week thirty nine
Karpasdanga
first full week of strait on bangla! me and Naomi left on saturday to where we thought we were going to a certain village but once on the ‘van’ (bike with platform attached where we sit) we were told something entirely different. so we do what all good ywamer’s do and went along for the ride!
we got there and were immediately welcomed and given a tour and fed. it was a small clinic with the house of the couple who run/own it on the same property. Benuka and her husband Kilion. Benuka was trained with the british lady who has been living here in Bangladesh for over sixty years training young women to become midwives/nurses. she now has her own clinic where the nursing students come to get more training and practice. the stories i could tell would go on and on and i’m afraid would get a bit too much to read. overall we had a really good week. Benuka is an amazing women who with her little english is very humorous. she laughs constantly and loved us so much she offered us a job! we had a lot of fun with the nursing student hanging out during the storms and playing games in the dark cause electricity was out.
in the mornings Kilion would take us out to a village to do antenatal visits. usually seeing anywhere between four and ten women. it was really fun to do our own antenatal care even if it was a bit difficult with the language barrier. one day on the way back we got caught in a huge storm. the wind picked up and rain pelted us and our driver (bike, pedal bike) couldn’t pedal anymore so we got off and tried to walk. we ended up hoping into a trailer of a tractor who brought us to the nearest road side stand where we stood with many others trying to get out of the rain. we were drenched when we finally made it back to the clinic and the nursing students came to help us dry off. one problem though we had put our clothes in a bucket of water for washing before we left and didn’t have time to fully wash them. so with only two sets of clothes, one in the bucket, one soaked on our backs we tried to explain to them we had no dry clothes. they got the hint and one girl went off and came back with dry clothes and blankets and the other girl started doing our washing for us! we were very well taken care of.
they are a very hospitable culture, always serving you. they didn’t let us do our dishes or even pour our own tea. a few times they let us cook and thought it very strange when we didn’t put any spices on our potatoes. they washed our floor for us and made sure we didn’t drink any unfiltered water. we did a few home visits and they always provided us with food and tea of course. we learnt that suicide is very prevalent here. one women we worked with in the clinic told us her daughter hung herself two years ago when she was only fourteen years old. we prayed with her and cried with her, it seemed so very real still to her. we have also seen it here in the hospital where we are living at (our home base) people being brought in because they have drunken chemicals trying to end their lives. one died just yesterday. with her family wailing outside the hospital, just to hear their cries is enough to make you cry. its weird to think in one room a life is ending and just next door a new one begins.
i got the chance to do two deliveries this week. one at the little clinic (on my mom’s birthday!) and one this past saturday (yesterday) in the hospital. both little boys, first born to their moms! its a very different system here. they conduct deliveries differently. their are many hands involved and many people watching. their a bit more stressed and tend to overreact in many situations. we’re getting used to it and their getting used to us so it is getting better. my first delivery was stressful just with how many people were involved but this last one was much better. communication is key!
it is nice though that family is very much involved in the laboring process. mothers, mother in-law's, sisters, aunty’s and even the husband and grandparents come and offer support and all want to see the baby when their born. the men usually come, look at the baby, nod their head in approval and walk off. the women are much more involved and are rubbing the mothers back, offering her food and water and anything else she needs. they tend to never leave her side apart form the delivery room where there not allowed in. the mothers especially stay with their daughter as she labour’s and cares for the newborn for up to a seven day stay in the hospital, even sleeping over with her. its really nice to see such support from the family.
today we went as a team to the India border. theres a monument of how Bangladesh got its independence. you can walk around and there is also a field of mango tree’s, there not in season yet but soon. there is a fence just beyond the monument and on the other side lays India! kinda neat to see how close we are!
next week i go with Jen back to Karpasdanga but for a shorter amount of time. i look forward to seeing familiar faces again!
till next time...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
week thirty eight - Bangladesh
okay so we’ve made it, all seven of us. we left Tanzania on sunday around five thirty in the evening and arrived in Bangladesh on monday at eight in the morning. We were met at the airport by an american women who lives here with her husband and we stayed with her for the first few nights. It was a nice smooth entry into a new country. things are similar to Tanzania but the culture is very different. the people are so welcoming and so smiley and instead of shouting out at us they rather flock and stare and giggle with us. we had a bit of an orientation and went shopping to purchase our salw kameez. (the outfits we have to wear here. a long shirt to the knee’s, baggy pants and a scarf) it was fun to go out and shop for “new clothes” but a little overwhelming at the same time!
we also had dinner at one of our girls uncle’s who lives here and it was really refreshing to chat with her family and the friends they invited over.
we left on wednesday for what was supposed to be a six hour ride was actually nine. with honking the ENTIRE way. seems they need to warn people and fellow cars that ‘they are coming so you better move’. our tire also blew but our driver was very quick to fix it and during this minor ‘pit stop’ we met some lovely ladies who were collecting cow poop and drying it in small balls on the concrete slab on the side of the road. very interesting. they seemed pleased to meet us and thought it funny when one of us got scared after talking to the cow and having it moo in our face. we were back on the road and after a long drive and it becoming dark on us we arrived.
