So even though I felt better I didn’t want to have a recurrence of yesterday so I paced myself by walking to the lobby then resting a bit there before leaving the hotel to be sure I was good to go. I am getting good ay\t hailing Moroccan cabs. The larger white/yellow/black cabs are plentiful in front of the hotel & want to take 3-4 people on longer rides. I have to look for the small orange colored Peugeots that specialize in 1-2 people rides – I have no idea why? It is 20 Dirham (just over $2) to get to thehospital. Some drivers ask for 30 & I confidently tell them is has been 20 all week – if they quickly agree I then pay them 30 – it’s a dollar for heavens sake!
Some team members have had personal items taken from the hospital – I am watchful of my backpack as it has all my money & passport in it behind 3 zippers but today I put my “lifeline” sports bottle with just the right cocktail of liquid protein & crystal light on a chair when I went into change & 5 min later when I came out it was gone???
Th PACU team applauded my return & I felt the love, plus I am on call tonight so I think they were relieved!!! I am definitely grateful the PACU is in close proximity to the bathrooms & kept myself on my clear liquid cocktail all day/night. I did walk into the men’s bathroom once & quickly turned around 😊
I stepped right into patient care & really was able to keep up the pace – totally different from yesterday – still have the GI symptoms but I feel good. Ibrahim from Egypt asked me about the 2 digital forehead thermometers I brought that we are using – he said they are so good for missions & are they expensive. Knowing he makes about $20 for each 12 hour shift & I bought them on Amazon for $35-40 I said “Don’t buy one take mine! My name is on them so you can always remember me LOL”
Whitney (child life) had my same symptoms & stayed at the hotel today & you won’t believe what happened. At 3 pm she text the student & child life team (I am an honorary member from our camel ride day) saying that the housekeeper at the hotel came in her room & in some mode of communication she knew Whitney was with Op Smile & said that her nephew had a lip repair from another organization & needs it redone – he covers his face at school because he gets taunted & bullied. Whitney Whats-App messaged Ambra our PC & Ambra said sent him down & he was added on to todays schedule - she sent us the name & photo so we could look out for he & he was a little scared it all was happening so fast. So Youness had surgery today & was such a trooper. If that isn’t divine intervention with Whitney at the hotel sick I don’t know what is….
I had lots of cute toddler age kids today – Ramen was a sweet girl. I gave her my last “therapy doll” that a friends sewing class made & she held it & wave to me as she left the PACU. Melted my heart! On a not so fun note we had a patient with pretty nasty lice come thru, they discovered it in the OR & triple capped her. I didn’t take care of her but between that & the small army of cockroaches that greeted us when we arrived & turned on the lights Tues morning I think I will be less frustrated with my intermittent ant problem at home (1st world issues).
At 5 pm we had 12 patients left to come back to PACU which did not seem bad since I think 10 of them were lip repairs. At 7 we were down to 4 patients 3 on the schedule & one that went back for bleeding. So everyone left except for me & Sallam from Saudi Arabia since we were both on call. The boy with the bleeding was so cute & was her with his dad which is so unusual. Often the dads are here but it is the moms with the kids in post op & during the entire screening & surgery process. He was the sweetest boy & so cooperative as we tried to stop the slow oozing but couldn’t & when we told his dad he needed to go back for a quick cautery he was clearly concerned. So when Youssef came back the 2nd time his dad just put his head down in prayer & Sallam told me he was offering thanks to God (or Allah maybe?). It was both touching & humbling and is such a reminder that parents are parents no matter what ethnicity they are, country they live in, financial status etc. we all want & often pray for the best for our children. I had not taken care of him for his initial surgery today I only met them because he had to return to surgery. In the hour we spent together in the PACU just me & him & Sallam & David I found out thru the chart & Sallam that he was a single dad from far away (36 hours drive) & he had saved for a year to get his son transportation to Agadir. He was the very last patient in PACU to go to post op I gave him all the Dirham I had left in cash to use for travel & whatever needs they might have. His eyes filled with tears & he asked Sallam ”How did I know” & then my eyes filled with tears & I left him in post op – perhaps I will see him in the morning…I don’t know.I felt like this was a tremendous need I might never have been aware of if I wasn’t on call. So for now I have spent my “sacred funds” from friends & together we have been minor miracle makers for some families. Certainly, if something comes up tomorrow I can give some of my American dollars.
There are only 22 on the schedule tomorrow – all lips so hopefully we are out by 2 or 3, then it is the final party which I will likely only go to briefly as my flight home begins at 0500 Saturday morning. It is hard to believe this mission is almost over. As Doug said to me in a text it has brought me some unique challenges with my missing luggage for 3 days & my 36 hour intense illness. But we say in our family “Kraus’ can do hard things” and I needed to live that motto this week & be resilient & faithful & hopeful in the difficult times. I am also so thankful for the many people who I know were praying for me & the entire team for these 12 days. When I was “down” I pictured so many family members & friends praying for me & knew I would ultimately be okay. I am a VERY BLESSED person – to have these opportunities to serve & grow and help make a difference in strangers lives – it fills my cup and is why I became a nurse to “Learn the Healers Art” which is the BYU College of Nursing Motto & then the University motto is “Enter to Learn-Go Forth to Serve”. I am so grateful for my nursing education at BYU and the Foundation it laid for my life personally & professionally.
It is 10 pm & I am going to bed & will hopefully post this in the morning – Good Night from a much healthier Nurse Nancy!
Morning update – I went to bed at 10 & hadn’t had meds since 11 am. At 2 am I woke up a bit sweaty & nauseous but no chills. I wasn’t sure if it might be because I hadn’t really eaten in 48 hours. I took Zofran, Tums & had some crackers. Thankfully I went back to sleep and now its time to start the LAST DAY of surgeries!
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