well i have officially made it through our second quarter of the school! this week marked week twelve of outreach and therefore, as a team, we spent a few days hanging out, discussing the last twelve weeks and reflecting on past times. we also had a personal one on one with our staff, so they could give us feedback on what they see in us and we had an opportunity to say anything on our minds. we had wanted to spend some time away from the base as a school but all the plans were failing, so we ended up doing one day trip to a really nice hotel that had a pool area and was on the beach. we spent the day swimming and playing games and got to order a nice lunch. i was very excited because they had a ham/cheese/tomato sandwich on the menu! so of course i ordered that. my fav! it was also one of the best i’ve ever had... and after having no cheese (now that i can eat it again without the stomach aches!) in three months it was amazing!
the next day we went to a buffet breakfast as a team! amazing! its funny how excited one can get over a cup of real coffee, or a piece of french toast! but we did, we must have been some entertainment for the staff there.
that same day (wednesday) we booked into the hotel, (only a few of us) for three nights. it was amazing, AC, tiled floors (opposed to concrete), a flushing toilet, hot water and an amazing bed to sleep in that you didn’t need a mosquito net for! we spent our time watching movies, hanging out by the pool and checking internet! then on saturday morning we were picked up (5 of us) for a safari! our guide, Afra, was one of the greatest guides you could ever ask for. it was a five hour drive to the national park were we’d see the animals. we stopped halfway for a picnic lunch and then hit the road again. it was quite hot, and long but when we were a few miles from the entrance we saw our first taste of safari, elephants! right on the road side! it was pretty neat, driving even further we saw a baboon and a giraffe off in the distant. safari had begun! Afra was amazing, his english was good and he had tons of information about all the animals and Tanzanian landscape. we got into the park and the roof of our land cruiser came off and with our heads sticking out we were in the perfect place to enjoy what the African planes had to offer. giraffes, elephants, impala’s, riedbucks, zebra’s, water buffalo, warthogs, baboons and LIONS!!!!! we nearly missed the lions but the last hour on sunday Afra got a call and lions had been spotted! we drove very quickly waving our hands in the air from the top of the vehicle having a grande ol’time! we got to the site and saw nothing... we drove back and forth and back and forth and then, we saw them. there were four of them laying on the ground lounging out. you could only really spot them with the binoculars. we were getting ready to leave when Afra gets this mischievous grin on his face and says, ‘i am about to make a foul’... we were a tad confused but then he started driving off the road (apparently not allowed) and before we knew it we were within feet of the lions! so neat! it was an amazing experience, the landscape was so different compared to where we live which was good to see the difference in Tanzania.
there was an over night in a little guest house that had a flushing toilet and hot water! and a chief that was there to cook for us prepared amazing food for dinner and then lunch the next day as well! after lunch on sunday we headed back to the city, and arrived late and Afra helped us find a taxi who would take us home. it was really nice to get out and relax and see more of the country that we’re living in.
next weekend is christmas.... not sure what i think about that. its hard but i think i’m also a little in denial... i’m listening to Celine Dion christmas right now, but the fact that im sitting on my concrete floor under a LOVELY ceiling fan trying to stay cool just doesn’t really encourage the ‘christmas spirit’, but we’re trying. we’ve planned a team breakfast/morning tea (i’m sad i’m missing sticky buns) and are doing stockings and a secret santa so hopefully we’ll have a fun morning!
well till next time....
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
funny day......
so i wanted to add more details to the day we spent going to that mall.... a cultural experience really, if thats what you can call it! it was the saturday we had our free day and we went to that mall.
the morning started off as any other, we got to the village by dala dala and proceeded to find our next bus into the city. well we were walking and i was a little ahead of the two other girls so i stopped to wait. i was standing waiting and all of sudden i see a shovel full of gravel flying towards me. i jumped out of the way just as the gravel hit the ground. i looked up to see about six guys in the back of this gravel truck laughing. i was not laughing. i was nearly hit in the head by huge rocks! the continued laughing and giving me 'thumbs up' signs. i just walked away, what are you to do in that situation?
so after the gravel incident we found the proper bus and got on.... well about five minutes later everyone on the bus started getting off. one gentlemen told us that there was something wrong with the bus. so we got off and waited for a bit in the crowd and hot sun before getting a little frustrated and then looked for a cab. the problem with the cabs, like any third world nation it is always a bargaining system to decide on a price. when finding a cab we were automatically surrounded by men trying to get us into their taxi's. during all chaos one man who actually spoke english came to me and said 'where do you want to go?' i told him and he said 'okay 40 000' i said 'we can't pay that much' so he asked how much we could afford and i said '15 000' he looked at me and said '20 000' i looked at the girls and we agreed. so we climbed in and drove off and after an hour of sitting in the cab through traffic we got to our destination.
the day was nice, looking through a supermarket we almost went crazy with all the food we haven't seen in months! there was a bookshop and coffee shop upstairs that nearly felt like being in a mini chapters! for dinner we enjoyed subway and then decided to get a cab home.
