In the Classroom

The first few months of surgery has come & gone.  What a rollercoaster! I’m settling into my new job as OR Nurse Educator, a job that has me more at a computer than in the OR (not sure how well I like that right now), but I get to meet all the new people that come to the ship & help them adjust to the Mercy Ships’ way of life.  I also get to work with the Day Crew, our local crew that are part of the Nurse Education Program, with all the joys & frustrations that go with it!  I am finding new found respect for teachers now, especially my nursing instructors-  I don’t know how you do it & not loose your sanity! 

Ok- to be fair, the class room bits are fine & the nurses are excited to learn & participate, they pick things up really quick & even though English is still a struggle for most of them, they eager to learn.  It’s the managing of all the stuff- be on time, only 30 minutes for lunch, stay in your room, etc, that has me pulling out my hair!  A lot has to do with the cultural differences between the priorities in time.  It would be considered rude to leave a meal when others are still eating, even if that means that makes you 20 minutes late coming back from lunch.  And with English not being their first or even fourth language, communication can be a struggle, as medical English isn’t necessarily taught in school. *sigh*

But with all the frustrations, I do enjoy seeing that flash of light in their eyes when they get to try something new or see a new way of doing things.  Most of our day crew nurses are older than I am & have been working in hospitals for many, many years, but as many of my nursing friends, a good nurse never stops learning.  We’ve been focusing on patient care, performing patient safety checks (Time Outs), positioning & prepping the patient correctly & safely. 

Here’s a little bit of what we have been doing.

 

Renovathe is learning the name of the instruments

Ines is doing the Time Out

Missy leading the positioning class

Ali teaches about airway management

Flavien puts on his sterile gloves

Jean Francois helps Isabelle prep

Jean Francois does the initial count

Oldresse practices an abdominal prep

Blessings

Patient Stories- The Vernel Effect

This is a lovely story written by one of the ship writers.  A little taste of what we are doing here in Congo.

Enjoy!

It’s impossible to be angry with Vernel because he’s just too cute – and now he knows it!

Vernel is a wily six-year-old who is probably up to something that he’ll most likely get away with. Why will he get away with it? Because when he looks up at you, with that lovable, mischievous grin, he mesmerizes you with his sweetness. Your only conscious thought is about how adorable he is. Were you about to reprimand him? You can’t remember.

I call this “The Vernel Effect.”

Vernel’s story begins in a fishing village eight hours from Congo’s port city of Pointe Noire. The cleft on the right side of his upper lip revealed his pink gums and front teeth as it stretched toward his nostril. Vernel was bullied for looking different, his dad says. The other children in their village teased him to the point that he would come home crying. Who could possibly have the heart to make Vernel cry?

Vernel’s father brought him to the Africa Mercy, a specialized surgical hospital ship staffed by volunteers from over 38 nations. In an environment where people with cleft lips are embraced, Vernel quickly came into his own. He never had to worry about being teased; the crew loved on Vernel from the moment he stepped into the Admissions Tent. We made him balloons, we let him play with the Djembe drums, and we discovered that he is a clown in front of the camera. On this ship in Africa, Vernel finally found his audience: 350 people who have eyes to see beyond his deformity. By the time surgeons repaired Vernel’s cleft lip, he’d forgotten he had it.

But there is one thing you can’t let yourself forget about Vernel – he is a ninja when it comes to tickling.

That mischievous smile on Vernel’s face is there for a reason. First, he will curl up in your arms or give you a hug or a big fat kiss. Then, in accordance with The Vernel Effect, you will let your guard down. And that’s when he’ll strike.

Think you’re not ticklish? Think again. Vernel has no mercy – especially if you have recently tickled him. This is a six-year-old with an appetite for vengeance.

But Vernel couldn't stay on the ship and tickle us forever. Eventually, he had to return home.

Vernel’s village had no idea what they were in for. When it was time for Vernel to be discharged, he called his grandmother to tell her he was coming home. “I’m a handsome boy now,” he said. Vernel was patched up from the inside out.

Vernel was not the first (or the last) patient to undergo a transformation here. But history will remember the 350 people onboard the Africa Mercy in Congo as the enablers of The Vernel Effect. It was because of them he realized his charm, and through them he developed his knack for launching tickle attacks. Consider yourself warned.

From the moment he stepped on the gangway, Vernel was showered with love and attention. Here, Ward Nurse Rinnah Fry (AUS) helps Vernel draw a smiley face on his balloon.

Cleft lip or not, Vernel is never camera-shy.

Vernel has no mercy if you've recently tickled him. Just ask Ward Nurse Hope Berg (USA).

Leah Ferguson (AUS) and Tori Hobson (USA) doted on Vernel while he stayed at the HOPE Center  Mercy Ships’ outpatient care center for post-operative patients.

