So at breakfast Kristina the Program Coordinator said that
the only 3 international volunteers not sick are me, Estella & Donna – which
makes me nervous because the odds are against me! Plus several of the Mexican
volunteers from Chiapas & from other states in Mexico are also getting sick
– I guess it is the Chiapas Revenge!!! I slept well last night although it
really does feel like I am sleeping on a piece of wood? But 7 ½ hours of sleep
was wonderful. Essentially, I have my own room since Brittany is a night nurse
so when I get back I play music on my phone, shower, journal/blog then go to
bed 😊
While I am not sick I do wake up each morning with my
stomach rumbling a little – I am not sure if it is nausea or hunger but I have
a protein mix in water & some kind of a bar. The breakfast buffet at the
hotel is…”interesting” tamales, chilaquiles (sp?), rice, beans, & scrambled
eggs with chorizo & salsas & some breads. For right now I will stick
with what I have brought, although I did eat a mini banana this morning.
Katrin & I went up to the Pre/Post area before we went
to the PACU (since we become sterile once we cross the magic bench). There were
some cute patients for today & they are all staying in one large room with mattresses
on the floor because that is how they would sleep in their homes…so it’s really
to make them more comfortable in the hospital setting.
Our first 3 patients were all team members – Marlin a pre/post
nurse who needed an IV & Elena an Anesthesiologist from Spain – we make a
great IV cocktail with Zofran to help with nausea & Zantac an antacid &
gave them 2 liters each. I also did blood pressure re-checks on the 2 ladies with
hypertension & one of the surgeons came in because he tore a calf muscle a
week ago & had a lot of swelling. This afternoon Federico one of the
students from Monterrey Mexico has also been sick so he too got the IV
cocktail. Kristina PC said she would add “Team Nurse” to my PACU namebadge.
We got our first patient at 9:50 – I expected it would be
earlier but I guess there were issues sterilizing all the instruments over
night so they had to do some flash sterilization. At 11 am we only had seen 4
patietns so we had 21 to go…until 2 were canceled because the kids were sick
& one was a no-show. It is always heartbreaking when they have to be
canceled because unless they get better in the next 2 days their opportunity
for surgery isn’t until next year ☹
I had lots of cute little girls today – Angela who was 18
months, had cute ponytails & reminded me of Kensie (but is a lot smaller!)
She only wanted to be held post op so I just sat on the bed & held her for
an hour as she woke up from surgery…I figured that is what her mom would do
& really I LOVED IT!!!! It said on their chart they took several buses
& lived 8 hours away. I asked Kristina if we could help them get more direct
transportation than vans, open bed trucks etc so she is going to let me do that
for Angela & her mom who are staying in the shelter – her dad left when
Angela was born with a cleft lip. I really thought of Kya having to take a
journey like that with Kensie by herself for 8 hours & there was no way
that I could not try to help.
Jenny was my next patient & she was 2 ½ having a cleft
palate repair – she was a bit fussy & crazy & needed meds to reset her
brain so she could wake up happier. I held her for about an hour too. Her
parents brought her on 10 hours of travel from Tabasco Mexico. Her mom is 21
& her dad is 22 & they are both here but very worried about dad being
away from work because every day missed is a day without income…they too are on
my list to help with transportation etc. That seemed to be the theme today
& I am so grateful that it will work out. I will just give the money to
Brian the local Mexican PC & he will coordinate both of their travels.
By 2 pm we were halfway done with 12 patients finished so
that was encouraging & I actually got to leave at 7:15 & was back at
the hotel by 7:30 so this was a great night!!! Lunch is served from 2-5 pm
outside & today there was a HUGE thunder & lightning storm with lots of
rain & hail so the eating area was flooded & during that time we lost
power for about 4 minutes which seemed like an eternity!!! During an hour of "down time" with few patients Estela who is fluent in Spanish went with me to the "Farmacia" across the street. So it turn out the text photos of the meds that were needed that I got from the missionaries was a bit "incorrect". So I text them & they dropped the actual papers off at my hotel & Estela will help me get the meds for them tomorrow. As a PS they told me that the mom also has a broken arm & they didn't know why she didn't say anything but they wondered if I could go by & see it...I am not sure when I could go there - maybe Friday if we have a half day but the bigger issue is I am not sure what I can do about it??? So I need to give that need to God & figure out what I am supposed to do.
My roommate Brittany
was not feeling well yesterday & got A LOT worse today – so much that she didn’t
think she could get in a taxi to come to the hospital for an IV. SO we sent our
IV cocktail & 3 other liters to the hotel & another night nurse started
her IV. When I got home she was just finishing her 3rd liter & I
insisted she go ahead & take the 4th liter. This stuff whatever
it is is bad.
I had time to reflect today on this mission opportunity –
Kristina the PC said – last minute needs are hard to fill & when she saw my
name & my previous mission reviews??? It was a no brainer for her to take
me for whatever time I could come. She didn’t know anything about all that’s been
going on in my life & I didn’t need to tell her but how grateful I was that
my “past performance” gave me this opportunity. And how fortunate I am that I
can instantly love & serve these people & try in small ways to make
their live a tiny bit easier for just a moment in time. Yes this is WAY DIFFERENT
than taking a week off at the beach & watching the waves which I do love,
it puts me in a different mindset. There is great poverty here in Chiapas &
the peso is so devalued. Omar the man who has sold items at the hotel for 14
years had a slow day & my “deal her gave me” that I bought for 100 pesos
made a difference to him – that is $5. As we left the hospital tonight all the
patients for tomorrow were waiting in the lobby to be admitted to the pre-op
area so we can be certain they don’t eat or drink. I looked in the faces of
those parents & was SO HUMBLED at their circumstances not even knowing them
or how far they traveled or anything else – I just saw them as precious children
of God who live a much more difficult life than most people in the USA. As I
said Missions “flip my brain”. Getting to bed early tonight Hooray!!!!
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