Keep Praying

Please continue to pray for the family I have mentioned. They are on their way to a larger city with a maternity hospital. Please pray that she will receive good care and have a safe delivery. Her husband has consented to go with her (apparently yesterday he went out to buy a pair of pants in preparation - the men only wear loin cloths out here)I found a picture from yesterday of a women in native dress.

More Pictures

I got some pictures off of someone else's camera and thought I'd post. Today I have felt really good. I was a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived. Don't get me wrong I've done my share of time in the developing parts of the world and can bathe in a cold shower with the best of them. But I think I was so traumatized my last months in the Phils that I walled off some areas that contained some of my deepest passions for maternal care and the 3rd world. Suddenly I realized that I'm a bit calloused and selfish and not ready to open up. I prayed (along with some friends) that God would break my heart again for the things that break his heart. I'm still a bit shy, but really working on that. I pray God continues the work in my own heart.

A view from the local village just down the road.
Some of our guests at the grand opeining:A big part of Shelly's job is to train midwives to go into the villiages. Here I'm helping her in her class on conception.
A humorous skit about signs of pregnancy including vomiting...as demonstrated by Shelly in the back.

Opening

I'd love to post a picture of the tribal dress, but its complicated to take the villagers pictures, so I'll ask around to see if someone has one. Here Shelly and the girls are wearing the dress of those living in the highlands (apparently solids are worn in the lower canyons)

Just an update on the mom I mentioned in a previous post. She will need at least 2 blood transfusions. There is no blood here or OB, so they are talking about moving her to another hospital with more facilities. Please pray that her husband will be willing to let her go.

Today was grand opening. Not many villiage women came, but local pastors and doctors made visits. This cute little guy enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs. Abby and I were playing with my camera this morning. We both agree "we look funny". She's such a trip...never a dull moment when she's around.

Opening Doors

We are preparing for the grand opening tomorrow...here are some shots of the new birth center.One of two birth beds. Notice the grab bar above the bed. Traditionally the village women go outside in the forest alone to deliver. They grab onto a tree branch and squat/hang. The bar can be lowered to the height of the woman...fabulous!
Above the windows they have portraits of families and moms with babies











Shelly and an apprentice practice a skit in the sala of the birth center. It has a full kitchen, waiting area, stove, and bathroom.

Harsh Realities

We’ve done 2 prenatals so far. Today’s patient was by far the most involved. They started walking early this morning and she came with her husband complaining of pain and that she’s never been “sick” like this with any of her other babies. While one prenatal may seem like a quick appointment in the day out in this part of the mountains it’s a bit more involved. We checked her and got her down to the hospital for more lab tests and an ultrasound.

That’s a walk to pick her up and take her to the birth center…

Prenatal with a translator from Spanish to the tribal language…

Walking to the hospital to consult with the doctora about a plan

Walking back to pick her up

Walking up to the hospital

Waiting in the waiting area with her until an available doc can do an ultrasound

Walking back to trailer where they are resting

Walking to the hospital trying to pick up lab results

Early indications are she is SEVERLY anemic (we’re talking transfusion level). It appears she may also have an infection. Her baby is in a position that will likely cause a long and painful labor. While we wait for the rest of the labs we discuss the case. This lady cannot afford to loose blood while delivering. She’s term so there is not a lot of time. She will likely refuse to stay near a hospital for care and go to a village to deliver alone. Unless there is a miracle she may become one of the numbers of women who die in this region during delivery.

So yeah, its easy to quote statistics and discuss the case, but then you look over and here is this young women in bright tribal clothing holding her little girl. This is why the World Health Organization says we need more midwives out in the field (reminding myself too). =0))

Please pray for God to intervene and blessings on the staff here who are trying to make a difference in the numbers.

