When my alarm went off at 5:45 this morning it seemed impossible that the night could be over. I was definitely wishing thee was an option for a "snooze button" but no such luck. Having not prepared my "Stuff" for the day I got it & myself all together fairly quickly & was at breakfast by 6:15 for the team mtg at 6:30. I now find it humorous that earlier in the week I was concerned I didn't have hair care products because in reality every day I get up, put my hair in a pony tail & then at the hospital put a scrub cap on....One of the Stryker team did gift me their hairsptay before hey left so perhaps I will do something else with my hair for the final party :)
I found out that the soup yesterday had sweet pastry type item with it (that I didn't take) that was heavy with honey - that food is what they eat each day during Ramadan after fasting. At the morning coffee they have also been serving Msemn which is a bread item sort of between a tortilla & pita type bread but dusted in sugar so it's a little sweet - they put butter, or a soft cheese & jam on it - it is really pretty yummy! Rumor has it tomorrow we will have couscous for lunch as always served on Friday
I went up to the Post op area & saw the mom of the 8 year old from last night who again gave me a tight embrace. Brittany had taken care of her (among her many patients) & told me she did well all night so that was great news. It was very chaotic up there again think pre/post is hardest RN role on missions. Their 1st 3 hours half of them are getting everyone’s vital signs & meds other half is getting discharge teaching done & patients out & then they prep for new day & patients start to come to them by 10:30...I seriously couldn’t do that. PACU works well for me even though the hours are longer at times.
After getting PACU set up I was already nodding off so the rest of the PACU team "forced me" to go & take my power nap early & again it helped. I was pretty sure it would be a 2 Coke Zero & 2 power nap day :)
Our first 5 lip patients all arrived PACU within 5 min...then 3 more 10 min later. We really only have 6 functional beds but some babies were being help so we double bedded 2 & that worked fine. My patient was Aicha a 5 mos old (age deviation baby) & she was so cute & good. Really all my patients for the most part were good yesterday just a few needed Respiratory treatments but they were all good. This family was from 3 hours outside Tangier and the father is a farmer which seems to be common. Many of the parents here seem to be a bit older - for this baby the dad is 45, mom is 38 & they have 2 other children.
We got our team shirts to wear tomorrow- and this one is definitely one of my top 3 favorites might even be favorite so far! By 12:15 all 8 lips were back & we had cleared the PACU & within 10 minutes the first five palate patients came back all at once - that was a whole lotta crazy going on with about 25 people in our small space because each patient comes back with the anesthesiologist & nurse & the patient & the PACU nurses & MD's
Unfortunately 4 cases were canceled today-2 for low hemoglobin levels that were missed or labs were not back when scheduled & 2 who are sick. Always makes me sad as those patients will have to wait until the next mission here or elsewhere in Morocco or Africa.
There is still a baseline of being chilly & standing in front of the space heaters here reminds me of standing on heater grill of my parents house in Whittier when I was young & it was cold (or as cold as Calif gets)
I had back to back palates- my first was Fatima (which seems to be a common name here) she was 6 years old & woke up so calm & sleepy but really sweet-gave her a doll & got a tired half smile :) At 2:30 it was quiet in the PACU so I popped my head into child life & there was Khady my 14 year old friend & her mom (I had been identifying her in my blog as Sahko but that is her surname so I had that a little messed up & I guess I wasn’t saying her name when we talked). They both came over & gave me a bon jour kiss & greeting. Her Mom said Khady was anxious & we talked a bit. She seemed to have a bit of comfort when I told her I would be there when she woke up...there are often times you make unique connections with patients & families on missions-they feel like old friends you were meant to re-meet at this time & in this way. We will likely never see each other again & yet the 4 interactions over these past few days will always be with me & I know Khady & her mom were one of the reasons I came to Morocco. Plus I think of the fact that I met these wonderful people in Morocco who live so far from Morocco....there are no coincidences but a grand master plan orchestrated by a loving Father in Heaven!
