First week of surgery

Well, the first week of surgery went really well...I worked the first day the hospital was open, so it was fun to get to take care of the first patients. There was one patient in particular named Kossi that my friend told me he had met at screening, so he was really excited about getting surgery. So, it was awesome because I ended up being Kossi's nurse two days in a row. He is 16 years old and had a very large facial tumor prior to surgery (about the size of a grapefruit). It was really cool being able to take his bandage off for the first time and give him a mirror so that he could see his face for the first time without this huge tumor that had plagued him for the last several years.

Working on the ward here is very different than back home...the shift starts and ends with prayer. All the nurses and translators gather together to pray for the shift, for the patients, and anything specific that is going on with the patients. The atmosphere is just different. Everyone helps each other out and everyone is on the same level.

One thing that blew me away this week was the humility of the doctors here. One of the nurses went on his lunch break and while he was gone, his patient vomited. So, the doctor stood there and held the bucket for the patient while he threw up. Then, when one of the other nurses offered to take the bucket for him, the doctor said "Oh, that's ok...just tell me where to take it." I stood there in shock because I have never seen a doctor do that before! It certainly isn't in their job description...but he did it anyway because of his servant's heart...it really just challenged me to have the same servant's heart about whatever I do..whether it's something I'm "supposed" to do or not.

My first shift ended in a really cool way..we prayed and then one of the translators asked if he could sing a short english song...so he started singing 'i have decided to follow Jesus...no turning back'...we all joined in and it almost gave me the chills...it was a really sweet moment...just being reminded of why I'm here...it's cool to be able to help change people's lives both physically and spiritually and to be able to work together for a common goal.

I ended up working all weekend, but it was nice to have some extra time with the patients...we took them out to Deck 7 to get some fresh air and sunshine and also got to spend some time playing games...so it was a nice slow pace, but good to have some time with them...we had some really great translators who gave us some little French lessons throughout the day too! Not all of the patients speak French, but a lot of them do, so it's nice to learn a little bit so that I can communicate better. It's also very useful when we're out and about in town!

We have another big week ahead of us! On top of surgery this week, the election is taking place for the new Togolese leader! So, no one will be able to come or go from the ship on the day of the election due to possible unrest...which means that all of our patients who are supposed to be admitted for surgery will have to come a day early...so we'll have lots of "hotel patients"...so it should be interesting..but fun...the more the merrier!

Well, that's all for now...sorry I don't have any pictures of the patients yet...there are a lot of restrictions on taking pictures of the patients..but I should be able to take some eventually...and when I do, I'll be sure to post them!

Kpalime

Well, this has been a very busy week...after setting up the wards, stocking supplies, and finishing our inventory, we had the hospital open house on Friday night. This is basically an opportunity for all the crew to see the hospital before the patients come. So, to make it fun, we had everyone rotate to different stations with different interactive games and stations where people could learn how to stitch and start IVs or things like that.

Our station was called "nurse for a shift." So we had 5 people come in at a time who were the "nurses" and had a list of tasks they had to perform for the 5 of us, the "patients"...it was a race to see who could finish the fastest...but the catch was that we were all supposed to be as difficult as possible...so, we all had fun being noncompliant patients...passing our other meds to other patients to take...spitting out our meds, not sitting up for them to listen to our lungs, being whiny, etc. One of my friends who was a patient in the bed next to me even got sat on at one point because her nurse got so frustrated! We were all laughing hysterically throughout the night..I actually laughed so hard I cried at one point! It was really funny to watch and be a part of!

My favorite part of our little activity was that our "nurses" had to put the bedpans under us...but they didn't know we had syringes full of lemonade under the covers...and actually left them a surprise in the bedpan that they had to empty in the bathroom! It was pretty funny to see all of their reactions! We had a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy what it was like to take care of patients and be a nurse.

After our busy, yet fun week, we all realized tht this would be our last free weekend where all the nurses would be off at the same time...so we decided to take the opportunity to get out of town for the weekend and visit a city called Kpalime. All 16 of us piled into a little taxi bus and got "comfortable" for the 2 hour ride up north...let's just say we all got close on the trip..in many ways :)

Pic in the packed taxi from the back seat

The weekend was a lot of fun..we got to have some time to relax and hang out, swam, and explored the market (let's just say the African markets are VERY different from the local stores in the states and sell all kinds of random things).

