Trip Three: Week Eight! August 10-16

Eight weeks down, five to go!

Nothing too exciting to report this week. It was a full and busy week in the OR, and I did not do too much outside of work. 

This was the last week of hernia/hydrocele/lipoma general surgery before the four week thyroid block starts next week. Because of that, we tried fitting in as many patients as we could! We operated on 4-5 patients a day, finishing after 5:30pm every day. That schedule this week didn’t give much time for social activities after work. 

On Thursday morning, I did go for a sunrise run with a new friend Katie before work. It was a sweet time and a great way to start the day. 

Friday brought another round of farewells in the OR, of course. The two general surgeons who have been here for the past four weeks are leaving over the weekend, which is bittersweet. It is rare that surgeons stay on the ship longer than two weeks, so we were really able to establish a routine and rhythm in the OR together. 

The weekly team building activity this week was testing the quality of our CPR. The OR was divided into three teams: nurses, anesthesia, and surgeons. Each team had a mannequin that was connected to a screen that showed results - the better the compressions, the faster the ambulance on the screen would arrive to the hospital. The surgeons somehow won the race, but we are all convinced that the nurses' mannequin was broken, because it didn't move at all. It was an educational and silly way to start our Friday. 

I was on-call on Saturday, and thankfully found some time to rest on the ship. I watched a sermon from back home, read my book, chatted with some friends, and took a nap. I have discovered that I rest and recharge much differently here on the ship than at home. At home, I love having a morning or afternoon to myself, watching a show or napping in bed. Here on the ship, I almost feel guilty for doing that and like I’m wasting precious time. However, there needs to be a time and place for rest and to “unplug” my brain. I am thankful that I was able to do that on Saturday afternoon. 

After saying goodbye to a big group of people on the dock in the late afternoon, I walked around the port and FaceTimed friends from back home. With the time change and busy schedules, it can be difficult to connect with my community back home, so I am always excited and refreshed when I’m able to catch up with them! 

On Sunday, I went to the beach for the day with a friend. We drove a motorbike through some questionable road conditions, but thankfully made it there and back in one piece. It was an amazing day, filled with great chats and lots of laughs. 

OR Recap

This week in the OR, 40 patients received surgery, 22 of whom were general surgery patients. The OR continued to run the cleft lip/palate repair, general, and reconstructive plastics. 

Please continue to pray for mental endurance and strength for me. We have been working many long days, and it can feel tiring and like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that we want. I am a big advocate for self-care and taking a break when you need to, but sometimes it feels like here on the ship that isn't always an option. There is a fine balance between pushing for efficiency and working hard to fit many patients in for surgery, and working yourself to the point of burnout. I am not sure anyone here on the ship has that perfectly figured out, but we are all trying our best. I am thankful for some friendships and relationships here on the ship that recharge me and bring me rest. Please pray for our leadership team to make wise decisions and that the Lord's hand of protection and guidance will be over each process on the ship.