So today I met with Fernanda, the Mozambican nurse we were considering hiring to help us in the Baby House. She showed up here with her sister, who is also a nurse with pediatric experience! They both were very keen to work for us and help in any capacity we needed. So it has been decided that we will hire them for a trial period of 3 months. They will be covering afternoons in the Baby House...Fernanda working when she can between days at the hospital...and Ana (her sister) working the other afternoons Monday-Friday!
We certainly have our work cut out for us as a medical team. We now have 2 women to train. I don't think for one minute it won't be complicated. I don't think for one minute that we won't run into at least a few issues. But I'm encouraged. I'm excited about what this means for the future. I'm excited to have another two lives we are able to pour in to. These two woman happily talked with our babies today, they very politely introduced themselves to our tias (the women who care for the children), they left telling me how excited they were to learn from us and figure out what this new job entails.
I'm still nervous...I'm still a bit timid to take this on...but I'm encouraged!
Please pray for me, the other Western nurses that will be sharing in training them up, and these two nurses...Ana and Fernanda...that God's wisdom would shine through and that these two women will fit into out team with ease!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
A Relaxing Run...NOT!
#1- I actually left the Baby House at a decent hour last night. We do have a few kids who are sick...but nothing like the last few weeks! Praise Jesus for His healing and for happy playful babies again!
So, I got home and even had a discussion about how it felt like it was really late because I had gotten home so much earlier than the last few weeks. Anyway, Rebecca (another nurse and one of my roommates) and I decided to go running. There was a bit of thunder we could hear in the distance and after we actually got motivated, let our food settle, and were dressed and ready to go it had started to drizzle. We laughed and decided we'd still give it a shot. Well as we got down to the field the heavens broke open and it started POURING! The lightning was getting closer, the thunder getting louder, but we started running anyway. I made it 5 laps and saw another person walking toward me with Rebecca. I realized it was Maria (a young lady who works in our reception office). She lives back behind the center and does come running sometimes...so I thought oh awesome...she's here to go running with us. As I got closer I realized she looked quite frazzled and upset about something. When I got to her she started telling me about a sick woman (the aunt of a girl who lives on the center) who had come by Maria's house on her way up to the main road. They had sent Maria ahead to try and find help while two other women helped this woman continue her walk through the community. So we walked toward the gate...soaking wet...but ready to help in any way we could. I told Maria we couldn't leave the center to go find this woman but when she arrived we would see what we could do.
Turns out she was already right outside the gate. Our guards let her in so we could figure out what was going on and see what we could do. After getting the whole story we decide it was best for her to go to the hospital. She already had a file open at a certain hospital so it was agreed (while the thunder is booming and the lightning striking all around us) that we would do our best to get her there as quickly as possible. So I start the frantic calling of drivers to see who could bring her into the city. Driver #1 had just left to bring some other young ladies home who finished worship practice and couldn't make it home in the storm on their own. Driver #2 was unreachable because our cellphone service went down...not unusual in a simple rain storm not to mention the major thunderstorm we had last night. During all of this the power is going on and off, the thunder continues to boom, and this woman is now laying on a bench right inside our gate in extreme pain. Finally, I decide I'll just go get the keys to our only automatic car (I seriously need to learn how to drive a manual...it's getting ridiculous) and take her in myself. There is discussions at this point of who will hold the on call phone I'm in charge of (because I really shouldn't be leaving the base since I'm on call for everyone here)...Rebecca will take that. Then we discuss that I shouldn't really be going out on my own in this storm without anyone to return with me. That is solved when Maria agrees to go with me...she speaks quite a bit of English, knows the roads well, and we already know each other quite well.
So at this point I leave Rebecca with the ladies at the gate...make a run for it through the rain...after taking Rebecca's keys to open our house...grab my purse...and head to the clinic to get the car keys. In the mean time I call our interim directors really quickly to make sure they know where I'm going and why. Now that it is around 9:00pm I thought they should probably know what was going on and who I'll be with. I answer all their questions and then make a run for it for the clinic...again through the POURING down rain.