where you might ask did we arrive? well we are in the middle of no where... its a small community with a hospital (very small) and a nurses school. there are many nursing students, all of which are VERY excited we are here. they keep stopping by our house i think to see if we’re still here! on friday we were preparing dinner and a small mob of them walked in and all of sudden they had taken over my rolling of chapatis and continuing to laugh at our ‘circle’ chapatis! (they weren’t as round as i suppose they thought they should be? and they kept trying to cut them into rectangles!) we then preceded to have a ‘dance party’ and they actually joined it! quite entertaining!
living in the middle of no where is also a little difficult in finding food. we’re in survival mode here! cooking over a small fire and trying to find veggies to cook has been more difficult then i think we imagined. with no paper or kindling to start the fire and limited matches it makes for a difficult time especially when your tummy’s are grumbling. (i know i made fires all my life but this is no ordinary fire place) so far we’ve eaten a lot of boiled eggs and bread. we found some cucumbers which was nice and the village has apples and oranges! we had quite the difficulty shopping and finding things so we embraced the help of the bangla women and gave them our shopping list and they were able to find some of the items we need!
there are not enough spoons, cups or beds for all of us, so we share spoons or eat with our hands, drink out of our bottles that we’ve filtered our water in and sleep three in one double bed and one on the couch! its an adventure for sure. there are even monkey’s that come to hang out on the wall just outside the house we live in. the other day we counted fourteen monkey’s, including three babies!
electricity is an on and off again game... more off than on but the nice thing is there is solar power so some of the rooms still have lights that work even when the power is out. its mainly the fans that don’t work, which is sad because then its really hot especially in the three person bed! we have running water! praise the Lord!!! which we filter to drink but its fine to wash dishes, clothes and ourselves in. its quite hot and apparently going to get even hotter. theres a well pump outside our house that we often dunk our heads under and them pump it to make the water come! its funny because people at home put these pumps up for decoration in their front yards, here its a reality. the bed is all but a wooden table with a small ‘mattress’. its difficult to lay on your side for a long period of time because your hips will be extremely sore. mosquito's are pretty bad at night but not too bad during the day and we have nets to sleep under so they don’t get to ya in your bed.
we’ve had a bit of a difficult time getting information from our contact here, a british women in her eighties that has been here for sixty years, but friday we were finally able to figure things out! (today is friday as i write this!) and so tomorrow me and naomi head off to another village hospital to stay for the week. the rest of our team will stay here and work in the hospital and two will leave on tuesday for a third village to work in that hospital. we’re not sure what to expect. this area has not had any foreigners since the last BAS that came nearly ten years ago! we’ve been invited and are expected at these other hospitals and hopefully they will give us the experience that we still crave to have in midwifery!
its an adventure for sure, and i find it interesting that after my dts outreach i thought i’d never want to be in this kind of place again, but somehow i’m finding a strength i didn’t know i had and a joy to be here that can only come from God. through sweat, mosquito bites and trying to find my way through a foreign language i will get through this, i know God has brought our team here, and he has some kind of plan for us!
till next time...
we also had dinner at one of our girls uncle’s who lives here and it was really refreshing to chat with her family and the friends they invited over.
we left on wednesday for what was supposed to be a six hour ride was actually nine. with honking the ENTIRE way. seems they need to warn people and fellow cars that ‘they are coming so you better move’. our tire also blew but our driver was very quick to fix it and during this minor ‘pit stop’ we met some lovely ladies who were collecting cow poop and drying it in small balls on the concrete slab on the side of the road. very interesting. they seemed pleased to meet us and thought it funny when one of us got scared after talking to the cow and having it moo in our face. we were back on the road and after a long drive and it becoming dark on us we arrived.
where you might ask did we arrive? well we are in the middle of no where... its a small community with a hospital (very small) and a nurses school. there are many nursing students, all of which are VERY excited we are here. they keep stopping by our house i think to see if we’re still here! on friday we were preparing dinner and a small mob of them walked in and all of sudden they had taken over my rolling of chapatis and continuing to laugh at our ‘circle’ chapatis! (they weren’t as round as i suppose they thought they should be? and they kept trying to cut them into rectangles!) we then preceded to have a ‘dance party’ and they actually joined it! quite entertaining!
living in the middle of no where is also a little difficult in finding food. we’re in survival mode here! cooking over a small fire and trying to find veggies to cook has been more difficult then i think we imagined. with no paper or kindling to start the fire and limited matches it makes for a difficult time especially when your tummy’s are grumbling. (i know i made fires all my life but this is no ordinary fire place) so far we’ve eaten a lot of boiled eggs and bread. we found some cucumbers which was nice and the village has apples and oranges! we had quite the difficulty shopping and finding things so we embraced the help of the bangla women and gave them our shopping list and they were able to find some of the items we need!
there are not enough spoons, cups or beds for all of us, so we share spoons or eat with our hands, drink out of our bottles that we’ve filtered our water in and sleep three in one double bed and one on the couch! its an adventure for sure. there are even monkey’s that come to hang out on the wall just outside the house we live in. the other day we counted fourteen monkey’s, including three babies!
electricity is an on and off again game... more off than on but the nice thing is there is solar power so some of the rooms still have lights that work even when the power is out. its mainly the fans that don’t work, which is sad because then its really hot especially in the three person bed! we have running water! praise the Lord!!! which we filter to drink but its fine to wash dishes, clothes and ourselves in. its quite hot and apparently going to get even hotter. theres a well pump outside our house that we often dunk our heads under and them pump it to make the water come! its funny because people at home put these pumps up for decoration in their front yards, here its a reality. the bed is all but a wooden table with a small ‘mattress’. its difficult to lay on your side for a long period of time because your hips will be extremely sore. mosquito's are pretty bad at night but not too bad during the day and we have nets to sleep under so they don’t get to ya in your bed.
