This week was busy and on top of it the kids were a little under the weather. We have been blessed so far that although some members of our team including us have had some sickness, our kids have remained healthy. Despite the manageable fevers this week and a little weather change virus that the kids picked up we are so blessed! Both kids have had minimal sniffles and slight coughs from drainage upon waking. We are so thankful for those who have remained faithful in praying for us! We definitely feel it! We also have definitely felt the love with care packages! It's so nice to get a little love from home, the kids have been devouring the dried fruit, fruit snacks, goldfish and Cheerios and the chocolate doesn't hang around long after it arrives! Also special thank you to Darril and Marie for sending us more bug spray! (it doesn't exist in India!) We look forward to receiving it!
Tomorrow starts our final week in this city and although at times it seems to feel like forever it has gone relatively fast. I can't believe we only have one week left in the hospital. Although at the hospital we are surrounded by craziness most days I found myself looking around thinking, "despite all the craziness, I will miss this place. I will miss the moms who are so grateful for someone taking the time to rub their back and the post grad who calls me 'Feather' and giggles. I will miss the cat that wanders the labor room and even the craziness of trying to figure out what's going on even through a language barrier."
This week we were really blessed to be able to take the day and ride out of the city limits to visit a mom that I made a connection with during her labor. I spent most of my day in the labor room with her one of the first weeks here. She spoke English pretty well and shared her story with me. She was feeling very scared and I came to find out she was an orphan because her mom died when she was 2 months old and her dad left the picture. At times like these you really want your mom around. She had a brother but he didn't talk to her because she had decided to have a 'love' marriage instead of letting her brother arrange one for her. Because of this love marriage this young couple was also isolated from her husbands family. By Indian standards, where family is what you have, this meant that they were totally alone.
She ended up having a c- section and was very scared about it. I was able to share with her about my birth experience with Abigail that also ended in a c-section. The whole day I was able to talk to her, tell her about Jesus and pray for her. She told me at one point that she new God loved her because He sent me to stay with her. On the home visit I was joking with her and said, " I bet you miss MGMH?" and she said "Yes I do! Or maybe I just miss you. You visited me everyday after I had the baby." I was just really struck with the fact that sometimes I view MGMH as a horrible place to have a baby, to be packed in a room with 30 other moms after delivery and a very unclean environment. I forget what an impact we can have on others and how it can totally change their view of the situation. God is so good! We had a good time with her and her husband and had lots of baby cuddles. We were sad to leave and had a great time with them. Abigail couldn't get enough of the baby, she rocked him in a cradle, cuddled and just stared at him. She didn't even want to eat because then she would have to wash her hands and that would take too much time away from holding him.
bath.. Indian style
sweet Lavanya and baby Cherry (his nickname)
Bimesh (the hubby) with a bunch of neighborhood kids that came to welcome us
love.
making Chippatti
the pro making Chippatti
the dead snake that our taxi driver turned around so we could see. yes it was about 1 1/2 yards long.. ummm yuck.
This week in the labor ward I was also with a patient where the post grads ended up assisting the delivery with forceps. I'm not a fan and sometimes it's hard to come in under people who do things that you are unsure if it is necessary or beneficial. However, we have to walk with humility as we are coming in under them to learn and gain experience and realizing they have been doing this day in and day out a lot longer than me. I have to say it was a good learning experience as one post grad was training another post grad to do the delivery and I basically got to learn it as well. I guess its a good thing to know how to do if I am ever anywhere were there are no other options. It could save a life.
little Jacob with his forceps bruises. Mom was ever so grateful to have him out.
On Friday I had a busy day giving TT injections (Tetanus, Typhoid), doing blood draws in the "lab" and delivered a little boy in the septic ward. The septic ward is across the hall from the Admissions room and it is where the moms who are HIV, TB or Hep B+. There are special precautions for the room and there is usually only one mom in there at a time. This time there was a Hep B+ mom in labor. We usually check this room to see if we can help out because generally they stick the woman in there and then the doctor may or may not make it back in there to deliver the baby. Often the mom ends up delivering alone and no woman should ever have to deliver alone. There is such a stigma about Hep B and HIV (doctors don't want to go near the patients, even though with their medical knowledge they should know better) but with the proper protection the risk is minimal.
So we went in with our proper protection on (mentioning this for those concerned :) love you MOM!) and this sweet mama was quickly ready to deliver. She gave birth to a chunky healthy and I named him Chunky Charley. I sadly do not have a picture to post today since its on someone else's camera. Maybe next week.
this is Sweet Abigail whom I delivered on Monday. I named her Abigail because she was not received well by her mom because she was wanting a boy. I prayed against rejection in her life and prayed she would be her father's joy which is what Abigail means.
Weds this week I was able to stay home with the kids and give Bruce a break. He was able to treat patients at Nireekshena (a local HIV clinic run by Christian doctors). Saturday I had to attend a teaching on HIV and pregnancy while Bruce had to hold down the fort one more day. I also had a vocab test and a team meeting so I'm glad we have today off. Whew!
Hey, it's Bruce. Just wanted to give a shout out and say thank all of you for your support and prayers. Please pray for our last week here and transition South. God bless India!
we leave you with a short video of riding down the street in a rickshaw auto.
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