At 6 pm after what seemed like about 30 minutes of waiting & quiet the chaos hit of course while 3 of the other PACU nurses were at coffee leaving only 4 of us & a bunch of patients who were all not happy. Fortunately the Clinical Coordinators recognized out challenges & she got some of the moms back. I had Abder a 1 year old Bilateral Cleft lip patient who was CRAZY & the anesthesiologist told me how excited she was bout the life changing surgery she had just done & she wanted to take the patient up to see his mom but forgot to tell me she didn't secure his IV very well so just about the time I was going to give him pain medicine her pulled his IV out...not cool Abder!!! His mom did come back & was overwhelmed by his facial transformation & Abder instantly calmed down & I got over myself! It was so tender to see his mom see him for the 1st time & together we looked at his "before" picture in the chart & she and I & the surgeon all had tears streaming down our eyes.
I was still waiting for Khady & wondering why her case was going so long so I went in & checked on her in the OR & they were just being very deliberate in revising her lip & also her nose. I went out & updated her mom who was so grateful. Apparently they will stay thru Saturday for a post op visit & the fly home that evening :)
She came in about 8 pm & did great post op -she was pretty sleepy & I'm not sure if she really knew it was me there but I was glad I could be there & it mattered to her mom. I didn't get to take her up to post op because we had a lot going on so the transporters took her up & I will see them in the morning again!
Since I stayed late last night when there were only the last 3 patients left to come back to the PACU I was able to leave by 9 with 2 other PACU nurses. Interesting that every night on our drive home we pass about 6 different coffee shops & outdoor café's & it perplexes me that ts is ALL men outside w/ an occasional woman likely a tourist tonight I counted > 100 men & 2 women???
A group is going out to dinner at 9:30 (they eat REALLY late here in Morocco) but I politely declined. I know those dinners with 10+ people always go about 3 hours & getting a shower, connecting with family & relaxing really sounded wonderful to me. We just got a message that since we only have 22 patients tomorrow - all lips we are starting an hour later so that means breakfast at 7 & team mtg at 7:30 which sounds like a wonderful gift of an extra hour of sleep!
I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of the mission - it has gone quickly and will be an indelible imprint on my heart. I have been gone 10 days though & have 3 more before I am actually home...I am trying not to think about or worry that Christmas is 15 days I get back, that I will have a lot of work to catch up on at CHOC, that we have some fun events coming up aside from Christmas Eve/Day & trusting it will all work out as it is supposed to be. So excuse me while I turn on my Christmas music & regroup for an hour before I go to bed!
I found out that the soup yesterday had sweet pastry type item with it (that I didn't take) that was heavy with honey - that food is what they eat each day during Ramadan after fasting. At the morning coffee they have also been serving Msemn which is a bread item sort of between a tortilla & pita type bread but dusted in sugar so it's a little sweet - they put butter, or a soft cheese & jam on it - it is really pretty yummy! Rumor has it tomorrow we will have couscous for lunch as always served on Friday
I went up to the Post op area & saw the mom of the 8 year old from last night who again gave me a tight embrace. Brittany had taken care of her (among her many patients) & told me she did well all night so that was great news. It was very chaotic up there again think pre/post is hardest RN role on missions. Their 1st 3 hours half of them are getting everyone’s vital signs & meds other half is getting discharge teaching done & patients out & then they prep for new day & patients start to come to them by 10:30...I seriously couldn’t do that. PACU works well for me even though the hours are longer at times.
After getting PACU set up I was already nodding off so the rest of the PACU team "forced me" to go & take my power nap early & again it helped. I was pretty sure it would be a 2 Coke Zero & 2 power nap day :)
Our first 5 lip patients all arrived PACU within 5 min...then 3 more 10 min later. We really only have 6 functional beds but some babies were being help so we double bedded 2 & that worked fine. My patient was Aicha a 5 mos old (age deviation baby) & she was so cute & good. Really all my patients for the most part were good yesterday just a few needed Respiratory treatments but they were all good. This family was from 3 hours outside Tangier and the father is a farmer which seems to be common. Many of the parents here seem to be a bit older - for this baby the dad is 45, mom is 38 & they have 2 other children.