getting a cab wasn't a problem and he agreed to the same price we paid coming here. so after the hour drive to the village where we'd catch our bus home we ended up having to get out and walk because the traffic was so bad and we were in a standstill. we thought if we wait in this traffic any longer we'll be getting home to late and the sun was already starting to set. so we got out, paid and started our walk to catch the bus. we waited among a crowd for any bus marked with our destination. we knew by now it was going to be a fight to get on. usually there is a lot of shoving and pushing and foot stepping on to get a place, and this time was no exception. a bus pulled near and in a slow motion fashion people started walking over, then moved to a fast pace walk then before you knew it they were running. well i was prepared when i saw the bus and i started running, i yelled at the girls behind me 'run!' so we bolted it to the bus. the door was still closed and the man inside who operates the door was pointing saying he was going to pull up to the bus's regular stop. well that didn't fly with the this particular group of Tanzanians because everyone, including us three white girls were pressed against the bus door waiting. so he opened them and released the mob! the men are the worst, they push and elbow and jump on each other and over each other to get on. i had one hand on the door frame but wasn't fully prepared to get a limb ripped off to get a seat on the bus so we kinda stood back a bit but still managed to get stepped on quite a fair bit. Naomi was offered by one man to be 'thrown' through the window! yes he was nearly ready to pick her up and put her through the window when she motioned to her skirt and gave a whistle! implying, 'if i go through that window my skirt will go up and that is not good!' he laughed and stopped trying to pick her up. after realizing the bus was filling up and we still were not on i decided it was time for business and started doing things the African way, elbowing and shoving and squeezing my way on that bus. one of the women started yelling 'sukuma' which means 'push' which is what we say to the labouring women all the time, we thought that was pretty funny so us three started yelling 'sukuma! sukuma!' and pushing our way on... and we made it! we were jammed in there, with every seat full and some women on each others laps and when i tried to count the people standing in the aisle i got lost around forty! so yes very full. i was leaning against some guys shoulder and Linsday was practically in his lap!
so what we thought was success, we made it on the bus! and even got a 'good job' from one of the Tanzanian ladies tell us we were "Tanzanian's now" the bus was slow to move and once it made it out of the village it stopped completely. we were told there was an accident up ahead and all traffic was stopped. and was it ever. we got out and decided to walk.... anything was better than staying on that bus. so we walked, alongside all the other people who couldn't get to their destinations any other way. we got many yell's at us. apparently three white girls were quite the site to see walking along side the road. we walked for half hour and the sun went down. traffic had started moving so we tried to hale down a bus to pick us up. one finally did stop for us but it had the most creepiest man running it. (all busses have a driver and a man that opens the door and takes your money) he was angry and trying to make us pay double for the ride. we refused and he tried to kick us out of the moving vehicle. we weren't sure if he was joking with us or not because the rest of the bus were smirking but he was so angry. we finally got to our stop after he attempted marrying me off to one of the other men he called his brother. we were thankful to be home and i'm certain it will go down as one of our most eventful days here in Tanzania!
the morning started off as any other, we got to the village by dala dala and proceeded to find our next bus into the city. well we were walking and i was a little ahead of the two other girls so i stopped to wait. i was standing waiting and all of sudden i see a shovel full of gravel flying towards me. i jumped out of the way just as the gravel hit the ground. i looked up to see about six guys in the back of this gravel truck laughing. i was not laughing. i was nearly hit in the head by huge rocks! the continued laughing and giving me 'thumbs up' signs. i just walked away, what are you to do in that situation?
so after the gravel incident we found the proper bus and got on.... well about five minutes later everyone on the bus started getting off. one gentlemen told us that there was something wrong with the bus. so we got off and waited for a bit in the crowd and hot sun before getting a little frustrated and then looked for a cab. the problem with the cabs, like any third world nation it is always a bargaining system to decide on a price. when finding a cab we were automatically surrounded by men trying to get us into their taxi's. during all chaos one man who actually spoke english came to me and said 'where do you want to go?' i told him and he said 'okay 40 000' i said 'we can't pay that much' so he asked how much we could afford and i said '15 000' he looked at me and said '20 000' i looked at the girls and we agreed. so we climbed in and drove off and after an hour of sitting in the cab through traffic we got to our destination.
the day was nice, looking through a supermarket we almost went crazy with all the food we haven't seen in months! there was a bookshop and coffee shop upstairs that nearly felt like being in a mini chapters! for dinner we enjoyed subway and then decided to get a cab home.
getting a cab wasn't a problem and he agreed to the same price we paid coming here. so after the hour drive to the village where we'd catch our bus home we ended up having to get out and walk because the traffic was so bad and we were in a standstill. we thought if we wait in this traffic any longer we'll be getting home to late and the sun was already starting to set. so we got out, paid and started our walk to catch the bus. we waited among a crowd for any bus marked with our destination. we knew by now it was going to be a fight to get on. usually there is a lot of shoving and pushing and foot stepping on to get a place, and this time was no exception. a bus pulled near and in a slow motion fashion people started walking over, then moved to a fast pace walk then before you knew it they were running. well i was prepared when i saw the bus and i started running, i yelled at the girls behind me 'run!' so we bolted it to the bus. the door was still closed and the man inside who operates the door was pointing saying he was going to pull up to the bus's regular stop. well that didn't fly with the this particular group of Tanzanians because everyone, including us three white girls were pressed against the bus door waiting. so he opened them and released the mob! the men are the worst, they push and elbow and jump on each other and over each other to get on. i had one hand on the door frame but wasn't fully prepared to get a limb ripped off to get a seat on the bus so we kinda stood back a bit but still managed to get stepped on quite a fair bit. Naomi was offered by one man to be 'thrown' through the window! yes he was nearly ready to pick her up and put her through the window when she motioned to her skirt and gave a whistle! implying, 'if i go through that window my skirt will go up and that is not good!' he laughed and stopped trying to pick her up. after realizing the bus was filling up and we still were not on i decided it was time for business and started doing things the African way, elbowing and shoving and squeezing my way on that bus. one of the women started yelling 'sukuma' which means 'push' which is what we say to the labouring women all the time, we thought that was pretty funny so us three started yelling 'sukuma! sukuma!' and pushing our way on... and we made it! we were jammed in there, with every seat full and some women on each others laps and when i tried to count the people standing in the aisle i got lost around forty! so yes very full. i was leaning against some guys shoulder and Linsday was practically in his lap!
