February 17, 2012
What does it take to get from Arcata, California to Quang Ngai, Vietnam?
A long time.
On Friday, PST, I got a bit of a sleep in, a gift from the pets. Somehow they decided it would be OK to eat an hour after the sun came up instead of an hour before. I needed that.
Finished packing, cleaning, dropped off Ollie the cat at my parents, and give Chuck a tour of the house and the neighborhood. He has generously offered to dog sit. He doesn't know yet how generous an offer he has made, but Pepper will soon put him to the test... ;o)
3pm into the car, off to the airport, bag check and security clearance. Herded onto the flight. Offload at SFO; I got here more than six hours before my next flight, so had to get my bag back and tote it around. I guess I am glad about that; less chance it could disappear and it is packed full of medical gear. I was entertained by the salesperson at the Brookstone store in the international terminal with a wireless helicopter. He sent it over to scout me out, but I guess I didn't look like I needed rescue yet, so it flew away.
9pm met up with the small team and 28 huge cartons of medical supplies, monitors, anesthesia vaporizers, drugs and equipment. We gave our passports and checked in ourselves, our personal bags, and our mountain of stuff.
The flight to Taipei left at midnight, 14 hours duration (crossing the International Dateline). The plane was a 747-400, which had a 3-4-3 seating configuration, with about 300 people in economy - FULL. The aisle was like a one-lane bridge - if someone started walking my way, I had to back up to let him by. There was a team of well-orchestrated infants who handed off the baton throughout the night, guaranteeing rarely-interrupted atonal serenades. Packed in like sardines, the options for sleep positions were within 2 dimensions - up, slouched, or down - nothing sideways. My row was like a Rube Goldberg machine - I slouched, moved my leg and the lady next to me popped her head up from her table, and then the guy on the aisle swung his arms out and smacked the flight attendant. But EVA air flight attendants took care of everyone with grace and poise, a welcomed courtesy.
We landed a bit late in Taipei, so had 20 minutes to run through security and to our connection gate. We were escorted by a nice EVA agent and all made it fine. The plane stayed on the ground for quite a bit longer, presumably to be loaded with our many boxes and bags. Our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) was 3 1/2 hours and uneventful. We had to apply for VISAs at the airport, which took some time, then clear customs and get our baggage cleared as well. This can be a painful process with this much equipment, depending upon the level of suspicion of the agents working at the time. Luckily this time went very smoothly.
After an hour wait, we took the bags to the domestic carrier for our next leg. We left our things and went to lunch in town with Hien. It became quite an outing; we also stopped for coffee and then walked back to the domestic terminal. We found a spot with WiFi and everyone dived onto their computers and phones to connect with home. No Facebook though; too much potential trouble for the government. Oh well!
We left HCMC for Da Nang 8 hours after our arrival; about a 1 hour flight. Gathered everyone, bags and boxes together for transport to Quang Ngai; a bus for the group and a truck for the boxes. I was about a 2 1/2 hour ride down the coast from Da Nang, but unfortunately in the dark. We arrived in Quang Ngai Sunday night about 11pm local time, waited for the bus with our bags, and got to bed to rest for clinics and operating room set up Monday. Amazingly, our travel went as planned - no delays, cancellations, misunderstandings, and all our bags and boxes are here.
Internet here is spotty, and slow at night, but I'll do my best to get photos up as they are generated. For today, it's been mostly the inside of transportation vehicles and cloudy skies anyway...
Total time? 42 hours. Good Vietnamese coffee - 30,000 VN Dong. Bed with clean sheets - priceless.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Team meeting
One of the strong suits of Resurge is communication and their good organizing skills. Before each trip, the team has a conference call. Part of it is scripted and read by each chief, bringing us all up to the same expectations for each aspect of our work. It also gives us a chance to "meet" one another and share some information about our pasts. Our call went well and everyone seems excited to begin.
The unique partial-team model of this trip will be a challenge. The familiar aspect is that we are bringing information, organization, and teaching from our part of the globe to initiate very specific care for those who need it. The difficult part is to do so while maintaining equity among all members of an multinational team. We want to be sure everyone is working at the same level and with the same set of rules to maintain the standards and expectations of Resurge and its donors, yet respect the abilities and gifts brought to the table by our Vietnamese colleagues. We have all made these volunteer trips before, and it would be easy to fall into our usual mode and just get to work. But we must resist and take the time to share, even if it slows us up. It will not only be about how many cases we can do and patients we can help, but also about how many connections we can make and relationships we can foster among our new colleagues. I am excited by this opportunity to be a useful consultant where I can, a tactful facilitator when necessary, and at all times a grateful and humble guest.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."