When Vernel was discharged, he called his grandmother to tell her he was coming home. “I’m a handsome boy now,” he declared.

See that mischievous grin? It’s there for a reason.

Vernel’s uncle was especially happy to see him. Vernel returned to his village as a new, undeniably handsome, boy. No one will be able to tease Vernel anymore.

In the Starting Blocks...

The line outside in the morning

Screening day is one of those days that you look forward to, but dread at the same time.  On one hand there’s the anticipation of meeting the people we were called here to serve.  The excitement of saying yes to those that we can help, seeing the joy on the faces of those that receive that covenanted yellow card.  On the other hand, the long day filled with emotional ups & downs as person after person come through the line, hanging their heads when they hear the dreaded “I’m sorry, we cannot help you.”

The line outside in the afternoon

The line outside the screening site started forming days before the actual screening.  Word had gotten out that a big white ship was here to do free surgery & were going to have a big screening, but the dates got mixed up & so many people weren’t sure exactly when that day would be.  So as to not risk missing what could be their only opportunity, they came & they waited.

The first of the crew started arriving at the school where screening was going to take place around 0430 to start setting up.  There were over 7,000 people waiting outside the gates when they opened at 0624 Wednesday morning.  The gates remained open until 1844, well past dark.  In that time, over 4,200 people came through the main gates.  Out of all those, only 1,326 made it through the pre-screening process to be seen by a doctor.  Throughout the entire process, everyone remained calm & orderly, there were no pushing or shoving.

We can't help everyone, but we can pray with them

The entire ship was there to help.  We had doctors & nurses assessing patients, we had patient escorts to make sure the patients went to the correct station, we had people handing out food & water to patients & crew alike, there were people to play & entertain the kids who had to stand in the long lines all day, people to pray for those that heard that we could not help them. 

I love scheduling surgeries!

My job was at the General Surgery Station again.  We had 5 doctors to help screen for hernias, lipomas & anything else that didn’t fit the mold for MaxFax or plastics.  For whatever reason, they gave me a radio this time around, so not only did I get to listen in on what was happening outside, but I also had to call for needed resources & get questions answered, as well as put out the occasional APBs for a wayward surgeon who would wander off J 

Always a joy to work with Lord Ian

Hard at work

The general station was hopping.  We worked hard, but we also had an amazing time.  At one point, our waiting line took up 3 classrooms!  The secret to keeping a calm room that is filled with anxious & tired people is to have fun, act silly, joke, laugh & just enjoy yourself.  We scheduled what we could for the surgeon that was there & placed the rest on wait lists to be seen by the actual surgeon that would do their surgery when that surgeon arrived.  We had a great team, great attitudes & even though it was a long day, it was so much fun! 

They say this was the largest turnout for screening Mercy Ships has ever done.  But as Deyon Stephens said “Selection Day felt like the starting line of a great race – it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”  So with those words,

On Your Mark!

 Get Set!

GO!

Blessings

M'Bote



Our new home

A cloudy, cold day greeted us as we arrived in the port of Pointe Noire, Congo, but a large, colorful tent was waiting for us in our new home.  A large crowd of dignitaries were waiting to welcome us to this new country.  After all the pomp & circumstances were done, we were able to leave the ship & walk on land for the first time in over 14 days. 



Bill & Don Stevens wait for us on the dock

It was dark when we made our way through the port, a 20 minute walk, to the gate & into town.  Our first impression of Pointe Noire was how different it is from Guinea & other West African countries that we’ve been to.  A beautiful, European-style train station stood at the end of a large boulevard, lined with street lights.  We may have gotten lost, walking the streets of Pointe Noire, but a man gave us directions to a small restaurant.  We headed off in the direction he told us about, only to find him standing on a street corner waiting for us!  He told us that the place he recommended was close & he would show us to another place!  What a nice guy! 

The last two weeks have been spent unpacking, waxing the OR floors (a job that if I ever have to do again will be too soon!), exploring the city & just settling into our new home.  As part of being the OR nurse educator, my job also includes training local OR nurses, in such I needed to get an idea of how things are done here in Congo.  A group of us went to visit some of the local hospitals to get a feel of what healthcare in Congo was really like.  It was an eye opening experience to say the least.  We went to three different hospitals here in Pointe Noire, each time being welcomed with open arms & red carpets.  I was invited to watch a surgery at one of the hospitals & though all went well, I was able to see areas for improvement.  During our time at the local hospitals, we learned that a patient has to provide all their own supplies.  Booths outside the hospital sell IV bags, medicine, suture, dressings, etc.  Before a surgery, a patient has to go out & buy everything he/she might need.  A big cardboard box then follows the patient during their hospital stay filled with all their supplies.  If a patient can’t afford something, they go without.  If a patient needs blood, there may be a blood bank at the hospital, the patient will receive the needed blood, but the next day, his/her entire family will have to come to the hospital & donate blood to replace what was taken.  There is no privacy in the hospitals.  Open wards are the norm, but it goes beyond that.  While visiting a 44 bed pediatric ward we were told that there were 57 patients at that time & it wasn’t uncommon for 7-8 children to be in one bed!  Entire families come to the hospital to care for the sick, as you can imagine, the wards are pretty packed full.