we’ve had a bit of a difficult time getting information from our contact here, a british women in her eighties that has been here for sixty years, but friday we were finally able to figure things out! (today is friday as i write this!) and so tomorrow me and naomi head off to another village hospital to stay for the week. the rest of our team will stay here and work in the hospital and two will leave on tuesday for a third village to work in that hospital. we’re not sure what to expect. this area has not had any foreigners since the last BAS that came nearly ten years ago! we’ve been invited and are expected at these other hospitals and hopefully they will give us the experience that we still crave to have in midwifery!
its an adventure for sure, and i find it interesting that after my dts outreach i thought i’d never want to be in this kind of place again, but somehow i’m finding a strength i didn’t know i had and a joy to be here that can only come from God. through sweat, mosquito bites and trying to find my way through a foreign language i will get through this, i know God has brought our team here, and he has some kind of plan for us!
till next time...
Saturday, March 19, 2011
week thirty seven- debrief/zanzibar
monday we said farewell to the hospital and its staff. it was a bit emotional and some of the staff even cried... which is very huge because Africans do not show their emotions very well. then tuesday we had debriefing things as we do as a team and individually and wednesday morning we left for Zanzibar! its an island off the coast of Tanzania which we took a two hour ferry to get there. the ride was a little grueling as i am very prone to motion sickness so after the first hour i went outside the lovely air conditioned room where our seats were and sat on the deck with one of my staff. and sitting there i saw in the distance fins... then they were jumping! yes dolphins!!! i was so very excited!!! i stood up and watched as our boat drove right over them as they played beneath the clear blue water! it was so amazing, i have never seen them in the wild and have always wanted to!
we got to our ‘hotel’ and we’re very pleased to find we had a/c in most rooms! (mine does!) we’re staying right in the city so its loud but its also in walking distance to many restaurants and shops. Stone Town is what they call it here, its kinda like a southern france//italy feel. the windey streets made of stone and Arabic style buildings and doorways make it feel very quaint. other areas are still very african!
they have a night market where there are different street vendors selling different things, one thing being ‘Zanzibar Pizza’ its kinda like a calazone with ingredients inside and fried over a fire. i of course got a nutella/banana one! delicious! we also met these guys who told us a few things to do while we’re here. one of them has his own driving company so the next day a few of us went to this beautiful little resort, very quiet in the jungle that had a pool basically right on the beach. we pay around four dollars (CDN) to stay the entire day! it was a really nice day just to sit, swim, and hangout with one another before we split to different countries.
the next day (for those of you who know my ‘goals in life’ list) was one to check off that list! we got up really early and headed out to the coast on the other side of the island where we got to swim with the dolphins! we got out in a small boat and when we spotted one nearby we’d all jump out and ‘try’ not to scare them off! i was actually really scared at first cuz, well their big, and their animals. but it was really fun. while i was watching a mom and her little baby under me two came up right beside me! it startled me at first but then i just stared at them! just like the movies! haha! it was really fun!
napped the rest of the day and walked around ‘stone town’ had lunch and then decided to go for a sunset swim! it was short lived but still nice to go for one last dip in the ocean before i leave. we had dinner as a team which was nice apart from the three hour wait for our food. but still i enjoyed it!
we left saturday on the early ferry and i slept most of the way home and then me and naomi did some last minute arrends in the city and now we’ve just been packing and trying to get things together to leave tomorrow (sunday)!
i’m excited but nervous, part of me is just done with outreach but the other part still wants to keep going and deliver more babies, learn more and just keep trucking along!
thanks for your prayers as i head into this last leg of the race! i also don’t know what internet will be like, so i may or may not be able to update.
till next time...
we got to our ‘hotel’ and we’re very pleased to find we had a/c in most rooms! (mine does!) we’re staying right in the city so its loud but its also in walking distance to many restaurants and shops. Stone Town is what they call it here, its kinda like a southern france//italy feel. the windey streets made of stone and Arabic style buildings and doorways make it feel very quaint. other areas are still very african!
they have a night market where there are different street vendors selling different things, one thing being ‘Zanzibar Pizza’ its kinda like a calazone with ingredients inside and fried over a fire. i of course got a nutella/banana one! delicious! we also met these guys who told us a few things to do while we’re here. one of them has his own driving company so the next day a few of us went to this beautiful little resort, very quiet in the jungle that had a pool basically right on the beach. we pay around four dollars (CDN) to stay the entire day! it was a really nice day just to sit, swim, and hangout with one another before we split to different countries.
the next day (for those of you who know my ‘goals in life’ list) was one to check off that list! we got up really early and headed out to the coast on the other side of the island where we got to swim with the dolphins! we got out in a small boat and when we spotted one nearby we’d all jump out and ‘try’ not to scare them off! i was actually really scared at first cuz, well their big, and their animals. but it was really fun. while i was watching a mom and her little baby under me two came up right beside me! it startled me at first but then i just stared at them! just like the movies! haha! it was really fun!
