another night shift another baby: 31/1/08
The start of the night shift was not going well. I only wanted to be helpful and it felt like I was being a bother on all sides. Then I was being proposed to a billion times and I can only fight the battle of polygamy for so long until I just get anger and want to leave. Then a woman came in with a breech birth and wanted to refuse a C-section I was shocked. Then James explained to her the risks and the whole process and they agreed to it.
They were in the process of paying for it when the phone rang again. Wanting to not have to ask them to call back yet again I told Liz to go and that I’d finish with the family. Now unfortunately for the situation we’d told them a number first and then after James corrected us the price jumped from less than 20$ to 60$. I was having trouble explaining myself to him when another nurse came in and he started to try and help explain but as he was talking to me he was very loud and I very much dislike it when someone assumes that because I don’t understand what they are telling me they must talk louder and just keep saying the same things. It’s better if you try to reword it. Anyway things got frustrating even more so because I couldn’t’ even explain right that I didn’t want him to yell let alone that I understand the words they are saying just not the meaning. After many deep breaths we got past all of it and I started to write up the receipt but I didn’t understand what to do because James had talked to Liz, who was on the phone . . . so I left. I told the man I’d go find Liz and she’d do it. I started waking to the house and I tossed over my shoulder an “I can’t do it; he’s in there waiting for you.
When I got to the house thankfully no one was there because Camilla (the Danish med student) was in the OR and Hans and Esther must have stayed home. So I go in turn off my head lamp and lay on the couch and cried. My tears were few and after a few min I was just laying there when I hear Liz calling y name and she says that James wants me in the OR, they need me. So I wipe away the straggler tears and head out with out even stopping to look at Liz, least of all she see my face. I didn’t understand why they needed me but I’d go.
I grabbed my hair cover and mask and head in. As I walked in to the OR I heard the cd player playing Bebo Norman’s latest album – I was glad to hear it because I’ve enjoyed it because it so strongly helps me praise god and was a nice sound to hear at the moment. I was there to help; they needed me to take the baby when it was born. So I stood off to the side and waited all the while singing along under my mask. Once again I as relieved and thankful that I had been there to watch and learn what to do at a C-section, plus the night shirt before with what to do with the baby. Out comes the breeched baby and as James smacks the babies butt the baby makes no sounds. James says, “here you go, you’ve got your work cut out for you” and they hand me a non breathing little baby boy. Right away my pulse quickens and I place him on the baby table and start compressions while Abel (who’s doing the mothers anesthesia) starts to bag the little guy. I’m praying my weak little heart out while working so hard on him. I do constant chest compressions and then I’ll slap him really good on the butt and go back to compressions. We’d suctioned out his mouth a couple times and I hear a bit of something and I know he wants to cry and live. We continue a bit more and finally with one more hard slap to shock him he gives a weak but good cry at the exact same time I hear the words – I will lift mine eyes to the Maker. Praise God!!
I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face as I lifted my heart to the Maker. This little boy was given life by our Maker. James looks over at us and asks if he’s crying and I say, “Yes” to which James is relived because he said he was about to break sterility and go over and work on him but now he didn’t need to. Abel then goes back to quickly give the new mother medicine to help with the bleeding and put everything “away” inside her. I stay with that little boy and keep poking him as he gets more and more animated. My heart is still soaring to my Maker with the words to my favorite song as I put ointment in his eyes and tie off his umbilical cord. I cover him to keep him warm and continue to rub and poke keeping him full of movement. My pulse was still racing and adrenaline rushing for a while after that. I cut his cord and then just held him and prayed. He was so animated and beautiful.
God knows us so well, He watched us as we were being formed in utter seclusion, as we were being woven together in our mothers wombs. He saw us before we were born and every day of our lives was marked down in His book. (Ps 139) God knew that I was going to have a rough shift at the hospital and He knew that this baby boy was going to have a rough delivery and in His goodness He brought us together because He knew we needed each other. God’s just loving like that.