Isaac Newton
The unique partial-team model of this trip will be a challenge. The familiar aspect is that we are bringing information, organization, and teaching from our part of the globe to initiate very specific care for those who need it. The difficult part is to do so while maintaining equity among all members of an multinational team. We want to be sure everyone is working at the same level and with the same set of rules to maintain the standards and expectations of Resurge and its donors, yet respect the abilities and gifts brought to the table by our Vietnamese colleagues. We have all made these volunteer trips before, and it would be easy to fall into our usual mode and just get to work. But we must resist and take the time to share, even if it slows us up. It will not only be about how many cases we can do and patients we can help, but also about how many connections we can make and relationships we can foster among our new colleagues. I am excited by this opportunity to be a useful consultant where I can, a tactful facilitator when necessary, and at all times a grateful and humble guest.
"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."
Isaac Newton
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Vietnam and area
I love going to Vietnam. It has many features that make it feel like a Pacific Island, yet exotic features (to me as a Westerner) that feel more Asian.
Many spell the name Viet Nam, but it is more commonly one word, one capital letter: Vietnam. This is a small country that wraps around the coast of the Southeast peninsula of Indochina, surrounded clockwise by the East Sea (South China Sea), Cambodia, Laos, and China.
With a population of about 91 million squeezed into a land mass about the size of New Mexico, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. It is a little longer than California, but skinny coastline for the most part. The density of the population is about 672 per square mile, compared to 84 in U.S. You could get the same density by moving everyone in California into Kentucky!
Vietnam has a rich cultural history of over 20,000 years. In modern history, it has been occupied and colonized by many countries, most recently France and Japan. After WWII, political upheaval put an end to the monarchy and Vietnam became a republic. Most memorable to Americans is the Vietnam war, which divided our country as it ravaged theirs. The US withdrew in 1973, and Saigon in the South (now Ho Chi Minh City) fell to the Communists in 1975. In 1976, the country became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. There were about 3 million Vietnamese dead and 4 million injured in this war, as well as about 1 million who fled the country after the take-over. US losses were great with over 200,000 dead or injured, but the losses to Vietnam were huge.
I am surprised at the youthfulness of the population; in fact almost 1/2 the population are teenagers or younger. Not many people are left who even remember the war, although stories abound that they are willing to share. The history aside, these people are warm, friendly, kind and generous.
Most developing countries give priority to basic health care for most people, eradicating infectious and parasitic diseases, and promoting family planning. When someone has a scar or birth defect that renders him or her abnormal in appearance or function, it is not usually treated, as it is not life threatening and the numbers afflicted are overwhelming. But in reality the impact upon the person's life is enormous, as that child or adult is often ostracized as possessed or evil, even being sequestered outside with the animals. Procedures we take for granted are simply not widely available.
Resurge makes an effort to set up two-week clinics in various parts of the world, integrating as many local health providers as possible to partner in the delivery of plastic reconstructive surgery to those without access to such care. This trip is a new model with only section chiefs being sent, with Vietnamese nationals filling in the gaps. Where there is usually a U.S. team of 16 or so, our group is a surgeon, anesthesiologist, two nurses, pediatrician, and translator. The rest of the team will be Vietnamese and will join us there.
Our specific site for this trip is Quang Ngai. Quang Ngai is in Quang Ngai Province, which is almost exactly in the middle of the Eastern coastline of Vietnam. About 100 miles south of Da Nang, it was a stronghold of the Vietcong during the war, and was the site of several massacres, including My Lai in 1968. It is a poor province, with mostly farming of rice, sugar, coconuts, and peanuts; as well as cattle, fishing, and some light industry.
Many spell the name Viet Nam, but it is more commonly one word, one capital letter: Vietnam. This is a small country that wraps around the coast of the Southeast peninsula of Indochina, surrounded clockwise by the East Sea (South China Sea), Cambodia, Laos, and China.
