After going to bed at 11 pm last night there was someone
knocking on my door at midnight…it was Mick the PC which is when I realized I
was on call!!! And that I had taken a Benadryl to help me sleep – which is not
a good idea when you are on call. I sprung out of bed, pulled out my earplugs
and answered the door. My roommate was also on call for the OR – Mick just
wanted to let us know that we “might” need to go on for a “surgery go back”. I
am not sure why she felt the need to wake us up to tell me we “might” need to
go on??? Fortunatley she never came back to say “we are going in”. I also had a
CRAZY dream about CHOC – I am 10K miles away dreaming about work – it was very
detailed too??? And then of course 6 am came quickly.
My routine when we go to the hospital is I go to the pre-op
ward to see the patients for today, the post op ward to see yesterdays patients
& then the recovery room for set up for the day with our team. . Today when
I walked in a little girl Karishma that I had seen & played with at
screening day ran up to me & grabbed my legs then when I bent down she
threw her arms around my neck & melted my heart!!! We took a photo together
that I posted in one of my collages today. She is having a palate repair &
I am guessing will not be feeling too well this afternoon. I also saw some other
cute babies & there are a few 8-12 year old girls all having surgery today.
The 1st 2 days of the mission they are doing the people who are from
farther away 300 KM so that they can get back to their villages & work
since they all have “day wage” jobs and a day away is a day without money.
In the post op ward the kids get “Smile Bags” & inside
is a toothbrush & toothpaste, a mirror to see their new smiles & some little
toys. It is crazy to think that most of them have never seen much less had
their own toothbrush no matter what their age – from their excitement you would
have thought we gave them new Ipads!
We had a student translator in the recovery room today which
was a HUGE help so that we can communicate with the parents and the patients –
her name was Amerita – she is 19 & studying communications at a university –
such a cute girl & tremendously helpful. AS the day went on she said to me
when we were brining moms & das back to comfort the kids – “you know that
female family members (mom, aunt or gma) know the baby more” I think that was her
reference to “maternal instinct” J
Our first 2 lips back were perfect angels –one little one I
gave a pretty pink blanket to – she was cared for by the grandma & dad as
the mom left when the baby was born with a cleft becuae she felt guilty &
that it was her fault. That is so sad to me for both the mom & baby &
now that baby is perfect today!
One of the families I saw this morning the baby came back
& was fussy so we brought the mom back & she was good for about 15 min
& then looked like she was going to faint – I had Amerita talking to her –
I was gently slapping her face, getting a cold cloth, gave her juice & a
cookie then got her husband & finally she was okay. She told us she had not
eaten for 3 days because of “tension” for the babys surgery. We later found out
that was not uncommom & it wasn’t just “tension” but also their way of
believing that by sacrificing eating themselves (fasting) their baby would have
a better outcome. I am all abut fasting & prayer & know it has a great
impact but 3 days was too much for these young moms who were also very
stressed.
Karishma my little friend came back about 1:30 pm - &
she was not very happy but did well. I am sure some of these kids have no idea what
is happening to them – it is scary & painful & unfamiliar. The parents
are all so grateful – some are expressive & others are more somber/stoic.
But in many instance you would think we handed them 1 million ruppe whenw e
show them their baby for the first time – it is so joyful for them & for
me.
I made contact with Pres. Sujal from the LDS church & I
am going to meet him on Monday before I fly out. We also found an orphanage
near here that needed food & medicine for the babies & one of the
mission team is helping get that tomorrow, I was also able to get blankets that
were needed for some of the children here…all things I can do because of
generous friends who send me with their offerings & tell me to “find ways
to do humanitarian work that is needed”. I am always amazed when opportunities
appear before me that I had no prior plan for….and grateful to help the people
her ein India who live in such desperate poverty. What a tremendous honor it is
for me to be the conduit for good because of so many others. I am blessed to
see it firsthand and be the legs to get the work done but they are the ones who
are causing the opportunities to come forth of that I am certain.
It is again late & I have another early morning – not a
lot of deviation from my “mission routine”. This is work I feel so grateful to
be able to participate in – I can’t
imagine a time I would welcome this intensity or be able to manage it but I
know I am being blessed as I serve. I am grateful for the internet to get this
posted tonight & get caught up. I was also able to facetime Doug tonight. So all in all it was a wonderful day!
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