I miss working so much, so I am really blessed to be able to volunteer in the labor and delivery ward here. After a ton of finagling to actually be able to be there and participate in what was going on, I am gaining the trust of the entire labor room staff. The head sister is awesome and she loves me and Felicia (the other volunteer working with me at the women's hospital, she is a midwife student). The sister doesn't speak a ton of English but she tries very hard to learn. She also tries to learn so much from us, asking questions about the labor unit that I worked on and how things were different. The nurses do the same. They love when we ask them questions and inquire about the systems here because they love to hear our side of things too, so the dynamic isn't question --> answer, questions --> answer. It's more of a general discussion that floats around different subjects, both professional and very personal which is so awesome. We are beginning to be able to do more and more which is great because the staff trust us to do a good job and we ask questions when we don't know things.
The health system here is so different from the US. It is very old fashioned and traditional. There is a head Sister on each ward that runs the unit, similar I would think to a nurse manager. She were a certain uniform and a special hat to distinguish her title. Then there are the nurses, all in white dresses with the white hat and they wear their pins. Below them are the midwives. Here, the midwives don't need the education that the nurses need. They attend a government or private training and get more of a certification rather than proper education and a degree. It's definitely very different and has been strange to get used to but has been so interesting to be exposed to such a different way of doing things. I've really appreciated the mutual respect and learning that has been happening so far.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Sunday 11/30/14 Medical Camp
0700 came much too soon after that long and tiring couple of days. All of the medical volunteers were up for another social outreach/medical camp planned for us. We would be doing a free preventative and follow up clinics for the locals that included blood pressure, blood sugar, blood tests, weights, and education on hypertension, diabetes, and general health. Each person also met with a doctor to discuss their general well being and to receive additional, more specific education for their specific situation. All the locals were so nice and kind. Some were really hilarious and tried hard to speak and understand the English, it was sweet. There were also tons of kids that were running and playing around which was fun for me. After lunch we all crashed... for like three hours. It was the most glorious nap ever. After we met up for a relaxing movie night at my house :) woof, what a busy couple of days!!
Saturday 11/29/14 Elephants are sweet.
There was a few of us out of our big group that had a big interest in seeing/riding/washing elephants... some had already done it and some just wanted to go home. So, three of us stayed and traveled about 30 minutes outside of Dambulla to ride elephants. Once we actually found the place/people we needed to find in this tiny town, they took us in this jungle vehicle to the lake and place where they kept the elephants. I would say they had about 10-15? That we could see at least. We started almost immediately. The three of us hopped on top and they took us for a nice long ride. It was cool cuz we got to see other elephants along the way along with different animals like cool birds, big lizards, and peacocks (with the feathers out, it was so pretty). At the end of the trail, the elephant got in the water for a little bit which was fun and different. Along the entire walk we got to feed the elephants bananas, maybe a little incentive for the elephant to keep going haha. On our journey back, each of us got to take turns riding on the elephants head/neck for a while which was SO cool, a bit uncomfortable, but totally worth it. Our guide walked along the trail with us and explained things as we went along, he also took one of our cameras and took awesome pictures along the way. It was a friend's camera so hopefully those pictures will be up in the next couple of weeks.
After the elephant adventures, we hopped on another public transit bus and took the 7 hour journey home. I don't think I've ever been more excited to get off a bus and finally just get home. We were exhausted, crabby, and achy from the madness of public transportation.
Once we were finally home, we met up with the other volunteers at the hotel in town, had a much needed dinner and glass of wine and said our goodbyes to a couple volunteers that were leaving that night.
After the elephant adventures, we hopped on another public transit bus and took the 7 hour journey home. I don't think I've ever been more excited to get off a bus and finally just get home. We were exhausted, crabby, and achy from the madness of public transportation.
Once we were finally home, we met up with the other volunteers at the hotel in town, had a much needed dinner and glass of wine and said our goodbyes to a couple volunteers that were leaving that night.
