Nov.28, 2007

That's funny, because when I started this post i put "sept" instead of "nov"...i'm a little behind. ANYways, just a little story - 2 deliveries ago the baby had to be transported immediately due to complications such as apnea, lack of muscle tone, mec-staining, extremely large caput (basically not breathing on its own, etc.) It was AWful. But the Lord is gracious, and my next birth went much better!

On Nov.28 Shirah Angela graced her mother's presence (literally) because her mom, Nancy, had already given birth to FOUR BOYS and desperately wanted a little girl. She worked incredibly hard to push the baby out, and after the baby was resting on her tummy I ask, "what's your baby?! check, feel between the legs to check!"...

She reaches over and feels the umbilical cord (that was still attached) and exclaims "lalake?!" ("boy?!")...and i said "NO!" and as i wrench her leg open to reveal her little...little...i'm at a loss as to what to even CALL it on this thing! Anyways, you get the picture. Poor Nancy, almost thought she was doomed to never have a girl, she's already 38, and after realizing what I was saying to her, that her BOY was actually a GIRL, she asks, "sure ka?!" ("you're sure?!") ahhahah. oh my...

Later on, she was thanking me for helping her out and said "babaye kaayo!" ("very girl") aweee :D She was oh so sweet! And I agreed that it was very much a beautiful little girl. What a great job.

a very lAte post.

to match a vERY lAte THANKSGIVING! because the directors of our school are American, I celebrated Thanksgiving a little lATe again this year...i was relieved to see the pot of mashed potatoes next to the usual rice...thanksgivin' just wouldn't be the same w/o mashed pot and gravy! and to drink?! what else...but coke (and a little bit of (disgusting!) coconut wine). I love when everyone gets together :)

and on our fREE time.

on the days we DON't have "duty" at the clinic...we pack up and head to an aircon coffee shop :) The favourites are Bo's; Blugre (not so much after they discontinued their green chai tea, but i've heard they've now got vanilla chai, so it'll PRObably become a fav again); Basti's; Cups and Lowercase; Humps (mmm, peppermint latte); 51 japanese coffee shop; Brewedcastor; Nezz Cafe; Wiki-something (i forget cuz i've never actually bEEn to that one...).
the POINt is, this city is brimming with coffee shops, all with wifi, and good tea to drink! We can get a lOt done in an 8 hr day of just sitting there in a cafe doing homework with nOthing to distract except the internet, the good company of other classmates, other patrons, non-stop christmas music played throughout the place, the constant racket of blenders and coffee pots and... the waiters ;) ...just kidding! I hope everyone at home is wEll! It IS the rainy season for me now, and sometimes, around 3am, I get chilly enough nOt to turn off the fan, but to cover up with a sheet. Oh, to play in snow...

with 2 hours left..

around 8pm, in the 14th hour, sweet Marianita came back (the one I'd sent home earlier) more active! She was single, but had her amazingly experienced mom there to help her labor. Seriously, her mom could've been exPLOYed at Mercy - she was sO good at telling her daughter what to do, without being "overbearing".. A veteran laborer, she knew exactly what to tell her daughter to do - she's had at least 5 babies, and her first time pregnant had twins (who had both already died before she pushed them out..)

I got to deliver her baby at 9:33 pm, and because it was so close to shift change, I didn't have to do any of the postpartum things like the baby exam and bath and such (the fun part :P). So I finished up the paperwork and endorsed the rest. I later found out that the father came at some point that night (which was really special for her because he already has a family and told her he was going to stay with the others). It's a common occurrence here, i've kind of learned to accept it, but, as long as they can support all their children, it's socially ok.

It was a great birth! I was completely blessed by the support of Marianita's mother, and just how she handled pushing out her first ever little baby girl.

a 16 hr. shift

I asked Jenny if she could work my sunday swing shift (afternoon-eve) because I planned somewhat of a party in Toril (about an hour from here) with a couple of the women i've delivered - mainly the 2 Aninon sisters. But, I switched her for toDAY, saturday swing although I already had saturday day shift. Therefore, i'm in my 11th hour at the clinic, and obviously there's not much going on. I haven't delivered a baby since the 2nd of november (TWO WHOLE WEEKS) and was looking forward to a busy shift, but so far I've only sent one girl home in early labour and done a tOn of Jenny's baby check-ups! I also did more homework than I probably would have gotten done at home ;) It's been a fun day though...i'm hoping this little blogger break will spur the fully dilated labours to start pouring in here!! (i'll letcha know what becomes of the next 6 hours..)

the funny ways people endure injections.

