Screening day and more….a visit with my Tino
July 31, 2011, Sunday
We hit the deck running today…up at 0600. A great breakfast buffet. Then we piled in to the trucks and vans. We arrived to an empty waiting room scared all of us…we thought for a moment we had traveled very far for nothing. But the Zimbabwe staff had relocate the prospective patients and families to another location. We split and conquered some working in screening clinic and some of us finishing the set up. My OCD drove me to the PACU to make sure it was set up the “Sandy” way. As mission trips to developing countries go…things just don’t work…like no functioning suction machines….which translates into taking a 20 cc syringe and hand suctioning… or the wall oxygen has no pressure so it can not fill a Jackson Reese bag…to the lay reader this means most of my emergency equipment is non functional So as Anita would say “step to the right
The screening days always turn up some interesting clinical today no exception we identified two toddlers with wide open PDA (holes in their hearts which never closed from birth. So we were unable to do their cleft & palate repairs. Unfortunately there is nowhere in Zimbabwe for poor babies with heart conditions …so things don’t look good for these kids.
The highlight of the day was going down to L’Arche Zimbabwe to visit Tinotenda. For those of you who did not follow last years blog (you can look at his story as it developed last year) Tino is a boy who was abandoned at the hospital at 3 months old. We encountered Tino at the hospital last year; he was in a crib in a room by himself. I fell in love with him and made it a habit to visit him each day. As time went on I inquired about the long term plan for Tino, and learned that he could be cared for until he was 18, but then would be turned out to the street. Tino would have died or been abused. This reality was unfathomable to me. So long story made short...Tino moved into the L’Arche community on Nov 17..
Sunday afternoon after our screening day I got to go down and see Tino in his new home. Three other team members from last year joined me. Jess who is a news journalist for CNN international filmed the occasion for me to have as a memory.
As we walked across the path we were greeted by Tino standing at the window gazing out, a scene we witnessed many times last year at the hospital. As we continued on he let a screech of excitement out. I of course burst into tears upon seeing him. The pale visitors, no one seemed afraid, also excited the other children. I held my hand out to s if Tino felt comfortable coming closer… soon he was greeting all…pulling us one by one into the room. One of the assistants suggested that he show us his room...he took my hand and walked down the hall until we came to his room and he sat us down on his bed. He then showed me the chapel which had many African drums and instruments. I would drum and he would follow…it was a heart wrenching and heart warming visit. I so look forward to a longer visit when the medical mission has completed…..speaking of which…
Today
August 1, 2011….how did that happen?
We had our first day of surgery…we got through it and had our fair share of bumps in the road…bottom line all the patients did well…We had a fire...yes at first we were told the roof was on fire…although the OR & PACU filled with smoke the fire was out side in the grass… We had to stop operating in one OR for an emergency bowel resection for intraseception a 4 hour delay. Needless to say we operated late….no complaints from families…they are so grateful to have the opportunity to get surgery…One first case canceled because we could not intubate (put a breathing tube in) the baby had a stenossed airway. Two stressful recoveries complicated by my lack of Shone language skills…we left the hospital at 9:45 pm….oh yeah my blood sugar bottomed out at 8 pm and I was shaking like a leaf…and maybe a little cranky
BUT the GOOD news my luggage came yahooooooooooooo…intact nothing stolen….now I have scrubs & food and a few other things as well….
That’s all folks! Peace out from Zimbabwe!
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