Hey!

How are you?

Just thought I would give an update of my last term! I was busy with assignments and my dissertation but I also took part in the university dance show. It was hard work fitting in all the rehearsals, the show and the various competitions we have been doing around my course commitments but it was so much fun and I enjoyed it so much.

The highlight of my last few months has however been my trip to Ghana! I only got back to England yesterday at 6am! It was an amazing experience! The weather was very hot and sunny with it being around 38-40 degrees during the day and 20 degrees at night! There were a couple of major thunder storms but they didn't last for long! The roads were completely crazy with taxis everywhere and the varying forms of it include tro's which are like minibuses that squeeze 20 people in them! Pretty sure most vehicles wouldn't pass to drive on English roads! I stayed with a host family who were really nice, the food they cooked was delicious and there were 4 other volunteers in the same house which was helpful for learning the ropes! Drinking water out of sachets was definitely something that required time to get used to lol

My placement was for 4 weeks in a clinic. It was very interesting and the care is so different to that over here. It is very basic with a cardboard box as the sharps bin, things are reused, they make their own dressings and splints, and if they are full then patients have to share beds! The bedside manner is non-existent with the nurses pulling patients arms to do their blood pressure, commanding people with no please and not telling the patients what they are doing. I observed and carried out recording weights, temperatures and blood pressure as well as doing wound care and injections. They don't seem to use pain killers before doing surgery or wound dressings but then if patients come in with just a sore throat they are given a diclofenac injection which is usually given as a tablet lol and then they are also diagnosed with sore throat/malaria! Everyone is diagnosed with malaria! There were also some dog bites, TB and typhoid as well as many others. I also spent time in the laboratory and pharmacy which were just as interesting! As one nurse said 'improvisation is the key!' While on placement each evening we went out with the other volunteers working for the same charity.

We went to various small bars and often to a beach resort that has a dance floor so would spend time dancing then go and lay on the beach listening to the waves, chatting and watching the stars! At the weekends we did a bit of traveling. We went to the beach and a nice pool for a couple of weekends with the other volunteers which was fun. We also went to Kakum National Park and slept on a platform in the rainforest!! It was amazing- the sounds of nature and monkeys! We had to get up at 3.45am and then did a 2 hour hike through the rainforest starting at 4.30am so it was dark therefore torches essential! we saw some monkeys, lizards, ants, birrds and the guide even nicely pointed out a poisonous tarantella! we then did the famous canopy walk which is basically rope and planks of wood in the tops of the trees! - the views were breathtaking! We were on the canopy for the sunrise as well which was good! It was an amazing experience that i will never forget!! We also went to a place called Hans Cottage where we had breakfast in a hut/restaurant above a lake full of crocodiles! We helped out some other volunteers who were working at an orphanage by helping them take the children swimming there! It was fun and interesting as we had to talk the children into coming into the water as they were scared!

Another trip was to Beyin with 4 other volunteers, where we stayed in a beach resort, in a nice hut on the beach! it was so nice and relaxing - sunbathed and swam in the sea! saw some nice sunsets as well and layed on the beach in the evening watching the stars! :D amazing! we went to a stilt village which involved a 30min hike followed by a 45min canoe trip to get to the village in the middle of the river/lake raised on stilts! was a fun trip! We then left cape coast to travel around Ghana!

Here is a brief overview… well we left cape coast on friday 11th april - was very sad saying goodbye to what had been our home for the last month and all the people we met!! 3am was the start of our adventure! first stop to kumasi! lol we were supposed to get an STC bus which is basically a coach but it wasnt coming so we ended up after waiting a while getting a lift from a guy who was going to kumasi anyway! so 3 hours later we arrived in kumasi! it is so different to cape coast - much busier and bigger! we spent 2 nights here spending time exploring the culture centre, the town, went to a swimming pool and of course to the central market which is the biggest market in west africa! we got a bit lost amongst the fish and livestock sections ewww! lol next was to get to tamale! we got to the STC station for 9am for our 10am STC to Tamale but of course it being ghana lol we had a long wait! the bus was late and then it had broken down so we didnt leave kumasi until 1pm, arriving in tamale 7 hours later! we stayed in tamale only until the next afternoon and spent to morning visiting a tree lol we had to climb up to see the hole inside! heheour next form of transport was a bus to mole! of course it departed eventually - only 2 hours late this time!! :) we spent the next few days at Mole National Park! this was amazing!! we went on a safari - saw elephants (really close up!!), antelope type animals, warhogs (right outside our room!), many types of monkey and baboons (which were around us when we were eating and swimming!!) we spent time relaxing there by the pool surrounded by the baboons and monkeys as well as watching the watering hole where the elephants were! next we were making our way to the waterfall in the east of the country! so we got a bus back to tamale and then enquired on how we could get there! we ended up getting a bus to a small village, Bimbilla, which took 5 hours. we stayed in the only place in this small village which was interesting lol The north of the country seems to be alot poorer than the south. we only stayed here for a night and then got a large minibus type bus to Hohoe! it was very cramped and took 6 hours to get there and then we got a taxi to Wli! it was so beautiful! we waited until the following day to go and visit the waterfall - such a nice, relaxing atmosphere! there were frogs, lots of bats and butterflies! :) i had a swim in the waterfall - so refreshing! we had completed our tour of ghana and so our last stop was Accra which is the capital city. We took a tro-tro and then a taxi when we arrived in accra 5 hours later. It took us a long time (2 hours) to find a hotel lol but we eventually did!