I met these adorable kids in the market

Lunch in Kpalime with friends from the ship

The second day we hiked Mount Agou, the highest mountain in Togo..it wasn't quite the equivalent to Kilamanjaro, but it took us almost 7 hours to hike it and was definitely a good climb! We had a local African guy with us who pointed out some pretty cool things along the way...like leaves that you can crush in your hand to make paint..and a few different types of fruit that were growing on the trees that we passed on the hike.

One of the great views during the hike

Making our way up the mountain

On our trek up the mountain, we had to go through two different villages. We were met there by lots of cute kids who excitedly called out "Yovo, yovo" as we passed by (that is the word used in Togo that means 'white person'). It was really cute.As I was talking to Noel (our African friend who served as our guide up the mountain), he told me that many of the people in these villages hike down the mountain and back nearly every day to go to town...It's crazy to me that these people have such a long trek down the mountain just to go to the market...and I recall times that I was too lazy to take the 10 minute trip in the car to the grocery store back home...pretty crazy how different things are here...but then again not everyone lives up in the mountains..and the people who live up there do have an amazing view!

We thought it'd be fun to spell out Togo at the top

Somehow we managed a pyramid after the long hike!

Anyway, I really enjoyed the weekend, not just seeing new sights, but also the opportunity to get to know some of the people from the ship a little better. We have a big week ahead of us..the first surgeries will start on Wednesday, so I'm excited to get back to being a nurse again!

Desole

Desole...Sorry...This was one of the words I had to use far too often today. There was an overwhelming number of people at screening today. The people had lined up early in the morning to get a spot in line. The line wrapped all the way around the building. When we got inside, I was shocked to find that there were hundreds of people already seated, waiting expectantly for the possibility of getting scheduled for surgery.

As a pre-screener, I basically took the people who came through the line and asked them one by one what they needed surgery for, how long they'd had it, any related symptoms, etc. Then, if they had something that we would be able to operate on, I sent them over to the final screening team, who did a more extensive screening and then either sent them over to get registered for surgery or told them the disappointing news that we wouldn't be able to help them. 

We were given a criteria for who to refer for the final screening: anyone with maxillo-facial problems (facial tumors, cleft lips/palates, large goiters, etc), orthopedic cases (bowed legs, clubbed feet, etc), problems caused by burns (usually contractures, but it could be any type of major problem caused by a burn injury that a plastic surgeon could operate on), fistula patients (our VVF surgeons specialize in this), large hernias, eye problems (mostly cataracts...we referred these patients to a special eye surgery screening day) or any other problem that we thought could be potentially treated with the group of surgeons on board. The rest we had to turn away.

It's hard when you see so many people with such a huge array of problems and have to tell them that you can't help them. You can see the hope in their eyes and it's so heart-wrenching to shatter those hopes with that word "Desole"...My translator had a tougher job than me...he had to be the one to relay the bad news. My French isn't good enough to explain that the problem they have isn't a problem that our surgeons can treat. I was kind of thankful that I couldn't tell them all of the bad news myself. It was hard enough just saying "Desole." At one point, there were probably 6-8 people in a row that I had to turn away...I could hardly handle it anymore. "Please God, give me someone I can say yes to," I prayed under my breath. He came through and answered that prayer. Still, it was extremely difficult for me emotionally to see the disappointment that so many experienced when they found out we couldn't help them. At one point, another nurse came over and asked if I was ok. I think I must've looked like I was about to burst into tears. I definitely felt like I would. 

Every person who came through was sent over to a team that was praying for each patient and we got to pray for several people as well, as God led us.  When I got back to the ship, I couldn't help but think of all the people who went home without a surgery appointment card, the looks of disappointment, and the overwhelming need we had seen today. I couldn't help but think of Jesus traveling around with all the disciples and the masses of people that came with so many needs. He healed so many and I wanted to do the same.

I was feeling a little discouraged about it all that night and went out on Deck 7 to sit outside and read and pray. A few friends came by and we started talking about the day, the disappointment, and how discouraged I had felt sending so many people away. But, they reminded me of all the people who DID get their surgery appointment cards, the hundreds of people that we had scheduled that day and the many more that we would sign up for surgery in the next weeks of screening. I thought of all those people who left with big smiles on their faces, all the people who would be healed, and all the lives that would be changed....I was reminded of the story of the little boy throwing the starfish back into the ocean...and I realized that I might not be able to help everyone, but at least I can do my part in reaching one life at a time.

We made it!

Well, this week has been an exciting one! The last few days of sailing went really well...I really enjoyed the sail and was so thankful that I never got seasick! It was a lot of fun seeing dolphins, whales, and flying fish (they actally have wings!)...unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me when we saw them, but a friend captured a shot of the dolphins for me...