With a population of about 91 million squeezed into a land mass about the size of New Mexico, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. It is a little longer than California, but skinny coastline for the most part. The density of the population is about 672 per square mile, compared to 84 in U.S. You could get the same density by moving everyone in California into Kentucky!
Vietnam has a rich cultural history of over 20,000 years. In modern history, it has been occupied and colonized by many countries, most recently France and Japan. After WWII, political upheaval put an end to the monarchy and Vietnam became a republic. Most memorable to Americans is the Vietnam war, which divided our country as it ravaged theirs. The US withdrew in 1973, and Saigon in the South (now Ho Chi Minh City) fell to the Communists in 1975. In 1976, the country became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. There were about 3 million Vietnamese dead and 4 million injured in this war, as well as about 1 million who fled the country after the take-over. US losses were great with over 200,000 dead or injured, but the losses to Vietnam were huge.
I am surprised at the youthfulness of the population; in fact almost 1/2 the population are teenagers or younger. Not many people are left who even remember the war, although stories abound that they are willing to share. The history aside, these people are warm, friendly, kind and generous.
Most developing countries give priority to basic health care for most people, eradicating infectious and parasitic diseases, and promoting family planning. When someone has a scar or birth defect that renders him or her abnormal in appearance or function, it is not usually treated, as it is not life threatening and the numbers afflicted are overwhelming. But in reality the impact upon the person's life is enormous, as that child or adult is often ostracized as possessed or evil, even being sequestered outside with the animals. Procedures we take for granted are simply not widely available.
Resurge makes an effort to set up two-week clinics in various parts of the world, integrating as many local health providers as possible to partner in the delivery of plastic reconstructive surgery to those without access to such care. This trip is a new model with only section chiefs being sent, with Vietnamese nationals filling in the gaps. Where there is usually a U.S. team of 16 or so, our group is a surgeon, anesthesiologist, two nurses, pediatrician, and translator. The rest of the team will be Vietnamese and will join us there.
Our specific site for this trip is Quang Ngai. Quang Ngai is in Quang Ngai Province, which is almost exactly in the middle of the Eastern coastline of Vietnam. About 100 miles south of Da Nang, it was a stronghold of the Vietcong during the war, and was the site of several massacres, including My Lai in 1968. It is a poor province, with mostly farming of rice, sugar, coconuts, and peanuts; as well as cattle, fishing, and some light industry.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Quang Ngai,Vietnam Resurge 2012
January 28, 2012
This is a return trip for Resurge (formerly Interplast) to this location. However, this time the team size is much reduced, with the expectation that there will be Vietnamese doctors and nurses who will join our team at the site. This is a new model for Resurge, and it will be interesting to see how well we can make it work.
At this point I am making arrangements for my dog Pepper (thanks, Chuck), my cat Oliver (thanks, Camp MacEvoy), and getting myself slowly packed. It is not too difficult to get everything ready to go, but I like to check a couple of weeks early to be sure I am not missing something essential - like valid passport!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Bamako, Mali 10/07/2010
The trek home...
The OR boxes were picked up in trucks. Everyone packed and moved into two rooms - mine and Deb's large room for the women, and Jacques and Richard's room for the men. Pam and Barbara stayed in their room, and Kristin alreadly left last night, so it was not too crowded.
After relocating, we all had to get our bags packed and downstairs to get weighed and loaded to take to Air France in town. We rode taxis to Air France to get our bags checked in. Those of us going to SFO had to check in our own bag and 2 of the large OR boxes. Everyone else checked in their own bags.
There were many last minute jaunts - to the museum, to the river, to the market. Several of our co-workers from the hospital came by the hotel to say goodbye. Most of us had dinner at the bar, final packing, and then onto the hotel shuttle at 7:45 pm. Last minute forgotten items, jumping on and off the bus, and then off to the airport. Still much lightening all around, and very slow traffic.
The airport was a-buzz, as usual. Oumar met us all their and said his goodbyes, as did Jacques, who will be staying for another week with Pam.
Since rebuilding a new airport, the many shops that were there with local music and items were gone, replaced with duty free, perfumes, and expensive import items. Too bad! We got our iPods out, put on our ted hose, drank the last of our water, and fine-tuned for the long trip.
