It's been awhile--

Looking back on last week and the weekend I realize that I need to share with you all more often. It’s hard to take the time to sit down and write when things are going so well. I didn’t have any major heartbreaks, but rather a week full of joy! Every time I took a moment to reflect, I realized I was constantly feeling my heart overflow with happiness for my friends, patients, and environment. I was not so sure after last weeks heartache what moving forward would look like, but it has been a constant high here! Working mostly dayshifts I have found that it truly is the MOST fun part of the day--everyone is playing, people are heading off to surgery to have their lives changed, people are being sent home, doctors are rounding. Yes, we are tripping over one another but we are constantly smiling. The days are full of joy, excitement, and genuine smiles all around. So here I am now, Tuesday evening of the next week trying to narrow down why I love my life so much. Here are a few of my thoughts and stories---

I had the honor of taking my very first patient to surgery! Here on the Africa Mercy we take the patients all the way to the door of the operating room. We sit there on a bench in the “hope hallway” and wait for the OR nurse to come out. Sitting here with my patient we were able to talk about his past, why he had waited so long for surgery, and his dreams. (Did I mention that he was from Nigeria and therefore spoke perfect English?--added bonus!) We made an amazing connection and I prayed with him before he headed into surgery. It brought tears of joy to my eyes as I walked back to the ward, holding his shoes. He came here for an opportunity to be changed, and we were able to do this for him. He got to spend 2 days in a place where we love one another, and as he put it “things are just different”. He got to see us care for every single patient and caregiver, and strive to know about his past, what he wants in his future, and Him in the present. I was able to receive him back from surgery and discharge him the next day. He just brought the whole experience full circle, and as he departed I received one of the tightest bear hugs of my life! I just cannot tell you how much life is different here. I feel REFRESHED to work, I know that every time I head into the ward I AM making a difference. Working five shifts a week at home would be so draining, but here it really is GIVING me life. At the end of every day shift we take an hour to take the patients a few flights up from the hospital to the oasis that is deck 7. In this hour, the kids get to run, jump, play and just breathe fresh air. It might be my favorite part of the day to see all the kiddos with bow legs jumping rope, to see patients who shouldn’t be able to walk riding tricycles, and to see the older patients enjoying the sunshine and talking amongst one another. This is a time for them to share their experiences, to look out at the ocean and have it all put in perspective. To feel the hot African sun on their skin, and know that the next time they feel the full heat of the sun on their faces they will be made new, going home changed by this big white ship and its precious medical staff. It’s after days like this that I understand why some of the crew here simply never leave. 

On a side note, the patient I told you all about last blog who walked away in tears on discharge showed back up last week-- twice! I had a feeling he couldn’t stay away, and was overjoyed each time I got to see him. On Wednesday evening I was sitting in a presentation by the Orthopedic team here when I was passed a note. All is said was this, “Bed 5 is here and requesting to see you”. I couldn’t have run to the ward fast enough. I rushed in, gave him a huge hug, and then we just sat close to each other all of a sudden remembering that we are unable to communicate. It was funny to be sitting there, me in my street clothes, him in a suit (which I am very certain is probably the nicest thing he owns) sitting among the other patients who had become our family. We can smile, attempt language charades, and chat when a translator is free but mostly it is silence on my end or his. To sit next to someone and know that you want to share so much but can’t is heavy--But it really was just wonderful to Just BE with him. 

A huge part of joy in my week is that we have two little munchkins on the unit who have been here since day one. They have become like brother and sister, and like any 5 year old siblings they fight. One of them is from Sierra Leone and speaks Krio, the other from Guinea speaks French. But none the less, they just understand one another. They fight over chairs, toys, crayons, which nurses lap to sit on, and everything else under the sun. They kind of have become “king of the mountain” and lead the other children on the unit. They both can be sillier than silly, the loudest screamers when upset, and the most smiley people under the sun. I love them both so much, but sometimes all I want to do is tell them something, correct a behavior, or tell them how much I care about them and I can’t! Thank goodness tickles, laughing, silly faces, stickers, and tone of voice are universal. Our little French speaking girl has picked up on a TON of English, even if she pretends not to when she particularly doesn’t like what we are saying. I can say “go get your shoes” and she walks right over and puts them on. I can say “no cry” when she’s throwing a temper tantrum and she gets it. She knows all the basics such as: up, down, toilet, yes, no, outside, bedtime, hungry, drink. It’s kind of amazing really how influenced they are by their environment. By spending one month in a place she is learning the “nurse language” aka English. By understanding basic commands and body language we somehow get through the day with our patients, hour by hour. 

 A definite highlight of my week in the wards was last night. The little guy I shared a picture of last time in the head wrap and I were standing across the ward from each other playing our favorite game. He will begin this game by catching my eye and smiling, I smile back and it begins. He does his first “salute” right arm straight out--I copy. He quickly switches to the left out, and again I return the motion. He then bends down to touch his toes, awaits my motion then stands up with his arms over his head. Once I have returned this final motion it’s on---he RUNS full force and catapults himself into my arms I spin him in a circle twice while he squeals, set him on the ground, and he runs back to his starting position dizzy and laughing until he almost falls over. We can repeat this game for nearly 20 minutes before he gets tired, or if I’m honest with you- I tell him I need a break to go some actual nursing work, he I am sure could play all night. I think my family, especially my father will best understand this game to be something like the “leap of death” from my childhood. In this game (my favorite, not the favorite of my mother) I would have a similar pattern of salutes before I would leap off the kitchen counter into my Dad’s arms knowing that EVERY SINGLE TIME he would lovingly catch me and set me back upright.  This game is not only about fun, but it’s about trust. I trust my Dad so very much, and this little guy over his time has found a safe person in me. I love the way he says “annah” and just lights up when we are together. (I may or may not have mentioned that this is the way everyone says my name here- “annah” as though my first H is invisible.)

As much as I adore my life in the wards, getting off the ship for a walk is a huge blessing, and I have had two treats this week and it’s only Tuesday evening. Yesterday, after a long walk and a few “African directions” which included a few landmarks and a goofy drawing, we found this little piece of wonderfulness. A French bakery, smack in the heart of this fast paced, dusty, overcrowded downtown area. The bakery was off the chain, complete with AMAZING pastries and an expresso machine. Unfortunately since I was a sweaty mess I opted out of the warm coffee, but had a delicious treat with two fantastic friends. I have a feeling this place will become our haven here in the city to discuss life and forget the poverty stricken city outside the window. Treat number two happened tonight. We left the ship around 5 and went to a restaurant about a 20 minute walk away that a few friends had heard about. After a nice drink and about a 2 hour wait for food, we had a great meal of chicken and plantains. If you have ever had fried plantains, please be jealous. They are amazing here, and quickly becoming one of my favorite foods. Our evening entertainment was a group of guys out on the beach who appeared to be practicing for a rap performance full force. They were holding NOTHING back, singing and dancing to the ocean as if it were a sold out stadium (granted they had NO IDEA we were watching). The sun set before we had our food, and I will say it’s hard to eat chicken off the bone in the dark but honestly you can see why we didn’t mind. It was a great time of fellowship, and the night ended with 8 of us piling into a small taxi to head home, because here in Africa- there is ALWAYS room for one more.