This is one of my new favorite quotes:

On tuesday, we arrived to Togo right on schedule...it was a very exciting day for all of us! We were greeted by a large marching band on the dock welcoming us to Togo with lively music, including lots of drums! The "advance team" from Mercy Ships that came to Togo early to help set up some things in the country for the ship and the outreach was also there and eager to share all the news about Togo and all the preparations for the outreach with us.

First sight of land!

This is the special boat that met us to bring the pilot

to the ship so we could dock

      Being greeted at the port by the band 

                                                                               

                      Me &  Kelly finally together in Africa!

Me & some friends on arrival day

 The rest of the week has been spent doing something a lot different than the typical nursing job...we had to get the hospital ready for the outreach in Togo...and one of the big jobs we had to do was stripping and waxing all the floors throughout the hospital! So, we all became pros at it by the end of the week! We were pretty much all on our hands and knees scrubbing away the old wax so we could clean it, seal it, and rewax it...so it was a lot of hard work, not to mention really hot! But, we all had fun together and even had a little dance party the first day (which the Discovery Channel team was really happy to film ha ha)...we all got to get to know each other a lot and had some good conversations during that time...so even though I can't really say it was enjoyable work, it was really rewarding in the end to see the finished product and remember that we were doing it for all the patients who will be coming and ultimately for God!

 My roommate and I stripping the floors

Scrubbing away

I had a good reminder this week of the importance of a good attitude...I went over to the crew galley where we can cook and bake (they cook all our meals for us on the ship, but every now and then, it's nice to get in there and cook something different just to change things up a bit)...so I was in the kitchen making pancakes and I see this African woman who is one of the volunteers on the ship in there singing away to Jesus and cleaning up the whole kitchen and organizing everything...may not sound like a big job but there are a ton of pots and pans and utensils and nothing has been organized since I've been on the ship...lots of people go in there at all hours of the day and night to cook and bake...and she just decided she was gonna organize it for us all because she wanted everyone "to feel comfortable in the kitchen"...I was really amazed by her attitude and just touched by the way she was "working with a happy heart" as my cousin Ann would say...I was getting ready to strip and wax the floor again that day and honestly just wasn't too excited about doing that....so, it was an awesome reminder to me that it's not WHAT we do but HOW we do it that matters to God...that really helped put things in perspective for me that day!

So, after the long week of work, we had what they call a "blackout day" today where there was no electricity...most of the water also had to be turned off so we had to go upstairs to use designated bathrooms..they had to have the blackout because they had to clean the engine room today which was a big project! So the nice thing was, they didn't want everyone to be stuck on the ship without light or air conditioning all day so they shuttled us to and from local beaches and hotels so that we could spend the day relaxing. I went with some friends to a place called Coco Beach for a little while and then over to a hotel with a pool so we could swim...it's nice because the local hotels let you use their pools and amenities all day for a fee of a couple dollars...it's a little bit strange to think that we're out here swimming in the heat while it's winter back home...but aside from the humidity, it's really not too bad...having a day at the pool definitely was nice and much needed after a long week of work...

Well, that's all for now...continue to keep us in your prayers as we prep the hospital this week for work and as the advance team continues the screening for patients this week...Au revoir!

Out on the open seas

Well, we have officially been sailing for a week as of today! It's kind of crazy to think we've been out on the ocean for that long...after awhile, you get used to the constant rocking back and forth of the ship...it's actually pretty relaxing! There was one night that we had a bit of a rough sail and had tables moving and chairs and cabinets falling over...there was a little bit of damage, but thankfully nothing too significant. Other than that, the sail has been really great and I haven't been seasick, even though I'm not taking the seasickness pills they have on board! So, I have been really thankful for that!

The past week has been a lot of fun! Every now and then, the captain will come on the PA system to announce "there are dolphins on the port side of the ship" or "there are whales on the starboard side of the ship" and everyone rushes out to watch them..it's really awesome...kind of like being at Sea World, but better :-)

   Me, Luke & Megan...a few new little friends

The last week, I spent most of my time during the day with the nurses in orientation to the hospital and the different documentation, as well as a lecture from Dr. Gary (the head surgeon) to explain the different surgeries that are most commonly needed in West Africa and the specifics on nursing care after those surgeries. So, it was really interesting learning about all of those things and I felt more prepared for working in the hospital after all of that.

