No bones about it

Well, over the last month, my life has been invested in bones...helping lots of patients heal from their orthopedic surgeries. I have been learning a lot about orthopedics and have found that the more I do ortho, the more I love it. From ankle fusions to osteotomies to 8 plates, there is something really exciting about watching patients have their bones fixed. It is always exciting to show them the before & after x-rays so that they can see what it looks like inside while they're waiting to get out of their casts.

This year, I have the role of an ortho charge nurse, which has brought new learning experiences and a few challenges along with that. But, it has been a lot of fun getting to know the nurses and doctors better. We have been blessed with some great orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists. In fact, the man who invented a special orthopedic surgery for children known as the "8-plate surgery" was actually one of the surgeons who served with us on the ship for several weeks. I am always so blown away by the phenomenal staff we have and the way everyone is treated as equals, working together as a team.

Our team of amazing nurses

Another thing that has been fun about orthopedics is that we have quite a few patients who are with us long-term, due to treatment and the part of the country that they have to travel from. The extra time that they spend with us gives us the opportunity to get to know them better. One of the kids that has stolen my heart is named John. He is such a sweet little boy and has made huge improvements since surgery. One day he started to sing a song that he made up about how he loved Mercy Ships. The next day, we had a visit from the First Lady of Sierra Leone and he sang one of his songs for her in front of a big audience of people in the ward. I was so proud.

John getting out of bed with Physical Therapy



Another perk of all our long-term patients is that they sometimes have adorable little siblings who stay in the hospital with them. John's little sister, Gladys is one of those precious little ones. She is fourteen-months old and full of energy and attitude. But, she is just so cute that she's so hard not to love, even when she's misbehaving. Gladys has become my little helper and likes to climb up on my lap when I'm doing my computer work. We've done our best to train her well...Now she sanitizes her hands with the wall hand sanitizer (pretty much every 5 minutes, but hey at least she's clean!), waves goodbye, and blows kisses. I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to Gladys. I know I shouldn't hold her constantly, but when I put her down and look at her little pouty face and lifted arms, I can't help but pick her back up. But then again, sometimes it's better to keep her close...otherwise, we find her trying to escape from the ward or getting herself into trouble.

Me & my little helper