Take that HIPPA!

Many of you may not know this, but I have been secretly persuing my medical degree part time while still taking care of the children at home. It's been long and hard, but I have evidently completed enough schooling to help out the doctors here. Okay, not really... but I did get to help. Yesterday, the guys working on the generator building ran out of bricks so David offered to stay home with the children and let me go observe Ben work at the hospital. I jumped at the opportunity because 1) I like being around Ben and 2) I have never seen him at his work. I made it about 10 minutes in the ER before I teared up. Ben was taking care of a little girl who had an abscess on her leg that he had to cut open and drain. The poor girl was terrified of Ben but after a shot of ketamine she was knocked out. Across the room, Dr. Andy and Dr. Jim were pulling and tugging (I'm sure they were doing something a little more directed then just pulling and tugging, but to an outsider that's what it looked like) on a little guy's arm to reduce a fracture he had received from falling out of a tree. He was screaming in pain and his poor family was just standing beside him crying. It was so sad to watch but after they finished, Dr. Andy so kindly asked me if I would like to help put on his cast! (Now, help is probably not a good word, because he obviously could have done it without me and probably would have completed quicker, but I was pretty excited that he let me participate.)

After this I went back and watched Ben see a few patients. It was really fun to see him in his element. I was pretty impressed with his ability to communicate in Pidgin. He really has picked up a lot! I know I am biased, but I think he's pretty amazing.

Today there was still a shortage of bricks so David stayed with the kids again just for the afternoon and I went with Ben again. I really enjoyed just watching him and occasionally chatting with the patients. (This is pretty hard since the only phrases I know are "what's your name", "where are you from", and "are you alright". Of course, they aren't alright, that's why they are at the doctor's office. So that just leaves me with two phrases.) One lady who came in talked really good English, so while Ben was out of the room we chatted about alot of things. About 10 years ago she was hit over the head for no reason and had spent time in the ICU. She was back because of pain. Her and all of her siblings were pastors with the Assembly of God church. She was so sweet, and I really enjoying chatting with her.

After Ben was done we went to the maternity ward to make sure everything was quiet before heading home since he is on call. There was a little baby there who had an infection and just didn't look good at all. His poor mommy was standing beside the bed in the nursery just crying and watching. The baby was having apneas so while Ben was standing there, he told the mom to stimulate the baby by tapping his foot. Then Ben and the nurse went to get the medicine they were going to start him on. Right after they left, the mom just kept hitting the boys foot repeatedly trying to wake him to the point that she couldn't tell that he was breathing. I showed her to put her hand on his belly and that when it went up and down this was good- but if it wasn't going up and down to tap his foot. I then told her "pikinini bilong me, same ting. I pray for you". It's true, Caleb had apneas as a little new born, but it was nothing like this. There were moniters and wires surrounding him that would alert the nurse if his Oxygen sats dropped too low, and buzzers that would rouse him if he stopped breathing. Nurses were there within seconds to tap his feet if that didn't work. I do know how worried and helpless I felt though, and this mom was feeling those same things. I asked her his name so that I could pray for him, but she said he had no name yet. I remember last time we were here one of the missionaries told me that sometimes they will wait over a year to name them since there are so many infant deaths. So I asked the mother's name so I could pray for her. I couldn't quite hear her, but it was something like Ellie, so if you think of it, could you say a prayer for her and the baby. God knows who he is.

As I left the room after trying to comfort her, Ben said to me, "that baby isn't going to make it". I guess in my mind I hadn't even thought of the baby dying, I was just concerned for the poor mommy and how she was feeling. This hit me pretty hard though and I had to leave. I guess I don't know how he does it- I felt completely overwhelmed at even the thought that this child might not make it but he has dealt with actual deaths multiple times here. One of the sweet missionary ladies said to me that tears are okay, God is crying for them too. What love He has for us.