napped the rest of the day and walked around ‘stone town’ had lunch and then decided to go for a sunset swim! it was short lived but still nice to go for one last dip in the ocean before i leave. we had dinner as a team which was nice apart from the three hour wait for our food. but still i enjoyed it!
we left saturday on the early ferry and i slept most of the way home and then me and naomi did some last minute arrends in the city and now we’ve just been packing and trying to get things together to leave tomorrow (sunday)!
i’m excited but nervous, part of me is just done with outreach but the other part still wants to keep going and deliver more babies, learn more and just keep trucking along!
thanks for your prayers as i head into this last leg of the race! i also don’t know what internet will be like, so i may or may not be able to update.
till next time...
week thirty six icu/clinic/home
this week was generally pretty chill for our group. only three of us, on tuesday only two of us went to icu. the morning was really good, got to look into some cases. we went for lunch and halfway through we’re asked to go to theatre to catch the baby of a women going in for cesarian because she had a ruptured uterus. so us two along with our staff went. we took the baby and began resuscitation. bag and mask for quite sometime. she was born full of meconium and even had to suction out her lungs. but even though she was born with a small heartbeat, she never took a breathe and eventually the heartbeat stopped. we wrapped her up and carried her back with us to icu as her mom would be there eventually for recovery after cesarian. it was the second time that i’ve ever experienced death first hand, and the first time i have carried the baby. i’m usually too nervous to touch them but i really felt like i should be the one to carry her and so i did.
its something that i’ve had a difficult time understanding of how we can put so much work and prayer into a little life and to see them die still is so discouraging. but God gave me a picture of all the children in heaven who never took their first breathe and told me, they get far more love there then they ever could on earth. that although their parents would love them deeply, no one could love them more then their heavenly father. it doesn’t take the sorrow away, but it is reassuring that i know she is with her father and he is loving her more then anyone.
after that the week really seemed to be very slow. wednesday i wasn’t feeling well so i stayed home and worked on homework and rested. thursday i went back to the clinic near where we used to live, and went on a house visit with Celia (student from our team) to a mom she had met back in december who ended up having a cesarian because her baby had a ‘big head’. after meeting her little girl, we both thought that something was not right mentally. they were getting normal checkups at a different hospital so hopefully they will get good care for her.
friday we had nothing scheduled for the three of us who were not in the hospital so we went to a shopping centre and got pictures developed, had a coffee and bought some things to make a nice lunch for ourselves! it was a relaxing day, ended up working on our journals for the afternoon while watching a movie. days like that are needed every so often!
after hearing stories from the hospital group it sounded like a crazy week! one baby was born with her intestines outside her body. you could see them in the umbilical cord just outside her tummy. apparently she will be transferred and it can be fixed, so that is good! there was also a delivery in a (can’t remember the african term) but in Thailand they are called ‘tuk tuk’s’ a motorbike with a sheltered seat behind. one our staff just barely got there in time to catch the body! never a dull moment in the hospital!
the weekend was very nice, went out to a tourist area and did some shopping and even found a sushi restaurant! it was a really good day. sunday we had church and said goodbye to one team member who’s going home for a week, but will go to India so i will not see her till we meet in Australia again. we also had a few of the hospital staff over for dinner. it was really nice to see them outside their work environment.
this week is a mish mash once again as we leave next sunday!!!!!! we spend some time here then are going as a team to Zanzibar!! i am very excited, i’ve heard great things about that island! crazy that this time next week i will be at the airport! eek!!!
till next time...
its something that i’ve had a difficult time understanding of how we can put so much work and prayer into a little life and to see them die still is so discouraging. but God gave me a picture of all the children in heaven who never took their first breathe and told me, they get far more love there then they ever could on earth. that although their parents would love them deeply, no one could love them more then their heavenly father. it doesn’t take the sorrow away, but it is reassuring that i know she is with her father and he is loving her more then anyone.
after that the week really seemed to be very slow. wednesday i wasn’t feeling well so i stayed home and worked on homework and rested. thursday i went back to the clinic near where we used to live, and went on a house visit with Celia (student from our team) to a mom she had met back in december who ended up having a cesarian because her baby had a ‘big head’. after meeting her little girl, we both thought that something was not right mentally. they were getting normal checkups at a different hospital so hopefully they will get good care for her.
friday we had nothing scheduled for the three of us who were not in the hospital so we went to a shopping centre and got pictures developed, had a coffee and bought some things to make a nice lunch for ourselves! it was a relaxing day, ended up working on our journals for the afternoon while watching a movie. days like that are needed every so often!
after hearing stories from the hospital group it sounded like a crazy week! one baby was born with her intestines outside her body. you could see them in the umbilical cord just outside her tummy. apparently she will be transferred and it can be fixed, so that is good! there was also a delivery in a (can’t remember the african term) but in Thailand they are called ‘tuk tuk’s’ a motorbike with a sheltered seat behind. one our staff just barely got there in time to catch the body! never a dull moment in the hospital!
the weekend was very nice, went out to a tourist area and did some shopping and even found a sushi restaurant! it was a really good day. sunday we had church and said goodbye to one team member who’s going home for a week, but will go to India so i will not see her till we meet in Australia again. we also had a few of the hospital staff over for dinner. it was really nice to see them outside their work environment.
this week is a mish mash once again as we leave next sunday!!!!!! we spend some time here then are going as a team to Zanzibar!! i am very excited, i’ve heard great things about that island! crazy that this time next week i will be at the airport! eek!!!
till next time...
