The End is NEAR!!!!!

I forgot to mention the vocab i use all the time with patients:

Hello: hola (easy enough!)

Good morning/hello: Bon Dia

Good afternoon/hello: Bon Tarde

Thank you: Obrigada

8/13/10 – Good day in Peds

            What a terrible start and terrific ending to my day.  Today started like any other, which was where it all went wrong. Instead of going out on an awesome medcap (where you go out to rural villages and set up medical clinics) , I got ready like usual and went to Peds to start another day. When report was finished in the ward, they said,” Kayla you’re not on the schedule, you’re supposed to be on a medcap” my life pretty much flashed before my eyes. I couldn’t believe it. I was an idiot and forgot that I finally received my one and only chance for a medcap in Timor. I didn’t get one in Indonesia and that was a 3 week mission, so it has been over a month and a half since I’ve been on one. I ran to Casrec where they board the boats, but of course, I was too late.  I missed my chance because I was an idiot.  I was feeling pretty down since I broke my camera lense, broke lizzy’s camera, lost my ipod, lost Richard’s USB stick and now, what do I do? I forget to go on a medcap. IDIOT. I was scaring myself at the level of stupidity I was exhibiting.  But then a blessing in disguise happened. I was given an assignment, one that seemed insignificant, but ended up being one of the best days in PEDS I’ve had yet.

            We were receiving 8 audiology patients and I was in charge of “entertaining them”. I was kind of disappointed, I was hoping for a day off since obviously I wasn’t supposed to be in the room that day.  So I went over to ward 8 where all the patients were to be received.  I was just supposed to be the babysitter but I turned into the ward nurse.  I had to organize the files, assign beds, update the white board, delegate tasks, talk to pharmacy, talk to the doctors, send other corpsmen on runs/errands, make calls up to the fishbowl about discharge boats, plan patient discharges, and work with the translators to do teaching.  In between all of this, I played a little with the kids, and kept the movies going for all the teenagers.  It kept me busy but I loved doing something actually helpful for the ward beyond taking vital signs. I felt needed and useful, I was actually contributing higher level thinking skills. Wow, I actually used my brain for the better this time instead of destroying or losing something! 

            At the end of the day, the ENT doctor was so thankful for my help.  For most of the day he thought I was a nurse.  He thanked me numerous times and then before leaving, went to the other ward that is joined with ward 8 and told my commander what a great job I did and “sang praises” as Cdr Benfield said.  Then she told me later that Cdr Bayne up in Casrec (where I made my calls) “sang praises” for the good work I did.  Then, I saw the same ENT doctor in the hall after Dinner and he said, “Thanks again for all your hard work” or something to that effect, AGAIN!  It felt so nice to be A: appreciated and B: redeemed from my idiot move this morning. It proved to myself that yes, I make mistakes, but that doesn’t make me who I am. I am a capable person and can tackle different tasks.

ok this last country has been one of the best so far. The staff loves the patients and the patients love us. We've had some funny and fun times. We threw a birthday party for one of our teenagers (who turned 15, what a cutie) complete with birthday candle sunglasses and cake. Lizzy gave him an LDSC shirt and hat haha he has no idea he'll be doing missionary work. just kidding of course.  Things are ending and even though i've had a great time,  i'm so excited to get home!!! i'm so excited to stop wearing this stinkin blue shirt and scrubs!