add prayer for protection from snakes to my list of prayer requests in this season.
The rain has cooled things down a bit, though. The last month-and-a-half have been very hot, with temperatures in the mid to high 30's celcius most days and quite humid. I have been in those kinds of temperatures before, but I don't think I have ever sweat as much as I have here - especially in the OR! I am thankful, however, that I don't live in the Terai (the flat part of Nepal that is south of the foothills). In Butwal, which is less than a 2-hour drive from here, temperatures have been in the mid-to-high 40's! I haven't really said much about the heat, even though it's been quite uncomfortable and leaves you feeling sapped of energy, because I know I had a lot to say during the winter about the cold, and I don't want to seem to be complaining about every season in Nepal. But let's just say that unless you come in March or October/November, you don't come to Nepal for it's weather! One of my language teachers in Kathmandu told me that in Nepal there are 4 seasons: the cold season, the hot season, the rainy season, and the pleasant season. Sadly the pleasant season only lasts for a max of about 2 months total...and I'm going to miss it again this year! Not that I'm complaining about the reason for missing it...I'd rather be at home celebrating my wedding...but still!
The other thing that happens in monsoon, as we're discovering, is that the snakes come out. While Nepal may not be home to the deadliest snakes in the world, there are definitely poisonous snakes around. Pretty much every day these days at least 2-3 people come in having suffered snakebites. Most of them are bitten by green snakes, which release a toxin that prevents blood from clotting. Patients get swelling around where the bite was...sometimes in the entire limb...and sometimes they get into trouble with bleeding, but usually it's not too serious. Then there are the krait snakes, which have a neurotoxin - that is, one that affects nerves, and can cause serious respiratory compromise and death if not treated. We do have antivenom in small supplies at the hospital, and so most people survive. But I'm still very aware these days of where I'm walking, and nervous a snake might show up in my house. They like to come out of the rain into people's homes. One patient was bitten in her own bed in the middle of the night! Her home is just steps from the hospital. I would add prayer for protection from snakes to my list of prayer requests in this season.
