It's the rainy season and malaria is spreading rather rifely throughout the population of Freetown and my guess would be the rest of Sierra Leone right now. People are going down with it rather all over. Yesterday's surgery admission's sheet was a grim reflection on the matter. Surgery cancellations were marked in orange, and of the list of 15 people or so, every other person on the list was in orange, had malaria and had to be sent home without their operation. My heart just goes out to them, to look forward to having your operation and to be sent home must just be a cruel blow. Their disappointment so keen. As it is i'm covered in mosquito bites and here Randy Nabors told me to watch it at dusk and that was my own fault. Yes, I'm taking the doxycycline so I won't (hopefully) take a hit of the bad mojo. (sorry mom!)
It happens a lot with our pregnant patients as well. Standard protocol is to check for pregnancy in women of a certain age and you just don't do it if they're pregnant. They get sent home in keen disappointment - and then the admissions team goes all aghast when they show up the next day, "I'm not pregnant anymore." This has happened quite a few times already that I know of... and it's just through the grapevine. Heartbreak.
And yet as nurses we have all remarked at one huge difference between nursing here and nursing at home. No matter how bad the news we have to deliver is, the patients here never take out their frustrations and anger on the staff. At home you just brace yourself because you're about to have your very existance belittled if you so much as inform a patient that their surgery has been delayed a few hours. It's not a grim resignation here, although I'm sure there is a measure of that, they just channel it differently. They do cry, they might even yell, but it's not at you. Very interesting and it's been part of why so many of us nurses have enjoyed nursing here... you're allowed to just take care of people and have them appreciate it! Imagine that.
Thank you to everybody who enquired about my grandfather in the last few days. My mom called me this morning to tell me that Uncle Peter has gone to be with the Lord this morning. Please pray for my grandmother today. What a bittersweet joy to know he is in that promised place, he's no longer in pain, he's no longer suffering, no longer fighting for breath, but in the sweet presence of Jesus. I'm crying but so relieved it's over.
Oh, we call him Uncle Peter because although he's really the only grandfather we've ever known, our blood grandfather passed away in 1989. Uncle Peter has been in our family's lives since my mom was a little girl, and Granny and he were married around 15 years ago.
2 comments:
My Sister, I'm crying for the people in your "stories" again today....hurting for them and praying for God to keep working in their lives, your life, my life. When we watched "Faith Like Potatoes" again yesterday, and now I read your blog, I was reminded of the Scripture that Mr. Buchan recited so many times..."if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)What a promise...my prayer for Sierra Leone, for the lands wherever we are living...because we all are in need of repenting and seeking the face of God; our lands need so much healing.
I'm sad for your family, too, for the loss of Uncle Peter on this earth but am thanking God he and the Lord and his loved ones are dancing in heaven together today. ;) May God comfort all your hearts just like you need it. He is our Shepherd King who draws us close to his heart and carries us (Isa 40:11).
I'm wishing I could just hug you silly...sit with you over a cup of tea or just sit. We love you much!
Karita (& Xavi)
Hi sweetie, Uncle Peter's funeral was on Monday, led by the bishop, as he was retired clergy. I have yet to find out how it went, and will try to call Granny tomorrow - have had to work the past two days, and was in a course on Monday, so little contact with home this week.
So sad to hear about how your patients both get turned away, or make choices to try and get their surgeries - their desperation must be so great to go to such lengths. Oh that the Lord would bring revival to that nation, and turn people around from govt to the youngest, so that pleasing Him would be the cry of their hearts.
Love you lots,
Mom
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