In the clinic one of our Mozambican nurses is working on call...so I have to explain everything to her. She just stands there in shock that I'm going to drive this woman in this storm. I tell her when we get back I'll bring the keys back because they will need them early in the morning to bring kids to their medical consults. She says ok and once again I take off running through the rain. At this point I am SOAKED...and it doesn't hit me at this moment but later on I realize...why didn't I at least grab a capalana (the fabric they use for almost everything from carrying their babies around to a skirt)...instead I'm wearing leggings and a t-shirt that are now wet to the point of being able to ring them out. I would NEVER wear leggings except when running here...and this hits me about 30 minutes later when I'm sitting in the car outside the hospital.
Anyway, in all this time of me running around through the rain, calling everyone under the sun, collecting the car keys, maneuvering the car out of its blocked in position, dealing with the fogged up windshield, and finally getting back up the gate...Rebecca is experiencing the craziness of Moz down at the gate. The sick woman is laying on the bench, thunder is booming all around, lightning appears to be striking in every direction, and this woman is bleeding...and they are using a plate to catch rain water to wash her blood off the side walk. It is in situations like this that I wonder how anyone survives here...a stark reality.
Well, finally I arrive at the gate and collect all my passengers. Somewhere these women have found a big piece of plastic to lay over the seat to keep the car clean...ingenious! Maria jumps in the passenger's seat and we are finally off. At one point we encounter a large truck that is blocking the entire road...but make it past. Then when we have made it to the city and are trying to turn into the hospital there are two COWS in the road. That is right...COWS! And one poor guy that is trying to herd them out of the oncoming traffic. Even Maria was laughing at this point!
Next we get to the hospital...all the ladies (Maria and the 2 others who have come to "help" the sick one) jump out of the car to try and figure out what we need to do. At this point I am left in the car and it hits me...I have on LEGGINGS...seriously?!
***Side note...here in Moz I don't let my knees show needless to say wear skin tight leggings with a t-shirt around. And the clothes (leggings and a t-shirt) I do have on are still SOAKED so they are plastered to my body...completely inappropriate...hence me refusing to leave the car.***
Which was all fine and dandy until about 10 minutes later when I find myself in the car alone waiting for Maria to come back out so we can head back. I thought...ok...I'll give her 20 minutes and then I'll try and call her phone. About 15 minutes into the wait I realize her phone is sitting on the dash...I said a little prayer that I wouldn't be sitting there all night and that I wouldn't have to go into the hospital in my leggings. And...Maria came out within the next few minutes, reported that this woman had been admitted and would be spending the night, and we were on our merry way. The rain had stopped and we made it back to the center in record time. I did have to drive back behind the center into the community (on dirt roads) to drop Maria off. All was fine on the way in...then Maria assured me I could take another road (think sandy path) back out to the main road where our center is because of the rain storm it would be just fine. Well, I did make it...but I wouldn't say it was just fine. The tires were spinning, the sand pulling me every directions except straight...but Maria was right...I made it!
So I pull into the center, thank the guards profusely for all their help, and put the car back where it belongs. It is at this point that I realize I never gave Rebecca her keys back...SERIOUSLY!? I've been gone about 2 hours and she has been locked out of our house in this storm. Sad. So I quickly return the keys to the clinic and get back to our house. I walk in to find Clara, our other roommate, home but no Rebecca. 2 seconds later she walks through the door to my..."Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I had no idea I had taken your keys!" She had spent the time with some other missionaries because I had so nicely locked her out of our house...oops!
So why have I shared this long, crazy story with you? Because this is Mozambique...this is my life. Planning to go for a relaxing run and 20 minutes later finding yourself driving a sick woman to the hospital because it is the middle of a thunderstorm and no public transportation is running and no cellphone service is working. Some days I wonder why I am seldom surprised by much anymore, but I firmly believe it's because I have grown accustom to the sheer unpredictable nature of this place.