so what we thought was success, we made it on the bus! and even got a 'good job' from one of the Tanzanian ladies tell us we were "Tanzanian's now" the bus was slow to move and once it made it out of the village it stopped completely. we were told there was an accident up ahead and all traffic was stopped. and was it ever. we got out and decided to walk.... anything was better than staying on that bus. so we walked, alongside all the other people who couldn't get to their destinations any other way. we got many yell's at us. apparently three white girls were quite the site to see walking along side the road. we walked for half hour and the sun went down. traffic had started moving so we tried to hale down a bus to pick us up. one finally did stop for us but it had the most creepiest man running it. (all busses have a driver and a man that opens the door and takes your money) he was angry and trying to make us pay double for the ride. we refused and he tried to kick us out of the moving vehicle. we weren't sure if he was joking with us or not because the rest of the bus were smirking but he was so angry. we finally got to our stop after he attempted marrying me off to one of the other men he called his brother. we were thankful to be home and i'm certain it will go down as one of our most eventful days here in Tanzania!
week twenty three - base/clinic
this past week was spent primarily on base. the community profile project was due so i was on my computer for majority of the first two days working on completing it. we still needed more information so on wednesday the three of us that were leading it went to a different hospital to interview the matron (head of department) there. the hospital was so different compared to where we work. they had not near as many women as we see in a day. thier death rates were much lower and the supplies they had were incredible. it was neat to see all these boxes labeled “U.S. Aid” and the matron shared with me that much of what they use is given to them by other countries. we also saw water bins labeled “Germany” on them. we were able to get all our questions answered including about cost to patients. which if you are a pregnant women everything is free. you do not need to bring your own supplies and anything you need is covered by the government. not sure why the hospital in which we work at is so vastly different. must be some sort of different level of government help. with that information we were able to finish the community profile project on wednesday. it was a really neat day. we were also able to see the finishing of a cesarian, they just said ‘karibu’ (welcome) and they gave us scrubs and we walked in! you’d never find that at home. it also poured rain and thundered like crazy so we found a little hut that served tea and chapati’s (a fried tortilla thing) and had a snack while the rain died down.
i also spent a few mornings at the clinic but there was not much to do. one day was independence day and its funny cuz apparently there are no sick people on that day! the clinic was empty and there were more staff than sick people. with only two pregnant women coming for antenatal care i found myself doing one antenatal check, drawing blood on a women to test for her HB levels and then we left. so not too much happened. the only plus side was i got to practice doing IV’s again, and it went in great! and i drew blood for the first time, also a good experience. i realized i can handle drawing other peoples blood just not a fan of when people do it to me!
friday one of the girls who was supposed to be in labour room was sick so i got to take her place and was able to go and spend the day in the hospital! it was fun, i love being there. not too crazy of a day, i helped my partner with the baby she delivered and checked on the women and babies. it was a good day.
saturday i was supposed to go on a small plane to a village to provide antenatal care for the women there who would other wise not receive care but my staff that i was to go with was very sick so we could not. so instead because it was our day off i joined two girls and we ventured off to a different shopping place we had heard of. we found our way there by taxi as the dala dala’s were quite frustrating and confusing. but once we got there it was amazing! they had a real coffee shop! i was able to order my first mocha in three months... so nice! they also had a book shop with english books and a really big supermarket with recognizable brands. of course things were really expensive, for example Fructise shampoo... is like what $5 at home? well at one shop here it is 9000 shillings (which is like $6-$7). at the supermarket there it was 27 000 shillings (almost $20) just crazy!!! but we had a nice day and even got Subway for lunch!
sunday was our first day of our debrief/holiday week. so we had team things in the morning. debriefing questions and things. i also started a lovely cold that day! no fun....
the rest of the week we’ll be doing team things and then some of us girls have booked a hotel for a few nights downtown and then are going on a one night safari for our break! i’m really excited, i think it will be just what we need to revitalize!
till next time....
i also spent a few mornings at the clinic but there was not much to do. one day was independence day and its funny cuz apparently there are no sick people on that day! the clinic was empty and there were more staff than sick people. with only two pregnant women coming for antenatal care i found myself doing one antenatal check, drawing blood on a women to test for her HB levels and then we left. so not too much happened. the only plus side was i got to practice doing IV’s again, and it went in great! and i drew blood for the first time, also a good experience. i realized i can handle drawing other peoples blood just not a fan of when people do it to me!
friday one of the girls who was supposed to be in labour room was sick so i got to take her place and was able to go and spend the day in the hospital! it was fun, i love being there. not too crazy of a day, i helped my partner with the baby she delivered and checked on the women and babies. it was a good day.
saturday i was supposed to go on a small plane to a village to provide antenatal care for the women there who would other wise not receive care but my staff that i was to go with was very sick so we could not. so instead because it was our day off i joined two girls and we ventured off to a different shopping place we had heard of. we found our way there by taxi as the dala dala’s were quite frustrating and confusing. but once we got there it was amazing! they had a real coffee shop! i was able to order my first mocha in three months... so nice! they also had a book shop with english books and a really big supermarket with recognizable brands. of course things were really expensive, for example Fructise shampoo... is like what $5 at home? well at one shop here it is 9000 shillings (which is like $6-$7). at the supermarket there it was 27 000 shillings (almost $20) just crazy!!! but we had a nice day and even got Subway for lunch!
sunday was our first day of our debrief/holiday week. so we had team things in the morning. debriefing questions and things. i also started a lovely cold that day! no fun....
the rest of the week we’ll be doing team things and then some of us girls have booked a hotel for a few nights downtown and then are going on a one night safari for our break! i’m really excited, i think it will be just what we need to revitalize!
till next time....
