Up in Smoke!

So immigration is not a place you want to spend much time. I don't care if you are talking about the American immigration or in any foreign country. It's just not a pleasant place. You have lines. lots of them. You have uncomfortable chairs and flickering neon lights. And you have hot, cranky, impatient foreigners mindlessly tapping their feet and staring off into space. The staff are sometimes friendly but often they are just disinterested and going through the motions. It's not a job I'd sign up for personally so I can empathize with the monotony. Well, this morning I found myself standing in those lines and waiting in those seats. They took my papers and informed me they'd be going on lunch (a two hour lunch!) so I should return after 1 pm. That's fine with me. I'd rather be doing other things too. So i left and had lunch with a patient in the hospital down the street. I had to transport her because of signs of hypertension. It was a nice lunch and she let me cuddle her cute little girl, Charmaine. When I returned, I waited as they came back from lunch and start my paperwork. But then, all of a sudden there was more flickering of the lights than normal. There was fluctuating power surges then POOF!!! one of the computers went up in smoke. The women screeched. The men ran to cut off the power and everybody in the lobby started for the doors. except me. I just walked closer for a better look. It was only a computer. :- ) I would have unplugged the computer and turned back on the power. it's an easy fix. But here they went the opposite direction. They closed down the office and asked everyone to come back another day... So I won't be renewing my immigration status today. Perhaps tomorrow. Assuming nothing else explodes while I'm there.

~ A surprise ending ~

Mai-Mai came into the clinic moving slowly. She had a strange, wild look in her eyes and she keep repeating over and over again in a low whisper, "My baby is coming! My baby is coming! .... My baby is coming!" Together we walked to the bed where she started pushing immediately. Within minutes, a little patch of dark black hair poked through. A push or two more and little Jonred joined us on this side of the uterus. It was a slow, sweet birth .... truly beautiful. Then... we all sat back and enjoyed this little crying, slimy boy a bit while we waited for the placenta. When it came time for the placenta, she pushed once, twice... there were no signs of placental separation; no bleeding. There was just a bit of cord lengthening. So I waited. Then as I looked down to see her push for the third time I was startled to find myself COVERED in her blood! Her placenta hung most of the way out but her blood was everywhere... mainly all over me! The best part was the reaction of everyone in the room! My assist, supervisor and the father of the child all recoiled in unison! Together they all made the same sound of disgusted 'uuugggggggghhhhh!!!!' I was covered from neck to thigh in almost 100 cc of blood! Then we laughed and I made a B-line for the shower! I should have taken a picture... :- )

Badjao Wedding ~

~An Atypical Tuesday Morning ~
On Tuesday morning at 11, I was invited to attend a wedding among the Badjao. When I asked why get married Tuesday morning at 11? The answer made me smile. To understand the answer you must know that the Badjao are a native ethnic group in the Philippines. They are social outcasts, sea gypsies and street beggars. They have their own language and live in stilted housed on the sea. Most are Muslim but not all. Those who live in Isla Verde are some of the poorest. So when I asked why Tuesday morning? I was told, “When nobody works; Why not?”

 The bride is named Lassa. She is the pastor’s daughter and was marrying late at 18 yrs old. (Most are married off at 13 or 14 yrs.) A Badjao wedding is a three day affair with dancing, food and festivities. The whole town is invited. I got there on the final day of festivities, to find most of the town gathered in front of the church, watching dancers and waiting for the fun to begin.

 The bride was beautiful! She reminded me of a fine porcelain doll with her layers and layers of make-up! She had white foundation, green and gold eye shadow and a perfect circle of bright pink blush on each cheek! Her lipstick was deep red and she wore one inch fake eyelashes! They must have been heavy as she kept her eyes to the floor- downcast and demure.

 She wore a white, frilly gown that must have been sweltering in the heat! Her hair was tucked up under a white tulle veil that trailed behind her. On her hands she wore lacy gloves. Each finger donned at least one large gold ring and her wrists drooped with gold bracelets. Around her neck hung not one but two large gold necklaces with another in her hair which laid low on her forehead. She resembled nothing of the giggling young girl I had met months before. She didn’t smile. She didn’t move. She didn’t giggle. She sat stock still while one friend caked on more and more make-up and another fanned her with a piece of cardboard. She looked very nervous- and hot!

The groom was also in his finest. But for him, that meant shiny new sneakers, dark blue jeans and a traditional white linen shirt. His hair was spiked with gobs of gel. And up until the vows, he wore brand-new black sun glasses. He looked green and ready to pass out at any moment! As it came time for the ceremony to start, the crowd cheered as the groom went to get the bride and then led her to the altar.