So, I got home and even had a discussion about how it felt like it was really late because I had gotten home so much earlier than the last few weeks. Anyway, Rebecca (another nurse and one of my roommates) and I decided to go running. There was a bit of thunder we could hear in the distance and after we actually got motivated, let our food settle, and were dressed and ready to go it had started to drizzle. We laughed and decided we'd still give it a shot. Well as we got down to the field the heavens broke open and it started POURING! The lightning was getting closer, the thunder getting louder, but we started running anyway. I made it 5 laps and saw another person walking toward me with Rebecca. I realized it was Maria (a young lady who works in our reception office). She lives back behind the center and does come running sometimes...so I thought oh awesome...she's here to go running with us. As I got closer I realized she looked quite frazzled and upset about something. When I got to her she started telling me about a sick woman (the aunt of a girl who lives on the center) who had come by Maria's house on her way up to the main road. They had sent Maria ahead to try and find help while two other women helped this woman continue her walk through the community. So we walked toward the gate...soaking wet...but ready to help in any way we could. I told Maria we couldn't leave the center to go find this woman but when she arrived we would see what we could do.
Turns out she was already right outside the gate. Our guards let her in so we could figure out what was going on and see what we could do. After getting the whole story we decide it was best for her to go to the hospital. She already had a file open at a certain hospital so it was agreed (while the thunder is booming and the lightning striking all around us) that we would do our best to get her there as quickly as possible. So I start the frantic calling of drivers to see who could bring her into the city. Driver #1 had just left to bring some other young ladies home who finished worship practice and couldn't make it home in the storm on their own. Driver #2 was unreachable because our cellphone service went down...not unusual in a simple rain storm not to mention the major thunderstorm we had last night. During all of this the power is going on and off, the thunder continues to boom, and this woman is now laying on a bench right inside our gate in extreme pain. Finally, I decide I'll just go get the keys to our only automatic car (I seriously need to learn how to drive a manual...it's getting ridiculous) and take her in myself. There is discussions at this point of who will hold the on call phone I'm in charge of (because I really shouldn't be leaving the base since I'm on call for everyone here)...Rebecca will take that. Then we discuss that I shouldn't really be going out on my own in this storm without anyone to return with me. That is solved when Maria agrees to go with me...she speaks quite a bit of English, knows the roads well, and we already know each other quite well.
So at this point I leave Rebecca with the ladies at the gate...make a run for it through the rain...after taking Rebecca's keys to open our house...grab my purse...and head to the clinic to get the car keys. In the mean time I call our interim directors really quickly to make sure they know where I'm going and why. Now that it is around 9:00pm I thought they should probably know what was going on and who I'll be with. I answer all their questions and then make a run for it for the clinic...again through the POURING down rain.
In the clinic one of our Mozambican nurses is working on call...so I have to explain everything to her. She just stands there in shock that I'm going to drive this woman in this storm. I tell her when we get back I'll bring the keys back because they will need them early in the morning to bring kids to their medical consults. She says ok and once again I take off running through the rain. At this point I am SOAKED...and it doesn't hit me at this moment but later on I realize...why didn't I at least grab a capalana (the fabric they use for almost everything from carrying their babies around to a skirt)...instead I'm wearing leggings and a t-shirt that are now wet to the point of being able to ring them out. I would NEVER wear leggings except when running here...and this hits me about 30 minutes later when I'm sitting in the car outside the hospital.
Anyway, in all this time of me running around through the rain, calling everyone under the sun, collecting the car keys, maneuvering the car out of its blocked in position, dealing with the fogged up windshield, and finally getting back up the gate...Rebecca is experiencing the craziness of Moz down at the gate. The sick woman is laying on the bench, thunder is booming all around, lightning appears to be striking in every direction, and this woman is bleeding...and they are using a plate to catch rain water to wash her blood off the side walk. It is in situations like this that I wonder how anyone survives here...a stark reality.
Well, finally I arrive at the gate and collect all my passengers. Somewhere these women have found a big piece of plastic to lay over the seat to keep the car clean...ingenious! Maria jumps in the passenger's seat and we are finally off. At one point we encounter a large truck that is blocking the entire road...but make it past. Then when we have made it to the city and are trying to turn into the hospital there are two COWS in the road. That is right...COWS! And one poor guy that is trying to herd them out of the oncoming traffic. Even Maria was laughing at this point!
