Favorite things

These are a few of my favorite things...

Picnics A group of nurses had a picnic one Saturday afternoon, complete with snacks, games and music. Oh and of course, what picnic is complete without watching two peacocks chase a leashed peahen?  Stepping off the streets of Conakry to this bizarre park felt a little like I imagine Alice felt when falling into the rabbits hole.  I love this posed picture of the ladies in front of... a replica of the Alamo?

The Hope Center This is a picture of some of the A Ward nurses and two of our previous patients at the Hope Center. It is a place for patients to stay after discharge to recover from surgery, before going home.  I love going there to play games and just visit with the patients.

 

Sunsets The sunsets are unbelievable.  This is Kassa Island, I'll tell you about it some day.

  

 Hasanatu This is my friend Hasanatu. She had a very large tumor removed a number of months ago, and I met her at the Hope Center in January.  She returned to the ship for another surgery to put a muscle flap from her shoulder over the bone in her jaw. Taking care of Hasanatu reminds me of working at home on Neuro.  The reason she reminds me of D6/4 and the reason I am making this goofy face, is that she insisted I sit on her lap for this photo!  She might have a little bit of dementia and at times confusion, but she also has an amazing personality, lots of love to share and sense of humor!

Repeat Patients It is such a blessing to get to know patients and families, especially when they return for follow up treatments and surgeries.  This little girl was my patient in my first month on the ship, and returned this week for surgery.  She was quite the snuggler, once she got over the initial fear/ curiosity of a white person holding her. 

Friends/ Co-workers/ Bunk-mates Today I said goodbye to my latest bunk mate, Kristy.  She's from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  It stinks to say goodbye, but I have a feeling we'll see each other again someday. 

Living on a Ship One of my favorite things to do is sit on Deck 7 and watch the ships and fishing boats come in.  I can't believe I get to live on a ship in Conakry, Guinea.  I am such a lucky girl to be working and living here!  I just wanted to say thank you to all of my friends and family for your continued prayers and support. You have all helped make this dream come true for me.

Struggle

A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of a woman named Tené…  She came to the ship for plastic surgery because her hand was quite deformed and her neck was contracted causing her chin to be attached to her chest.  The other night she told me, through a translator, her story: 

“When I was three days old, I was burned by an oil lamp.  My mother was sleeping so she didn’t know that my face was on fire.  The whole family thought I would die.  They kept a pot on the fire so that they would be ready to wash my body and bury me.  After ten days, I had my first bowel movement, and my family celebrated!  They were so happy that I would live. 

I grew up and learned to walk. I was able to work.  I even had children.  I didn’t realize how much I struggled, how much my family struggled until after I had the surgery.  My whole life, I have looked at the ground.  Now I can see your face and look in your eyes.  I didn’t realize that I was struggling, but now I see that I was.” 

On the Africa Mercy, we take care of patients who know hardship, who have felt pain.  They have lived in poverty; they have worked in the trash filled streets of Conakry.  They have been mocked and disgraced for a deformity.  They have lived with the constant dribble of urine down their legs, the smell and the shame.  They have lost children.  They have been told that they are demon possessed and cursed.  They have been banished from their homes or chosen to live far away from others, secluded.  In some cases, their whole life has been a struggle. 

I have suffered too.  I have grieved the deaths of friends and family, I have mourned relationships; I have been told some hurtful things.  I won’t pretend to know what it is like to suffer the way some of my patients have.  However, I can relate, in a small way because I have suffered.  Haven’t we all?  And when we’re hurt and broken, we have a series of choices.  Will we let the struggle define us?  Will we endure the pain that the world inflicts and believe the hurtful things we are told?  Will we play the victim- wallowing in our suffering and becoming immobilized?  For Tené, the answer was no.  She lived her life, not letting her injuries stop her.  I think Tené's story is remarkable because she lived in such an unforgiving body, never allowing her to lift her head. Although her family begged her not to come for the surgery because they feared she would die, she came anyway. 

All of the nurses that have worked with Tené have noticed a change.  When she was admitted to the hospital, she was timid and quiet, probably afraid and overwhelmed by her surroundings.  Post-op, she was in a lot of pain.  As these issues have subsided, it's been amazing to see Tené come out of her shell.  She is downright joyful!  She teases the other patients, holds the babies, laughs with other patient’s family members and is often found chatting in the hall with dayworkers.  Tené greets you in a way that makes you feel special.  She wants to share her story with people. 

Aren’t you inspired by Tené?  Her life was marked by hardship, but she pressed on.  Despite a tough start, God blessed her with a family and a life.  I think it’s important to share that God is good, even when His people are suffering. In my life, I have been inspired most by people who are willing to open up and share their struggle with me. 

