as we’re split up and are rotating each week this week i was at our ‘home base’ located at Bollobhpur hospital. the week went by pretty slow monday being our day off was spent literally doing nothing and just resting! so nice! then tuesday me and Liz had early shift which meant being at the hospital from 7am-1pm. we got their, listened to the night reading and then went to chapel with the girls which lasts only 20-30mins. things at the hospital we’re really slow this week.
spending most of our shifts crocheting hats, hanging out with the nursing students and new moms with their babies. the dedication that these girls have to their schooling is incredible. we learnt that they are not allowed to be in a relationship (dating), they are not allowed cell phones and they are also not allowed to cook for themselves but have to eat what is prepared when its prepared. it seems like a very strict program, and its four years long! i have given up only a year for the BAS and i can’t imagine not having the limitations that these girls have. but they do have lots of fun together and they are incredibly hospitable to us. although some can be quite cheeky and forward, but all in good fun! one girl tried to feed me an unripe mango by shoving it into my pursed lips. she pushed so hard that my lips were sore after. i did not want it. i told her ‘i do not like’ and she mocked me and laughed, i then told her ‘ i do not like...’ and i pushed my fingers into her lips just as hard as she had to me. i think she got the hint because then she gave me the ‘thumbs up’ which here is equivalent to the middle finger back home! her and the girls around her laughed as i made a ‘shocked’ face. i started laughing with them... whatcha gonna do? they are slowly understanding us a little more and we are them. they tend to come over a lot and at any time. they stand at our open door and yell ‘i come in?’ and then proceed to walk right in! the other day i was awoken from a nap with a girl knocking on my bedroom door i peered out to see her grandmother, mother, aunty and nephew just chilling in our living room! its quite comical but can also become annoying if you let it get to ya.
as for hospital work... there wasn’t much to do. me and liz did two mornings at an antenatal clinic and checked over seventy women in total. it wasn’t till saturday that four women were in labour! i decided to continue monitoring ‘my mom’ into the night doing hourly check ups and hanging out with her through her contractions. at midnight i had to go home and eat something to stay awake then went back, Celia gave me her cell number and told me to call when she started pushing, Bek did too. around one thirty am and lots of walking laps around the hospital (small building) the nurse looked at me and said ‘okay’ i assumed she meant ‘fully dilated and ready to push’ she did. i called Celia, who tried to wake up Bek but failed. so Celia came and helped me out. it was a good delivery, the mom did amazing, baby cried right away! beautiful little boy again! and 3.1kg! usually the bangla babies are around 2.5kg so he was quite a chunker to their standards! born at 2:05am! got to bed around 3:30am and took awhile to fall asleep as you usually are on a little of an adrenaline rush after a delivery!
the other not so exciting news of the week, there is a rat in our bathroom... its started around wednesday when me and liz gave our house a deep clean, we noticed a few droppings on the floor. then friday we had droppings in the sink with chew and claw marks on the soap... by sunday a small handful of droppings sat in the sink with more soap scrapes and also claw marks on the wall where he attempts to get home. i’m hoping we can get some poison, those of you who know me know how terrified i am of those critters. luckily we have two bathrooms and i know use the other. we also have many large spiders but i’m not too worried about those! we also have a birds nest in the wall of our room, their are these vents all over the house and the birds have chosen the one in our room to build a nest! not a fan of being woken up to the chitter chatter of them so we attempted to get rid of the nest... failed. so we jammed sticks into the holes...failed. so we tried sound blocking by shoving toilet paper into the holes to try and diminish the sound... sorta worked!
one more story about animals... the monkeys. terrifying!!! the other day we wanted to go to the hospital to check on the mom’s we delivered the day before and when we walked outside the monkeys were guarding the wall around the gate out. we walked slowly and carefully but once we got near they hissed at us and barred their teeth, which sent us running back. i picked up a rock thinking i could scare them off. no such luck. we waited until something must have scared them off and they took off running. i was first one to check it out and got through the gate only to find the tree nearby held a dozen monkeys all chattering at me! the girls all made it through the gate and we ran for it making it safely away without being attacked! monkey’s are not nice creatures, we’ve seen them get mean and heard stories of attacks! hence the caution we took!
its funny sometimes i feel like i’m living in the olden days, cooking over the fire and having to pump water outside to have a cold bucket shower! (when the power goes off it doesn’t take long before the water stops inside the house) when me and liz decided to clean the house we washed floors with a bucket and rags. deciding to make it more fun we put the rags on our feet and skated around wiping the floor as we went. some of the nursing students dropped by and stared at for a food few minuets before leaving. i’m sure they think we’re strange for the things we do and how we dress around our house wearing shorts and tank tops! so scandalous! (when we go out we have to wear shawl kameez (long shirt, baggy pants and a scarf))
we also have a night time guard named Beboo... he’s a funny man who doesn’t speak a word of english and thinks we understand his bangla perfectly... we nod and say our ‘hei’ and ‘nei’s’ at appropriate times and he laughs and its all good! he basically says the same thing each night wanting to make sure our door is locked and the outside light on. he loves Bed and often brings her a handful of nuts. probably cuz she’s the one who talks to him the most! but he hands her the nuts through the fence around our outside hallway and makes us feel somewhat like a caged monkey in the zoo!
i’ve been making friends and having a lot of fun! craving cheese, something i haven’t had in a while! the girls found kit kat bars at the big market and that was my first chocolate in three weeks! (record for me!) doing well and looking forward to head to Karpasdanga again next week. although its my first week not with Naomi! thanks for your prayers!
till next time...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
week thirty nine - Karpasdanga
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...
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...
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...
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