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
week twenty two
labour room
my second week in the labour started off much different then the time before. monday and tuesday were quite slow. there were even moments where we could take a seat and just rest for a moment. i was able to deliver two more baby boys in these days! i really do enjoy catching them babies!
the week really picked up wednesday and then by thursday it was utter chaos. thursday topped the entire first week all together. the morning started off as any other, i got to deliver a perfect baby girl! the first delivery for me that was a girl! i was very excited. excitement was short lived in that moment though because the mom was continually bleeding. there were huge clots coming out and she just kept bleeding. i called for one of the doctor’s and they came to inspect. there were no tears or anything that they could say was the reason. me and my partner continued praying over this new mom as they inserted an IV to help restore fluids lost. i thank the Lord because after she was checked again the bleeding had stopped! she was a little dizzy and tired but with the IV in and her resting she soon recovered and was able to breastfeed her little girl. what happened next was a little frightening. i was at the nurses desk telling my staff about the mom and how she was doing and the sound, so loud, of an airplane flew over head. i literally thought there was a bomb that would be dropped on us. it was so loud, the plane must have been just over the hospital. my staff thought the roof was going to cave in. we were all a little shaken up but the hospital staff didn’t seem phased, which gave some peace i suppose! i went back to checking the mom’s vitals when Celia entered the room saying that they needed partners on the other side because her and her partner were both delivering babies. i walked over to the other side and it was if that airplane had sent a rush of adrenaline into each women in labour and all of sudden we had everyone delivering at the same time. women from antenatal were being brought in and placed on the floor because we had no beds left. the two post-natal beds reserved the mom’s who had had there babies but are’t ready for the post natal ward yet were being cleared off for the women coming in busting to deliver. there were at least five babies coming all at the same time, one on the floor which Ash, one of us students caught just in the nick of time. i was with Emily labouring with a first time mom who was not understanding the concept of ‘pushing’, Celia was delivering all on her own for the first time, Rachel was delivering with Louise helping and Robyn, our staff, was running back and forth between all the students. the nurses were there also delivering babies and the mama’s were hollering and babies were crying..... mass chaos! but so much fun! as i had one arm under the mom’s head and shoulders helping her and trying to show her how to breathe and push i don’t think i’ve ever sweat so much in my life! Emily had to ask me to remove her glasses cuz the sweat was continually rolling down her face and getting in her eyes. the baby was born, perfect little boy. and it was my most favorite day so far! i loved the chaos, babies coming and all of praying and running around!
friday was much slower, i delivered another beautiful baby girl, but again the mom bled alot. the reason for so much women bleeding is a result of the poor health and nutrition. lots of anemia and most the mom’s i’ve delivered have been first time mom’s and have all been younger than me. on friday, she was twenty years old and the tiniest pregnant women i’ve ever seen. i was afraid her baby would be so tiny but she was perfect, yes she was small but perfectly healthy! and the mom did an amazing job. we had a good week as far as no deaths while we were there. there was morning we arrived to a set of twins that had been delivered just before but they were pre-mature. one was 300 grams and the other was 500 grams. (only one pound). he was so small. i’ve never seen anything like that in my life. one of the girls in the post natal ward met the mother who was devastated. its hard when those things happen but there are still lots of women needing our help. i’m thankful we can be there to pray and sit with those mom’s and comfort them as best as we can. the staff at the hospital usually don’t even take the time to explain that there baby has died let alone sit with them and offer some form of comfort. (the mom of the twins knew that one had for sure died but hadn’t heard about the second yet) i pray that God will continue to teach us how we can be a blessing for these women and the hospital staff.
friday night we had a bit of a get-a-way with some of our group. we reserved these tents on the nearest beach and brought food and spent the night hanging out and falling asleep to the wind and the waves! it was a great night! then the next day i went to the city and got on-line! woo hoo! haha! and was able to buy a few things that i’ve been needing for a while now, toothpaste, conditioner and of course some chocolate! this week has been a little bit rough with home sickness.... its not often i miss home but contact with home is hard and to not be living in a setting that ‘feels like home’ is also difficult. i like being busy in the hospital but sitting around the base gives me too much time to miss the familiarity of things of home. sitting in the living room hanging out with my family, going out for coffee with friends, driving my car, eating food thats ‘normal’ to me, not being sweaty and hot always, having a laundry machine to wash clothes and getting to wear jeans! just a few things i miss!
well i’m on base and in the clinic this next week. i also have the community profile project that is supposed to be finished. so hopefully it will be a restful week but also productive!
miss you all and wish i could be home to spend christmas with you!
till next time....
my second week in the labour started off much different then the time before. monday and tuesday were quite slow. there were even moments where we could take a seat and just rest for a moment. i was able to deliver two more baby boys in these days! i really do enjoy catching them babies!
the week really picked up wednesday and then by thursday it was utter chaos. thursday topped the entire first week all together. the morning started off as any other, i got to deliver a perfect baby girl! the first delivery for me that was a girl! i was very excited. excitement was short lived in that moment though because the mom was continually bleeding. there were huge clots coming out and she just kept bleeding. i called for one of the doctor’s and they came to inspect. there were no tears or anything that they could say was the reason. me and my partner continued praying over this new mom as they inserted an IV to help restore fluids lost. i thank the Lord because after she was checked again the bleeding had stopped! she was a little dizzy and tired but with the IV in and her resting she soon recovered and was able to breastfeed her little girl. what happened next was a little frightening. i was at the nurses desk telling my staff about the mom and how she was doing and the sound, so loud, of an airplane flew over head. i literally thought there was a bomb that would be dropped on us. it was so loud, the plane must have been just over the hospital. my staff thought the roof was going to cave in. we were all a little shaken up but the hospital staff didn’t seem phased, which gave some peace i suppose! i went back to checking the mom’s vitals when Celia entered the room saying that they needed partners on the other side because her and her partner were both delivering babies. i walked over to the other side and it was if that airplane had sent a rush of adrenaline into each women in labour and all of sudden we had everyone delivering at the same time. women from antenatal were being brought in and placed on the floor because we had no beds left. the two post-natal beds reserved the mom’s who had had there babies but are’t ready for the post natal ward yet were being cleared off for the women coming in busting to deliver. there were at least five babies coming all at the same time, one on the floor which Ash, one of us students caught just in the nick of time. i was with Emily labouring with a first time mom who was not understanding the concept of ‘pushing’, Celia was delivering all on her own for the first time, Rachel was delivering with Louise helping and Robyn, our staff, was running back and forth between all the students. the nurses were there also delivering babies and the mama’s were hollering and babies were crying..... mass chaos! but so much fun! as i had one arm under the mom’s head and shoulders helping her and trying to show her how to breathe and push i don’t think i’ve ever sweat so much in my life! Emily had to ask me to remove her glasses cuz the sweat was continually rolling down her face and getting in her eyes. the baby was born, perfect little boy. and it was my most favorite day so far! i loved the chaos, babies coming and all of praying and running around!