O Yes, I Remember...I'm A Midwife

Night has arrived and I find myself completing some familiar practices I've missed. Just before coming to bed I wash my feet browned with dirt and make sure I have birth clothes and a hair tie in the vicinity. We almost had our first birth tonight. A nurse was brining in a mom from a village about 25 miles out. But alas, she delivered in a closer place. When the doctor told us she was on her way I thought, "that's right, I'm a midwife! (and that means ready at any moment)"

We arrived early this morning sometime after 1am. While I did sleep some on the bumpy ride here, upon waking I felt so sleepy and disoriented. The day has been slow and allowed me to take two naps. Indeed, Georgia would be pround. I toured the small hospital on the grounds here and saw Shelly’s beautiful new birth center (just awaiting the christening birth). The girls took me down to the dry creek to hike and explore.

The morning weather was mild and I found we are surrounded with mountains full of pine trees. My friends house has the huge log cabin walls...not what I expected! Apparently it is a challenge to win the trust of the people and they speak a tribal dialect (the men know some Spanish). Shelly has plans for classes, village outreaches, and births in the coming weeks so it will be interesting to see what God does.

The view outside the front door...the hospital is straight ahead and the birth center is not in view but off to the right. We don't have a surgeon that does cessarean here right now, but they have four other docs including an orthopedic surgeon.

Day 1 Rest and Digest

My plan today was to drive to the border where I'll meet my friend and ride down to the birth center. I found myself driving through a host of memories of 3 years ago when I lived in this area and would cross the border here every other week.

Most of my time in the city this evening has involved food. We had Chinese then two rounds of bowling before some frozen (what used to be called) Scoopys. I just watched Sip eat leftovers here at midnight. =0)) The bowling was quite pathetic on my end (I believe it was 34 to 114 the second game) No amount of guidance could improve my score. But you can't beat the frozen custard after and looking over to see the Taco Cabana where my family ate on Christmas Eve '96 when we were moving to Michigan.

This was a nice detour...the Serranos has provided a comfy bed so I'll be rested for the long drive tomorrow!

I Passed!

Semester 1 is officially over and I passed! Wow...I feel like sleeping in my hammock for a while. Perhaps my friends are teaching me more about balance and that perfection and a 4.0 aren't everything (while I resist ;0)) Last night I sat on a couch praying with Amber...green grass with kids from a tougher neighborhood...and then the chairs at the grocery store with friends talking about how God moves. (on a school night before a final!!!)

I leave for the birth center in just a few days...the car is in the shop so I'm here at home mentally listing things to get done. What a wild adventure God has me on...who knows where its going.

Boredom to a Whole New Level

Yesterday some of our teachers gave us study guides. That was very nice of them but 76 quite general points to study for the Pharm final and about 10 chapters of patho to study for that final didn't quite boil it down as far as I'd hoped. I'm having to strategize...while I'd like to memorize two pages of tables on skin issues it really is only going to be ONE question. I basically now that info so I'll trust its somewhere in the gyri of my brain

Back the agonists/antagoists to the alpha 1&2 and beta 1&2 receptors. Good grief!

Really the pharm final should just be the underlying thing she teaches us every week. "As a nurse you have to cover your rear end...even if the doctor, pharmacist or whoever messes it up once YOU give it you're gonna be sued...loose your license...and have wasted all this time stressing out in school"

Tales of Clinicals...Coffee...and Folk Music

I mentioned earlier I would blog a little about my clinical experience this semester. Its really hard to sum it up and I have a host of stories. What I did take away was an appreciation of the time I have as a student. I had the time to spend talking to patients, hearing their stories, and hearing their needs. There were many times I felt out of my element working with geriatric patients (instead of moms and babies), but I learned a lot!

Often my job was to do clean up. Thanks to being on heavy sedatives during my hospital stay in Asia I know how awkward it can be to be put on a bed pan or walked to the bathroom. I tried to keep the process as dignified for my patients and make sure they didn't feel they were a bother. Often these weren't my specific patient I was just helping on the floor. Over the course of the day doing various tasks and answering call lights I met some people with amazing stories. There was a woman who had owned nurseries and knew an amazing amount of info on flowers. There was a man who had made it in NYC then gone on to pastor.