We were finally all herded downstairs to another security point, the piled into an Air France bus. This sat for a long time with the motor running (diesel fumes) in the humid heat, and after about 1/2 an hour, it was getting very uncomfortable. Finally the bus pulled ahead, made a u-turn, and stopped at the plane, which was about 100 feet away. Ridiculous! One poor woman had to step aside on the tarmac and got sick to her stomach. It was quite a scene.
We left at 10:45 pm for Paris. It was interesting to look out the window and see how Bamako ends and then it is dark in all directions. Not a light anywhere!
Five hour flight to Paris, which was very empty, then a long layover for most of us. Barbara left to get the Chunnel to London, and Deb had a gate remote from the rest of us, so we lost her too.
The remaining nine of us moved on to the gate area, got some breakfast, and took naps. Marion found a center piece at the cafeteria that suited her nicely.
Richard left for NY, and Scott went on to Boston. The SFO Seven got on an Air France flight that was PACKED and left late. Ten fatiguing hours later we were spit out at SFO, over two hours late. That left Marion and I late for our flights, so we grabbed our bags and ran. I don't know how things fared for Marianne, but I missed my flight. While I was in line, Sarah showed up - she had missed hers too. I got booked onto a 7 pm flight.
Finally I got to the gate, got on an earlier flight as the last standby, and my bag made it too. When I got home, the door opened, and the misty, cool, and sweet air of the redwood forests by the sea greeted me. I closed my eyes and drank it in and my journey had ended. I was met by my son and my parents, and we had a meal of Chinese food - salad, tofu, and greens. YUM! I finally got to see my dog and cat - a very furry and kissy reunion.
Then I had that feeling - it was over so fast! Did it even happen? The dream-like state of memories. I hope these musings and photos will help us remember the time, energy, and gratification of what we get to do, and the many people who came as patients to give us that privilege. Looking forward to the next trip, but this team really raised the bar and will be a tough act to follow. Thank you all!
The OR boxes were picked up in trucks. Everyone packed and moved into two rooms - mine and Deb's large room for the women, and Jacques and Richard's room for the men. Pam and Barbara stayed in their room, and Kristin alreadly left last night, so it was not too crowded.
After relocating, we all had to get our bags packed and downstairs to get weighed and loaded to take to Air France in town. We rode taxis to Air France to get our bags checked in. Those of us going to SFO had to check in our own bag and 2 of the large OR boxes. Everyone else checked in their own bags.
There were many last minute jaunts - to the museum, to the river, to the market. Several of our co-workers from the hospital came by the hotel to say goodbye. Most of us had dinner at the bar, final packing, and then onto the hotel shuttle at 7:45 pm. Last minute forgotten items, jumping on and off the bus, and then off to the airport. Still much lightening all around, and very slow traffic.
The airport was a-buzz, as usual. Oumar met us all their and said his goodbyes, as did Jacques, who will be staying for another week with Pam.
Since rebuilding a new airport, the many shops that were there with local music and items were gone, replaced with duty free, perfumes, and expensive import items. Too bad! We got our iPods out, put on our ted hose, drank the last of our water, and fine-tuned for the long trip.
We were finally all herded downstairs to another security point, the piled into an Air France bus. This sat for a long time with the motor running (diesel fumes) in the humid heat, and after about 1/2 an hour, it was getting very uncomfortable. Finally the bus pulled ahead, made a u-turn, and stopped at the plane, which was about 100 feet away. Ridiculous! One poor woman had to step aside on the tarmac and got sick to her stomach. It was quite a scene.
We left at 10:45 pm for Paris. It was interesting to look out the window and see how Bamako ends and then it is dark in all directions. Not a light anywhere!
Five hour flight to Paris, which was very empty, then a long layover for most of us. Barbara left to get the Chunnel to London, and Deb had a gate remote from the rest of us, so we lost her too.
The remaining nine of us moved on to the gate area, got some breakfast, and took naps. Marion found a center piece at the cafeteria that suited her nicely.
Richard left for NY, and Scott went on to Boston. The SFO Seven got on an Air France flight that was PACKED and left late. Ten fatiguing hours later we were spit out at SFO, over two hours late. That left Marion and I late for our flights, so we grabbed our bags and ran. I don't know how things fared for Marianne, but I missed my flight. While I was in line, Sarah showed up - she had missed hers too. I got booked onto a 7 pm flight.