Friday 11/28/14 Sigiriya/Dambulla
Today was going to be a long day. We get up early, per usual, and head the gardens and area called Sigiriya, located right outside the town of Dambulla. There is not much here other than the attraction of The Lion Rock. The story goes that the rock is the remnants of an old volcano and the top of the mountain was the residence of a past King. About half way up the mountain there are steps to finally get to the top but only after passing the paws/claws of The Lion (see pictures on facebook). It was early morning but it was HOT. The climb wasn't too bad other than the fact that we were all drenched in sweat. As we got higher and higher, the only relief was the wind. The climb was slow but only because there was so many pretty gardens and structures to look at on the way up so there was a lot of stopping and exploring. Once you get about 2/3 the way up you come to a flat area and The Lion's claws and through there, there were steps that lead to the final top. This part was a bit steep with questionable metal steps along the side of the rock that went straight up. This part was also very wet, as the top of the mountain hung over this area so all of the water from the top fell off this area onto the steps. Thank God for my rain coat! The top was absolutely breathtaking. Views so far, everything so green, and one gigantic Buddha that was miles away watching over the land. We hung out for a long while, took pictures, relaxed. After a while, we headed back down and back into Dambulla. Morning activities -- Check.
After a nice buffet lunch, we went to the Dambulla Cave Temple. The museum was very extravagant (see pictures on facebook) with one huge Buddha. There were monkeys literally everywhere. Monkeys that were consistently given food by the visitors and that would jump and hang on to your leg to get whatever it was that you were holding, so you had to be quite careful. It was pretty hilarious, however, when it happened to a couple people we were with. Unknowingly, we had to climb to the top of this mini mountain to get to the Cave Temples... great. We were so tired from the climb up The Lion Rock but we made it just fine but it was a slow process. The cave temples weren't exactly what I expected but were still very cool. It was a temple that was kind of tucked into a large rock that overhung the temple. Inside there were tons of different Buddha statues and the ceiling (the top of the rock) were painted with intricate paintings of Buddha and related objects/concepts. We perused for a while and headed back down.
We decided that after so much climbing and activity that we would then go get Ayuveda massages at a nearby spa for the evening. Ayuveda is the type of medicine here that is non-pharmacological, consisting of herbs, oils, scrubs, etc. That was an experience that I will never forget. We ended up buys a package deal where you receive a 60 minute massage with two different oils made specifically for ayuveda treatment. After you spend time in a sauna with a certain type of leaf and then proceed to a steam bath which was similar looking to a tanning bed but wood with the same type of leaf and steam coming out of the bottom and you head is sticking out the top. The full body massage started and it was ok... a bit unorganized/no real technique which made my back feel a bit worse actually. But the surprising part was that the "full body massage" was indeed FULL BODY. Thank god I had a women... however, I had a woman with extremely long nails, so I completed the massage and in the less than adequate sauna, I examined the scrapes she left all over my legs :( So, everyone was a bit disappointed as we left, but it was quite the experience and made for a hilarious story and fun pastime that we frequently reminisce about!
After a nice buffet lunch, we went to the Dambulla Cave Temple. The museum was very extravagant (see pictures on facebook) with one huge Buddha. There were monkeys literally everywhere. Monkeys that were consistently given food by the visitors and that would jump and hang on to your leg to get whatever it was that you were holding, so you had to be quite careful. It was pretty hilarious, however, when it happened to a couple people we were with. Unknowingly, we had to climb to the top of this mini mountain to get to the Cave Temples... great. We were so tired from the climb up The Lion Rock but we made it just fine but it was a slow process. The cave temples weren't exactly what I expected but were still very cool. It was a temple that was kind of tucked into a large rock that overhung the temple. Inside there were tons of different Buddha statues and the ceiling (the top of the rock) were painted with intricate paintings of Buddha and related objects/concepts. We perused for a while and headed back down.
