Back in Nov. I got a call & was asked to join another Operation Smile Mission - this time to Santa Cruz Bolivia...and like Kenya this one would be 2 weeks. I checked with Doug & my family - found out I'd miss St Patricks Day (a pretty big tradition at our house) and a Church Spring Formal Dance for Sarah (she said it was okay & we have been able to get her dress etc & I have a friend to take pictures - thanks Wendy) then I checked w/ my work at CHOC & got the okay to be gone, talked to my store manager & other TT friends who will keep the store going, prayed about it & felt like it was the right time & place for me to go & serve once again... so I said YES!!!
Fast forward 4 months...now in addition to what I knew I would have to juggle I am planning a June wedding reception for Ryan (my son) & his darling fiance Kya who got engaged at Christmas, I am crazy busy at CHOC with all the Magnet work I do, there seems to be a million things to do around the house, its the 15th Anniversary month at my store with all sorts of events & I am working at CHOC tomorrow, have to go to the dentist to have a permanent crown put on & have 3 different to do lists & packing that needs to be done before I get in the car on Tues at 5 am to head to the airport.
I have to say a few times since January I have wondered...am I really supposed to go??? should I cancel this one - there will be more & so many nurses are on the waiting list to go. BUT everytime I get that same answer & a peaceful feeling that to me means yes you are supposed to go. Then I get all stressed out again & ask again & get the same answer. So it is really FAITH that propels me out the door on this next mission - and knowing that I will be helping 125 children get new smiles & changing their lives & helping their families. Going out of my comfort zone is hard for me - even when it has such a great purpose...but we all have to do hard things & this hard thing will be very rewarding I know!
Here's what I know so far....we are going to Santa Cruz Bolivia - it is a 12 hour flight for me. I fly from LAX to Panama then Panama to Bolivia. The weather is supposed to be hot (80-90 degrees) day & night & humid. It looks like we are staying in a nice place in apartment type suites with 5 to a room so I will quickly make some new friends :) We will have to travel 30 min by bus to where we will have our "hospital" which probably means 5 am wake up calls & on the bus by 6 then the recovery room crew (me) is often the last to leave so hopefully back by 9 pm? It is a very international team of about 45 coming from the USA (CA - me, a Dr & a resident, FL, WA, MA, UT, OR, VA, OK) Canada, Sweden, Bolivia, UK, Spain, Uruguay, Italy & I don't know any of them but I am flying with a Dr from LA so that is nice!
We will be a 5 table mission (so we have 5 Plastic Surgeons & Anesthesiologists) with a objective of 125 cleft lip or palate surgeries - about 25 a day on avg. Wed is when everyone arrives, Thurs & Fri are screening days when we will see all the hopeful patients. Saturday we will set up the OR's & recovery room - we were told we'd have 1 OR room from the "hospital" where we will set up 2 OR tables & then we will set up 3 more in what is their "Recovery Room" & them my group will actually create a Recovery room from a patient room? I am envisioning small with room for 3 beds I hope. We will also provide the local nurses with some education on Sat so I am giving a 45 min lecture on Pediatric Resuscitation (with a translator of course!). I was just asked to do that yesterday so it will be my in flight project! Sunday will be the team bonding day :) Always FUN! Then surgeries Mon-Fri with take down on Fri & team dinner Fri night & everyone starts to leave on Sat.
Once again the children & people of Bolivia will be greatly blessed by some wonderful friends of mine....one suitcase is almost full with fleece blankets, knit beanies, T shirts, toys, stuffed animals & I am expecting some pillowcase dresses too! I have hit the dollar aisle at Target & the clearance racks at Kohls & am THRILLED that I can bring all of this with me to give to those in need....
I am setting my morning alarm for 5:30 tomorrow & thinking it may be an "All-Nighter" tomorrow night but I wanted to get this started....so keep me & the entire team I will work with in your prayers, also my family who I know will be fine but I still think its hard to be minus a mom for some things. If you're interested I will keep you all posted as best I can.
Nancy
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