They were in the process of paying for it when the phone rang again. Wanting to not have to ask them to call back yet again I told Liz to go and that I’d finish with the family. Now unfortunately for the situation we’d told them a number first and then after James corrected us the price jumped from less than 20$ to 60$. I was having trouble explaining myself to him when another nurse came in and he started to try and help explain but as he was talking to me he was very loud and I very much dislike it when someone assumes that because I don’t understand what they are telling me they must talk louder and just keep saying the same things. It’s better if you try to reword it. Anyway things got frustrating even more so because I couldn’t’ even explain right that I didn’t want him to yell let alone that I understand the words they are saying just not the meaning. After many deep breaths we got past all of it and I started to write up the receipt but I didn’t understand what to do because James had talked to Liz, who was on the phone . . . so I left. I told the man I’d go find Liz and she’d do it. I started waking to the house and I tossed over my shoulder an “I can’t do it; he’s in there waiting for you.
When I got to the house thankfully no one was there because Camilla (the Danish med student) was in the OR and Hans and Esther must have stayed home. So I go in turn off my head lamp and lay on the couch and cried. My tears were few and after a few min I was just laying there when I hear Liz calling y name and she says that James wants me in the OR, they need me. So I wipe away the straggler tears and head out with out even stopping to look at Liz, least of all she see my face. I didn’t understand why they needed me but I’d go.
I grabbed my hair cover and mask and head in. As I walked in to the OR I heard the cd player playing Bebo Norman’s latest album – I was glad to hear it because I’ve enjoyed it because it so strongly helps me praise god and was a nice sound to hear at the moment. I was there to help; they needed me to take the baby when it was born. So I stood off to the side and waited all the while singing along under my mask. Once again I as relieved and thankful that I had been there to watch and learn what to do at a C-section, plus the night shirt before with what to do with the baby. Out comes the breeched baby and as James smacks the babies butt the baby makes no sounds. James says, “here you go, you’ve got your work cut out for you” and they hand me a non breathing little baby boy. Right away my pulse quickens and I place him on the baby table and start compressions while Abel (who’s doing the mothers anesthesia) starts to bag the little guy. I’m praying my weak little heart out while working so hard on him. I do constant chest compressions and then I’ll slap him really good on the butt and go back to compressions. We’d suctioned out his mouth a couple times and I hear a bit of something and I know he wants to cry and live. We continue a bit more and finally with one more hard slap to shock him he gives a weak but good cry at the exact same time I hear the words – I will lift mine eyes to the Maker. Praise God!!
I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face as I lifted my heart to the Maker. This little boy was given life by our Maker. James looks over at us and asks if he’s crying and I say, “Yes” to which James is relived because he said he was about to break sterility and go over and work on him but now he didn’t need to. Abel then goes back to quickly give the new mother medicine to help with the bleeding and put everything “away” inside her. I stay with that little boy and keep poking him as he gets more and more animated. My heart is still soaring to my Maker with the words to my favorite song as I put ointment in his eyes and tie off his umbilical cord. I cover him to keep him warm and continue to rub and poke keeping him full of movement. My pulse was still racing and adrenaline rushing for a while after that. I cut his cord and then just held him and prayed. He was so animated and beautiful.
God knows us so well, He watched us as we were being formed in utter seclusion, as we were being woven together in our mothers wombs. He saw us before we were born and every day of our lives was marked down in His book. (Ps 139) God knew that I was going to have a rough shift at the hospital and He knew that this baby boy was going to have a rough delivery and in His goodness He brought us together because He knew we needed each other. God’s just loving like that.
Comments
Great story - you have a nice way of keeping it real and still finding hope in these tough situations. Praise God for the way He brings two people in need together to help both! I wonder what the Africans think of you singing during surgery...perhaps they will start requesting certain songs and you will have a new job description. Anyway, keep the stories coming, know that us Americans are thinking and praying for you, and keep a good eye on Liz for me. See ya in 4 weeks! Oh and thanks for taking all those great pictures! Kevin