We decided that after so much climbing and activity that we would then go get Ayuveda massages at a nearby spa for the evening. Ayuveda is the type of medicine here that is non-pharmacological, consisting of herbs, oils, scrubs, etc. That was an experience that I will never forget. We ended up buys a package deal where you receive a 60 minute massage with two different oils made specifically for ayuveda treatment. After you spend time in a sauna with a certain type of leaf and then proceed to a steam bath which was similar looking to a tanning bed but wood with the same type of leaf and steam coming out of the bottom and you head is sticking out the top. The full body massage started and it was ok... a bit unorganized/no real technique which made my back feel a bit worse actually. But the surprising part was that the "full body massage" was indeed FULL BODY. Thank god I had a women... however, I had a woman with extremely long nails, so I completed the massage and in the less than adequate sauna, I examined the scrapes she left all over my legs :( So, everyone was a bit disappointed as we left, but it was quite the experience and made for a hilarious story and fun pastime that we frequently reminisce about!
Thursday 11/27/14 Social Outreach
Today was the first social outreach of my trip in Sri Lanka. It is when we go out into the community and help different community centers/orphanages/etc on different things from the education on hand washing to helping clean up an orphanage. Today we were placed in an orphanage and our task was to paint one of the buildings that had a lot of rain damage. We had an early morning, starting at 0700. The first half of the day went fairly smoothly, cleaned up the outside of the building and started painting. Jammed out to some Disney music, obviously, and everyone was having a good time. By mid-day it was ridiculously hot, everyone was drenched in sweat, thirsty and getting tired. After lunch we were beat. It was 1400 and we still had a lot of work to finish. So, we sucked it up and finished the job -- hot, tired, and slow from lunch. The only thing that made it better was that I got to chose the music for part II, and since Disney was part I, The Beatles were part II. At the end of the day, we stuck around for some pictures... made a "You're killin' me smalls!" joke at the best possible moment and only one person understood... it made me sad.
When the day was complete, we started our journey to Dabulla/Sigiriya. We usually take a private bus so that all of the volunteers can stay together, however we had too many volunteers and not enough seats on the bus, so three of us volunteered to take the public transportation option -- cheaper but longer. Getting to Dambulla wasn't too bad, a bit cramped but otherwise just a long journey after we finally figured out where the correct bus was located (the bus station is the most disorganized place ever). We passed a funeral procession and interestingly enough, they all wear white here instead of black. I'm not sure why, but that really interested me. No one around could tell me why. They also walk behind the car carrying the coffin instead of driving and in front of the car are a few select people who play drums and a certain type of horn. It was pretty cool to see. Since then we have actually seen quite a few and I can never take my eyes off of them.
When we arrive in Dambulla after 5 hours, it's raining and we have no clue where our hotel/hostel is located. Since this place is a bit off the map, we can't locate ourselves on Google Maps (first world problems) so we chat with a Tuk Tuk driver and he gets us to where we think we need to be. But, when we arrive, the place looks totally abandoned and creepy... and very locked. We finally decide to climb over the gated wall to try and find someone to help us, turns out it is the right place (great.), we get inside and crash after an incredibly long day.
When the day was complete, we started our journey to Dabulla/Sigiriya. We usually take a private bus so that all of the volunteers can stay together, however we had too many volunteers and not enough seats on the bus, so three of us volunteered to take the public transportation option -- cheaper but longer. Getting to Dambulla wasn't too bad, a bit cramped but otherwise just a long journey after we finally figured out where the correct bus was located (the bus station is the most disorganized place ever). We passed a funeral procession and interestingly enough, they all wear white here instead of black. I'm not sure why, but that really interested me. No one around could tell me why. They also walk behind the car carrying the coffin instead of driving and in front of the car are a few select people who play drums and a certain type of horn. It was pretty cool to see. Since then we have actually seen quite a few and I can never take my eyes off of them.
When we arrive in Dambulla after 5 hours, it's raining and we have no clue where our hotel/hostel is located. Since this place is a bit off the map, we can't locate ourselves on Google Maps (first world problems) so we chat with a Tuk Tuk driver and he gets us to where we think we need to be. But, when we arrive, the place looks totally abandoned and creepy... and very locked. We finally decide to climb over the gated wall to try and find someone to help us, turns out it is the right place (great.), we get inside and crash after an incredibly long day.