 They sat on a bench with their hands neatly folded on golden pillows and stared stoically as the crowd bustled in close for a better view. The crowd stood quietly as they exchanged rings and vowed to love each other in a way that would glorify God! Then slowly, the church emptied and the kids ran for the cake. It was simple and lovely. There was just one thing. The groom was reluctant…and the bride was hopeful. Their families had arranged it for social prestige and money. She came with a hefty dowry (14,000 pesos or $300.00 US). ….. And he had no choice. Pray that they learn to love each other as Christ loves the church!

The Ugly Dress Party ~ New Year's Eve 2008

Happy New Year!!! This new year's eve a few of us decided to stay in and have an "ugly dress party"! We went to the thrift stores (Aka Uki-uki shopping, which are outdoor stalls with thrift store cast offs) and bought the ugliest dresses we could find! I'm in the white 1980's number! Oh... it takes me back! I know this will be hard to believe. But my dress actually had the original tags on it! I was the first to wear it! :- ) We played a few games, did a cat-walk to compete for 'worst dressed' and then topped it off with the worlds worst 'talent' show. It was a hoot! Happy New Year everyone!!!

Christmas Stocking

I got a SWEET Christmas stocking this year. I got candies, an orange, some coffee and one heck of a surprise! :- ) All in all this year was wonderful!

Christmas 2008

This Christmas was a wonderful time! We had candle-light Christmas eve fun at the clinic. Played Christmas Bible quiz and laughed! Check out our Christmas palm tree!

Market experience...

On the way home from the beach, we passed through a small market. It is alive with motion and smells... Kids are begging at every stall. One kid was playing on top of the meat stand! People coming and going! oh... and the fish! Beautiful!

Christmas Beach Time!

A few girls from the house and I sneaked off to the beach last Saturday. It was so quiet and pleasant to be away for awhile... away from the computer, the clinic and any responsibility! We caught a boat late in the morning, took motor bikes across the island and landed in a quiet bay called Canibad! There were only a few beach combers and kids. It was warm and sunny as we ate lunch and laid out! Hard to believe, but this is what Christmas is like in the Philippines! I'm grateful... truly blessed! Merry Christmas everyone!

Ocapan Outreach

The following pictures are of my team traveling to the city of Ocapan on outreach. We had such fun on the motor bikes, playing with the kids and eating python! Yum! We did a health clinic, check-ups and prenatals for the pregnant women of the area. Some of them walked 2 hours to get checked by us! Impressive. On the first day we got there, we had a few hours down time so we taught the kids the game "Duck-duck-goose" but instead named it "fish-fish-Chicken"! We laughed so hard it hurt as these little ones got tapped on the head and started running in random directions! I don't think i've ever enjoyed the game more! We had quite a few spectators too! I'd guess about 50 or so just stood around us and cheered us on.

More ocapan pictures...

Below are a few more pictures of our time in Ocapan. As you can see, there is the python in the bowl getting read to be cook. The guy who caught him, said he only cut off half of him. The rest got stuck down in the hole. But he was a big one.. perhaps 6-7 cm in diameter! I'm posing with the traditional birth attendant that works in that area. The other girls around the dinner table are my team mates and the midwifes that took us out there. Their names are Mary Jane and Ghang-ghang. And as you can see, the circle of kids are playing 'fish! fish! chicken!' 

Karaoke! Dokey!

These people are remarkably musical! They LOVE karaoke… No joke! You can hear Karaoke at all hours of the day. Practically every mom and pops store or coffee shop has one! Some people can really sing here! Some should definitely not! It’s wonderful living in a place where music is so enjoyed! I find it amazing at the number of people who play musical instruments! I can take a random poll and ¾ of the group can pick up a guitar and lead worship! WoW!

I’m humbled by their abilities too… it’s not like me pinging away at a string… we are talking talent! It’s not only songs they love… they love to dance too! Everywhere I turn there seems to be a group of youngsters doing ‘hip-hop’ dance to some song or another! It’s all very detailed and coordinated! I went to a church and the youth got up and danced ‘hip-hop’ to worship songs!

I went to a department store and a troop was dancing their hearts out for a promo on cutlery. You just don’t see people dancing like that back home! :- )

The rain...

Some days it thunders down with a clack and a bang and starts streaming in sideways. You feel it coming those days, hours ahead of time. It hangs low, grumbling... threatening its goodness! Some days you can't even tell when it starts. It sneaks in like a cool sweet kiss and en wraps you with its mild wet hug. It soaks through to your bones and leaves nothing untouched!

