I’m learning so much over here I can’t even begin to
describe how fortunate I am. In the hospital the nurses, clinicians, and
doctors have to “improvise”, as Kimani always says to me, and do the best with
the resources they have (which is hardly anything). I have been here a week and
it has made me appreciate and be so utterly thankful for the kind of medical
treatments we receive and I as a future nurse am going to be able to work with
in America. Throughout the day I come across so many things that I want to tell
you guys and I say…”I must include that in my blog!” and then something else
comes along and I say it again…and again..and again. And next thing I know some
many things are happening to me in one day (amazing things that is) and it
seems silly to write my whole l life story in this blog. So I’m sticking with
the things that really strike my heart and will be interesting enough to keep
your attention
.
Today was my first day on the labor
ward and I experienced more than I did in a 16 week semester in America (which
isn’t a bad thing…it just means our healthcare systems rocks). I saw two
vaginal deliveries…with no fetal heart monitor, no monitor on mom, no IV
pump…etc. (sorry for you non medical folks…the jist of it is there was an nurse
intern, a nurse, me, and a mom- the doctor was called in after the delivery.
After those 2 deliveries I went to the “Theatre” to get in on some c sections.
One of which the baby didn’t make it. It was absolutely unreal to me the
circumstances that went on during that whole thing. I (as a nursing student)
knew the baby was dead when it was pulled out. There was like 15 signs that the
baby was in severe distress…and needed immediate attention. A nurse intern took
the baby and left the OR and went into the nursery area and was just rubbing it
off with blankets under a warmer. Literally 7 minutes (I looked at my
watch)…the intern came into the OR and grabbed a nurse and they started bagging
the baby….no CPR, no suction, no intubation…just slamming oxygen in the baby. I
just need to keep telling myself that it’s different over here…and I can’t let
it get to me like it does. Needless to say the rest of my day at the
hospital…sucked.
But on a happier note after leaving
the hospital Jess and I went to the supermarket to buy stuff to make dinner for
the workers at our house. Since we don’t have an oven…we were kind of limited
on what types of American food we could cook for them. We decided on
“breakfast” for dinner (Who doesn’t love that?!). We made French toast, egg
casserole (scrambled eggs, cheese, sausage, and bacon), and fruit. They LOVED
it!! And had never had it…Silvanis had like a 20 minute conversation with me
begging me to teach him how to make it. J
It was a great dinner with great people. Guys, I love these friends of mine
over here…they are just fantastic. OH…I must make a correctional note in here…I
have been murdering “Iga”…It is actually Aijah…just a little side note.
Chicken…
So I haven’t posted any pictures of
the chickens running around the yard…but come to find out they aren’t just for
the beauty of looking at chickens and listening to them wake me up at the crack
of dawn. Come to find out…they are slaughtered in the back yard. It was quite
funny…last night Silvanis came to the patio to talk to us (like he does every
night) and we asked him what he was going to do for the rest of the night…and
he said so eloquently and ‘this is a typical thing…why are you looking at me
like I’m crazy?”…”slaughter a chicken”. We just couldn’t believe it. I mean…I’m
in Africa…and I’ve never seen a chicken slaughtered…I think this is a once in a
lifetime experience, right? I mean these guys kill a chicken and eat it every
night…I’m sure I can hold my stomach and just watch it…just this once. Learning
experience? Come to find out…that saying “running around like a chicken with
your head cut off”….well that’s no joke. These things literally run around with
NO head! I can hardly consider myself a farm girl anymore…because I’m one
sheltered farm girl! Silvanis INSISTED on cooking some of the chicken for us with African Cake...(which really isn't cake at all...it is a cornbread/mash potato mixture called Ugali. It is actually a staple food over here that is very heavy..and almost everyone eats it because it is cheap to make and very filling! Jess tried it and said it actually was pretty tasty...I couldn't bring myself to eat any of the chicken I just photographed the killing of. It just didn't sit right with me. LOL
Faith...
I mentioned in my previous post
about the little lady who was cleaning on Mothers day. Well come to find
out…her name is Faith and she is 10 years old. We went swimming on Sunday and I
tried to teach her…(good thing I never had any drive to be a teacher…because I
am not very good at teaching HAHA!) So we swam for the afternoon and then drew
on the sidewalk with chalk. And I LOOK at the pictures of her and of what she
drew with the crayons and paper pad I gave her!! What kind of 10 year old sits
down and just randomly draws this…think about that. Most 10 year olds draw
trees, houses, starts, hearts, peace signs…etc. Nope…not Faith…she was
practicing her “Primary Colors”…notice red and yellow…make orange. Blue and
yellow…green. Blue and Red…purple. Faith…she is going to be a smart lady…I just
know it J
So that’s what has happened to me
in the last 24 hours. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day at the hospital.
I wish I could say I was starting
to get homesick….but I’m not ;). I love it here!!
Xoxo,
Abigail
Faith and I swimming
Alarm clock...
Faith!! :)
Faith with her new paper pad...and a dum dum sucker of course...she loves them! Everyone over here loves them actually
and the slaughtering of the chicken...
I wish I had taken some photos of the dinner but I was too busy preparing and then eating that I forgot to grab my camera.
“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs
Happy Monday!!
No comments:
Post a Comment