Trip Two: Week Two! November 3-9

The first official week of being the adult general team leader is complete! It was a great week filled with game nights, gelato runs, and many successful surgeries. 

Ship Life

Each week starts with a mandatory all-hands meeting on Mondays at 0745. We welcome the new crew who arrived over the weekend and discuss any important information regarding the ship, operations, or life in town. During this meeting, I received a message and learned I would be joining the two new general surgeons that day for their patient screening process! It was a very busy day, but it was a good experience getting to meet the patients and see whether or not we will perform surgery on them. At the end of the day, I decided to swim some laps in the ship pool for some movement and it was quite pleasant. I was still regaining my strength after my weekend illness, and I think the twenty minutes spent in the pool helped me feel better as well. 

On Tuesday morning, I attended a devotion that is held each month for all hospital staff. We worshipped, prayed, and heard a wonderful message reminding us of our mission as believers and how Mercy Ships works to fulfill that mission as well. After work on Tuesday, I joined some friends in the "midships" common area for games, including a personal favorite "Rummikub." 

There is a medical in-service presentation each Wednesday evening with various speakers and topics. This Wednesday, a local Malagasy doctor Dr. Fabruce came and spoke about Madagascar and his dream of bridging the gap of patients' access to quality healthcare. The information he shared about access to healthcare and statistics about the Malagasy people were shocking. One statistic that was especially shocking was that the average life expectancy in Madagascar in 2023 is 63 years old. In comparison, the average life expectancy in the United States in 2023 was 78 years old. This difference is due to a combination of factors including limited access to healthcare, poverty, and high rates of malnutrition. Dr. Fabruce felt the Lord calling him to start a hospital in Tamatave, and he obeyed. Even with the numerous difficulties and barriers that arose, Dr. Fabruce trusted that God would provide. Because of his and his family's obedience, many lives have been changed, both physically and spiritually. Learning about these differences is extremely humbling and helps me to reflect on the blessings and abundance I have been given. 

After the presentation on Wednesday evening, a group of fifteen of us walked to the gelateria in town for a much-desired treat. I had been thinking about this gelato for the past three months while home in Raleigh, and it exceeded my expectations (unsurprisingly). It was an evening of great conversations and delicious gelato with friends. 

Thursday morning brought another Mada run, this time with a different OR friend! The weather was perfectly breezy and overcast. In the evening after work, we played more games, including Skip-Bo and Uno. If you know me, you know I love a game night... so all this gaming has been GREAT. 

The last praise & worship night of the field service at the Hope Center was on Friday night (no photos allowed). For those who might remember from my previous blogs, the Hope Center is a facility in town where the patients go before and after they receive the surgery on board. While the service was cut short due to an incoming storm system, we enjoyed an hour of worship, dancing, and hearing a couple of patient testimonies. One patient shared how he was able to lead some of his family to Christ because they saw how God provided Mercy Ships to heal him. It was a beautiful service and reminded me just how much of a difference Mercy Ships is making in Madagascar. 

I was on call Saturday and Sunday this weekend, so I stayed around the ship and rested. After saying goodbye to friends on Saturday, I relaxed by the ship pool most of day reading, swimming, and dozing off. There was a short case scheduled for Sunday morning that the call team did, followed by a coffee and (more) games in midships. It was a beautiful day Sunday, so I spent a couple hours by the pool again with another friend who was on call. Overall, it was a good weekend spent with good people, even though I was confined to the ship! 

Surgery On Board & Patient Highlight

On Monday, I joined the two adult general surgeons in the pre-op area on the dock for the patient screening process. We were scheduled to see 50 patients that day and assess whether or not surgery would be the next step, and if so, what the surgical plan would be. In order to see 50 patients between 9am-3pm, a balance of efficiency and thoroughness is needed. During the screening process, we met patients who had all already gone through a patient selection process at an earlier date. The patient selection team had noted the surgical request and any other prominent health issues the patient may have had. These issues could include hypertension (high blood pressure), excessive smoking, or prostate problems. The patients we saw on Monday either had hernias, hydroceles, or lipomas to be removed. The doctors perform a brief exam and decide whether or not surgery is a "yes." Unfortunately, there was one patient who appeared to have a large inguinal scrotal hernia, but upon further examination was determined that it was not a hernia and was likely a kind of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). Because Mercy Ships does not treat anything malignant, this patient received a "no" for surgery. It is a very sensitive conversation, and I appreciate the way Mercy Ships handles it. Whenever a patient is not a candidate for surgery, the Mercy Ships hospital chaplaincy works with their Malagasy day crew to approach the conversation as culturally appropriate as possible. This process is so important to continue positive relationships with the patients and families. 

The transition into my official role as team leader has been going pretty smoothly - thank you, Lord! I am working with two wonderful surgeons this week, Dr. Roy Hanks from Michigan (!!!) and Dr. Malika Bennis from Paris, France. The vibe in our OR has been so great this week. Even though we work together in the same room all day, many of us get together after work to eat dinner or play games... which I think speaks to the morale in the OR here! 

I have experienced a lot of answered prayers this week as I've adjusted to slightly different work expectations and time commitments than I was used to before. To those who have been praying for me, thank you! The Lord has been blessing me with sweet community and encouragement from others.

As sweet as this team has been, it makes saying goodbye that much harder! Funky Friday always makes it a little better... I had to say goodbye to some new friends, as well as some friends who I had met the first trip. With Mercy Ships, many of our "goodbyes" are thankfully "see you laters." 

OR Recap

This week, the AFM OR saw 47 patients across the maxillofacial, pediatric general, and adult general specialties. Examples of surgeries continue to include pediatric and adult hernia repairs, lipoma excisions, and small mass removals from the face.