The rain here is unpredictably sweet. It darkens the horizon and shortens the days. Sometimes is stays for a simple cup of coffee, and others you think its here to stay. Today it is the later. I woke up to the sound of sweet drops on the neighbors roof. I looked out and it was slick with what the hours had brought. Now as i look out my window... as I listen to the plick, plock and tapped-y-tap... I can't help but breath it in and sigh! I love it!

But I'm also reminded of how the long, drizzling rain storms cause the most damage. They flood the streets and overflow the canals, sometimes stopping all traffic, interrupting the Jeepney system and causing severe delays. Some of the more unfortunate in the squatter villages often come home to find their homes floating in the brown, sewage filled mire. To them, it is not a sweet delight. It is a nightmare. One that happens over and over again...

The Midwifery Times ~ November 2008

The Midwifery Times November 2008

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Catching up on things...

Much time has passed since my last entry. The days are fuller than ever before. I looked down to catch a baby and three months have passed! I feel like time is more elusive... more intangible than ever before in my life! My birthday came and went, another year older... and happier than I can remember.

I LOVE being here. I love this country. I love the people. I love catching babies. To date, I've caught 77! I'm looking forward at the next few months and I wonder what God will do.

Where will I be this time next year? What will I be doing? Will I be in the mission field still? Will I have passed my NARM exam? Will I be in the States? So much can happen between now and then! I have to constantly remind myself that I'm to live one day at a time.

I am admonished to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34

So with that in mind, I look forward to the next few months... the tests, the homework, and the babies. I look forward knowing that His plans for me are good, loving and perfect. I know that He has a plan in all this preparation!

Badjao Medical Clinic ~

Today I got to join some missionary friends who were doing a medical outreach in the Badjao village called Isla Verde. They had a team of 20 people who have come from Seattle to assist in minor surgeries and do street evangelism.
I didn't bring my camera so I'm including some pictures I took of this village from a few weeks back.

I got to see a woman have knee surgery on the church pulpit platform, watch how a doctor debraided and dressed a young boy's neck which was swollen to the size of his head from a lymph node infection and see how they organize health workers, translators and patients.

I'm hoping to join them on an outreach in July to a Muslim village a few hours from here.

I also got to see one of my continuities who is about 5 months pregnant. She is due in October. She works in a medical clinic in a Badjao Muslim village and helps with all the medical outreaches. Her name is Nanang.

These are my missionary friends, Sherry and her husband Patrick.

Cockroaches and Root Canals!

This morning two things happened that were out of the norm! First I got up at 2:30 am and actually stayed up!!! (But I'll get to that later ;-) and second, I killed the largest cockroach I've ever seen in my life!

It was so big that when i killed it (toilet paper in hand!) I heard it crunch several times before I was convinced it was dead! I had to keep checking!!!

Now, I'm a seasoned veteran when it comes to cockroach killing. I have crunched more than my fair share! But today was different.... today was scary! I'm still shaking from the experience!

I googled this nasty little creature to see what kind of roach they grow here in the Philippines and all I've learned is that they bite! One site recommends biting back and even give a few recipes! Yum! I can see why someone might want to eat these snap-crackling crunchies- They are big enough to feed a family of eight!

How "big" is big, you ask? Well, put it this way.... If this guy had gone up against the big 'ol nasty ally cat that lives on my street, I'd have my money on the roach!

Why was I up at 2:30 am? Well... believe it or not, I was asleep by 8pm last night. Yep, hard to believe but it is actually true. I've been moping and dealing with some major molar pain. I'm in the process of a root canal and the pain wakes me up at night and harasses me all day. I'm popping pain killers like skittles and feeling as whiny as a teething toddler!

Please pray for me.... I realize now that I am a lousy patient.


For laughs, check out this u-tube site....
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/920119/eating_cockroaches_catch_of_the_day/

Althea Bianca #42

I came on shift early and discovered that there was a labor pushing. I was first up so i got on some gloves and my colleague endorsed her to me. This was her first baby so she was still trying to figure out how to push but was making progress. I had to do some serious perineal pressure to help the baby's head descend. My supervisor helped. Her baby was born quickly at that point but there was a ragged tear in the process which i had to suture later on. The placenta had a battledore insertion. This is a picture of her, the father, her mother and her little brother... and of course little Althea!

Jerry Jr. Baby #41

Honk! Honk! HONK!!!!!
We were all in deep sleep when the taxi started honking!!! We flew out of the clinic to find a little young lady waddling to the clinic. She had just enough time to lie down. I got the pad under her. she looked at me and asked if she could push and i told her 'Sige, otong!' She had SROM with thick meconium on my hand, and pushed her baby out in one single push! He was covered in meconium stained vernix but started crying well immediately. We deep suctioned and gave oxygen but he was doing great already! It was over before I had a chance to find out her name!