Monday, March 7, 2011
week thirty five-prayers answered!
this week was a little different looking because part of our group had gone to Kenya for the Bangladesh visa’s, and another part went to Zanzibar to do some teaching to some traditional birth attendants and the rest of us (7 students) stayed here. i was one of the few that remained here. at first i was not too happy about this and there is still some confusion in my mind but after the week i had, it was a good one.
it was nice to be a smaller group, we even got to go for dinner one to a place that is kinda like a food court and they have pizza! of course i was excited for pizza! (they have ‘milkshakes’ too but there more like soupy ice cream!) and because we were in a smaller number i was able to go to the labour room twice.
its funny because i have been prayer for certain experiences that i’ve wanted for quite some time now, and this week they all happened. (apart from one that couldn’t happen at the hospital) tuesday the labour room was overflowing once again and women were on the floor, and i got to do a delivery on the floor! a baby boy! it was so quick and i was quite sore after ward from squatting and leaning over but very worth it! the mom was quite excited as well, she tried to pay me, (they sometimes do that) but we always say no, it was our pleasure to help. wednesday i was in ANC and i walk in after transferring a women to the labour room and i see all the women clearing a bed with one women left, legs apart. i go over and the head is crowning. i managed to get one good (sterile) glove on and i was wearing one on the other hand (usually we double glove) but it wasn’t sterile and i didn’t have time so in between calling the hospital staff over the head came out, cord was around the neck, so i slipped it over the first shoulder, then the second and another beautiful little boy was born! i was saying ‘karibu sana’ which means ‘your very welcome’ as in i was welcoming him into the world and the nurse that finally did come over to assist me was laughing saying that the other women were laughing at me welcoming him! while i was still dealing with third stage of labour, a women on the ground began crowning. i called for that same nurse who had helped me and told her that this women was delivering, well the head came with no one there and she got there in time to catch the body! it was quite fast and busy, another labouring women had to help me get certain supplies from the women's bag! and then friday i was in the labour ward and went over to anc to bring a card for a women, while being there one of the students had a women she was transferring to labour ward who had twins!!! yes twins! i have always loved twins, (most of you know that from my mary-kate and ashley days! haha!) i was so excited!! i brought her in and got her set up on a bed and before i could check her vitals she was asking to push, my staff came over to assist and we noticed the first twin was breech. so i got to help guide her out, and it was the easiest breech i’ve ever seen, then only four minutes later her brother was born! a little girl and a little boy, both 2.2kg (4.9 pounds). i’m not sure if the mom knew she was having twins when she came in to the hospital that morning, i’m thinking they told her in anc, but sometimes, more often than not, women are very surprised when they have to give birth to two babies! both were doing well, the little boy hadn’t had a good cry but other than that they were both really good!
so thats the four things i’ve been praying for, on the floor, in anc, breech and twins! i was on top of the world friday afternoon!
another fun story from the week was on tuesday i was leaving the labour ward to go for lunch and i see my staff holding a baby at the end of the hallway (which is ‘outside’ with only a covering over incase of rain) and then i see a cab and she tells me that this baby was born in the cab and one of the doctors is delivering the second twin in the cab right now. i can see the security guard (a women) and what i’m assuming is the women's mother holding khanga’s up as a shield so people can’t see into the cab. so funny! a little girl and boy both healthy as well!
oh and last monday i went on a house visit with naomi, to see the mom that i had delivered just over a month ago whose baby had to go to the hospital and then went home okay. so we went to see them! the little girl was so cute, and her parents both so proud. the dad was telling us a story (they spoke good english) of when the hospital called him and said that he had to come and say goodbye to his daughter because they didn’t think she would make it. but she was healed and she is now okay! he said he was so sad and he prayed and prayed and prayed. his contract for work was up just before the birth and he said he wouldn’t sign another one until she was strong and healthy, four months old. it was encouraging to hear how much he cared for his family and wanted to be with his wife and daughter. the mom was doing good too, it was a joy to see her with her daughter smiling and playing with her and just lovin on her. they named her Sharon (but pronounced it differently then we do) because the dad had looked it up and found that it meant ‘talent and strength’ and he said, she is going to be smart and full of talent. she will be a doctor! they fed us lunch and blessed us abundantly. it was a great day.
so that was my week, it was actually a really good week despite my thinking i was going to be going to Kenya. i thank God for the blessings of this week.
till next time...
it was nice to be a smaller group, we even got to go for dinner one to a place that is kinda like a food court and they have pizza! of course i was excited for pizza! (they have ‘milkshakes’ too but there more like soupy ice cream!) and because we were in a smaller number i was able to go to the labour room twice.
