August 26th, 2017 by jenniferolmstead

Woke early as usual. The catch is so did everyone else. It was good though as we all took quiet time. I got porridge for breakfast again, makes me so happy. I did eat too much though, but it is just so yummy.
Went to hospital early hoping to join the worship session, I was so early it had not started. So, I went to the HDU (high dependency unit) and started my day. Glad I got there early, it was super busy. They really get going at 8am and have much of the day done by 10 am. They were washing and bathing and changing dressings on everyone. I was able to help in the way of holding hands. The nursing education nurse came in and reviewed charts, assigning education for the day and observing the students. She stayed longer than intended as the family of a young child, who is still very ill, was trying to make the mother sing him out against doctor orders and take him home. Evidently, they think the child is sick due to a demon and they must get it away from us. It is a Muslim family. She was able to talk to the mother after the family left and they stayed, at least for one more day. It amazes me how many do leave against doctor orders.
She had just left when the doctor came in to round, halfway through the surgical doctor came in to round. The nurses were running everywhere. Afterwards it was time for the nurses to take all the doctor orders and put them in the nursing part of the chart so that med changes were noted and such. Five were discharged to other floors. By lunch time they were all gone and we already had two more. We got three after lunch. My accomplishment today was to get a patient to get out of bed and walk. It actually took a number of hours and multiple attempts to accomplish this. When we were able to get the mother to understand that moving would help the low-grade fevers he keeps getting she was on it. That poor boy didn’t have a chance. He got up and walked a couple laps in the unit, when he tried to get back to bed she blocked the way and made him walk some more. It was actually funny to watch. After the second lap, he was standing up straight and everything. Of course, he denied that he felt better and instantly hunched over if you asked him. He cannot admit that a nurse is right.
Lunch was so amazing today, we got salad. I think it was actually cabbage with tomatoes and onion, but it was green. I’m finding it interesting what excites me here. I was asked if I will come back again and work here for a while, the suggestion was 6 months or 2 years. I said that I would like to someday but it won’t happen for a long time. I would like to return. They do such amazing work here. I was telling someone today how God works in our lives and that if it’s HIS plan I will return. If not then I trust he has a better plan and I will carry these people in my heart forever.
At the end of the day I spent a little time looking at fetal ultrasounds again, I think I’m getting better at identifying landmarks in them. I was even able to help locate the femur. Sounds like not much but if you saw the image you’d totally get it.
It still amazes me though that mothers don’t want to feed their new babies. I do not think I will ever understand that. It is not cultural, just lazy. A new mother just laid they’re while a nursing student and nursing assistant both worked together to try and hold the baby in position and encourage feeding, they could not even get the mother to roll to her side to help. Not all the mothers are like this, most take good care of their babies and are proud of them, though they are most proud if it is a boy. Except one tribe which prefers girls.
The monkey was spotted by Helen and Naomi, but they were not able to get a good picture. So, the hunt continues. It is more like a small baboon and moves very quickly. I took a picture with a cow on the way home today, it just amazes me that with so much food they are so small. Full grown they come about to my waist.