Wednesday 11/26/14 Theatre day
The operating room (or theatre as they call it) is very interesting and a little scary in my eyes. We saw three different c/sections this morning. C/sections here are given much more "freely" compared to the US and they go quick. There were six c/sections happening while we were there (there are two ORs), and even when we left, there were women IN LINE to get cut. Things move quickly, they get in and get out. The baby is placed in a basin of sorts and taken to a separate room, mom doesn't get to see baby until she is in the recovery "area." There is minimal recovery done on the baby at all - no VS, no stimulation for a minimum of 20-30 seconds as they travel to another room, no assessments, which scared the daylights out of me as a watched for the first time. Between patients, the OR isn't stripped and cleaned the way it is at home either. The bed sheets are removed and new ones are put on... no real cleaning involved at all. It is very intriguing. I wanted very much to see the statistics on infection and whatnot but that doesn't exist here.
Bought a sari this afternoon. It was weird because looking at them in the store, just on the wrack, none of them looked appealing to me, but when they are on, it is really hard to go wrong. Mom - you will be happy as I bought one that is blue and pink. I can hear her now "those colors really are best for you skin tone and your eyes" :) (love you, mom)
Bought a sari this afternoon. It was weird because looking at them in the store, just on the wrack, none of them looked appealing to me, but when they are on, it is really hard to go wrong. Mom - you will be happy as I bought one that is blue and pink. I can hear her now "those colors really are best for you skin tone and your eyes" :) (love you, mom)
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Tuesday 11/25/14 Homesick and after two months I need a vent session so if you don't want to listen to me complain... skip to the next post.
So I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning... figuratively and literally. Figuratively -- First of all woke up in the early hours of the morning to a cat somewhere near my bedroom window that was clearly struggling to some extent and being ridiculously loud. It continued for at least an hour while I drifted in and out of sleep and then I finally woke up to the shrill sounds of a dog and cat having some sort of battle/confrontation. It was awful and made me want to cry. There was no hope for going back to sleep after that.
Literally -- So the mattresses here aren't really mattresses at all... more like a thick pad on top of wood panels. There are four beds in my room but I am the only one occupying the room. After the first two nights of waking up in incredible back pain, I decide to throw one of the other mattresses under mine for a little extra padding. Mistake. Since there is nothing to these mattresses, I woke up in an even bigger ass print of a hole in the mattress than before and in an equal amount of back pain. To make matters worse, I have a million bug bites because apparently the bugs here are immune to the damn 98% DEET bug spray that I have been infecting myself with at all times, so I have been having a difficult time sleeping through the night with the heat, the itching bug bites, and my back. Thank god for melatonin because I would be struggling big time without it.
Today was my first day in the Women's hospital and I was so excited about it. I tried so hard to put those silly things aside so that I could enjoy the day in the hospital. After a wonderful morning full of births and conversations with some of the English speaking nurses, listening to interesting stories and learning the comparisons to US procedures in the delivery room, I felt incredibly homesick for my job back in the states. I wanted desperately to help the way that I help and do my job in the states to make the birthing experience even just a little bit better for some of the mothers, but many of the things are not practiced here and are not accepted. I needed to constantly remind myself that this is why I am here. To learn about a new culture, a different way of doing things, and to bring what I have learned back to the states. To be a better nurse, a well-rounded nurse, a nurse who practices cultural humility and cultural adaptability. Tomorrow is theatre day (operating room) so send good vibes my way so that maybe I will be better.
Spent the afternoon after lunch at home reading my book and collecting my thoughts. I attempted to go out with the other volunteers but was exhausted and distracted so I removed myself. At this point, I was homesick for not only the US but Peru too. I missed my independence that I have in both places, especially Peru. There was a never ending list of things that I wanted to do, with the other volunteers/friends and by myself. It was easy and always an adventure. Here is very different. It is never a good idea to travel alone even during the day, and I live in such a small village that it takes an entire afternoon and planning to venture outside the village to do more exploring or other activities. I was frustrated. However, there is a gym that is just around the corner from my house that I attempted to go have a good work out and sweat out all of the bad vibes, but then I got there, I found that had cancelled the classes for the night. ugh.