Paul is a good example of sharing his struggle.  He writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But he (God) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  Paul recognizes that he is not the victim of his circumstances.  Paul knows that weakness can be powerful. It can shape a person and bring them closer to God.  He puts his pride aside and boasts in his weakness.  Paul is not afraid to share his hardships, and as a result, it is an encouragement to others.   

Mark Batterson, in his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day writes: “If you don’t turn your adversity into a ministry, then your pain remains your pain.  But if you allow God to translate you adversity into a ministry, then your pain becomes someone else’s gain... the more problems you have, the more potential you have to help people.” 

I don’t know if I will ever ‘delight in difficulties’ as Paul does.  But, I want to make an effort to share my past struggles and difficulties with the people in my life.  Instead of being pretending that life is perfect, I want to be an open book.  I want to share with friends and family how God has shaped me and blessed me through times of weakness, pain and a broken heart.  I want to urge you too.  Like Tené, share your story, it might be worth more than you think.

I can't wait to see Tené without the bandages!

Thoughts about this week

I would like to present my random, scattered thoughts from the week:

“Kylie” is clearly not an African name.  Sometimes patients and their families try so hard to pronounce my name, it looks like it hurts.  So I’ve learned to respond to Kah-ree, Keeree, Keelee and Tante (meaning auntie), kissy sounds (not disrespectful on the wards, just a noise to get your attention) and snapping fingers (again, not terribly rude).  I take no offence to these various names because I’m probably butchering their names too. 

I am so inspired by the spirit of the people I get to meet here.  Every week there are opportunities to get involved in Mercy Ministries; it’s an awesome way for crew members to interact with the community.  A Land Rover full of people go for a morning or afternoon to a prison, an orphanage, a hospital or a school, spending time with people and loving on them.  Last week, I visited the pediatric ward of a local hospital.  I felt so sad to see the lack of resources there, but the spirit of the children and their families is incredible.  The mamas were sharing their food with one another and the children mustered the strength to play, even when they didn't look very well.  This week I went to Lazare’s Orphanage.  A Guinean man, Lazare, and his wife support the orphanage.  We visited in the morning, so while the older children were in school, we got to spend time with the little ones.  Just like kids everywhere, they just want to play and snuggle.  I really enjoyed spending time with a little girl who appears to have Cerebral Palsy.  She is learning to walk with an itty bitty walker and has quite the spirit.  I was helping her ride around on a tricycle and when another boy took it and rode off, she chased him.  Although she doesn’t have the motor coordination like the other kids, she set her mind to catching him and did it, step by step.  As you can imagine, I received way more from the kids than I could’ve possibly given. 

There is a card game called “American.” Most of the patients know how to play the game and its pretty fun.  In fact, I played it with some patients for an hour and a half at the Hope Center early in the week.  The funny thing is, I have yet to find an American that has ever played it before coming here.

Living and working with people from around the world, my use of the English language has changed.  I’ve learned to enjoy “a wee cuppa tea” and have been caught describing things in “heaps.”  Sometimes on the ward, I use very basic English to communicate with patients who either speak Krio (a language similar to English) or know “small small English”.  For example, I might ask, “You poo today?” or say, “You walka walka in hall.”  Of course these phrases are complete with hand motions (you can only imagine) and typically patients know what I’m talking about. 

My French sucks. Just when I think my French is improving, I am reminded that it is not.  The other day, a patient asked me a question, and feeling very proud of myself for mastering a few French words, I brought him a fresh glass of water.  He was grateful, but still wanted to know what time it was.  Of course the whole scene was witnessed by a day worker, a chaplain and two other patients... we all had a good laugh! 

Goodbyes also suck. There are some amazing people on this ship, and when they leave, it really stinks.    While I hate to say goodbye, I have some wonderful new friends.   

I don’t appreciate what I have been given.  Last Sunday I went to God is Hope Church with some friends and a couple from Ghana who have worked for Mercy Ships for over 16 years.  The church supports an orphanage, and the service is held in a classroom that is part of the orphanage.  The service was lovely, lots of singing, praising God and preaching.  There were about 50-60 people in attendance and the pastor introduced 8 members that had been baptized the day before.  In the beginning of the service, the pastor was pleased to show the congregation the newest part of the church.  He asked two members to come to the front and with a bit of a dramatic flair, they pulled off a white sheet to display two new stands for offerings.  They were square boxes, made of plywood with legs, and painted red.  A piece of computer paper was taped to each, noting which fund the offerings boxes would go toward.  To my eyes, they were unfinished and nothing special.  To the pastor’s eyes, they were a total blessing from God.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Clearly, the congregation is thankful to God in all circumstances.  They recognize what He has given them as a blessing.  Sometimes I have my blinders on, not realizing when God blesses me.  And man, God has blessed my short life.  Those stupid offering boxes have been on my mind all week, and are serving as a reminder to ‘give thanks in all circumstances.’  I pray that I can bring that attitude of thanksgiving and appreciation into the upcoming weeks.

