We got to the hospital & the wifi was working!!! So before we got patients I was able to get on & do some of my CHOC work for awhile - it was nice to be connected :)
The very 1st patient was the girl I called a "Runway Model" from our evening at the shelter - she is a little beauty with a beautiful smile & was getting a palate repair. I have LOTS of pictures of her just because she was such a "model". It got busy right when she came in & I noticed she had the very heavy & itchy blanket on her & when I went over I saw that they hadn't put her shirt back on - she was Very modest (as are all the girls here) so I helped her get her shirt back on & she flashed me that smile again. I gave her a dress & flip flops & we got her settled & up to post op.
We did the other age deviation baby today a 3 months old boy & he fit perfectly into an outfit Cheri from Boise sent me & some of the layette stuff too - he had a 4 year old sister that had a lip repair 2 years ago - we got "family photos" of them & they were super cute.
It was Palate day so we had alot of those - one was a little feisty & his mom was so loving with him - she had a beautiful red scarf on & I enjoyed caring for them. The afternoon was all full of palates & it got quite noisy as many of them were in pain & our pain meds were minimal but our Intensivist from Italy - Francesco is wonderful & he tried a variety of drugs on all of them to try & relieve the pain. I think we just have NO CONCEPT of surgery & no pain control after????.
I went up to the Post Op Area for the 1st time it was in a different place than last time -they basically have 2 rooms with 12 mats on the floor of each room to care for 243 patients & then another room for older patients or adults with a few more mats - the Post Op Nurses are the ones who I think do the hardest work of the mission :)
A few of the team members have been sick - some with a GI things & others with a cold - I have been sharing all my dayquil & meds. One of the students fainted & threw up in the OR - poor girl - having kids that age myself & felt so bad for her but Dottie the student sponsor took good care of her then we brought her in the PACU for a bit & she started feeling a little better
My ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY was a dad that came in with his 5 year old for a palate repair - I totally remembered him & he remembered me. he was the very tall, very sweet older dad (he is 64) who I LOVED & took a ton of pictures of last time (on my camera that was stolen) Those were some of the picture memories I was most sad to lose & here her was AGAIN - it was like I got a "do over". I took more pictures, especially ones of his hands & feet - they had significance to me. He wanted me to get the pictures of us together developed & give him copies but sadly I couldn't - I did give him a blanket that he wrapped around himself & then had me take pics. His son is Ayinon & was a cutie - ahh this totally made my day!!!
At the end of the night my last patient was a 14 year old boy & his mom was SOOOOO GRATEFUL she kept bowing her head to us in gratitude & motioning to us heart to heart - yep that one got me a little teary. It was a PERFECT DAY...I know that sounds weird. I am in a 3rd world country with none of the comforts of home, missing my family, tired, sweaty etc but the opportunity to serve these people fills my heart & soul beyond compare. It teaches me about the pure love of Christ for ALL GODS CHILDREN all over the world. I am overflowing with appreciation for this opportunity & LOVE for these people.
PS - lesson learned for me I don't want to forget. it was a long day & about 9 pm as we were finishing & ready to send the last patient out a person had a wheelchair with an older patient & was trying to come in our PACU - we redirect people all day & we did so then & I didn't think anything of it as I was inside the PACU - one of the Anesthesiologists in the hallway said really they can come in if they need a bed...apparently the woman was VERY ILL - almost in cardiac arrest but I had no idea - its not like the US or other countries where they come in with a team of medical personnel yelling this is an emergency...they were walking in...the reminder was that we are GUESTS at this hospital & we are using their resources & we needed to be more sensitive to the needs of all the people there not just those patients we planned care for. it was a sober reminder to me - perhaps we should have welcomed her in our room when they approached. They got the woman to a room & started treating her but about an hour later I was still there as one of our patients had some problems & I saw familiy members sitting on the floor crying - I assume she died....Again it was a reminder to me re being sensitive to EVERYONE here....I appreciated the lesson.