We have been asked by the government to pass on what we can to their nurses here.  In the OR on the ship, I have been given six local nurses, who not only will act as our translators for the next 10 months, but will be my students in my “peri-operative 101” class. 

"Nurses" taking care of the eye "patients"

Flavien leads his blind patient, Ines

Most of these nurses have worked in the OR at various different local hospitals, so they are no strangers to the surgical scene.  My goal is to expand on what they know & modify the western approach to fit the African needs.  A daunting task.  Classes started on the ship last week, with basic information regarding what to wear, the importance of being on time, etc.  We did some role playing with preop check in & leading blind eye patients down the hall.  Surprisingly, this is a new concept for many of them, the act of talking to & asking the patient questions.  It is something that is taken for granted in the Western world.  Patients here often have no rights, they are at the mercy of the doctors & the nurses.  The first thing my nurses told me when I asked about what they have learned is how they liked is how we (as western nurses) treat our patients.  We went on to talk about empathy & the role of the nurse regarding patient safety & who is the most important person during surgery (the patient).  I think this coming year will be rewarding & an eye opening experience for everyone.

Blessings 

Memoirs of a Royal Diamond Shellback

At sea there’s plenty to keep you busy, especially when you are heading to a new port in a new country getting ready for a new field service.  There’s meetings & planning, as well as a lot of computer work.  After all, what else would you be doing for 2 weeks when you can’t get off ship?

Dolphins come to visit

Of course, it’s hard to get any work done when there’s the overhead announcements of “dolphins off the bow” happening throughout the day. 

We left the shores of Tenerife after another 2 months of shipyard work following our Guinea outreach.  Major changes happened in the hospital.  The wards got a new floor when the old train tracks started coming through the old floor.  (Our ship used to be a train ferry in Denmark & the hospital is on the train deck)  We also got another ward to help meet our patient needs.  The ORs got some work done too, the moveable wall between ORs 1 & 2 became permanent & OR 1 became the new PACU.  Its hard to imagine what everything will look like once we unpack & set up, but it should be a nice change.

Worship on the bow is a special time

Sunset from my front porch

During the sail is the only time the bow is open because all the mooring lines are stowed & out of the way.  On nice days, the bow acts like our front porch.  In the evenings, we gather to enjoy the end of the day, watch the sunset & watch for dolphins, flying fish, whales, sharks & sea turtles.

Ok, I bet you are asking yourself, what is a “Royal Diamond Shellback”?  Well, in marine time lore, someone who has crossed the Equator is known as a “Shellback”.  Those new to the sea & haven’t been that far south (or north) are called “Pollywogs”.  When a ship crosses the Equator, there is an initiation of sorts, often involving ropes, sea water, fish & other interesting traditions.  Anyhoo, to become a “Royal Diamond Shellback” (also known as “Emerald Shellback”) one has to not only cross the Equator, but also the Prime Meridian at the same time.

Crossing the Line

Tina & I getting ready to cross the line

Going under the line

A heated tug-of-war on the bow

It just so happened that on our voyage from Tenerife to Congo, we crossed at 0, 0 thus making us “Royal Diamond Shellbacks”.  In order to do it correctly, we had a Line Crossing party, complete with Tug-a-War (being pulled over the line), Limbo (going under the line), Line dancing (self explanatory) & a Congo (get it? Congo!?) line.  Then at around 9 pm August 5, we crossed over to the Southern & Eastern hemispheres.  Unfortunately, the promised dotted lines were not visible because it was night time, but we have proof via GPS.

Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Crossing over to the Southern hemisphere meant that we went from summer to winter & who would have thought that a few degrees of latitude would make that big of a difference in temperature!  Brrrr!  It also didn't help that a big storm by Antarctica was stirring up the waters & causing our big ship to rock & roll!  

These last few days have been a little rough.  I don't get sea sick, but I think I would be enjoying the rocking if I didn’t have to sit in a rolling chair at a computer all day.  I have found myself only 50% productive because I have to wait for the ship to roll the other way to bring me back to my desk!  I finally resorted to strapping my chair to the desk, a wee bit uncomfortable, but at least I’m not playing bumper chairs in the office anymore!

