Week Seven! May 26-June 1

Seven weeks down, seven to go! 

Ship Life 

    This week felt pretty routine in a way, but was still a good one filled with lots of activities. On Monday night, "The Go Getters" put forth a strong attempt at trivia. On Tuesday morning, I enjoyed a run around town with Heather. Wednesday and Thursday were standard, busy work days in the OR. 

 

  



    Friday was a ship holiday, so we did not work! Every six weeks, the ship has a "holiday" where most of the office jobs are closed and there are no surgeries. One fun tradition for the ship holiday is a Day Crew vs. Crew soccer match at a local stadium. My friends Fabrice and Houssen were playing on the day crew team, so a group of us went to cheer and support. The crew did end up winning the game, but it was still a fun morning cheering on our friends and showing some team spirit! 

    To celebrate Heather's last weekend in Madagascar, we went out for dinner on Friday night at Darafify, a restaurant/beach type place. The views were beautiful and the food was delicious! It is a common place for Mercy Shippers to visit, and we were surprised after dinner to see a massive bonfire on the beach with lots of ship friends! 



    On Saturday, I enjoyed a nice girls day with lunch at Club Nautique, time by the pool, and then gelato. It was a nice, happy, positive afternoon before I had to say goodbye to Heather that evening :( It has been so special having a close friend to share these experiences with! I am thankful for the memories we've made that we'll take with us for the rest of our lives. The farewell was a teary one (even though I'll see her in RDU in 7 weeks lol), but I am grateful for the community I still have on the ship. This is a special place filled with special people! 

 



 


    On Sunday, I went to the Hope Center, the place where patients go before and after surgery. Because people come from all over Madagascar to receive care from Mercy Ships, the patients (and sometimes their caregivers) could live at the Hope Center over the span of many weeks. Patients can receive special nutrition and pre-operative care before surgery, and the proper follow-up after they are discharged from the ship. Each Sunday, they host a church service for the patients & families and Mercy Ships crew is invited to join! Because of patient privacy, we are not allowed to take any photos or videos, so you'll just have to believe me when I say it was a beautiful time singing and dancing with patients and my fellow crew! 

In the afternoon, I channeled my 9th grade skills and joined some friends in a basketball game on the dock. It had been years since I'd played so I was a little nervous (and definitely rusty) but it was actually so fun! Group activities like that are such a great way to connect with others and also get some exercise in. Would recommend! 


Surgery On Board

    I was on another pediatric general surgery rotation this week. This week looked very similar to last week with the types of surgeries and the surgical team I was with. We performed 3-4 surgeries every day, typically inguinal hernia repairs. Even though these surgeries can feel routine and "small" at times, they are life changing and improve the quality of life in the long run for these patients! 

    Thursday was our "funky Friday" because of the ship holiday, so we had to say our gratitudes and farewells to the members of the OR team departing the ship over the weekend, including Heather. She made a comment that morning that it would be our last day working together after 3 years - big sad.  We both transitioned to PRN/per diem status at Duke Regional when we came to Mercy Ships, so we're not sure if we will work a regular job together again. It was a great three years! 







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