It was a good week!  There is so much to learn and so many opportunities to get to know incredible people.  I love it.  Right now, I am working four night shifts and then hopefully I’ll be taking a little overnight trip with some friends.  Please continue to keep me in your prayers, it means so much to me! 

  

Here are some pictures of my visit to Lazare's Orphanage. I love the one on the left... please note the toddler with a box over his head.  This little ham also wandered around totting a washed out Vaseline container, proving yet again, cheap toys are the best!  The center photo is my friend who is learning to walk; with a little help, she was in the pursuit of the boy who took her tricycle. 

Doesn't it look like an awesome way to spend a morning?! 

A day in the life...

I thought it might be fun to give a quick glimpse at what a typical day might look like for me.  I’ve been working evening shift a lot, which is 2pm to 10:30pm, so I’ll try to sum up my day yesterday, Friday April 5th:

8:45 My alarm went off.  Our cabin was complete darkness… back sleep for thirty minutes. 

9:15 Actually got out of bed and got dressed.  Then I treated myself to a latte at the Starbucks and enjoyed a banana and a granola bar.  I hopped on a computer in the Internet Café, but at this point in the day the satellite seemed especially slow, so it took a long time for Gmail to even load.

10:00 Walked to the Niger Market with one of my cabin mates, Nadine.  It’s about a 15-20 minute walk, through some busy streets.  There are no real sidewalks, so in addition to watching carefully for cars, you must watch for other pedestrians, coffee carts, motorcycles, bikes.  Once there, we passed dozens of vendors with dried and fresh fish, vegetables, soaps and toiletries, shoes, yards of fabric, and plastic odds and ends like mirrors and combs.  Women carry goods on their heads and the little children wave at us "fote," aka white people.  The market is quite an experience with so many sights, sounds, smells.  I wanted to make a fruit salad for a Saturday picnic, so we arrived at my preferred produce stand, where the fruit seems fresh and I don't think the lady rips me off too much.  I bought 3 grapefruits, 2 papayas and a few mangoes. I was able to negotiate a little bit and the fruit cost me 40,000 Guinea Franc which is about $5.  Then we headed to an upper level of the market and Nadine picked up a dress that she had made by a tailor.  We watched as he altered it and sewed in a zipper.  Afterwards, we stopped at Le Damier, a lovely French bakery and restaurant.  I picked up some little meringues for the picnic and Nadine bought bread.  On our way back to the port, it was really nice to chat with Nadine and get to know her a little bit more. 

12:00 Arrived home.  The blast of air conditioning at the door might be my favorite thing about ‘coming home’ after being off the ship.  I quickly showered and headed to lunch.  I enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich and a salad.  Meal times are a nice opportunity to catch up with other nurses and volunteers.  I sat and lingered a bit enjoying a cup of coffee talking with some of my coworkers.

1:00 Quickly stopped in the ship shop, which is a place to buy some snack food, pens, toiletries, etc. Then I had a nice phone conversation with my mom before work.     

1:59 Left the cabin for the long commute to work.    

2:00 Arrived to A Ward.  At the beginning of the shift, the charge nurse gives us updates and answers any questions. We always pray together and then receive report.  My patient assignment included two adult plastic surgery patients that I’ve been taking care of for the last couple weeks, a cute 3 year old girl with a cleft lip repair and a man waiting for surgery to repair an inguinal hernia and remove a lipoma.  I always spend a few minutes towards the beginning of the shift figuring out which patients need dressing changes, which have therapy exercises to do, if there are tube feedings, and what time each patient’s medications are due.  At work at UW, a computer tells me an hour in advance when a medication is due.  Here, we have paper charts, so it’s important to organize my shift so that everything gets done.

2:30 Most of my patients went to Deck 7 with the day shift, so I colored with Kari, the charge nurse and some of the kiddos on the ward.  I also worked on learning a few Fula phrases, which is one of the local languages.  Sadly, I think I said something wildly inappropriate or my accent makes my words unrecognizable, because this made some of the kids laugh as if it was the funniest thing anyone has ever done.  I laughed too. 

