#40 - What do you mean - not coming today!!!

#40 - The relief who wasn't.

Madly cleaning the unit, restless sleep all night, down to bare rations in the fridge and pantry.  Such is the way when after 3 glorious weeks in this island paradise of Darnley Island, the time has come to fly home to my bride and offspring.  I have been blessed to have been asked to dinner by the good doctor and his beloved.  Which is a good thing because as of today, the milk for my last 3 weetbix has been expired into it's third day, and starting to resemble yoghurt.  ~~shivers~~ .

If you look at the pic above you will see the main hub of the village.  To the right of the screen with a yellowish roof, is the All Saints church which will host the "Coming of the Light" in 4 days time.  Off the screen but next door to the church is the clinic, but I assure you that the view is just as spectacular from the unit/clinic veranda, as it is from this chopper looking back.  All of my fishing stories have come from that tiny jetty on the right below the big green work sheds.

So I came to work today with the spring in my step, all ready to tidy up loose ends and pick up the "new" nurse from the airport.  My job sheet had no arrival time for him, and so I thought that I would ring the Westwing Airline to get some info....That is when it went pear shaped.
-  "Oh no mate, that bloke <insert nurse's name>isnt flying today, he comes in on the morning flight arriving at 8:30.  Infact Rob, your name is on this list as the one we are picking up on the same flight!"

..."What!!??"   I was expecting the nurse today, there is so much to hand over, patients with complex dressings, and some procedural stuff.  Orrientation of the clinic, where stuff is, policy, procedure, what to do in a black out, resetting the fridges, drug storage procedure, over due immunisations to chase up, penicilling injectoins that are outstanding for June, lots and lots of stuff that I had to learn when I started here, and that I am only just getting my head around now.

So now, at the air strip, on the tarmac, a full clinic handover will have to occur for this poor bloke, as I hand him the car keys, clinic kees, ambulance keys, unit keys, and drug keys, and wish him luck.  I cant help feeling for the poor bloke.  I felt like I fumbled my way through the first week, and I had another nurse here with me in that time. 
So I rang him...he tells me it happens all the time...no to worry, and that he will figure stuff out.   Man I wish I had that level of calmness!  I was so glad it was him and not me.

Needless to say I have kept a pile of cheat sheets for him, and feel that with all the notes I took, he should do well.  The rest of the day was getting around those people who have made my time here so special.  The elders who invited me into their homes and taught me about their language and culture.  I am looking forward to coming back here with family.  The photos just cant do Darnley justice.   As the official last blog for this 6 week adventure, I must say, journaling has been a great way of reliving the experiences I have been fortunate enough to have here. Thank you for taking an interest in my little life on this little group of islands, with a mighty people, and a mighty support and encouragement from my loved ones at home.
Thank you to the health workers and nurses that do such a fabulous job here.  Thank you for David Iliffe from ABC in Toowoomba for seeing a story in my story and following my journey with the support of two interviews.  You can hear the interviews by clicking this link
...
As you are probably aware, I have had God at my side during this trip, and praise him for mapping the tattered wad of loose strings of our lives into the beautiful tapestries that he plans for us.  To step outside your comfort zone and be bold, and have trust is a key component to growth.  If you are a nurse looking to learn, and to cry, and to be angrier than you ever have been, and to love your job more than anything, and to touch the lives of others, and to be touched in ways you never thought possible...
...   ...   ...   ...   Just take that first step, and see where God takes you.


for the last time (this trip)....Yawo !!