While seated at dinner last evening with Laura and John, I asked Laura to confirm a rumor that I had heard indicating the VVF surgeon had already arrived aboard ship. If it was true, I would love to meet her. (I thought this was a bit unusual,though, as today, Friday, April 06, 2012, begins one of the four day weekend holidays Africa Mercy takes every couple months to give the crew some valuable time to refresh and renew, and in this case reflect upon and celebrate the significance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.) VVF surgery patients will arrive for final screening on Monday, and surgeries will begin on Tuesday morning. Physicians, and surgeons in particular, being who they are, rarely take the time to just chill for a weekend, especially a holiday, in a strange setting. Africa Mercy’s surgeons are no different, they jet here from wherever in the world they practice, do as many surgeries as they can in the amount of time they are here, and zoom away again.
Laura told me, “No, the surgeon is not here yet, she changed her flight and will arrive on Sunday evening, but I did have an interesting conversation with Chris today in laundry. She told me that the surgeon is already here, and she came with her husband this time. She saw her on Tuesday afternoon, in the ships laundry.”
"Oh, dear," I thought. "My reputation from Liberia has proceeded me." Chris was one of the lovely women I cared for on Africa Mercy 2008 Liberia. She was so dear, with such a
wonderful story of God’s work of bringing beauty from ashes. And since October 2008, she has been a crew member on Africa Mercy. We did see each other on Tuesday afternoon as John and I and other new arrivals were taking the mandatory ship’s tour. Chris was in the laundry when we stopped by on the tour, and we embraced one another with tears streaming from both our faces, and held one another in an extended hug and she told me how she is now totally
‘well.’ I also introduced her to my husband, John.
John and Laura and I laughed as once again, I have come to Africa, and upped my credentials, and this time my reputation has extended beyond Liberia to further portions of West Africa. : )
I refer the reader to a previous post on this blog: Making Liberian Headlines, Thursday, October
2, 2008. It seems more than one patient thought I was the surgeon who had brought them ‘wellness’ and a new beginning. I'm just grateful to be human hands, extending the love of the Great Physician, and I will provide caring and compassion in the role of the nurse, no matter what the patients think.
2, 2008. It seems more than one patient thought I was the surgeon who had brought them ‘wellness’ and a new beginning. I'm just grateful to be human hands, extending the love of the Great Physician, and I will provide caring and compassion in the role of the nurse, no matter what the patients think.
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