The extra hour of sleep was heavenly!!! I will go home tired but not completely exhausted.
On arrival at the hospital we took the team picture & went to post op. Khady was doing ok she had a big lip & nose surgery & had an extensive dressing on her face - both as s teenager & patient to be respectful I did not take a photo but gave both her & her mom a big hug - see next post
There are 22 Cleft Lips on the surgical schedule 20 of them are all less than a year old so lots of babies. With each table having only 3 patients I think the surgeons are taking their time & not feeling the pressures of a long day. They are also planning to serve us lunch here at 2 pm so I don’t think it will really be a “short” day-like other missions where we end about 2 but if we are out at 5 I’m good with that!
On missions I don’t bring my wedding ring but in my “mission supplies” I have a ring I bought at Deseret Book a long time ago that says “Arise and shine forth” (I think it was a Young Women’s theme one year?) so I always wear that on missions...it also has meaning to me...when I am having a challenge on a mission it reminds me to Arise & shine forth that my light might be visible to others...I think that is what #lighttheworld is asking is to do...to give light & live to those whose view might be dimmed in some way. It doesn’t require us to be in a different continent, country, state, or even neighborhood we can do it right where we are. I just happen to have the opportunity to be here but I need to do it just as much at home in my day today life as I do on mission trips.
First 3 patients all got back to the recovery room at 11 am so it was a later start for us. My first patient Adam was definitely not happy and there was nothing I could do about it rock, sway, bounce, give juice, give pain medicine, he wasn’t having any of it so I kept him for the minimum 30 minutes he needed to be here and sent him up to his mom and was told that he immediately calmed down in her arms. The powerful calming of motherhood is amazing and very visible in situations like this...
My 2nd patient Amir was a repeat of the 1st....he screamed the entire time no matter what I did...even when the minister of health & his entourage came thru (I guess it was just the pre visit logistics the other day) anyway my baby Amir literally SCREAMED the entire time the minister & his wife were in the PACU-so loud they could hardly do introductions.The local nurses took photo op with him but I was just fine wrangling my patient. Entire PACU team told me not to take a patient again unless he/she comes out in deep sleep or from a certain anesthesiologist...so I waited & hooray I had a perfect last patient!!! Little Hidaya & I even gave her my last dollie
Lunch was served "family style" with 10 to a table at 3 pm a traditional meal of Couscous- it was delicious & I took a picture of it. It was just like what I ate in blue city except the meat was beef & it was served on large platter family style & everyone just eats from the large plate...it was our celebration lunch. Moroccans typically have it on Fridays & special occasions
At 4 pm the last patient of the mission came into the PACU &we clapped her out letting Ambra our Program coordinator carry her up to the post op unit at 4:30. We got back to the hotel at 5, walked around a bit then started packing. Tonight was the team dinner/party that we were to gather for at 8:30 pm, left the hotel about 8:45, arrived at the center at 9:30 & had a 4 course meal that went on unit 12:45 - I asked the Moroccans if they ever sleep!!! It was a LONG night
On arrival at the hospital we took the team picture & went to post op. Khady was doing ok she had a big lip & nose surgery & had an extensive dressing on her face - both as s teenager & patient to be respectful I did not take a photo but gave both her & her mom a big hug - see next post
There are 22 Cleft Lips on the surgical schedule 20 of them are all less than a year old so lots of babies. With each table having only 3 patients I think the surgeons are taking their time & not feeling the pressures of a long day. They are also planning to serve us lunch here at 2 pm so I don’t think it will really be a “short” day-like other missions where we end about 2 but if we are out at 5 I’m good with that!
On missions I don’t bring my wedding ring but in my “mission supplies” I have a ring I bought at Deseret Book a long time ago that says “Arise and shine forth” (I think it was a Young Women’s theme one year?) so I always wear that on missions...it also has meaning to me...when I am having a challenge on a mission it reminds me to Arise & shine forth that my light might be visible to others...I think that is what #lighttheworld is asking is to do...to give light & live to those whose view might be dimmed in some way. It doesn’t require us to be in a different continent, country, state, or even neighborhood we can do it right where we are. I just happen to have the opportunity to be here but I need to do it just as much at home in my day today life as I do on mission trips.
First 3 patients all got back to the recovery room at 11 am so it was a later start for us. My first patient Adam was definitely not happy and there was nothing I could do about it rock, sway, bounce, give juice, give pain medicine, he wasn’t having any of it so I kept him for the minimum 30 minutes he needed to be here and sent him up to his mom and was told that he immediately calmed down in her arms. The powerful calming of motherhood is amazing and very visible in situations like this...
My 2nd patient Amir was a repeat of the 1st....he screamed the entire time no matter what I did...even when the minister of health & his entourage came thru (I guess it was just the pre visit logistics the other day) anyway my baby Amir literally SCREAMED the entire time the minister & his wife were in the PACU-so loud they could hardly do introductions.The local nurses took photo op with him but I was just fine wrangling my patient. Entire PACU team told me not to take a patient again unless he/she comes out in deep sleep or from a certain anesthesiologist...so I waited & hooray I had a perfect last patient!!! Little Hidaya & I even gave her my last dollie
Lunch was served "family style" with 10 to a table at 3 pm a traditional meal of Couscous- it was delicious & I took a picture of it. It was just like what I ate in blue city except the meat was beef & it was served on large platter family style & everyone just eats from the large plate...it was our celebration lunch. Moroccans typically have it on Fridays & special occasions
At 4 pm the last patient of the mission came into the PACU &we clapped her out letting Ambra our Program coordinator carry her up to the post op unit at 4:30. We got back to the hotel at 5, walked around a bit then started packing. Tonight was the team dinner/party that we were to gather for at 8:30 pm, left the hotel about 8:45, arrived at the center at 9:30 & had a 4 course meal that went on unit 12:45 - I asked the Moroccans if they ever sleep!!! It was a LONG night
I am ready to go back to my family & my normal life...but I have had such a special 12 days here. Much of what makes this work meaningful to me is my ability to use the talents I have been blessed with & developed & simply helping those in need - people I do not know, will never see again & who can never "repay" you. It is pure service like the Savior & that leads me to my next post I will enter tomorrow night because it is already after 2 am here. It will be a fith based post - one that is a little personal but also relates to the many people who help me help others in this work I am blessed to participate in - so read it tomorrow you want
No comments:
Post a Comment