Finally I got to the gate, got on an earlier flight as the last standby, and my bag made it too. When I got home, the door opened, and the misty, cool, and sweet air of the redwood forests by the sea greeted me. I closed my eyes and drank it in and my journey had ended. I was met by my son and my parents, and we had a meal of Chinese food - salad, tofu, and greens. YUM! I finally got to see my dog and cat - a very furry and kissy reunion.
Then I had that feeling - it was over so fast! Did it even happen? The dream-like state of memories. I hope these musings and photos will help us remember the time, energy, and gratification of what we get to do, and the many people who came as patients to give us that privilege. Looking forward to the next trip, but this team really raised the bar and will be a tough act to follow. Thank you all!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Bamako, Mali 10/06/2010
Our last day. A few simple patients, packing up, banquet, and goodbyes to our hosts.
For our last day, we had a few "simple" patients that we feel comfortable leaving after their surgery. Two were cleft lips, one was a finger release, and as one of our surgeons got sick, she is taking down time and we canceled a couple of cases. Two patients needed dressing changes, and then we began to close down.
Pam will stay for another week and do dressing changes. She is our hand therapy specialist and has had several patients of her own that were not surgical, as well as forming the splints and care plans for some of the hand surgery patients. This young patient is a few days post-op and is having her dressing changed and wounds checked.
Pam and Moussah at work. Moussah became essential to our work, helping with instruments, getting oxygen, cleaning up, and running errands. I like that this photo has a glow around him; he does have an aura about him!
The young patient who was having her dressing changed was there with her mother, who was covered in a black burka with only a slit for the eyes. I did not notice her for quite awhile; she was both quiet and nearly invisible with her total covering. It really seemed like the burka put her in stealth mode. I felt bad to have not spoken to her while talking to her child. I was truly astonished at how unnoticeable it made her.
There have been alerts regarding increased terrorist concerns in Europe, and supposedly it has been in part caused by the ban on burkas in France. If a woman wears a burka in public, covering her face, she will be fined 150 Euros. If a man is found to have forced a woman to cover her face, he will be fined 30,000 and a jail term. There seems to be much support for this across Europe; we'll see where it all goes. Supposedly in an attempt to protect women, but what about religious freedom? Very complicated.
This is a photo of the child's leg that had an abscess down to bone and needed a gastrocnemius (calf muscle) graft. It is healing very nicely.
Adios, Bamako!
Our great circulators Sarah and Marion kept the autoclaves humming, and organized most of the pack-up, among other feats of nursing amazement.
The ORs have been broken down, the patients have been safely tucked away, and now to our thank-you banquet. This is a photo of our pediatrician, Scott, and our hand therapist, Pam.
Recovery nurses Vickie and Lorry.
Roommates nurse Sara and coordinator Manon.
Wisconsin anesthesiologist Deb and surgery fellow Richard.
Richard and other surgeon Kristin (Barbara still recovering).
Coordinator extraordinaire Jacques!
Certificate awards for our helpers.
Anesthesia team: Deb, Diede' (local resident), Bonnie, and Steve.
Oumar and Bonnie, after his recognition.
The friendly guard at the gate, seeing us out.
Several of us went to La Terrasse afterwards and continued to visit. Lightning all around, but no rain. The air felt wonderful and cool.
The guys - Scott, Steve, and Jacques (missing Richard).
Anesthesia team again: Bonnie, Steve, Deb.
For our last day, we had a few "simple" patients that we feel comfortable leaving after their surgery. Two were cleft lips, one was a finger release, and as one of our surgeons got sick, she is taking down time and we canceled a couple of cases. Two patients needed dressing changes, and then we began to close down.
Pam will stay for another week and do dressing changes. She is our hand therapy specialist and has had several patients of her own that were not surgical, as well as forming the splints and care plans for some of the hand surgery patients. This young patient is a few days post-op and is having her dressing changed and wounds checked.
Pam and Moussah at work. Moussah became essential to our work, helping with instruments, getting oxygen, cleaning up, and running errands. I like that this photo has a glow around him; he does have an aura about him!
The young patient who was having her dressing changed was there with her mother, who was covered in a black burka with only a slit for the eyes. I did not notice her for quite awhile; she was both quiet and nearly invisible with her total covering. It really seemed like the burka put her in stealth mode. I felt bad to have not spoken to her while talking to her child. I was truly astonished at how unnoticeable it made her.