friday was much slower, i delivered another beautiful baby girl, but again the mom bled alot. the reason for so much women bleeding is a result of the poor health and nutrition. lots of anemia and most the mom’s i’ve delivered have been first time mom’s and have all been younger than me. on friday, she was twenty years old and the tiniest pregnant women i’ve ever seen. i was afraid her baby would be so tiny but she was perfect, yes she was small but perfectly healthy! and the mom did an amazing job. we had a good week as far as no deaths while we were there. there was morning we arrived to a set of twins that had been delivered just before but they were pre-mature. one was 300 grams and the other was 500 grams. (only one pound). he was so small. i’ve never seen anything like that in my life. one of the girls in the post natal ward met the mother who was devastated. its hard when those things happen but there are still lots of women needing our help. i’m thankful we can be there to pray and sit with those mom’s and comfort them as best as we can. the staff at the hospital usually don’t even take the time to explain that there baby has died let alone sit with them and offer some form of comfort. (the mom of the twins knew that one had for sure died but hadn’t heard about the second yet) i pray that God will continue to teach us how we can be a blessing for these women and the hospital staff.
friday night we had a bit of a get-a-way with some of our group. we reserved these tents on the nearest beach and brought food and spent the night hanging out and falling asleep to the wind and the waves! it was a great night! then the next day i went to the city and got on-line! woo hoo! haha! and was able to buy a few things that i’ve been needing for a while now, toothpaste, conditioner and of course some chocolate! this week has been a little bit rough with home sickness.... its not often i miss home but contact with home is hard and to not be living in a setting that ‘feels like home’ is also difficult. i like being busy in the hospital but sitting around the base gives me too much time to miss the familiarity of things of home. sitting in the living room hanging out with my family, going out for coffee with friends, driving my car, eating food thats ‘normal’ to me, not being sweaty and hot always, having a laundry machine to wash clothes and getting to wear jeans! just a few things i miss!
well i’m on base and in the clinic this next week. i also have the community profile project that is supposed to be finished. so hopefully it will be a restful week but also productive!
miss you all and wish i could be home to spend christmas with you!
till next time....
Saturday, December 4, 2010
a few photo's
one of the baby boy's i delivered!
a seventeen year old mom and her little girl, i got to spend the day before with her in antenatal going to an ultra sound and blood work.
week twenty-one - antenatal/post natal
antenatal and post natal ward.
compared to the week before monday morning i was extremely bored! i spent the morning on the post natal side, twelve beds filled with triple the amount of women with their babies all needing their vitals checked. me and Emily started going through each women checking their blood pressure, pulse temperatures and making sure their fundal height was back properly. on the babies we checked pulse, temperature and resps. the first thing i noticed was one little guy had an extremely high heart rate. after checking his temp it was well above normal. he was given some medication and we tried to show the mom how to cool him down. the rest of the mamma’s were doing well, and one more baby had a fever as well. i was checking them every half hour but they were not getting better. the doctors were notified but no further action was being taken. the next day i was not working on post natal but was in with the doctors doing the check on mom’s who were in labour. checking them over and seeing how far along they were. that little baby though who i had first checked was still quite feverish. in fact the mom must have thought him dead because she wrapped him up in the khanga and placed him at the foot of her bed. on of us girls found him there, feverish and with a terribly slow heart beat. she and another girl rushed him to the labour room where they have oxygen for the babies and they began resuscitation and prayer of this little guy to whom they gave the name Samuel. i went to the mom who was weeping, laying on the bed. with nothing to say i simply sat next to her, rubbed her back and just prayed. our day had come to an end and the doctors told us they would take care of Samuel. it was hard to leave the situation but we knew that there was nothing more that could be done on our part.
the next morning, wednesday, it was found out that Samuel was transferred to the ICU and was supposed to be sent on to another hospital but before they could get him there, he died. our thoughts and prayer went out to the mama that day.
on thursday i had a lot of fun spending the day with one women in particular. she was seventeen years old and in very early stages of labour. the doctor wanted her to go for an ultrasound and to get her blood checked for anemia. so off we went to the ultrasound. i had been there once before earlier on in the week so i knew where it was but its such an awkward thing. let me explain. the door is closed... i knock... nothing. i attempt to open the door but something is in the way. so i wait... and wait... then the door opens and i hand in my paper saying what i need to one of the professionals in there. i continued waiting and then the ultrasound guy came out and told us to come back at one if it was not urgent. but with her being from the antenatal ward they usually are able to get in quite quickly.... so we kept waiting... then another doctor came out of that room and looked at me and said ‘don’t wait outside like your not a healthcare provider’ i was a little taken aback but went in. a little awkward because the room is really tiny and there were seven of us in there... with a different patient getting an ultrasound... after her, i was able to get my women in there and we discovered a healthy baby and all was good! ultrasounds are really neat to see the babies heart beating and then to see bubbles in the waters! so neat! next we were on to the lab... blood tests and things. while waiting she was confused why i would wait with her. when i told her i wanted to wait with her she smiled. its strange but there is such a line between the staff and patients. the care is very different, there seems to be a low value on patients. i liked that i can be there for the women through their experiences and show i care and just let them know there not alone. i think thats a really difficult thing i saw this past week, women struggling through hard times, alone. a few women with really high blood pressure being transferred for cesarians because there was no electricity for them to be able to do them there. (who would have thought, a hospital with no electricity and pretty much no running water, terrible) but these women have no family there because family is not allowed in. some family members wait outside. (literately outside, as the hospital is very open. its a maze of hallways with rooms on one side and a half wall on the other and its all outside.) but to be going through these experiences alone, i can’t even imagine.
