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

What is TIme?

Another outreach is coming to an end.  It’s hard to believe that 10 months have come & gone.  Looking back at all we’ve done, it’s amazing to see what had been accomplished while we were in Guinea.  In 10 months, we did roughly 2,873 surgical procedures, over 45,000 dental procedures, provided training & education for local professionals, donated numerous items & helped renovate local hospitals, clinics & schools. 

Time on the ship has its own meaning.  Yesterday was 3 months ago & last year was only the other day.  For example- a friend was on the ship & then left, only to return again.  When I saw here, I asked her where she had been I hadn’t seen her all day; her response was that she had been gone for over 5 months & just got back!  We call it the AFM Time Warp, time really has no meaning here J

The Preop bench

Bubbles on the wards

Patients up on deck 7

Crazy scrub day in the OR

Conakry in the distance

While working in the hospital took up most of our time, we also had plenty of opportunities to get out & see what Conakry was like.  Conakry is the capital of Guinea, with about 1,548,500 people living within it’s city limits.  The primary religion is Muslim, with large mosques dotting the skyline.  Heavy traffic clogs the bottleneck that connects the port & embassies trapped on the peninsula to the rest of the city.  The markets are full of traders & business, you can buy just about anything in the markets, from car parts to cloth to food to monkeys & livestock.  I even heard of one of the local surgeons sending his patients out to the market to buy the surgical implants needed for their surgery!  The markets are loud, crowded & dirty, bartering is the key to purchasing items.  Navigating through the market can be fun & exciting & terrifying at the same time.  Shops & stalls are packed tightly together & other merchants weave in & out of the crowd with their wares on their heads.

Did you need a goat, or a cow?

They deliver

Wheelchairs

Children help with the family business

Typical street

The streets are not always clean, with open sewers, 3 feet deep, lining the sides of roads that act as a dumping ground for all sorts of nasty things.  Often times trash is burned in these concrete troughs, smoke rising up & filling the air with a bitter ash.  They are used for trash collection, toilets, drains & in some places, drinking & cleaning water.  When the rains come, the ditches are too full of trash to channel the water away & the streets flood with raw sewage.  People live right next to & sometimes on top of these ditches.

Houses are a communal affair, extended families living together under one roof or in an apartment-type setting.  A small courtyard, shared by many families, acts as the kitchen, laundry room, family room, backyard, barnyard & everything in between.

Burning trash on the side of the road

At the tailors

Soon we’ll be leaving Conakry & West Africa behind.  We’ll sail to the Grand Canaries for shipyard & some will leave for good or for a vacation.  When we do sail again, it won’t be back to the familiar shores of West Africa, but to Congo, in Central Africa.  It’ll be the first time the ship has been there.  

It was hard work, a lot of long hours, but when you look at the numbers, you realize how much it was worth it.  I will miss my dayworkers, my nurses, my friends. The lives we touched & those that touched us will always stay with us.  The old saying of “I need Africa more than Africa needs me” is very true.  

Blessings

Je Suis une Infirmìere en Salle D’opération

Our amazing dayworkers

What is a Dayworker?  Dayworkers are: cooks, housekeepers, deckhands, dishwashers, photographers, sterilizers, dental assistants, translators, orderlies & a hundred other things.  They are local people that are hired on to help us while we are in port.  In the hospital, our dayworkers act as translators, nursing assistants & orderlies.  Most of our patients don’t speak English & for most French isn’t their first language.  Our translators speak numerous tribal languages & are able to cross that barrier to allow us to communicate with our patients.

Fatmata learns to prep the patient

Umu, Fatmata & Dereka scrub their hands

Teaching about instruments

In the OR, not only are we blessed with seven amazing translators, but 4 of them are nurses.  They gave up their jobs in the local hospitals to come work with us while we’re here in Guinea.  Officially, their roles in the OR are not those of nurses & none of them have had any OR experience prior to coming to work with us on the ship.  All seemed very eager to expand their nursing knowledge & skill base.  In Guinea, nurses can have 3 years of schooling before becoming a nurse.  With the limited resources & the education foundation available, the schools tell them what a nurse does, but not why nurses do what they do.  We figured 10 months would be enough time to help teach them at least the basics of OR nursing. 

Fatmata scrubs for a hernia surgery

Tina & I started to put materials together to come up with a plan.  We started off with simple things like what is sterile in the room & what is not, the different roles of the nurse in the OR & patient care & safety.  We practiced how to calm the patient & help with anesthesia.  During the week, each dayworker is assigned to one OR to act as the translator/orderly for that room, but also provides an opportunity for mentoring with our crew nurses. 



Umu preps an eye patient for surgery

When the surgery schedule was light, we would have a practicum in one of the ORs.  We would often focus the lesson on the type of surgeries we were doing at the time; during VVF, we practiced positioning patients for a spinal anesthesia & how to put a patient in stirrups.  We learned the importance of a proper surgical prep.  We spent time learning the names of the different instruments & what they do.  And we talked about patient safety & the care of the patient in the OR. 

In the ORs, they put their new knowledge to work.  Soon they were checking in the patients in pre-op, opening supplies & helping to set up the room, initiating the Time Out before the surgery started, counting with the scrub & running for supplies, all the while still doing their official job as a dayworker/translator.    

Gradually, we started to add another aspect to their repertoire: scrubbing.  We practiced scrubbing our hands & how to glove & gown ourselves, how to remain sterile & how to gown & glove others.  We worked on set up, how to pass instruments & handling of the sharps on the field.  They started to double scrub with other nurses to learn & watch how it is done.  Lately, they have been able to scrub for eye surgeries, hernias, lipomas & other smaller cases on their own.  It’s great to see them so involved & happy about their new roles.



Fatmata checks in her "patient" Umu

The other day, Tina & I set up a simulation to test their knowledge of what they had learned so far & to have a little fun.  The scenario was that two of them were the nurses, someone was the patient, Tina was the surgeon & I was anesthesia.  Others played the role of the patient or of PACU or even an observer! 



Fatmata brings her "patient" into the OR

They had to set up the room, check in the patient, & do all the things an OR nurse would do, we would not give them hints or tell them they missed something. 

Each had a role to play.

One would be the circulator- having to help set up the room, preop the patient, helping anesthesia, positioning the patient, doing the Time Out, counting & charting.

Fatmata charts

Someone would be the scrub nurse- opening up the supplies, scrubbing their hands, gowning & gloving themselves, setting up their back table, counting, gowning & gloving the surgeon, helping with draping, maintaining sterility, passing instruments, maintaining the surgical field & handling sharps.

We ran the simulation from start to finish, going through all the steps & everyone had the chance to perform in each role.  At the end, we would discuss what they did well & what they wanted to improve.  It was so much fun! 

Moise & Umu count the instruments

Even though it was a chance for us to assess their knowledge & give them an opportunity to run a room by themselves, they made the atmosphere light & exciting.  These nurses are amazing, they absorb everything we’ve strived to teach them & are gaining confidence in their ability as OR nurses.  Our goal is that when they leave the ship at the end of May, they could get a job in a local OR, if they so choose to, & hopefully, pass on what they had learned.

Umu & Amara talk about the Time Out

Umu passes instruments to "Dr" Tina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so proud of our nurses!

Blessings