Ready or not, here we come!

Soon we’ll be arriving in the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville- not the bigger neighbor of the Democratic Republic of the Congo)  A new outreach will start in a country where Mercy Ships has never been before.  Please pray for us, Congo & her people.

Blessings

Home

Home for the summer!  Who would have thought that something as simple as being home in your own country would have such a therapeutic affect on the mind, body & soul.  People often ask me what I miss the most while being in Africa.  I tell people that living in Africa isn’t as difficult as one might think, but living on a ship in Africa is hard. 

With my parents at their house

If you are not used to it, community living can be very tiring.  There’s always activities going on, trips to the market, trips to the beach, trips up country, games to play, movies to watch, food to eat, chores to be done.  Our ship may be a big white ship in Africa, but add over 400 crew to that & the size shrinks drastically!  Privacy is a luxury. 

My friend Sara & baby Grace

I miss being spontaneous.  I don’t have to plan days in advance on when I’m going to do my laundry to make sure I have a laundry slot or go out to dinner to make sure I have enough money.  I can’t get in my car & drive to the grocery store if I forgot to get something, I have to wait until the ship shop is open & hopefully they have it, or find a group on the weekends to go to the market or a local store, or if nothing else works, call home & have my mom mail it to me which would take 2 or more weeks to reach me. 

I miss eating when & what I want.  The dining room is only open at certain times each day & if you are not hungry at those times… tough.  I’m just not hungry at 4:45pm.  If you don’t like whats being served, there’s always a grilled cheese sandwich.  When can cook for ourselves in the crew galley (aka: kitchen) but sometimes its more work than it needs to be!

I miss fast internet.  Being able to stream videos & music.  How it was explained to me was that picture the internet that comes into your house, now cut the speed in half & then divide it up amongst 400 computers & devices.  That’s what we have for internet.  Not that we are complaining (too loudly, all the time) it’s a lot better now then what it was a couple years ago. 

My parent's dog, Tori

I miss my pony, kitty & any other 4 legged critter.  The whole no pet policy on the ship is kind of a bummer.  Its nice to cuddle with & read a book or go for a ride.  Animals are my therapy & I truly miss that aspect in my life.  Sometimes I’ll get lucky & find a barn on the beach to ride at or a hotel with a pool has some friendly kittens to play with.

Steely!

I miss exercise.  Ok I know what you’re thinking, really Jen, exercise?  Yes, really.  I miss dancing & riding & my barn workout twice a week.  I get a lot of stair climbing & I go walk on the dock for an hour, but it’s not the same.  Mercy Hips are real!

A beautiful Colorado sunset

There’s so much that I miss, but when I compare them to what I would miss if I wasn’t here, that list is about even.  Its hard to describe everything I would miss if I wasn’t on the ship in Africa. 

So for now, a couple months break in the States is all I need to recharge.  I’ll try to do as much as possible, see as much as possible to hold me over for another year.

Go Rockies!!!

While home this summer, I spent a lot of time in Iowa with my parents.  I think they were a little disappointed that for the first 2 weeks all I did was sleep!  What can I say, I was really tired!  I then drove to Colorado to visit family & friends, see my horse & my boys (go Rockies!) I spent time up in the mountains & dodged forest fires.  Just like old times.  I realized that I’m not a Colorado tourist & living out of a suitcase is hard!

I kidnapped my cousin to go on a road trip to South Dakota & the Badlands area.  We were surrounded by buffalo, learned about Crazy Horse & spelunked in Wind Cave.  Got back to Iowa for the 4^th of July parade & fireworks.  Spent the rest of the time at home getting ready for another year overseas.

Up in the mountains with friends

Up close & personal with buffalo

Crazy Horse

Eri & me in the Badlands

Eri likes sparklers

Riding the firetrucks with Dad in the parade

Before going back to the ship, I went to Germany for a week to visit ship friends, Tina & Simon.  It was another whirlwind trip of seeing & doing as much as we could in the short amount of time.  I got real German food, saw historical sites & even went to a German wedding- Simon’s sister got married.  It was a blast & I’m blessed to have friends like these.

Off to Germany

Carriage ride in Dresden

Holocaust Memorial

Tina & Simon

Time for a wedding!

Pretty as a picture

There’s a lot I miss when I’m here, but there’s a lot I am grateful for.  I think it’s a nice trade off.  I know my time here isn’t forever & I will make the best of what I have while I can.  I’ve come to realize that there is a lot of stuff that I can live without & take joy in the little things.  Someone getting me a can of Dr Pepper or a package from home have become more important & more meaningful than buying the newest & latest thing.  It’s put things into perspective.

Blessings