The very 1st patient was the girl I called a "Runway Model" from our evening at the shelter - she is a little beauty with a beautiful smile & was getting a palate repair. I have LOTS of pictures of her just because she was such a "model". It got busy right when she came in & I noticed she had the very heavy & itchy blanket on her & when I went over I saw that they hadn't put her shirt back on - she was Very modest (as are all the girls here) so I helped her get her shirt back on & she flashed me that smile again. I gave her a dress & flip flops & we got her settled & up to post op.
We did the other age deviation baby today a 3 months old boy & he fit perfectly into an outfit Cheri from Boise sent me & some of the layette stuff too - he had a 4 year old sister that had a lip repair 2 years ago - we got "family photos" of them & they were super cute.
It was Palate day so we had alot of those - one was a little feisty & his mom was so loving with him - she had a beautiful red scarf on & I enjoyed caring for them. The afternoon was all full of palates & it got quite noisy as many of them were in pain & our pain meds were minimal but our Intensivist from Italy - Francesco is wonderful & he tried a variety of drugs on all of them to try & relieve the pain. I think we just have NO CONCEPT of surgery & no pain control after????.
I went up to the Post Op Area for the 1st time it was in a different place than last time -they basically have 2 rooms with 12 mats on the floor of each room to care for 243 patients & then another room for older patients or adults with a few more mats - the Post Op Nurses are the ones who I think do the hardest work of the mission :)
A few of the team members have been sick - some with a GI things & others with a cold - I have been sharing all my dayquil & meds. One of the students fainted & threw up in the OR - poor girl - having kids that age myself & felt so bad for her but Dottie the student sponsor took good care of her then we brought her in the PACU for a bit & she started feeling a little better
My ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY was a dad that came in with his 5 year old for a palate repair - I totally remembered him & he remembered me. he was the very tall, very sweet older dad (he is 64) who I LOVED & took a ton of pictures of last time (on my camera that was stolen) Those were some of the picture memories I was most sad to lose & here her was AGAIN - it was like I got a "do over". I took more pictures, especially ones of his hands & feet - they had significance to me. He wanted me to get the pictures of us together developed & give him copies but sadly I couldn't - I did give him a blanket that he wrapped around himself & then had me take pics. His son is Ayinon & was a cutie - ahh this totally made my day!!!
At the end of the night my last patient was a 14 year old boy & his mom was SOOOOO GRATEFUL she kept bowing her head to us in gratitude & motioning to us heart to heart - yep that one got me a little teary. It was a PERFECT DAY...I know that sounds weird. I am in a 3rd world country with none of the comforts of home, missing my family, tired, sweaty etc but the opportunity to serve these people fills my heart & soul beyond compare. It teaches me about the pure love of Christ for ALL GODS CHILDREN all over the world. I am overflowing with appreciation for this opportunity & LOVE for these people.
PS - lesson learned for me I don't want to forget. it was a long day & about 9 pm as we were finishing & ready to send the last patient out a person had a wheelchair with an older patient & was trying to come in our PACU - we redirect people all day & we did so then & I didn't think anything of it as I was inside the PACU - one of the Anesthesiologists in the hallway said really they can come in if they need a bed...apparently the woman was VERY ILL - almost in cardiac arrest but I had no idea - its not like the US or other countries where they come in with a team of medical personnel yelling this is an emergency...they were walking in...the reminder was that we are GUESTS at this hospital & we are using their resources & we needed to be more sensitive to the needs of all the people there not just those patients we planned care for. it was a sober reminder to me - perhaps we should have welcomed her in our room when they approached. They got the woman to a room & started treating her but about an hour later I was still there as one of our patients had some problems & I saw familiy members sitting on the floor crying - I assume she died....Again it was a reminder to me re being sensitive to EVERYONE here....I appreciated the lesson.
So touching! Thank you, Nancy, for your humble reminder of something we should all remember every day of our lives. And thank you for sharing these posts. Your compassionate service brings joy to those of us who know you as well as those you serve.
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