There have been alerts regarding increased terrorist concerns in Europe, and supposedly it has been in part caused by the ban on burkas in France. If a woman wears a burka in public, covering her face, she will be fined 150 Euros. If a man is found to have forced a woman to cover her face, he will be fined 30,000 and a jail term. There seems to be much support for this across Europe; we'll see where it all goes. Supposedly in an attempt to protect women, but what about religious freedom? Very complicated.
This is a photo of the child's leg that had an abscess down to bone and needed a gastrocnemius (calf muscle) graft. It is healing very nicely.
Adios, Bamako!
Our great circulators Sarah and Marion kept the autoclaves humming, and organized most of the pack-up, among other feats of nursing amazement.
The ORs have been broken down, the patients have been safely tucked away, and now to our thank-you banquet. This is a photo of our pediatrician, Scott, and our hand therapist, Pam.
Recovery nurses Vickie and Lorry.
Roommates nurse Sara and coordinator Manon.
Wisconsin anesthesiologist Deb and surgery fellow Richard.
Richard and other surgeon Kristin (Barbara still recovering).
Coordinator extraordinaire Jacques!
Certificate awards for our helpers.
Anesthesia team: Deb, Diede' (local resident), Bonnie, and Steve.
Oumar and Bonnie, after his recognition.
The friendly guard at the gate, seeing us out.
Several of us went to La Terrasse afterwards and continued to visit. Lightning all around, but no rain. The air felt wonderful and cool.
The guys - Scott, Steve, and Jacques (missing Richard).
Anesthesia team again: Bonnie, Steve, Deb.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Bamako, Mali 10/05/2010
Long day, but a good one.
Everyone changes in the morning in various places, and today all the women were to be found in the supply room. I could not pass on a "girl shot"; Deb (anesthesia), Kristin (surgery), Manon (coordinator), Sarah (nursing), Pam (hand therapy), Marion (nursing), and Barbara (surgery), with me (Bonnie, anesthesia) down in front. Missing are our two PACU nurses, Lorry and Vickie. There is not much luxury to these trips, and we all share and cohabitate like a big camping trip. Usually two persons to a room, and a chance to get to know another team member that much better by sharing hotel space.
]
We have all noticed how stoic and brave these children are. They do not seem any less afraid than other children, and some do throw a total fit when we take them back (all done without sedation), but many others swallow their fear and hold it in, possibly betrayed only by a small tear, a trembling lip, or a shake. Imagine how it must feel to be taken away from one's family by people you have never met, can't understand, and all you may know is that something is going to be done that will probably hurt.
We try to anticipate the supplies we will need and bring what will be used. The patients who are finally signed up may or may not fit with the exact packing for the trip. Some things run out, and other in excess may either be left or returned, as are the "hard" items like monitors, suction, and surgical tools. We had so many local trainees come to help, watch, and assist that we ran out of gloves and had to ask them to bring their own. Manon, in her own sweet way, made a note to request everyone please bring their own supplies if they want to scrub and watch.
This little boy came back for a dressing change, and it was determined that he had to come back for a cleaning and some repair under anesthesia. He had not eaten or had anything to drink, so he was ready to go. Unfortunately, a break in cases did not come for him for about five more hours. During this time, his father sat in the entryway with his son on his lap. His son fell asleep, and the man did not move, not taking a break or getting water.
A while later, after a few hours had passed and the little boy had wakened, the boy was sitting on the floor coloring and the father still waited. I offered to sit with the boy if the father would take a break and go for a walk to get a drink and a rest. He reluctantly agreed, saying the boy did not like to be with anyone else. I insisted, sat down with the crayons and the boy, and the father finally ambled off.
After about five minutes, the jig was up and the boy began to look around and started to cry. I tried and tried to distract him, make faces, and get him to smile, but only made things worse. Luckily, at about this time, Oumar walked in and saved the day. He scooped the boy up, swung him around, and made little noises that comforted the boy. As I caught this photo, Oumar looked askance at me as if to say, "How am I doing?" Great, Oumar, perfect.
