We had a busy day scheduled & there are still team members getting
sick!!! Laney was REALLY sick today & basically the team Dr. (Annameike our
intensivist in the Recovery Room) told her to stay back. She has the most
mission experience in the Pre/Post area & had really been running it
efficiently so her not being there causes a bit of a frenzy this morning as she had been organizing everyone for surgery while the other nurses got the prior days surgery patients discharged. Since the PACU isn’t busy in
the morning until patients come back after surgery we went out there &
tried to help. We created a plan…not sure it was the same as before but within
about 30 min we had the 1st patients for all tables ready to go back
to the OR and the 2nd group organized on a bench outside the OR
having their final pre-op check by the pediatrician. Once the first set were
all on the OR tables we moved the 2nd set in to the Child Life area
to “play” before surgery then I had the parents waiting for children in surgery
on the bench on the left & I stopped anyone(via universal hand language)
from sitting on the other bench so we could get the 3rd set rounded
up, armbands on & ready to see the pediatrician. Then I got the #’s for the
4th & 5th sets of patients & had the interpreters
tell them they didn’t need to all crowd or wait in the hallways – yep it was
all about crowd control & getting people where they belonged & after
that it ran pretty well – but we did miss Laney!
Annameike has been taking care of all the team members who
are sick & this morning took a little rest herself in the PACU before we
got patients cause she wasn’t feeling 100% - she even got a little teary about
feeling crummy & I could totally relate to that from a mission when I was
feeling sick & far away from anyone who could help me feel better. I got
her some water & pepto bismol & she was feeling a little better pretty
quick.
I did not take many pictures at all today – I was just too
busy…and the 1st 12 patients that came back to us…NONE of them were
very happy – our little room was quite loud with LOTs of crying kids!!!
Today I was talking to my new friend Bol (from screening
day) he is the one with all the Sudanese people & he keeps track of all of
them on the surgery schedule. During screening he brought a little 10 year old girl Duot in who had a severely infected leg &
fever okus a significan cleft lip. Op Smile was able to get her admitted to the hospital here & get her
started on antibiotics & get her wound cleaned. Today Duot was healthy enough to have her lip
repaired. She was brought here by Bol & accompanied by her 30 year old sister. Two years
ago during the Sudan civil war/unrest their dad was killed by the military. At
some point the 2 sisters fled the country & ended up in the refugee camp on
the Ethiopian border where they have lived for 2 years in what sounds like are
pretty horrific conditions. They believe their mom is in a camp in Sudan but
they have had no communication with her for 2 years. Her sister is pregnant
& the father of the baby is in the military in the refugee camp? But he has
now moved onto a younger girl…their story was heartbreaking in so many ways
& on so many levels…BUT here was Bol, taking care of HIS PEOPLE, bringing
her here for the hope of a brighter future as far as her lip was concerned. We
were able to help with that but the challenges these 2 sisters have is
something that none of us can really understand. I loved the tenderness of this
older sister caring for her younger sister. I had 2 size large dresses left
& gave them both to Duot.
Midway thru the day Becca one of the pre/post nurses brought
me the crown they give out everyday & thanked me for “saving pre/post”
Really it was a team effort I just led the charge J But I did wear the crown the
rest of the day!
One of our third round of patients was Malatu – he was a
VERY WELL NOURISHED 2 year old – which is kind of unusual here as many kids are
thin but he could have nothing to eat after midnight in preparation for surgery
& all morning he was having your standard 2 year old tantrums asking for
Injera (the spongy bread stuff they eat) It wasn’t really funny but it was –
tantrums cross all cultures I guess. We called him the “Injera Boy” cause that
is what he was asking for all day. After surgery he didn’t want juice &
they had served Injera at lunch so I went in the lunchroom & got him some….he
didn’t eat it right away in recovery but the pre/post nurses said he ate it as soon
as he got to his room –so funny!
One of the final round of patients was a 35 year old mom –
also in the group from the Sudanese refugee camp. She was having a lip repair
today & her 10 year old son will have his repaired tomorrow. She was another who stared a long time at
herself in the mirror appreciating the transformation the surgical team was
able to provide her J
One bummer was that Aziza one of the recovery room nurses
with me had her Iphone 6 stolen. She had
it out taking photos & isn’t sure where she may have left it but in a 30
min window it was gone…just a reality check that we are in a country where
people are very desperate & a reminder that we all need to be cautious with our belongings.
We have had 2 male OSI High School students with us on this trip – they are
great boys & today they went to an orphanage with Susan their student sponsor. At the orphanage they have 750 kids &
moms. It is run by a woman who is trying to help the moms get out of
prostitution & abuse on the streets & teach them a trade & the kids
are in school. It has become a well funded NGO – I wish I could have gone with
them!!!
When we got back to the hotel I face timed Doug at home
& intended to shower & blog etc but fell asleep, in my scrubs &
when I woke up a few hours later I just showered & went back to bed…so this
entry is a bit delayed but boy did I sleep well & must have needed the
rest. I can’t believe tomorrow is our last day of surgery…arriving here &
all that has occurred in between seems like so long ago. I am tired but it is a
good tired..tired because I have given my all to serve these people who live
lives I will never understand and have hardships and day to day living I cannot
fathom. We offer some hope & help & I only pray they are watched over
in this difficult world that they live in – especially these precious children.
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