We got our team shirts to wear tomorrow- and this one is definitely one of my top 3 favorites might even be favorite so far! By 12:15 all 8 lips were back & we had cleared the PACU & within 10 minutes the first five palate patients came back all at once - that was a whole lotta crazy going on with about 25 people in our small space because each patient comes back with the anesthesiologist & nurse & the patient & the PACU nurses & MD's
Unfortunately 4 cases were canceled today-2 for low hemoglobin levels that were missed or labs were not back when scheduled & 2 who are sick. Always makes me sad as those patients will have to wait until the next mission here or elsewhere in Morocco or Africa.
There is still a baseline of being chilly & standing in front of the space heaters here reminds me of standing on heater grill of my parents house in Whittier when I was young & it was cold (or as cold as Calif gets)
I had back to back palates- my first was Fatima (which seems to be a common name here) she was 6 years old & woke up so calm & sleepy but really sweet-gave her a doll & got a tired half smile :) At 2:30 it was quiet in the PACU so I popped my head into child life & there was Khady my 14 year old friend & her mom (I had been identifying her in my blog as Sahko but that is her surname so I had that a little messed up & I guess I wasn’t saying her name when we talked). They both came over & gave me a bon jour kiss & greeting. Her Mom said Khady was anxious & we talked a bit. She seemed to have a bit of comfort when I told her I would be there when she woke up...there are often times you make unique connections with patients & families on missions-they feel like old friends you were meant to re-meet at this time & in this way. We will likely never see each other again & yet the 4 interactions over these past few days will always be with me & I know Khady & her mom were one of the reasons I came to Morocco. Plus I think of the fact that I met these wonderful people in Morocco who live so far from Morocco....there are no coincidences but a grand master plan orchestrated by a loving Father in Heaven!
At 6 pm after what seemed like about 30 minutes of waiting & quiet the chaos hit of course while 3 of the other PACU nurses were at coffee leaving only 4 of us & a bunch of patients who were all not happy. Fortunately the Clinical Coordinators recognized out challenges & she got some of the moms back. I had Abder a 1 year old Bilateral Cleft lip patient who was CRAZY & the anesthesiologist told me how excited she was bout the life changing surgery she had just done & she wanted to take the patient up to see his mom but forgot to tell me she didn't secure his IV very well so just about the time I was going to give him pain medicine her pulled his IV out...not cool Abder!!! His mom did come back & was overwhelmed by his facial transformation & Abder instantly calmed down & I got over myself! It was so tender to see his mom see him for the 1st time & together we looked at his "before" picture in the chart & she and I & the surgeon all had tears streaming down our eyes.
I was still waiting for Khady & wondering why her case was going so long so I went in & checked on her in the OR & they were just being very deliberate in revising her lip & also her nose. I went out & updated her mom who was so grateful. Apparently they will stay thru Saturday for a post op visit & the fly home that evening :)
She came in about 8 pm & did great post op -she was pretty sleepy & I'm not sure if she really knew it was me there but I was glad I could be there & it mattered to her mom. I didn't get to take her up to post op because we had a lot going on so the transporters took her up & I will see them in the morning again!
Since I stayed late last night when there were only the last 3 patients left to come back to the PACU I was able to leave by 9 with 2 other PACU nurses. Interesting that every night on our drive home we pass about 6 different coffee shops & outdoor café's & it perplexes me that ts is ALL men outside w/ an occasional woman likely a tourist tonight I counted > 100 men & 2 women???
A group is going out to dinner at 9:30 (they eat REALLY late here in Morocco) but I politely declined. I know those dinners with 10+ people always go about 3 hours & getting a shower, connecting with family & relaxing really sounded wonderful to me. We just got a message that since we only have 22 patients tomorrow - all lips we are starting an hour later so that means breakfast at 7 & team mtg at 7:30 which sounds like a wonderful gift of an extra hour of sleep!
I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of the mission - it has gone quickly and will be an indelible imprint on my heart. I have been gone 10 days though & have 3 more before I am actually home...I am trying not to think about or worry that Christmas is 15 days I get back, that I will have a lot of work to catch up on at CHOC, that we have some fun events coming up aside from Christmas Eve/Day & trusting it will all work out as it is supposed to be. So excuse me while I turn on my Christmas music & regroup for an hour before I go to bed!
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