I'll never forget my little elderly guy whom I told we were going to fix up. After a bath I did his hair, gave him a foot massage and got him a shave. We had him up in the chair and I told him that he sure did look dapper. He got the biggest smile. (that was a work-out) There was the women with the most horrid bed sores for which we had to care. I held her hand and tried to reassure her and explain what the team was doing during wound care.

I had my share of those labeled "difficult" patients. But I found even they had stories and often just needed someone to sit down and listen on their level. By the end of the day I was wiped out but it felt good to work hard. I know when I'm a nurse that I will likely not have this freedom with time. So, I enjoy it as a student. I got to see how messed up health care is in my own country and that was good reality check. Maybe I didn't have an "exciting" round of clinicals but I learned lessons of how to care in new ways.

Today we had our huge Pharmacology test and last official day of class before finals begin. I was out with my study group last night at 11pm downing my 4th cup of coffee and feeling wired. I spent part of the evening with Della and tried to relax about the test by watching a matinée. I now have hope that if an ogre can have super cute babies, maybe I don't need to worry that my kids will be ugly.

Tuesday night around a bonfire praying, reading, toasting smores, and listening to a group of passionate people God began to show me that He is opening my eyes to some needs of women here. It feels like an overwhelming task and I told some friends I feel that same feeling I had standing on the edge of the slums feeling so small and asking "but what can I do...I'm so small...so scared" For now I can pray and look for the daily opportunities God brings. Who knows what the future will bring.

Out with friends from church....

Cool Word

This came up on my Gmail today as the word of the day. For some reason it has a great ring to it.

bombast: pompous or pretentious speech or writing.

Still studying and smelling like smoke from the b0nfire last night.

Beautiful Disaster

Today we got out of class at noon, but our student nurse association duties kept us occupied much longer. Our summer "giving tree" for the local foster home had been a huge success...we thought. In reality it was, but as we were packing up the gift bags we realized 11 were missing and nine of those had no corresponding name on the sign-up list (where people put which number they took).

Two hours later we had inventoried and called various people to find missing bags or get donations to buy the necessary pieces. Kathy was frustrated that we are letting people who can't follow simple directions and initial near a number be in charge of taking care of patients. =0)) In the end (late afternoon) we packed Ms. A's SUV full of summer stuff for the kids. So it was worth it.

I think our omnipotent God is pretty amazing sometimes in his providence. Tonight I REALLY wanted to talk to Georgia...she might not have an earth shattering revelation, but I needed to feel like I could talk to her as in old times. =0)) But...she's up in the mountains of the Northern Philippines and I have no phone card. Amazingly we were able to exchange some emails at the same time and it was the next best thing. How cool is that!

Studying for the Pharm test...

Happy Birthday, Andrea!

Yesterday was Andrea's birthday. We celebrated with a hot dog roast at her grandma's house outside of town.





Rob & Danea
Mom & Dad
Al & Ben
Ben took this last picture and I think it just captures Andrea amazingly.

Back to the Birthroom?!?

Breaking news...looks like I'm headed south of the border to help at Shelly's birth center in June. Wow...only 4 weeks left in school!!!

An Exciting Weekend in the Plains

My blog is full of recent adventures, so I thought it was time to welcome you into the hermit/nerdy side of my life. Yesterday I spent hours making note cards, drawing pictures to remind me of properties of electrolyte imbalances and fluid distribution, and listening to taped lectures at double speed. (Thanks to David for that handy tip)

Last night I did venture out with a group of friends to our local International House of Prayer. I'd heard of the one in Kansas City, but had no idea we had a satellite one here. We were there till about 1am. Though I found myself quite restless early in the evening it turned out to be a sweet night.

Today I woke up and started studying and doing online tests for school. Save for a quick trip to Big lots for emergency salsa, that's been my weekend. Yes, the riveting life it is! My presidential duties this week including purchasing, and erecting a faux 8 ft palm tree to kick off our "giving tree" project. If we learn nothing else, at least Kathy and I come of with some corny tag lines for everything we do.

Perhaps I am suited for spinsterhood and graduate school. ;0))