That feeling like I was just here, as if I never left, is overwhelming and difficult to decipher. Am i excited? Anxious perhaps? Happy to be back? Sad to re-live some memories? I'd say all of the above. Being on the USNS Comfort, which is a carbon copy of the Mercy, brings back a lot of feelings -- good and some unwanted. However, I feel a sense of comfort (no pun intended) that I am currently sitting under the lifeboats, facing the ocean, listening to the roaring sounds of the ship, and surrounded by military personnel. It takes me back to last year when I enjoyed a summer in the middle of Indonesia around people whom I have never met, but had the most memorable time of my life.
Let's start at the beginning. Driving from the airport to the port where we got on the band-aids to get on the Comfort was the least enjoyable part of my day. With that said, driving down the streets of Haiti and passing the street before making a right turn onto Bernard Mevs Hospital was a warm welcome that I am in fact in Haiti. As much as I talk about how the mission at Medishare kicked my ass, that we worked 7 nights straights, and throwing our scope of practice to the back burner, in retrospect (just like everything else), it was a best trauma experience I have ever done.
We have 20 people from Project Hope on this rotation. We are the largest PH group for Continuing Promise. It's always nice to see familiar faces so I couldn't help but hug Faye Pyles (medical coordinator who was our Operations Director on the Mercy) and Mary Jane Reed (MJ) when I saw them. There are two orthopedic surgeons, an internist, a pediatrician, few nurses (PACU, OR,med/surg adult and peds, ICU), Public Affairs Officer, etc. I haven't met everyone yet, only the people that came in today. Some of the PH volunteers have been onboard since Norfolk, some came on earlier flights, and the rest will be coming in tomorrow.
Now back on the Comfort. We dragged our bags up what seemed like endless ramps... bla bla bla... I get in CASREC (casualty receiving that has been used as triage/discharge room) and a stampede of conflicting emotions rushed through me. The most distinct was the smell. I can't quite describe it, like a mix of chlorox and the hallways at my high school -- weird. We went straight to the MESDEC to grab dinner as it was nearing1900 (end of dinner). I go down the food line. I remembered why half my luggage was compiled of food. See, the ship has hundreds of stairs that we have no choice but to use and one would think that we'd lose weight without trying, but the food is by far the healthiest so I think it evens out. I didn't lose weight on the Mercy but I left with legs and thighs of steel! Also, one major difference that already sets apart my experience on the Comfort is that I get officer berthing!!! No more dipping down to the floor or falling off the top bed. No more sharing 4 shower stalls with over a 100 girls. No more room restrictions and having to use a flashlight between 1000 to 1600 (lights are off in the entire berthing to accomodate the night shift's sleeping schedule). Now, I get to share a suite with 7 other officers in a two bunk bed with loads of space. I have a locker room that fits my luggage along with 4 drawers for my goodies! It's a total upgrade!
So after getting some housekeeping done (checking in hospital administration, filling out malaria paperwork, and muster [roll call] time for the following days), I take a quick shower and run to the weather deck with my lap top, water, and iphone... with a sad realization that I forgot my iphone in the room as I was charging it... doh! But who cares! I walked around and reminisced on each part of the weather deck. There is nothing more peaceful to me than being outside, feeling the breeze from the ocean, with the smell of smoke because I am sitting by the smoking deck. WHO CARES!?
So tomorrow I muster in the post-op. There is no pediatric ward on the Comfort so I'm assuming I will be taking care of adults and peds. There was some confusion as one of the docs in sickbay asked if I could work there instead or have me do off site stuff? I'm not really sure but I know he was trying to get me not to work in the wards. I guess I will find out tomorrow when all that is sorted out. I'm okay with staying on the ship. I have been ashore in Haiti and I think others who have been on the ship for 6 months would much rather take that spot, understandably so. From what I gather, the people on the ship did not have liberty days in every country unlike the Mercy. They did, however, had a few days of liberty in Peru and Costa Rica.
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