Next we get to the hospital...all the ladies (Maria and the 2 others who have come to "help" the sick one) jump out of the car to try and figure out what we need to do. At this point I am left in the car and it hits me...I have on LEGGINGS...seriously?!
***Side note...here in Moz I don't let my knees show needless to say wear skin tight leggings with a t-shirt around. And the clothes (leggings and a t-shirt) I do have on are still SOAKED so they are plastered to my body...completely inappropriate...hence me refusing to leave the car.***
Which was all fine and dandy until about 10 minutes later when I find myself in the car alone waiting for Maria to come back out so we can head back. I thought...ok...I'll give her 20 minutes and then I'll try and call her phone. About 15 minutes into the wait I realize her phone is sitting on the dash...I said a little prayer that I wouldn't be sitting there all night and that I wouldn't have to go into the hospital in my leggings. And...Maria came out within the next few minutes, reported that this woman had been admitted and would be spending the night, and we were on our merry way. The rain had stopped and we made it back to the center in record time. I did have to drive back behind the center into the community (on dirt roads) to drop Maria off. All was fine on the way in...then Maria assured me I could take another road (think sandy path) back out to the main road where our center is because of the rain storm it would be just fine. Well, I did make it...but I wouldn't say it was just fine. The tires were spinning, the sand pulling me every directions except straight...but Maria was right...I made it!
So I pull into the center, thank the guards profusely for all their help, and put the car back where it belongs. It is at this point that I realize I never gave Rebecca her keys back...SERIOUSLY!? I've been gone about 2 hours and she has been locked out of our house in this storm. Sad. So I quickly return the keys to the clinic and get back to our house. I walk in to find Clara, our other roommate, home but no Rebecca. 2 seconds later she walks through the door to my..."Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I had no idea I had taken your keys!" She had spent the time with some other missionaries because I had so nicely locked her out of our house...oops!
So why have I shared this long, crazy story with you? Because this is Mozambique...this is my life. Planning to go for a relaxing run and 20 minutes later finding yourself driving a sick woman to the hospital because it is the middle of a thunderstorm and no public transportation is running and no cellphone service is working. Some days I wonder why I am seldom surprised by much anymore, but I firmly believe it's because I have grown accustom to the sheer unpredictable nature of this place.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
And the Adventures Continue...So Keep the Prayers Coming!
So I'm not the best blogger these days. Sorry about that. Just keep in mind that when I say I will keep you updated and you don't hear from me it's because I'm SUPER busy not because I don't want to keep you updated...just keep the prayers coming. I've sat down to write this update several times and gotten no where...my last attempt was Friday night so I'll start there...
I cannot believe it is Friday night...where has the week gone? Oh right...I have worked, worked, and done some more work. As the title says...the adventures of sickness have continued. I'm getting frustrated at this point because it seems no matter what we do at least a few little ones are staying sick. (Keep reading...things have improved!) Here's a little update:
#1- I am WELL! Praise Jesus I'm not stuck in my house with a fever anymore. It took until about Monday afternoon for me to be feeling myself again but at least now I'm back in the mix of nurses helping out with all the craziness.
#2- Shelton is home from the hospital! He came home Monday afternoon. I guess this is a good thing. He is still not himself and none of his symptoms seem to have improved. We are still changing dosing on some of his medication and are hopeful this is the clue to getting our adorable Shelton back. For the moment, I'd love your continued prayers for wisdom for us as well as for healing for Shelton.
#3- The Bercario's (nursery's) diarrhea seems to have subsided. I can't remember if I even wrote about this...but the entire bercario has been battling diarrhea for weeks...seriously over a month. A week or so ago I got fed up and decided to treat everyone at the same time...babies, ladies who work there, the cleaners...the whole lot. A few babes have continued to have issues on and off but on a whole they are finally better!