its funny because i have been prayer for certain experiences that i’ve wanted for quite some time now, and this week they all happened. (apart from one that couldn’t happen at the hospital) tuesday the labour room was overflowing once again and women were on the floor, and i got to do a delivery on the floor! a baby boy! it was so quick and i was quite sore after ward from squatting and leaning over but very worth it! the mom was quite excited as well, she tried to pay me, (they sometimes do that) but we always say no, it was our pleasure to help. wednesday i was in ANC and i walk in after transferring a women to the labour room and i see all the women clearing a bed with one women left, legs apart. i go over and the head is crowning. i managed to get one good (sterile) glove on and i was wearing one on the other hand (usually we double glove) but it wasn’t sterile and i didn’t have time so in between calling the hospital staff over the head came out, cord was around the neck, so i slipped it over the first shoulder, then the second and another beautiful little boy was born! i was saying ‘karibu sana’ which means ‘your very welcome’ as in i was welcoming him into the world and the nurse that finally did come over to assist me was laughing saying that the other women were laughing at me welcoming him! while i was still dealing with third stage of labour, a women on the ground began crowning. i called for that same nurse who had helped me and told her that this women was delivering, well the head came with no one there and she got there in time to catch the body! it was quite fast and busy, another labouring women had to help me get certain supplies from the women's bag! and then friday i was in the labour ward and went over to anc to bring a card for a women, while being there one of the students had a women she was transferring to labour ward who had twins!!! yes twins! i have always loved twins, (most of you know that from my mary-kate and ashley days! haha!) i was so excited!! i brought her in and got her set up on a bed and before i could check her vitals she was asking to push, my staff came over to assist and we noticed the first twin was breech. so i got to help guide her out, and it was the easiest breech i’ve ever seen, then only four minutes later her brother was born! a little girl and a little boy, both 2.2kg (4.9 pounds). i’m not sure if the mom knew she was having twins when she came in to the hospital that morning, i’m thinking they told her in anc, but sometimes, more often than not, women are very surprised when they have to give birth to two babies! both were doing well, the little boy hadn’t had a good cry but other than that they were both really good!
so thats the four things i’ve been praying for, on the floor, in anc, breech and twins! i was on top of the world friday afternoon!
another fun story from the week was on tuesday i was leaving the labour ward to go for lunch and i see my staff holding a baby at the end of the hallway (which is ‘outside’ with only a covering over incase of rain) and then i see a cab and she tells me that this baby was born in the cab and one of the doctors is delivering the second twin in the cab right now. i can see the security guard (a women) and what i’m assuming is the women's mother holding khanga’s up as a shield so people can’t see into the cab. so funny! a little girl and boy both healthy as well!
oh and last monday i went on a house visit with naomi, to see the mom that i had delivered just over a month ago whose baby had to go to the hospital and then went home okay. so we went to see them! the little girl was so cute, and her parents both so proud. the dad was telling us a story (they spoke good english) of when the hospital called him and said that he had to come and say goodbye to his daughter because they didn’t think she would make it. but she was healed and she is now okay! he said he was so sad and he prayed and prayed and prayed. his contract for work was up just before the birth and he said he wouldn’t sign another one until she was strong and healthy, four months old. it was encouraging to hear how much he cared for his family and wanted to be with his wife and daughter. the mom was doing good too, it was a joy to see her with her daughter smiling and playing with her and just lovin on her. they named her Sharon (but pronounced it differently then we do) because the dad had looked it up and found that it meant ‘talent and strength’ and he said, she is going to be smart and full of talent. she will be a doctor! they fed us lunch and blessed us abundantly. it was a great day.
so that was my week, it was actually a really good week despite my thinking i was going to be going to Kenya. i thank God for the blessings of this week.
till next time...
Thursday, March 3, 2011
week thirty four - ANC
what to say what to say.... i think last week was a tough one. i had gone into the week in high expectations for my week in the labour room and each day was a challenge to get through.
during one delivery the mom would not push, baby was coming, nearly half out and she would not push, all she wanted to do was lay on her side and forget that she was having a baby... we eventually got a good push out of her and a healthy little boy was born! thursday the women i delivered had complications afterward, which were corrected but a little scary. and also she had odd mass’s in her uterus... she was going to be going for an ultrasound within the next few days. friday’s delivery was a blur. this women was pushing facing the wall sitting on the very edge of the bed. i got over in time to semi put gloves on (all fingers were still in the palm) and catch the baby before he fell on the floor. it was so quick and she refused to move even after the baby was out. so the rest of the delivery was also done with her sitting on the edge of the bed. it was this lady’s seventh baby... it was a little sad because she didn’t seem too impressed with her new baby or with me. yup she was not a fan of me. i can’t help but wonder if she didn’t want the baby to be caught?
it was also the first week that i saw pre mature twins be born. i’ve seen pre mature babies before but these were very pre mature. it was thought they were only twenty weeks old. they were so tiny, could have fit in the palm of my hand... crazy to see life so small. it made me sad that even them being only five months old they had little fingers and toes and you could see that they were males. makes you realize how precious life is.
there was also a chance for me to go to Kenya this week and get my visa for Bangladesh. but with limited seats available and five of us wanting to go, i was not chosen. so yes just a few tough things to deal with, but the weekend was relaxing and because people are going to Kenya, or Zanzibar to do teachings, there are less of us here and i get to go into the labour ward again next week!
i don’t really have much to add... i know this is a short update but theres just not much else to add this week...
till next time...