friday i actually got to go to a c-section! me and Celia got suited up in our sterile scrubs and went in to the theatre (operating room) it was a great experience because the women we were going with spoke english. this was her third pregnancy but all her other babies had died. she and her husband had decided on a cesarian to help ensure the health of this baby. we met her husband and he spoke english too and was so excited that me and Celia were going in with her. it was a really neat thing to see them cut her open and dig around to pull out a beautiful, healthy baby boy! i was doing okay, but ended up feeling quite dizzy near the end but i was determined that i would not faint! and i wanted to see that baby come. so once he did, i went to the mom and smiled at her and told her everything was good and then we had to leave because we were late for our ride home. it was really neat to be with her before, and pray with her, she was muslim but wanted me to pray. and even thanked me afterward that i prayed for her. we saw her husband on our way out and told him he had a new son and him and her parents were so excited! we got to give him one of our little hats that each new baby gets when their born and a little congratulations note.
i’m really enjoying being in the hospital and taking care of the women when they can be so overlooked. its good learning more too from the doctors. we’ve met some really nice doctors and some not so nice ones but its encouraging that we’re so welcomed and they really want us there. they are looking forward to the day when we know more and can do more work for them because their so short staffed.
i had a good weekend just relaxing, sleeping and watching movies! its nice to have some down time to process all that i’ve seen and just to rest. next week i’ll be in labour ward again! so i defiantly needed my rest!
till next time....
compared to the week before monday morning i was extremely bored! i spent the morning on the post natal side, twelve beds filled with triple the amount of women with their babies all needing their vitals checked. me and Emily started going through each women checking their blood pressure, pulse temperatures and making sure their fundal height was back properly. on the babies we checked pulse, temperature and resps. the first thing i noticed was one little guy had an extremely high heart rate. after checking his temp it was well above normal. he was given some medication and we tried to show the mom how to cool him down. the rest of the mamma’s were doing well, and one more baby had a fever as well. i was checking them every half hour but they were not getting better. the doctors were notified but no further action was being taken. the next day i was not working on post natal but was in with the doctors doing the check on mom’s who were in labour. checking them over and seeing how far along they were. that little baby though who i had first checked was still quite feverish. in fact the mom must have thought him dead because she wrapped him up in the khanga and placed him at the foot of her bed. on of us girls found him there, feverish and with a terribly slow heart beat. she and another girl rushed him to the labour room where they have oxygen for the babies and they began resuscitation and prayer of this little guy to whom they gave the name Samuel. i went to the mom who was weeping, laying on the bed. with nothing to say i simply sat next to her, rubbed her back and just prayed. our day had come to an end and the doctors told us they would take care of Samuel. it was hard to leave the situation but we knew that there was nothing more that could be done on our part.
the next morning, wednesday, it was found out that Samuel was transferred to the ICU and was supposed to be sent on to another hospital but before they could get him there, he died. our thoughts and prayer went out to the mama that day.
on thursday i had a lot of fun spending the day with one women in particular. she was seventeen years old and in very early stages of labour. the doctor wanted her to go for an ultrasound and to get her blood checked for anemia. so off we went to the ultrasound. i had been there once before earlier on in the week so i knew where it was but its such an awkward thing. let me explain. the door is closed... i knock... nothing. i attempt to open the door but something is in the way. so i wait... and wait... then the door opens and i hand in my paper saying what i need to one of the professionals in there. i continued waiting and then the ultrasound guy came out and told us to come back at one if it was not urgent. but with her being from the antenatal ward they usually are able to get in quite quickly.... so we kept waiting... then another doctor came out of that room and looked at me and said ‘don’t wait outside like your not a healthcare provider’ i was a little taken aback but went in. a little awkward because the room is really tiny and there were seven of us in there... with a different patient getting an ultrasound... after her, i was able to get my women in there and we discovered a healthy baby and all was good! ultrasounds are really neat to see the babies heart beating and then to see bubbles in the waters! so neat! next we were on to the lab... blood tests and things. while waiting she was confused why i would wait with her. when i told her i wanted to wait with her she smiled. its strange but there is such a line between the staff and patients. the care is very different, there seems to be a low value on patients. i liked that i can be there for the women through their experiences and show i care and just let them know there not alone. i think thats a really difficult thing i saw this past week, women struggling through hard times, alone. a few women with really high blood pressure being transferred for cesarians because there was no electricity for them to be able to do them there. (who would have thought, a hospital with no electricity and pretty much no running water, terrible) but these women have no family there because family is not allowed in. some family members wait outside. (literately outside, as the hospital is very open. its a maze of hallways with rooms on one side and a half wall on the other and its all outside.) but to be going through these experiences alone, i can’t even imagine.