#4- The Baby House...as of tonight almost everyone is WELL!!!!! Praise God!!!! Two little girls went with Tracey (the amazing missionary who runs the Baby House) to the city for blood work yesterday. At least we know without a doubt they don't have malaria. One of them is looking better each day and the other made it through the last 24 hours without a fever...so that's an improvement. I'll take it! We are still battling a few things...and I'd love your prayers for little Lucia who is just miserable and in pain...but finally it seems the cycle of very high fevers and constant sickness has been broken! Praise God!
As I've said, we are relatively short-staffed at the moment...and in 4 weeks will lose another nurse (the one who is visiting for 2 months). I would really appreciate your prayers...for wellness across the center, for wisdom, for guidance, for unity, for the presence of the Lord to overwhelm us all in this time, for discouragement to leave and encouragement to replace it, for a sense of God's sovereign hand over everything we are doing!
And last but certainly not least...we are seriously considering hiring another Mozambican nurse to work some afternoons in the Baby House. Her name is Fernanda and at the moment she works at Hospital Central on a pediatric respiratory floor. This is an exciting concept and something that could change the work load for everyone in the long run. There are so many little tasks that we as Western nurses who are here 24 hours a day end up doing that could just as easily be done by a trained Mozambican nurse. And this means one of us would not need to be in the Baby House giving out medications every night because Fernanda could do that as well. As exciting as this is in the long-run, I have shed many a tears over it as well. Because with our current shortage in medical staff, I'm the only one here who really has the ability to take on training up a new nurse in the Baby House. This concept has brought my stress level to almost unbearable...but I have prayed, I have asked for wisdom, I have asked for strategies...and I'm coping...barely, but I'm coping. All of that to say Fernanda will be coming to the center tomorrow to sit down with me and her Hospital Central schedule. I really do pray that God makes it abundantly clear how He wants her to fit into our schedule, and I am able to articulate that to her. Please pray for me, Fernanda, Aurora (our current Mozambican nurse who is an absolute dream to work with...but who will be on holidays for the month of April), and all our medical staff as we adjust and cope with yet another change!
Thanks for always praying! Prayers are what keep me going many days!
I cannot believe it is Friday night...where has the week gone? Oh right...I have worked, worked, and done some more work. As the title says...the adventures of sickness have continued. I'm getting frustrated at this point because it seems no matter what we do at least a few little ones are staying sick. (Keep reading...things have improved!) Here's a little update:
#1- I am WELL! Praise Jesus I'm not stuck in my house with a fever anymore. It took until about Monday afternoon for me to be feeling myself again but at least now I'm back in the mix of nurses helping out with all the craziness.
#2- Shelton is home from the hospital! He came home Monday afternoon. I guess this is a good thing. He is still not himself and none of his symptoms seem to have improved. We are still changing dosing on some of his medication and are hopeful this is the clue to getting our adorable Shelton back. For the moment, I'd love your continued prayers for wisdom for us as well as for healing for Shelton.
#3- The Bercario's (nursery's) diarrhea seems to have subsided. I can't remember if I even wrote about this...but the entire bercario has been battling diarrhea for weeks...seriously over a month. A week or so ago I got fed up and decided to treat everyone at the same time...babies, ladies who work there, the cleaners...the whole lot. A few babes have continued to have issues on and off but on a whole they are finally better!
#4- The Baby House...as of tonight almost everyone is WELL!!!!! Praise God!!!! Two little girls went with Tracey (the amazing missionary who runs the Baby House) to the city for blood work yesterday. At least we know without a doubt they don't have malaria. One of them is looking better each day and the other made it through the last 24 hours without a fever...so that's an improvement. I'll take it! We are still battling a few things...and I'd love your prayers for little Lucia who is just miserable and in pain...but finally it seems the cycle of very high fevers and constant sickness has been broken! Praise God!
As I've said, we are relatively short-staffed at the moment...and in 4 weeks will lose another nurse (the one who is visiting for 2 months). I would really appreciate your prayers...for wellness across the center, for wisdom, for guidance, for unity, for the presence of the Lord to overwhelm us all in this time, for discouragement to leave and encouragement to replace it, for a sense of God's sovereign hand over everything we are doing!
