Monday, November 3, 2014

Hold That Knife!

     Yesterday someone asked me what my dream day would be like. It seemed so funny. So out of context. It had been a busy Sunday, as usual, I might say. This person needing that medicine, that person wanting a few minutes to talk. Another person wanting something for a tooth ache. And then, a bandage or two at the clinic.
    Then the big cot came. A pale faced lady is found lying at the front door with a sheet knotted around her middle. The crowds are pressing in all around us, waiting for a glimpse of what is up. We try to get the woman to talk. She is weak, and her blood pressure is low. It seems that her husband cut her stomach. Or did she do it herself?! And why?
    As we unwrap the soggy rags, the contents  of what's inside of people began to show. We tried to hide our surprise at our first close up of intestines. They were pink, what did you think?
    So, some of us got a Ringers flowing into her veins while others of our wonderful staff hurried around finding sterile gauze, fluids, and bandaging supplies. We washed up the exposed inward parts, wrapped them in wet packing, and sent the lady out to get operated on. 
    Thank the Lord, Donny was able to get a place in the hospital in Laogone late in the evening, and the woman was safely put through surgery today. So that is the happy story. And if I was to talk about my dream day,anyway, it would probably include someone getting healed or saved.
    So much has happened in the month that you haven't heard from our team. It's probably been the busiest month in the whole two years since I was here. So many stories. A couple more trips to Mirebalais. Deaths, and births. And always one more mystery patient to keep us scratching our heads and praying. 
    Like Monet. He is the fistula boy who has been on our hands for a long time. Or the girl who we sent to TiGoave for tests, and she returned in basically the same condition we left her in. A swollen leg-warm to the touch. And supposedly it appeared overnight.
    We welcomed Hans Hertzler to our staff, so look for him on our blogs. He is our new clinic trauma director/emergency transport chief. We thank the Lord for what he has done for us already. 
                           -for all of us, Rhoda
   

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