We spent our last 4 days exploring! It is alot more modern and much busier than anywhere else we have been with everyone wanting you to buy stuff from their stalls! we went to the national cultural centre, to the Nkrumah Mausoleum Museum, which is dedicated to Ghana's first president, explored an area called Osu which has alot of restuarants, relaxed at a nice beach/pool, explored a small town called James town where there is a lighthouse and fort, visited independence square and the stadium where the african cup of nations was played! Over our period of travelling we met many people, english/german/canadian people who were also travelling as well as many ghanians who wished to show us round their towns, shops and carry our bags lol always helpful!! :)

Some fantastic news regarding Rach as well!!!!! At the moment she is on tour with ballet central and is performing at Bracknell on Sunday! She has got a job for next year!! she will be performing in West Side Story the musical on tour!

She begins rehearsals in July and the contract is for a year! It opens at Woking in September!! :D She is a jet and covering other jets, lead jets and sharks!!

Hope you are well Apologies for the mega long mail

 Love Sheryl and Rachel xxxx

And now a 2008 update  "All grown up"

 

 

 

Hi,

How are you?

Hope you have had a good summer despite the lack of sunshine!!??

Thought I'd give a brief update on what we have been doing since April!

The last term of uni was very busy as I had lots of essays to do for my course (one a week for 6 weeks!!) I also had to submit an ethics application to the NHS for my dissertation and go to a review meeting which was rather scary but it was approved so I'm happy! Now I'm onto the daunting task of writing the 16,000 words!! I was on placement for the end part of the term on a children's oncology ward which created a mixture of emotions but taught me a lot! My next placement in Oct is on a neonatal ward which I am looking forward to. I did manage to fit in a few social activities as well such as BBQ's (in the rain lol) and I took part in the Diabetes Walk in the Park which was fun and managed to raise £98 .I have spent the summer working full time!! I have had one week off which was fun and i went on a 4 day mini cruise to Spain with some friends for my 21st birthday which minus the sea sickness due to rough seas was AMAZING (it was even sunny and we saw whales!) I only have 2 weeks until I'm back to uni (summer has gone soooo fast!) so then its back into many essays, my last practical exam and working on my dissertation. I also can't wait to get back to dancing and I'm the costume sec this year on the committee which should be fun! 

Rach has also been very busy!! She finished touring with Ballet Central in which she was fab! She then performed her graduation solo (see attached photos of Rach during her graduation solo) and had her graduation ceremony so she now has a BA Honours Degree in Dance Performance! She had a week off and then started rehearsals for West Side Story! It opens at Woking on Tuesday which is exciting (I can't wait to see it!!) and she is touring various places including Wimbledon, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Southampton and more!!!!

Think that's about it lol

Hope you are well

Love

Sheryl

xxxx

August 2009 update

 

I am graduating a week tomorrow!! Eek!! Scary stuff!

I got my results a few weeks ago and now have a 2:1 Masters Degree in Nursing Science :D I got 69% in my dissertation which really pleased me as 70% is a first! :D

I finish my management placement on Sunday which has been on a children's general medical ward. It has been interesting and I have learnt a lot and even been in charge of the ward! I have been enjoying my last term of uni! Back in march I had the University Dance Show which was a lot of stress to get organised but it was so much fun! I have had my graduation ball which was amazing and I have been out and about making the most of my last term as a student!

I have also been to job interviews and have had two conditional job offers subject to references and checks; one at QMC in Nottingham and one at Evelina Children's Hospital in London! Although it was a difficult decision I have decided to accept the job at Evelina in London! I will be a staff nurse on a rotation programme so I will change wards every 6-9 months for 18 months which is exciting as I will get to experience different wards!

I am looking forward to a short summer break at home in 2 weeks time before moving to London! :D

Rach is finishing West Side Story in 2 weeks and is also looking forward to a summer break!!

Hope you are all well

Love

Sheryl and Rachel

xxxx

 

Hi Shuffles!!

Hope your all ok? Just a quick update to let you know what

 I'm up to.I'm loving it at the moment on the holiday

park in Wales. It's lots of fun but very tiring.

I get to sing and dance loads too, even get to do a few

 sexy wiggles and even do big fish little fish (kids dances)

 lol.

 

Only a month left till the end of season but I've loved it

and hopefully get to do it again next year again if I

can.Here are a few pictures as well to show you what I've

been up to including doing pantomime, getting ready for

shows and even just mucking about on the dancefloor,

including being in a dress lol

.
well hopefully speak to you soon and see

you very shortly too.

Daryl x