during one delivery the mom would not push, baby was coming, nearly half out and she would not push, all she wanted to do was lay on her side and forget that she was having a baby... we eventually got a good push out of her and a healthy little boy was born! thursday the women i delivered had complications afterward, which were corrected but a little scary. and also she had odd mass’s in her uterus... she was going to be going for an ultrasound within the next few days. friday’s delivery was a blur. this women was pushing facing the wall sitting on the very edge of the bed. i got over in time to semi put gloves on (all fingers were still in the palm) and catch the baby before he fell on the floor. it was so quick and she refused to move even after the baby was out. so the rest of the delivery was also done with her sitting on the edge of the bed. it was this lady’s seventh baby... it was a little sad because she didn’t seem too impressed with her new baby or with me. yup she was not a fan of me. i can’t help but wonder if she didn’t want the baby to be caught?
it was also the first week that i saw pre mature twins be born. i’ve seen pre mature babies before but these were very pre mature. it was thought they were only twenty weeks old. they were so tiny, could have fit in the palm of my hand... crazy to see life so small. it made me sad that even them being only five months old they had little fingers and toes and you could see that they were males. makes you realize how precious life is.
there was also a chance for me to go to Kenya this week and get my visa for Bangladesh. but with limited seats available and five of us wanting to go, i was not chosen. so yes just a few tough things to deal with, but the weekend was relaxing and because people are going to Kenya, or Zanzibar to do teachings, there are less of us here and i get to go into the labour ward again next week!
i don’t really have much to add... i know this is a short update but theres just not much else to add this week...
till next time...
Monday, February 21, 2011
week thirty three - ANC
a week i’ll never forget for sure....
monday started off okay, with our morning test and lectures all day. started learning about eclampsia. something that you don’t hear of often but a very relevant problem in pregnancy. starts off with a high blood pressure and can lead into the women fitting. (seizure) i’ve seen a few cases here in Tanzania, only once have i actually been there while a women was fitting on the bed.... a scary situation. we are now learning how to notice it, test for it and treat it. its difficult because there is no way to know ahead of time if the women will have eclampsia, you kinda just have to know the signs that can lead up to it and educate her, and her family and make sure she is getting regular check ups.
tuesday i was not feeling well and ended up staying home. it was great to get to just rest. i slept for nearly five hours! much needed rest, and i felt much better afterward as well. wednesday was not too bad of a day, anc this week, started off the morning with doing ve’s and check ups on women. it was a holiday so that of course meant less staff. the doctor there told us not to do ve’s just on women who were having strong contractions.... well we thought that silly and just because it was a holiday these women should still get proper check ups, so with us running the show we did full check ups. it was very busy, the labour room was having overflow so we had a delivery in anc which i assisted in. (taking the baby) many women were there, some beds held over five women and there were more overflowing onto the floor. to walk through the anc side you have to literally watch each step to ensure you don’t step on someone.
i don’t usually share about the times outside the hospital, mainly because there not that much to say, filled with group prayer times, worship, some lectures, and study nights. but this particular wednesday i guess i should share. a story of God’s protection and grace. i don’t want this to be taken the wrong way of cause fear into anyone but i do think it is a great testimony of how big my God is!
the night started off as any other, i was getting ready for bed, when i heard these ‘booms’ outside, it had been raining a lot earlier that week and at first i assumed it was thunder... after it continued i told Naomi i was a little scared and thought they sounded like bombs. she ensured me it was thunder. at this time it was just after nine, and we were both scheduled for prayer chain at ten, so we thought we just rest a bit and then get up to pray. i crawled into bed with her still feeling uneasy when one of our staff knocked on our door. she explained that the armory outside of town had caught fire and all the ammunition was being shot off as a result. the government asked that everyone go outside there homes so if any of the bombs or missiles were to come in our direction we could run... not exactly what you want to hear. so we went outside with the rest of the group and everyone started praying like crazy. they had told us the armory was only 10km from us, but later we found out that it would have had to be further. but from outside you could see the red sky and watch some of the bombs and debris fly up into the sky. most stayed relatively far away but a few were heard nearer, one in particular shook the ground we stood on. we prayed and prayed, it was funny cause you never know what your gonna do in a situation like that and everyone handles it differently. some made jokes about us having to run, some grabbed their passports incase a bomb hit our home, some just continued staring at the sky and praying and me, i cried! i prayed constantly but was in no place to make jokes. around 10:30 they finally died down and we were given word that we could return into our house.
they don’t know how it caught fire, but in the last ten years this is the third time something like this has happened. apparently people in the area of the blasts were running. we have a friend who was traveling past the place and he joined in the run and just ran. trucks were overloaded with people getting away and the stadium was housing people who lived nearby. over a hundred children were split up from their parents, people lost limbs and had severe injuries from the debris that flew. some lost their homes and thirty people lost their lives that night. i’ve looked at a few newspapers and some of the pictures are terrible. the hospital that we work at had a list of all bomb victims posted on the gate so family members could locate their loved ones. some of the staff have gone to help, the red cross is also here offering help. i know they had 150 children as of thursday that had been separated, i hope by now parents have been able to locate them. please be praying for these that have lost so much because of wednesday night.
thursday and friday were insane days at the hospital. the labour ward was overfilled with women on the floor and anc continued to fill with women. friday we had three beds for checkups going on and there ended up being three more deliveries in anc. in labour ward our school did eight deliveries, never before have we done that many deliveries in one day! partly full moon this week and partly because of the bomb that can set off stress in the mom’s that can onset labour. i don’t know what the hospital would have done had we not been there. i’m sure when its that busy babies are born on their own and staff come just to cut the cord and finish up the delivery.
