October Recap

Just landed in Kenya this morning after a long 24 hours of traveling.  Very excited to get to work with Ohio State and Free the Children to educate nurses on how to better take care of neonates.  Not to mention getting to see a friend from home in just a couple hours.  My heart is happy to say the least.   Here is a quick recap of all we have done on the ship in October!    Fast Facts on October   170 Operations and patients taken care of on the ward 1,204 Patients received dental treatment 179 Counseling sessions 160 Patients from Mahajanga and Antsiranana will be scheduled for surgeon screening 198 Xrays completed 22 CT scans completed 79 Palliative care visits 46 Women cared for at the obstetric fistula clinic 158 club foot treatments by rehab 441 rehab treatments inpatient and outpatient Glaucoma course in Tamatave with 75 participants Dental course held on board with 21 participants Biomedical course held at Hopital Be with 6 participants Numerous primary Care Trauma courses held in Tana  Safe Obstetric Anethesia course in Tana with 39 participants Numerous World Health Organization Safe Surgical Checklist/Lifebox Team training courses throughout Madagascar     October was an incredible month on the ship.  Plastic surgery wrapped up and our orthopedic surgeries started on board.  I was lucky enough to participate in Orthopedic evaluation day which was a very humbling and eye opening experience.  Patients treated last year by Mercy Ships in Madagascar came to be followed up on.  After sitting down with me and answering personal questions about shame, marriage potential, happiness with their outcomes etc, they moved on to be evaluated by the rehab team and our orthopedic surgeon.  It was incredible to hear their stories and see the children running around with now straight, healthy bones.  Now with endless potential in front of them.   I'll leave you with some pictures of our plastics patients and some of my best friends on the ship.  Cannot even begin to tell you how much I love these kids.  After 2 months on board I can say with certainty that they have stolen my heart.  I will miss them so much.  

 

    I'll be spending two weeks in Kenya doing neonatal education with healthcare workers here and then will return back to the ship.  When I return back to the ship I will be moving wards and will work in our ICU and on D ward which is our maxillofacial ward.  I am excited for a new challenge and cannot wait to continue to share all the amazing things happening here!