friday i actually got to go to a c-section! me and Celia got suited up in our sterile scrubs and went in to the theatre (operating room) it was a great experience because the women we were going with spoke english. this was her third pregnancy but all her other babies had died. she and her husband had decided on a cesarian to help ensure the health of this baby. we met her husband and he spoke english too and was so excited that me and Celia were going in with her. it was a really neat thing to see them cut her open and dig around to pull out a beautiful, healthy baby boy! i was doing okay, but ended up feeling quite dizzy near the end but i was determined that i would not faint! and i wanted to see that baby come. so once he did, i went to the mom and smiled at her and told her everything was good and then we had to leave because we were late for our ride home. it was really neat to be with her before, and pray with her, she was muslim but wanted me to pray. and even thanked me afterward that i prayed for her. we saw her husband on our way out and told him he had a new son and him and her parents were so excited! we got to give him one of our little hats that each new baby gets when their born and a little congratulations note.
i’m really enjoying being in the hospital and taking care of the women when they can be so overlooked. its good learning more too from the doctors. we’ve met some really nice doctors and some not so nice ones but its encouraging that we’re so welcomed and they really want us there. they are looking forward to the day when we know more and can do more work for them because their so short staffed.
i had a good weekend just relaxing, sleeping and watching movies! its nice to have some down time to process all that i’ve seen and just to rest. next week i’ll be in labour ward again! so i defiantly needed my rest!
till next time....
week twenty - labour room
after a week like this i realize it is getting more and more difficult to try and sum up my days in a single blog without going over bored in details probably boring those of you reading. so i’m thinking that maybe i’ll just write a few short stories from the week to give you an idea of what i’m experiencing out here.
this week: Labour Ward
first day, uniforms on, name tags in place and my lovely, but terribly uncomfortable, labour room shoes on, i’m ready.... as ready as one can be going off three months of education heading into a developing nations hospital where supplies are limited and women are all labouring together in the same room.
i’ll try and paint the picture of what this ‘ward’ looks like. you walk through the doorway and directly in front you have a desk in which the doctors and nurses like to hang out behind. record books are kept on this desk that list each birth that happens and a cardboard box holds each women’s card. (their card is kinda like their ‘file’ which holds there information, name, town their from, how many children they have etc..) to the right there are two rows of beds, nine in total. to the left there are another set of beds, five, and two ‘cribs’ with the sides down where the new borns are placed upon and a scale to weigh upon birth.
i guess that first day was a bit of a ‘welcome to the labour ward’ for me. we arrived around ten and were set right into the thick of things. the nurses being very trusting and short staffed assume that we can do anything and at times would ‘disappear’ leaving our staff and us six students to take care of things. so around eleven we had a catalyst of babies deciding to be born. at one point we had four heads crowning all at the same time. the phrase being heard through the room was ‘Melisa (staff) we have a head!’ “Melisa another head over here!” “Melisa, help!” she handled things very well and a few nurses stepped in to help deliver the babies that you just can’t tell to wait! my jobs for that day included getting things set up for the mama’s that were close to deliver,( getting the kidney dish, clamps, sterile gloves, razor (to cut the cord) and oxcytocin ready to inject after delivery to help with the placenta coming out and preparing against blood clots), and caring for the newborns. we saw around ten babies delivered that day, one lady delivered while sharing a bed with another women. because in case i didn’t mention although there are only 14 beds, there are sometimes women on the floor or sharing a bed. the day ended with a women labouring hard to have her breech baby born. it was the neatest things to see this little foot coming our first.... the doctors stepped in and got the baby out safe and sound, but not without a lot of work.
tuesday started off similar but with more women.... all the beds were full plus about an extra eight women on the floor. really crazy circumstances. things are meant to be sterile but kept on a metal shelf, resources are very low. gloves, syringes, catheters and others are hard to come by. women are responsible for providing there own cord clamp, gloves, razor and syringe. can you even imagine in Canada if you had to bring all your own supplies with you? crazy thought eh? i spent alot of the day taking care of the new borns. wrapping them in a dry conga, weighing them and then labeling them. by label i mean getting a piece of tape, writing the mothers name, babies sex, weight, APGAR score (how they are doing) and the date and then sticking that piece of tape to the conga. different eh? i think the hardest part of tuesday was a baby that me and Celia (my partner for the day) named Grace. she was born without a heartbeat so we rushed to one of the cribs and started recessitating. we worked on her for about 45 minutes, her heartbeat came back but was slow and uneven. we continued to pray and give oxygen but you could hear her little lungs struggling to take a breath. the scariest part was her eyes. from the time she was born they were unresponsive. they stayed open the entire time, she looked dead. even when we had to leave at the end of the day she still had no response. you could watch her chest rise and fall with pain.... we found out the next day her and her mother were transferred to a different hospital. i don’t know how if she made it through the night but have to take trust that she is in the Lords hands.
my next challenge happened the next day. i walked in to the left side of the ward and Melisa asked me how comfortable i felt to deliver..... i thought well, i think i can handle it. so i got my sterile gloves on and my partner, Celia came ready to help and take the baby after birth. this mama was not a fan of delivering, she was extremely difficult, she kept fighting us by closing her legs, which i can imagine is a little difficult to do when you have a head coming through. at one point her leg went up and around my neck... yes you can imagine the awkwardness of that situation! luckily a nurse came over to communicate with her that she had to let us do our job to help her. so with my elbows out trying to hold her legs and Melisa’s hands on mine, she helped me guide the baby out. a beautiful baby boy weighing 3.5kg! i dried him off and clamped and cut the cord and Celia took him to be weighed and further inspected. while Melisa and i waited for the placenta. a very difficult process, the mama lost a lot of blood and because she was not a fan of the pain she was in she kept moving around trying to ‘get away’ from us. (sorry if this is too descriptive for some) blood was everywhere, on the floor, on us, all up her back and all over the bed. the placenta finally came and i was guided in how to deliver it and get out any left over blood clots. to spare some details. when all was out i was left to clean up. the thing about deliveries here is the mama brings with her a bag of conga’s and they are used throughout the labouring process, delivery, as well as to clean up. so you use her conga’s to clean up as much as you can and then there is sanitary solution to wipe down the beds with. when she is cleaned up and a nurse has come to check for any tears the women are free to be moved to the post natal bed until they can walk to the post natal ward (sometimes the time that a women has between she delivers to the time she leaves for the post natal ward is less than an hour) this particular women remained on the bed for a while due to her large loss of blood. an iv was put in and her baby brought to her so she could be with him. my first birth. defiantly one i will not forget.