Badjao Church

I joined some missionary friends a week or so back at the Badjao village called Isla Verde. I had a wonderful time. I was asked to give my testimony and was then conscripted into doing a skit. I spent a half an hour on the floor of their church as part of a modified Good Samaritan Story.
Afterwards we had lunch with the Pastor and his family. It was a wonderful day.

Trisha Mae Nova - My 40th Catch

This couple really captured my heart. They were so excited to be having their baby but they are babies themselves. She is only 17 and he just barely turned 18. They are high school sweethearts.

During labor, she tried pushing at 8 cm. I tried to get her to stop but she wouldn't listen. She just kept pushing. All it did was make things worse, her cervix became swollen and a caput started forming on little trisha's head. By the time she was fully dilated she then had an hour of pushing ahead of her. Little Trisha was born with very thick meconium staining and we deep suctioned a lot but she was not responding well. Her APGAR score was 4 and 4. We gave her oxygen, did PPV and rushed her off to the hospital where she stayed for over a week!

They had to do gastric lavage and put her on antibiotics in the NICU. But on the fourth day, she started improving drastically and was even able to breastfeed for the first time!

This is her at four days at the hospital. She still has oxygen on.

This is a picture of her father holding her for the very first time ever.

Ten Beautiful Toes!

This is little Robert Bruce and his mother. She had been at the clinic for many hours when she was endorsed to me. Around 7 pm that night, she started pushing. She had SROM with the chorion coming out completely intact but stained with very very thick meconium staining. She was extremely tense.


Robert was born in the caul in the OA position but his head rotated a complete 180 degrees to the OP position, restituted a bit to the ROA position. My supervisor did deep suctioning on the perineum and he was born the next minute with a nuchal hand. She started dumping a lot of blood so I did Brandt Andrews and traction to get the placenta out quickly.

 



When I went to do the baby exam, we discovered that Robert's toes were a little unique. On his right he has an extra toe and on his left foot two toes are stuck together. So total, he still has 10 beautiful toes but each foot is not equal!

#38 Baby Rea

While I was finishing up with Michealla's birth, my continuity Liza came in very active. She labored on her feet, doing pelvic rocking and looking wide eyed with pain. This is her third child so she knew what to expect but she still had a hard time staying focused and calm.

Around 4:30 in the morning, she had SROM but it was different. The whole chorion came out completely intact and full of fluid. She immediately started pushing and little Rea was born the very next minute! She had a tight cord coil and was small but healthy! The placenta was born 7 short minutes later. It was a beautiful, quiet and calm birth. I have to admit i like delivering babies so early in the morning. There are fewer people there to watch. It is so much calmer!

Born: May 22nd 4:38 am weighing 5 lbs 3 oz.


It's hard work looking this cute!!! :-)

#37 Michealla

Michealla's mother came in late one night while I was working. She had strong contractions but her fundal height was so small and the fetal heart tones were all over the board. Her blood pressure was a bit high so we had her labor throughout the night while i monitored her. She had SROM around midnight and immediately got very active. Just about an hour later a small precious little girl was born. She needed a bit of extra oxygen for poor color but eventually started crying and didn't stop.

Born: May 22nd 2008 at 1:24 am- weighing a womping 5 lbs exactly!

Khurl Jhazentt # 36

This lovely couple was so excited to be having a baby! She labored very well. She was calm and upright most of the morning. When it came time to push, it took some practice but she eventually got it. Little Khurl got his shoulders stuck for a few minutes but everything worked out well.

His name was almost PRINCE KHURL JHAZENTT. I like Khurl better :-)

Marielle # 35

This is Marielle just hours after her birth. What an angel!

Marielle's mother came in at 4 cm and since this was her second baby things seemed to progress quickly. She went from 4 cm to fully in an hour and a half! Marielle was born with a nuchal hand but her mother didn't tear. The placenta took its time in coming but eventually came out with a bit of a tug. Four hours after she gave birth, they packed up their things and started going home. They were surprised to hear they'd have to wait at least six hours postpartum before we could let them go home.

Edhrian Carlo # 34

Edhrian was born May 12th 2008 at 6:13 pm. His mother came in very active and labored really well. She coped so well with the contractions that I didn't think she was very far along. But I was wrong!

Edhrian was born in the membranes (the caul) and I had to tear it open so he could breathe. He was born in thick meconium staining and had to be deep suctioned but eventually pinked up to a cute little angel!