The father returned, the patient was eventually done, and all worked out well. Meanwhile, I noticed this adorable little girl, twirling and running about. As soon as I came out and looked, she crouched and got very suspicious. Turned out she was one of our next patients, and knew it would soon be her turn.
Comic relief: her brother got into the act. Not about to be outdone by her sister, he came over for a photo too. He seemed to be enjoying the whole scene, especially since he was not in line for surgery!
As if two such gremlins aren't enough of a handful, the mother turned around and here was this little face. Nestled safely next to his mom's back, he had the same engaging grin as his brother, then became very intent when he saw the camera.
Now sister is inside being readied to go, and the suspicion is back. Luckily Chuck has placed her on his lap, mama is nearby laughing, and her look says it all. She sees me in my scrub suit and funny hat and she knows I mean trouble.
Finally the day is done and we all crowd into a great Thai restaurant, owned by a Belgian man and his Thai wife. These meals are very restorative, giving us time to decompress, relax, and close the day. What a great team!
Everyone changes in the morning in various places, and today all the women were to be found in the supply room. I could not pass on a "girl shot"; Deb (anesthesia), Kristin (surgery), Manon (coordinator), Sarah (nursing), Pam (hand therapy), Marion (nursing), and Barbara (surgery), with me (Bonnie, anesthesia) down in front. Missing are our two PACU nurses, Lorry and Vickie. There is not much luxury to these trips, and we all share and cohabitate like a big camping trip. Usually two persons to a room, and a chance to get to know another team member that much better by sharing hotel space.
]We have all noticed how stoic and brave these children are. They do not seem any less afraid than other children, and some do throw a total fit when we take them back (all done without sedation), but many others swallow their fear and hold it in, possibly betrayed only by a small tear, a trembling lip, or a shake. Imagine how it must feel to be taken away from one's family by people you have never met, can't understand, and all you may know is that something is going to be done that will probably hurt.
We try to anticipate the supplies we will need and bring what will be used. The patients who are finally signed up may or may not fit with the exact packing for the trip. Some things run out, and other in excess may either be left or returned, as are the "hard" items like monitors, suction, and surgical tools. We had so many local trainees come to help, watch, and assist that we ran out of gloves and had to ask them to bring their own. Manon, in her own sweet way, made a note to request everyone please bring their own supplies if they want to scrub and watch.
This little boy came back for a dressing change, and it was determined that he had to come back for a cleaning and some repair under anesthesia. He had not eaten or had anything to drink, so he was ready to go. Unfortunately, a break in cases did not come for him for about five more hours. During this time, his father sat in the entryway with his son on his lap. His son fell asleep, and the man did not move, not taking a break or getting water.
A while later, after a few hours had passed and the little boy had wakened, the boy was sitting on the floor coloring and the father still waited. I offered to sit with the boy if the father would take a break and go for a walk to get a drink and a rest. He reluctantly agreed, saying the boy did not like to be with anyone else. I insisted, sat down with the crayons and the boy, and the father finally ambled off.
After about five minutes, the jig was up and the boy began to look around and started to cry. I tried and tried to distract him, make faces, and get him to smile, but only made things worse. Luckily, at about this time, Oumar walked in and saved the day. He scooped the boy up, swung him around, and made little noises that comforted the boy. As I caught this photo, Oumar looked askance at me as if to say, "How am I doing?" Great, Oumar, perfect.
The father returned, the patient was eventually done, and all worked out well. Meanwhile, I noticed this adorable little girl, twirling and running about. As soon as I came out and looked, she crouched and got very suspicious. Turned out she was one of our next patients, and knew it would soon be her turn.
Comic relief: her brother got into the act. Not about to be outdone by her sister, he came over for a photo too. He seemed to be enjoying the whole scene, especially since he was not in line for surgery!
As if two such gremlins aren't enough of a handful, the mother turned around and here was this little face. Nestled safely next to his mom's back, he had the same engaging grin as his brother, then became very intent when he saw the camera.
Now sister is inside being readied to go, and the suspicion is back. Luckily Chuck has placed her on his lap, mama is nearby laughing, and her look says it all. She sees me in my scrub suit and funny hat and she knows I mean trouble.
Finally the day is done and we all crowd into a great Thai restaurant, owned by a Belgian man and his Thai wife. These meals are very restorative, giving us time to decompress, relax, and close the day. What a great team!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)