the rest of the week i did the basic labour room things, clean up, weigh newborns, assist those delivering and try my best to comfort the women in labour. a very productive, but exhausting week!
till next time.....
this week: Labour Ward
first day, uniforms on, name tags in place and my lovely, but terribly uncomfortable, labour room shoes on, i’m ready.... as ready as one can be going off three months of education heading into a developing nations hospital where supplies are limited and women are all labouring together in the same room.
i’ll try and paint the picture of what this ‘ward’ looks like. you walk through the doorway and directly in front you have a desk in which the doctors and nurses like to hang out behind. record books are kept on this desk that list each birth that happens and a cardboard box holds each women’s card. (their card is kinda like their ‘file’ which holds there information, name, town their from, how many children they have etc..) to the right there are two rows of beds, nine in total. to the left there are another set of beds, five, and two ‘cribs’ with the sides down where the new borns are placed upon and a scale to weigh upon birth.
i guess that first day was a bit of a ‘welcome to the labour ward’ for me. we arrived around ten and were set right into the thick of things. the nurses being very trusting and short staffed assume that we can do anything and at times would ‘disappear’ leaving our staff and us six students to take care of things. so around eleven we had a catalyst of babies deciding to be born. at one point we had four heads crowning all at the same time. the phrase being heard through the room was ‘Melisa (staff) we have a head!’ “Melisa another head over here!” “Melisa, help!” she handled things very well and a few nurses stepped in to help deliver the babies that you just can’t tell to wait! my jobs for that day included getting things set up for the mama’s that were close to deliver,( getting the kidney dish, clamps, sterile gloves, razor (to cut the cord) and oxcytocin ready to inject after delivery to help with the placenta coming out and preparing against blood clots), and caring for the newborns. we saw around ten babies delivered that day, one lady delivered while sharing a bed with another women. because in case i didn’t mention although there are only 14 beds, there are sometimes women on the floor or sharing a bed. the day ended with a women labouring hard to have her breech baby born. it was the neatest things to see this little foot coming our first.... the doctors stepped in and got the baby out safe and sound, but not without a lot of work.
tuesday started off similar but with more women.... all the beds were full plus about an extra eight women on the floor. really crazy circumstances. things are meant to be sterile but kept on a metal shelf, resources are very low. gloves, syringes, catheters and others are hard to come by. women are responsible for providing there own cord clamp, gloves, razor and syringe. can you even imagine in Canada if you had to bring all your own supplies with you? crazy thought eh? i spent alot of the day taking care of the new borns. wrapping them in a dry conga, weighing them and then labeling them. by label i mean getting a piece of tape, writing the mothers name, babies sex, weight, APGAR score (how they are doing) and the date and then sticking that piece of tape to the conga. different eh? i think the hardest part of tuesday was a baby that me and Celia (my partner for the day) named Grace. she was born without a heartbeat so we rushed to one of the cribs and started recessitating. we worked on her for about 45 minutes, her heartbeat came back but was slow and uneven. we continued to pray and give oxygen but you could hear her little lungs struggling to take a breath. the scariest part was her eyes. from the time she was born they were unresponsive. they stayed open the entire time, she looked dead. even when we had to leave at the end of the day she still had no response. you could watch her chest rise and fall with pain.... we found out the next day her and her mother were transferred to a different hospital. i don’t know how if she made it through the night but have to take trust that she is in the Lords hands.
my next challenge happened the next day. i walked in to the left side of the ward and Melisa asked me how comfortable i felt to deliver..... i thought well, i think i can handle it. so i got my sterile gloves on and my partner, Celia came ready to help and take the baby after birth. this mama was not a fan of delivering, she was extremely difficult, she kept fighting us by closing her legs, which i can imagine is a little difficult to do when you have a head coming through. at one point her leg went up and around my neck... yes you can imagine the awkwardness of that situation! luckily a nurse came over to communicate with her that she had to let us do our job to help her. so with my elbows out trying to hold her legs and Melisa’s hands on mine, she helped me guide the baby out. a beautiful baby boy weighing 3.5kg! i dried him off and clamped and cut the cord and Celia took him to be weighed and further inspected. while Melisa and i waited for the placenta. a very difficult process, the mama lost a lot of blood and because she was not a fan of the pain she was in she kept moving around trying to ‘get away’ from us. (sorry if this is too descriptive for some) blood was everywhere, on the floor, on us, all up her back and all over the bed. the placenta finally came and i was guided in how to deliver it and get out any left over blood clots. to spare some details. when all was out i was left to clean up. the thing about deliveries here is the mama brings with her a bag of conga’s and they are used throughout the labouring process, delivery, as well as to clean up. so you use her conga’s to clean up as much as you can and then there is sanitary solution to wipe down the beds with. when she is cleaned up and a nurse has come to check for any tears the women are free to be moved to the post natal bed until they can walk to the post natal ward (sometimes the time that a women has between she delivers to the time she leaves for the post natal ward is less than an hour) this particular women remained on the bed for a while due to her large loss of blood. an iv was put in and her baby brought to her so she could be with him. my first birth. defiantly one i will not forget.
the rest of the week i did the basic labour room things, clean up, weigh newborns, assist those delivering and try my best to comfort the women in labour. a very productive, but exhausting week!
till next time.....
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