We also had a full tour of the hospital and our group was filmed by the camera crew on board (there is a film crew with Discovery Channel Canada doing a piece for their program "Mighty Ships")...so that was a little bit awkward at first...But it wasn't the first time I've had cameras in my face since I got to the ship, so I guess I better just get used to it...the film crew is actually really nice and even sat in for our church service tonight...so I'm praying that they will see a little bit of Christ in all of us during their time here....it is a really great ministry opportunity for us having them with us for the sail!

So, along with our orientation, I had the opportunity to help out with the H1N1 shots that we had to give out to the crew...I was a little nervous about doing it while we were sailing, but thankfully it was a smooth day, so we didn't have any problems with things falling or anything like that. It was a little bit sad giving the shots to the kids, especially since I've gotten to know several of them already...but I brought lots of special distracting toys and played both the role of the nurse and the child life specialist with all my little distracting toys...the crew doctor was impressed with my "bag of tricks"...they definitely came in handy!

           

All the grown men pretended like it was horrible torture

But this little guy was extra brave

Well, I have realized that when  you're out sailing on the ocean for over a week, you have quite a bit of spare time because there is no place to go at night or on the weekends...so, we have found ways to keep ourselves entertained during our free time...movie nights, baking cookies and lots of other things in the crew galley, board games, sardines (reverse hide & seek), scavenger hunts, and a new invention last night...sock golf!

Some of the guys decided they would put together a "golf course" throughout the ship...much different than golf, but we were all supposed to wear golfing attire if we had it...then, we had to bring a ball of socks...I'm sure most golfers wouldn't be too happy about the name golf for this sport...because the only thing that really related to golf was that you have to get the socks in the "hole" in the least amount of "hits" (which was actually throws...there were no golf clubs inolved)..and the fact that there were 18 holes....we got into teams of four and went through the course, which was scattered throughout the ship and involved getting the "ball" over and under stairs, doorways, and hallways....we had a lot of fun and our team even came in 3rd!

This one looked more like a bowling shot!

Third place winners!

Another fun thing about sailing is that we're allowed to sleep out on Deck 8 under the stars! Last night, I camped out up there with a bunch of the nurses...it was really beautiful looking up at all the stars and hearing the sound of the water against the ship was really relaxing...it was a little bit humid in the morning, but not too bad...the air is definitely getting hotter now that we are getting closer to Africa...but everyone says that this is the best way to acclamate to the heat...but it was really unfortunate when the air conditioning went out yesterday and it was really hot inside and outside...thankfully they got the AC back on today, which we were all thankful for!

I am really excited to get to Togo this week...we are hoping to be there by Tuesday, but it all just depends on the weather and a lot of other factors involved in the sail...Keep us in your prayers for smooth sailing and a good transition when we get to Togo!

Sailing

Well, yesterday began our 10 day voyage out on the open seas! It was sad to say goodbye to Tenerife...we all enjoyed it there...I especially liked that I could use my Spanish on the island and that it didn't seem too far from the familiar (it's part of Europe so it's pretty westernized)...We even had a day at the beach on Saturday, which was really nice...I'm eager to get to Togo now and start caring for patients though...My last week on the ship has been mostly helping out where needed (which ended up being the dining room...I really enjoyed working with everyone there!) and this week is all nursing orientation and prepping the ship for the medical outreach.

Getting ready to sail!

      Me and some friends out on the bow

Some of my favorite kiddos on the ship

The sail has been smooth so far...it's kind of crazy not being in sight of land, but I love watching the ocean...I had a great first night on the sail...got to watch the sunset with a friend, then walked out on deck to take in the ocean air last night and stumbled upon a group singing worship songs and playing guitar...they invited me to join them and we had a nice time of worship...

       Sunrise in Tenerife before we sailed away

There was a full moon for the first night of the sail too...I found a hammock tied between two of the Landrovers (they're all tied down on the top deck) and enjoyed a nice relaxing time before bed laying in the hammock listening to music and spending some time with Jesus...I even saw a shooting star as I was laying out there...it was great to have some personal time...

    The picture didn't capture the beauty,

but still looked amazing

It can be hard to find time alone on the ship since there are constantly people around and there is always something to do...my friends laugh at me because if I leave to go get something from my cabin, it usually takes me awhile to make my way back since I always seem to run into people and do a little socializing...I've been told that I was "meant for ship life" since I love being around people so much...But it is always good to have some time with God to re-focus...It's so important to be reminded of why I'm here and WHO I'm serving!

     Me & my new roommate Ruth on the sail

Well, this week should be pretty uneventful with the sail...keep us in your prayers for a smooth and safe sail and no seasickness...Thanks for all the love & prayers!