Ended the day, getting cleaned up in the bathroom and a giant cockroach climbed out of the sink drain while I was brushing my teeth... had to chase it around the bathroom for while before I was able to kill it. Scared me half to death when I discovered it running at full speed toward me.
Homesick. I was incredibly spoiled in Peru. Wifi in my house... so lucky and so convenient. Since I live in such a small village here, wifi does not exist... not in the house, not in town, not for about 25 minutes outside the village. It is proving very difficult for me to not talk with my family, boyfriend, and friends for this long. The time difference makes it that much harder. I miss everyone. But. tomorrow is a new day.... vent session over. Looking forward to waking up refreshed and ready to move on.
The one good thing about the day, work. Just proves how much I love my job as a labor and delivery nurse and how much I strive to keep learning. I want to know more. I want to be a bomb ass nurse. I want to be the nurse that my patients are so happy to see when I walk in the door.
Literally -- So the mattresses here aren't really mattresses at all... more like a thick pad on top of wood panels. There are four beds in my room but I am the only one occupying the room. After the first two nights of waking up in incredible back pain, I decide to throw one of the other mattresses under mine for a little extra padding. Mistake. Since there is nothing to these mattresses, I woke up in an even bigger ass print of a hole in the mattress than before and in an equal amount of back pain. To make matters worse, I have a million bug bites because apparently the bugs here are immune to the damn 98% DEET bug spray that I have been infecting myself with at all times, so I have been having a difficult time sleeping through the night with the heat, the itching bug bites, and my back. Thank god for melatonin because I would be struggling big time without it.
Today was my first day in the Women's hospital and I was so excited about it. I tried so hard to put those silly things aside so that I could enjoy the day in the hospital. After a wonderful morning full of births and conversations with some of the English speaking nurses, listening to interesting stories and learning the comparisons to US procedures in the delivery room, I felt incredibly homesick for my job back in the states. I wanted desperately to help the way that I help and do my job in the states to make the birthing experience even just a little bit better for some of the mothers, but many of the things are not practiced here and are not accepted. I needed to constantly remind myself that this is why I am here. To learn about a new culture, a different way of doing things, and to bring what I have learned back to the states. To be a better nurse, a well-rounded nurse, a nurse who practices cultural humility and cultural adaptability. Tomorrow is theatre day (operating room) so send good vibes my way so that maybe I will be better.
Spent the afternoon after lunch at home reading my book and collecting my thoughts. I attempted to go out with the other volunteers but was exhausted and distracted so I removed myself. At this point, I was homesick for not only the US but Peru too. I missed my independence that I have in both places, especially Peru. There was a never ending list of things that I wanted to do, with the other volunteers/friends and by myself. It was easy and always an adventure. Here is very different. It is never a good idea to travel alone even during the day, and I live in such a small village that it takes an entire afternoon and planning to venture outside the village to do more exploring or other activities. I was frustrated. However, there is a gym that is just around the corner from my house that I attempted to go have a good work out and sweat out all of the bad vibes, but then I got there, I found that had cancelled the classes for the night. ugh.
Ended the day, getting cleaned up in the bathroom and a giant cockroach climbed out of the sink drain while I was brushing my teeth... had to chase it around the bathroom for while before I was able to kill it. Scared me half to death when I discovered it running at full speed toward me.
Homesick. I was incredibly spoiled in Peru. Wifi in my house... so lucky and so convenient. Since I live in such a small village here, wifi does not exist... not in the house, not in town, not for about 25 minutes outside the village. It is proving very difficult for me to not talk with my family, boyfriend, and friends for this long. The time difference makes it that much harder. I miss everyone. But. tomorrow is a new day.... vent session over. Looking forward to waking up refreshed and ready to move on.
The one good thing about the day, work. Just proves how much I love my job as a labor and delivery nurse and how much I strive to keep learning. I want to know more. I want to be a bomb ass nurse. I want to be the nurse that my patients are so happy to see when I walk in the door.
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