And last but certainly not least...we are seriously considering hiring another Mozambican nurse to work some afternoons in the Baby House. Her name is Fernanda and at the moment she works at Hospital Central on a pediatric respiratory floor. This is an exciting concept and something that could change the work load for everyone in the long run. There are so many little tasks that we as Western nurses who are here 24 hours a day end up doing that could just as easily be done by a trained Mozambican nurse. And this means one of us would not need to be in the Baby House giving out medications every night because Fernanda could do that as well. As exciting as this is in the long-run, I have shed many a tears over it as well. Because with our current shortage in medical staff, I'm the only one here who really has the ability to take on training up a new nurse in the Baby House. This concept has brought my stress level to almost unbearable...but I have prayed, I have asked for wisdom, I have asked for strategies...and I'm coping...barely, but I'm coping. All of that to say Fernanda will be coming to the center tomorrow to sit down with me and her Hospital Central schedule. I really do pray that God makes it abundantly clear how He wants her to fit into our schedule, and I am able to articulate that to her. Please pray for me, Fernanda, Aurora (our current Mozambican nurse who is an absolute dream to work with...but who will be on holidays for the month of April), and all our medical staff as we adjust and cope with yet another change!
Thanks for always praying! Prayers are what keep me going many days!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sickness Update...
I'll start with me...tomorrow will be a week since I started feeling awful. I'm SO done with being sick. I don't do sick well. I don't rest and do nothing well. But I will say that at least today I have eaten my first real food without wanting to cry my throat hurt so bad. It was a bowl of cheerios...but still at least that's better than the yogurt, jello, and mashed potatoes I was eating up until now. I haven't had a fever yet today...so that's an improvement as well. I'm really hoping this is the downward slope and tomorrow I'll be back to normal! Keep the prayers coming!!!
Next the Baby House...they are still sick...quite sick! Tons of them have high fevers...quite possibly we have just discovered they all have strep throat like me. Please keep praying for them. Most of them are still running around and playing...a few are sad little puppies resting all day and refusing to eat. Just please keep them, the tias and missionaries caring for them, and our nursing staff (especially Rebecca who is working this weekend) in your prayers. My hope is that with some new antibiotics started we'll be able to get this under control!
Now for Shelton...he is still in the hospital. He has a few new symptoms that are making us all a bit worried. But, our hope is that the change in his medication we have made will help with all of this. They are still treating him with antibiotics and hopefully this will solve the lung issues. Please keep him in your prayers! Also please pray for the tias who are staying with him...in a hard metal chair...exhausted...unable to rest...doing their best to console Shelton 24 hours a day. It is a physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting job! Don't forget the hospital medical staff and all of us here at the center (attempting to pull at straws to figure out what is really going on with our little peanut) in your prayers as well!
Basically...PRAY...for all of us please...and trust with me that very soon everyone will be better...our heavenly Healer will touch each of us!
Next the Baby House...they are still sick...quite sick! Tons of them have high fevers...quite possibly we have just discovered they all have strep throat like me. Please keep praying for them. Most of them are still running around and playing...a few are sad little puppies resting all day and refusing to eat. Just please keep them, the tias and missionaries caring for them, and our nursing staff (especially Rebecca who is working this weekend) in your prayers. My hope is that with some new antibiotics started we'll be able to get this under control!
Now for Shelton...he is still in the hospital. He has a few new symptoms that are making us all a bit worried. But, our hope is that the change in his medication we have made will help with all of this. They are still treating him with antibiotics and hopefully this will solve the lung issues. Please keep him in your prayers! Also please pray for the tias who are staying with him...in a hard metal chair...exhausted...unable to rest...doing their best to console Shelton 24 hours a day. It is a physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting job! Don't forget the hospital medical staff and all of us here at the center (attempting to pull at straws to figure out what is really going on with our little peanut) in your prayers as well!
Basically...PRAY...for all of us please...and trust with me that very soon everyone will be better...our heavenly Healer will touch each of us!
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