3:00 Took my patient to the OR.  The previous nurse prepared the patient by discussing the surgery and what to expect post op, giving him some pain and mild sedative medications and asking him to scrub his surgical sites.  All I had to do was escort him to the Operating Room.  One of our day workers, Cecelia and I walked him down the hall to a door that leads to the OR.  The process is the same for every patient.  We sit at a bench while an OR nurse looks over the chart and does a double check that the patient is ready for surgery.  Then we ask if they would like us to pray for them.  For this particular patient, we thanked God for his life and for bringing him to Mercy Ships.  We prayed that the surgeon would have a clear mind and that the procedures would go well.  We also prayed that God would keep the patient safe and heal him quickly. 

4:00 Took vital signs and assessed the patients.  Some days I can do my rounds with 5 or 6 patients in twenty minutes.  Other times, I might only have 4 patients and it takes an hour and a half.  Part of the challenge of being a ward nurse here is the lack of space.  With caregivers, patients and staff, it can be difficult to speak over the volume that this amount of people creates.  Or, a drama or distraction of some sort might be unfolding, patient’s telling each other stories or children bring unwilling to share a toy, and it’s a little community, so the whole ward must be involved.  Sometimes with chairs, crutches and children toddling between the beds, it seems impossible to even physically reach my patients.  People are respectful though, and other nurses are always willing to help out when things are chaotic or someone gets behind on their work. 

5:00 Dinner time for the patients.  While her caregiver was eating, I tried to entertain the cute little girl with the cleft lip repair.  Before supper, I actually got a giggle out of her, but at this point she was whimpering and crying.  So, through a translator, I asked the caregiver, “Why is the girl crying?  Do you think she’s in pain?”  The answer I got made me laugh aloud, “No, she’s afraid you are going to give her more medicine.”  My new goal for the shift?  Win her over.  Make friends again. 

6:00 My own dinner time.  I headed upstairs to the cafeteria, and enjoyed pasta dish and garlic bread.  Afterwards, I stopped by my cabin to take my malaria medication and chatted with a cabin mate, Gillian for a few minutes. 

6:30 Back to the ward.  My patient arrived back from the recovery room while I was at supper, so I checked in with him, took some vital signs and did an assessment.  Then, looked at the doctor’s post-op orders and talked to the patient about his any restrictions and what to expect for the rest of the evening. 

7:00 Impromptu dance party!  Some of the patients and staff from B Ward started playing the drum in the hallway and within minutes, many of our patients were in the hall dancing, clapping and smiling.  The kids were having so much fun- dancing in their braces and crutches and totally hamming it up! 

8:00 Passed meds, visited with patients and played with the three year old.  While her caregiver took a nap, the sweet little girl and I blew bubbles and played with her teddy bear.  I must have succeeded in my goal to win her over (YESSS!!), because tears would form every time I walked away from her bed.  So, Elisabeth, one of our day workers taught me how to tie a baby to your back African style.  It was quite useful, I was able to do some work and she seemed quite content checking out the ward and falling asleep on my back.  Truth be told, it only took twenty minutes and my back started getting sore, so once her caregiver woke up, I put her back on the bed. 

9:00 Double checked my charting and chatted a little bit with some of the nurses.  I've said it before, but it's awesome that the nurses have all different types of experiences and backgrounds. 

9:45 After a dizzy first attempt to the bathroom for the man who came back from surgery, my coworkers helped me get him settled back to bed.  Dorcus, one of the sweet day workers, fed the patient some bread and tea.  Have I mentioned that I have awesome colleagues?

10:00 The nurses and day workers gathered and prayed before report.  We thanked God for the evening and for the patients and asked God protect them and heal them.  We also prayed that the oncoming staff would have a good shift and have the energy to take care of the patients.  I love that we pray before each shift.  People are welcome to pray in their own language and it’s a really special time before hand over. 

10:45 Walked back towards my cabin and some of my friends were sitting in the hall near our cabins chatting.  It’s nice to unwind, just shooting the breeze and discussing our days and plans for the weekend.  I also got to show off my hard work- my Hello Kitty Disco Party coloring page!

11:00 Late night cookie baking and cutting fruit in preparation for the picnic with my bunk mate, Kristy and friend Gillian.  There is a kitchen for people to use to bake and cook.  It's a nice communal space with ovens, counter space and equipment to share.  It was nice to chat a bit and hang out in the quiet kitchen.  Then off to bed. 

If you actually read this this long post in its entirety, you must understand why I sleep so soundly here!  I try to keep busy and take advantage of as many opportunities as I can, but I also take time for myself to reflect and relax.  I absolutely love the time I get to spend getting to know the other staff and volunteers, and especially the patients.  I have so much to learn from the amazing people God has put into my life while in Guinea.