You will all wonder how a machine this small can cost SO much. But that is the price we pay for now for good solid technology! I have finally exhaled for the first time in about three months as the stress of getting a machine to a foreign country had me holding my breath! But this machine you see before you is not the purchased machine--enter the drama of the last two weeks. As we recently learned there was a delay in processing the order as Sonosite is not profiting from selling this machine to us at more than 50% less its actual price this led to a few red flags at the headquarters in Bothell Wisconsin..where the machine was to be shipped from. So. Imagine the anxiety! Thankfully I still hear my mother's voice in my head to always be prepared, it's why I almost always have an umbrella with a slight chance of rain, an extra layer of clothes when it's cold out, and a pen in my purse bc well you never know. So, with that in mind I had pre-requested a loaner machine in the off chance our purchased machine didn't make it on time. Fast forward to today we have received the loaned machine and a second machine free of cost for our training sessions which we will return at the end of the month!
The good news is the ultrasound which all of YOU purchased is in the country and will be processed and in our hands in the next week.
Needless to say this whole experience on many levels has been a learning experience.
As for me--I am enjoying the ability to set some professional roots here for future projects. Though truth be told I have a long way to go to speak Bangla as well as I'd like, though fluent for the most part the mental translation that has to happen in order for a well structured sentence to come out of my mouth is quite exhausting. Luckily, the doctors here speak and understand English and we don't have to worry about translating complicated medical terminology.
On a bit of a funny and personal note, I have been running a great deal here to make up for the food I have been eating, all home cooked and incredible. Where I am staying is a quite safe area as it is enclosed and essentially under military guard as it is a development for army officers. As I go for my morning jog a normal activity for so many in the US, I am greeted with funny looks and people peeking behind me to see who I am so leisurely running away from...but truth be told, with the degree of "dhula" (dust) here I can understand why running outside is not so commonplace. What I envision or rather really hope is that a few people start running along with me like in Rocky...I can just hear the music in my head now...for those of you who were possibly living under a rock during the 80's look up "eye of the tiger" and then imagine me running, for dramatic effect imagine me in a Sari, with a gaggle of Bangladeshis running behind me...and hilarity ensues.
Tomorrow, the dry run!! We will haul the ultrasound to Dhaka Medical to practice our workshop!
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