Getting Ready For South Africa

Hello. This blog is by me, Dr Rebecca Levy. I am (hopefully) going to be a "guest blogger" on this site, since I have been lucky enough to be connected to the very nice people who run it. Thank you so much for all the "likes" awhile back--that resulted in a sizable donation to my medical mission to South Africa. I have been planning for and thinking about this trip for what seems like forEVER, and in 6 short days, it will be here!! Somehow the old John Denver song which begins "...all my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..." keeps playing in my head, but it seems I could never be totally packed, and, even though I am leaving next Friday, I don't think I'm totally READY. The plan for the trip will be to arrive on Sunday morning (yes, that's right--I'm leaving FRIDAY-----it is THAT long of a trip), and after landing in Johannesburg, we ( dentists, nurses, dental assistants and ME) will go to Zandspruit, a community near there where we will work in a clinic, doing whatever is most needed and is in our capability, based on the need and the supplies there. We have shipped several large crates with all kinds of supplies (THANK YOU, nurses and all other personnel at my office, and at Queen of the Valley Hospital for supplying me with all things big and small---what I will do with that epidural catheter, I don't know, but it COULD come in handy!!!). After four days there, we will go to Kruger Park for two days, on a Safari (very exciting, but I did get a little worried when they told us not to wear any clothing colors that would ATTRACT the animals!! What is a not-looking-tasty-to-eat color????) Anyway, then we will go to a place called Tugela Ferry, about four hours away, where there are many sick adults and children, who really never get care of any kind. We will set up dental and women's clinics, and do whatever we can to diagnose, treat and help there. Then we head back for another almost-two-day trip home. I am SO looking forward to this trip, and this opportunity, and now that I have actually started packing things in suitcases, the fact that we are leaving soon has become very real. I will continue to blog whenever I can. throughout my trip preparations, and, if I can find some wireless internet, while I am on my trip as well.