7 December 2004 Uzbekistan

Dears, The weather is very cold here...it snowed last Sunday while I was on holiday in Xinjiang. I didn't write for the last month. Busy arranging the training by JAN who is a psychiatrist from Holland and came to conduct special training for one week. I learned a lot from JAN. This training was very successful and helpful for all nurses and local doctors, especially the session about management of threatening and destructive behavior. For those did not attend the training, I will teach them before I leave. There will be a series of training for them...but it is necessary. Enhancing their skills and knowledge will greatly facilitate their daily work, by decreasing their feeling of helplessness and preventing the manipulation by patients. But they still have to experience by themselves for further development. The organizer of the Support Group has started working. She is very nice and able to pick up very fast. I will train her as much as I can before I leave! Yesterday is an amazing day. I counseled two couples with opposite characters... In the morning, we visited one of our best patients who suffered a lot from the side effect. She stopped the treatment for two weeks recently, as she was unable to tolerate any more though she knew that she would relapse and die soon. During the home visit, we met her beloved husband who said, "...I will take half of the drugs for you." Finally, she promised to continue the treatment although she would have side effect again. But in her mind, she was not suffering for her health, but rather suffering for the children and for the best of their future. The power of mother's love is so great! Support from the family is also important! Love is everywhere in the world! Soon afterwards, we came back to the office in the afternoon. The wife of our problem patient came and cried. She said that her husband was crazy and threatened her at home that she could not stay with him anymore. She then brought the child with her to Tashkent and the patient who stopped the drugs for three weeks went to Tashkent to find his wife... He was positive with TB again and had to admit to hospital as soon as possible. After individual counseling and then counseling together with his wife, they didn't compromise on how to take care of the child who also had TB. This couple was so self-centred, stubborn and only insisted on their individual plan...I just let them find the solution by themselves. He promised to be admitted again tomorrow. What an inharmonic couple! Which couple do you want to be? It is up to you! Time flies... A month later, I will finish my mission and will be back to Hong Kong. I miss Hong Kong a lot - my family, my job, food, friends, SBHK, troubles and everything. Those in Hong Kong are not the best in the world but the best for me! X'mas is coming soon. Wish all of you Merry X'mas and Happy New Year. Cheers, Winnie, Choi Wan