saturday, day off, went to a market/shopping area with some people from my team. it was a really nice day, had a grilled cheese for lunch! (delicacy here for me as cheese is pretty expensive) and looked around at the shops. went to a market and met some really nice people. one man was an artist and painted amazing portraits. i made an order with him as there was one painting that three of us really liked. so two of us ordered another and one bought it. it was of five african women with babies slung on their back. a good representation of why i am here doing what i’m doing! i’m excited to pick it up in the next couple weeks. its relatively small but colourful and its made by him.
i’m in labour ward next week for the last time hear in Tanzania.... i’m sad cause its my favorite place here, but excited for whats next!
till next time...
monday started off okay, with our morning test and lectures all day. started learning about eclampsia. something that you don’t hear of often but a very relevant problem in pregnancy. starts off with a high blood pressure and can lead into the women fitting. (seizure) i’ve seen a few cases here in Tanzania, only once have i actually been there while a women was fitting on the bed.... a scary situation. we are now learning how to notice it, test for it and treat it. its difficult because there is no way to know ahead of time if the women will have eclampsia, you kinda just have to know the signs that can lead up to it and educate her, and her family and make sure she is getting regular check ups.
tuesday i was not feeling well and ended up staying home. it was great to get to just rest. i slept for nearly five hours! much needed rest, and i felt much better afterward as well. wednesday was not too bad of a day, anc this week, started off the morning with doing ve’s and check ups on women. it was a holiday so that of course meant less staff. the doctor there told us not to do ve’s just on women who were having strong contractions.... well we thought that silly and just because it was a holiday these women should still get proper check ups, so with us running the show we did full check ups. it was very busy, the labour room was having overflow so we had a delivery in anc which i assisted in. (taking the baby) many women were there, some beds held over five women and there were more overflowing onto the floor. to walk through the anc side you have to literally watch each step to ensure you don’t step on someone.
i don’t usually share about the times outside the hospital, mainly because there not that much to say, filled with group prayer times, worship, some lectures, and study nights. but this particular wednesday i guess i should share. a story of God’s protection and grace. i don’t want this to be taken the wrong way of cause fear into anyone but i do think it is a great testimony of how big my God is!
the night started off as any other, i was getting ready for bed, when i heard these ‘booms’ outside, it had been raining a lot earlier that week and at first i assumed it was thunder... after it continued i told Naomi i was a little scared and thought they sounded like bombs. she ensured me it was thunder. at this time it was just after nine, and we were both scheduled for prayer chain at ten, so we thought we just rest a bit and then get up to pray. i crawled into bed with her still feeling uneasy when one of our staff knocked on our door. she explained that the armory outside of town had caught fire and all the ammunition was being shot off as a result. the government asked that everyone go outside there homes so if any of the bombs or missiles were to come in our direction we could run... not exactly what you want to hear. so we went outside with the rest of the group and everyone started praying like crazy. they had told us the armory was only 10km from us, but later we found out that it would have had to be further. but from outside you could see the red sky and watch some of the bombs and debris fly up into the sky. most stayed relatively far away but a few were heard nearer, one in particular shook the ground we stood on. we prayed and prayed, it was funny cause you never know what your gonna do in a situation like that and everyone handles it differently. some made jokes about us having to run, some grabbed their passports incase a bomb hit our home, some just continued staring at the sky and praying and me, i cried! i prayed constantly but was in no place to make jokes. around 10:30 they finally died down and we were given word that we could return into our house.
they don’t know how it caught fire, but in the last ten years this is the third time something like this has happened. apparently people in the area of the blasts were running. we have a friend who was traveling past the place and he joined in the run and just ran. trucks were overloaded with people getting away and the stadium was housing people who lived nearby. over a hundred children were split up from their parents, people lost limbs and had severe injuries from the debris that flew. some lost their homes and thirty people lost their lives that night. i’ve looked at a few newspapers and some of the pictures are terrible. the hospital that we work at had a list of all bomb victims posted on the gate so family members could locate their loved ones. some of the staff have gone to help, the red cross is also here offering help. i know they had 150 children as of thursday that had been separated, i hope by now parents have been able to locate them. please be praying for these that have lost so much because of wednesday night.
thursday and friday were insane days at the hospital. the labour ward was overfilled with women on the floor and anc continued to fill with women. friday we had three beds for checkups going on and there ended up being three more deliveries in anc. in labour ward our school did eight deliveries, never before have we done that many deliveries in one day! partly full moon this week and partly because of the bomb that can set off stress in the mom’s that can onset labour. i don’t know what the hospital would have done had we not been there. i’m sure when its that busy babies are born on their own and staff come just to cut the cord and finish up the delivery.
saturday, day off, went to a market/shopping area with some people from my team. it was a really nice day, had a grilled cheese for lunch! (delicacy here for me as cheese is pretty expensive) and looked around at the shops. went to a market and met some really nice people. one man was an artist and painted amazing portraits. i made an order with him as there was one painting that three of us really liked. so two of us ordered another and one bought it. it was of five african women with babies slung on their back. a good representation of why i am here doing what i’m doing! i’m excited to pick it up in the next couple weeks. its relatively small but colourful and its made by him.
i’m in labour ward next week for the last time hear in Tanzania.... i’m sad cause its my favorite place here, but excited for whats next!
till next time...
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