#9 - You want me to do WHAT??!!

# 9 - You want me to do WHAT?
Back at work after a relaxing weekend (well relaxing Sunday). It is not long before my first emergency call comes in. A 24year old girl from a village in PNG Is in a tinny on our shore and needs an ambulance. She gave birth at 10pm last night in the village, and has retained her placenta!!!! It's been 12 hours and she could be getting septic by the minute! 
I assess her, BIG cannula, two funny looking lumps on her abdomen... She isn't too distressed, but inside I'm sh1tting myself... Those who know me know I'm not a midwife... That is secret women's business as far as I am concerned, and but for the birth of my two, I've only ever seen one other baby being born.
So I ring the doctor... He was brilliant, talked me through the process step by step (i am thinking"You want me to do WHAT??!!" ) and warned me of the risk of bleeding.
I covered her with every antibiotic, some laughing gas so she would see the funny side of what I was about to do, and wham, I was in elbow deep, evicting the stubborn placenta.
Now those of you who are nurses or midwives, or even worldly types will understand the mechanics of what took place next.... For those that aren't, perhaps you should have a chat to your aunties and mums about where I went fishing, but the net result, is that with a firm hand,  a lot of sweat and prayer, I managed to extract that sucker, and wow!!!!! The enormity of it is just sinking in!
The poor girl had a nasty tear from the delivery last night, but after what she had just been through, (and I'd been through) the idea of stitching her up was the least of our worries.  Once that drama was over, the day was a breeze.

The day was punctuated by the usual malaria reviews, tropical ulcer dressings and fevers, rashes, ears and throats.  An impressive case if "red eye" came in a 5 year old girl. I have seen few cases of purulent eyes, but this one will stand out. It was full of yellow pus.  Mum suggested that she had just cleaned the eye, but it was full of pus again.  I'm thinking " yeah right" it hadn't looked like she had cleaned it to me; so I did it myself. I then went into the drug cupboard and collected her eye ointment and drops (Chlorsig), and by the time I had labelled the bottles with instructions, the eye was full of fresh pus again... It was amazing.  I've never seen anything so fast to purulate. Anyhow, drops, ointment, regular cleaning and I will review her in the morning. Sorted.

After lunch ( which was 2pm ) I have another ambulance call out at the waters edge... An old man is being lifted out of a dingy by some other men.  The story..." please yu help my father. He is having trouble with his pisspiss (urine). Family are telling me "Him no have pisspiss for 3 days!!!"
The poor old bugger had an abdomen that was the size of a 5 month pregnant woman!!! It is no wonder he was so sore!
I pulled a health worker in with me to translate while I passed a catheter.... Bang!!! I hit the jackpot- 2000mls urine.... The relief on his face was magic.  And I reflect on my day, and feel so blessed that God has put his trust in me to lead me through cases, and tasks I have to contend with here on Christine Anu's island home. The poem "Footprints" comes to mind. When I felt most alone it was then I was being carried!
What a great shift.