Yesterday I had prenatal clinic...we each have our own cubicle and our patients sit in the waiting area until they are called. Because we have 5-6 midwives working on our team, we just pick the chart off the top of the pile, call the name of the patient, and carry out the prenatal. I picked up a rather large file yesterday and realized I would be seeing not one, but two patients because of it.

The filipino people have a community within the country called the "Bajaos"...even I can tell, just by seeing someone, if they are Bajao or not. It's hard to explain...they just have a certain look about them, are usually much darker than the average filipino, with different hair also. These people are also extremely uneducated, they do not know how to read or write, when we admit them in labor, instead of signing their name we take their thumb print. They do not know how old they are, or how many times they've been pregnant, etc. That being said - they are thE kindest, swEEtest people you'll ever meet.

I didn't know this, but our clinic just has one big file for the entire community of Bajaos...not that we see a lot of them, home births with a hilot (traditional birth attendent) are popular among them. I saw these 2 particular girls during the health teaching, but it didn't click until I found myself calling 2 single names into my cubicle. YIKES! Truthfully, I was scared at first...it's very hard to communicate with them and not only because I haven't yet mastered the language.

I almost pawned them off onto my supervisor, but really had the desire to work through the prenatal as much as I was able...I took measurements and made sure their babies were doing ok. Then, my supervisor came in to finish the communication and direct me through the rest of the prenatal.

I needed to give them both tetanus toxoid injections...and when I went to give the younger one hers (oh my goodness, she was already sO stinkin' cUTE!) and she saw the needle and immediately threw her hand over her eyes, where she kept it until the shot had been given. I wanted to cry...hahah, it was sO cUTE! After the prenatal we pray over the mom and her baby...the Bajaos are cool because when you start praying, thEY start praying!! (and usually clap after the prayer - It's amazing!). My heart is stILL smiling from the encounter. I wish I had my camera to take a picture of these 2 beautiful women.

and this is just a funny advertisement.. like ANYone would get away with thAT in north america!

You don't know how often -

I can almost feel you right here with me.
I hear your words of advice and support on bad days...
see things you'd find funny and hear you laugh...
and even find myself trying to remember certain things so that I can share them later with you.
It's not as fun as having you here, but I love sharing that kind of closeness.
We're close in all the ways that count -
in spirit,
in understanding,
and in heart.
Being far away will never change that.
I'm so lucky to know that no matter where you are in the world,
You are in my life for keeps!

- Alaire Tennille


And, in the midst of being homesick, and just a little sad...my very first piece of mail since i've been back arrives!!, and not a minute to soon. Thank you oh-so much for loving me. and for making these words so true in our lives.

Last week wasn't so good...thus, i did not blog. I was super sick! and really wantED to be at home, in Vineland, in my OWn bed, and miserable until getting better. inSTEAd, i was swaying, on the top bunk of a bunkbed, sneezingg, and snifflingg, annoyingg and infECtingg my 4 innocent roommates. blahhh. It was not very nice - i, was not very nice. BUt i'm better now! Praise God.

and, i've had some pretty amazing things happen while i was glassy-eyed and hopped up on drugs. I got to visit the Aninon's (sisters of whom I helped deliver their babies, the boy in the pic is almost 5 months now (how crazy is it to think I delivered this little boy!)), I was able to spend some time with Aileen and her son (my god-son, Aijey), had a sKYPee date!, start a life map, play in church on Sunday, and say goodbye to a dear friend named Jamie whose on her way back to Korea.

I also was able to finish an assignment, and take the test for that section on monday. We've only got 11 more assignments to complete! And this next one we're starting, Intrapartum Complications and Risks, will take over a month to complete. Oi, so homework is planned to Christmas. WHICh, by the way, i've already started my shopping (and not jUSt for myself..:P) I'm sO on tOp of things!