The Root to Sierra Leone

Hello all, this is my first blog post. As promised, all my posts on this blog will be 25 lines or less.

So this afternoon, while sitting in the dentist's waiting room to begin part deux of my root canal, I started making a mental list of the things I would need for Sierra Leone. First aid kit... mosquito net... high factor sunscreen... I am interrupted by the dental assistant who calls me some slight variation of my actual name, but I answer. Im used to it you see.

So Im sitting in the chair, leaned back mouth wide open with pieces of metal sticking out of my mouth wondering why this ordeal was truly necessary. It took me till the end of the drilling, welding (actual smoke and smell of burning - rubber - rising from my mouth!) and repetitive scratching that felt like a painless sawing of my tooth to realise why most people dread going to the dentist. Its not the pain, but the noises! Oh the NOISES. Its enough to scare the most testosterone driven alpha male away from the reclining chair!

But leaving the surgery, mouth numb and tasting slightly of cement, I remember the reason I am going through this. To have healthy teeth of course... but also because in 2 months, I will be headed to Sierra Leone to take up a placement helping the Nurses Association to improve their training programmes for Nurses and Health Workers. The aim is to decrease maternal and child mortality in Sierra Leone. And for that, the 'car-manufacture-like' experience I just went through was well worth it!!

Till Next Time...  P.S. My first 25th task on Thursday 15th April. Watch out for Blog & Video!!
Bankexoxo