Heyo!
Today was a giant whirlwind of emotions ranging from sadness and grief to happiness and celebration. to start off the day, the little girl who had all of the complications was not doing so well. she had four seizures over the course of the morning and was showing signs of some brain damage. To sum it up, she was not looking too good and might not make it. we kept a close eye on her and finally a neurologist from the children's hospital across town created a treatment plan with the Mongolian nurses.
On the other hand, the patients recovering from surgery all looked great! a little baby who was practically blue due to his heart defect was all pink and smiling with bubbles. the first operation patient was up and walking down the halls, and the little girl from two days ago was sitting up and eating. they all looked wonderful and it made me happy to see all of them go through this process and come out looking awesome.
Another happy thing today was that the head cardiologist at the hospital received a national award for her work. there was this whole giant ceremony and in her humble fashion, she turned the glory to the American team, when really it was her work as well. she also told us that she did not accept the award for the glory, but for some financial support for the health care system in mongolia. she is so sweet and I think she deserves this award.
Sadly, today was my last day in Mongolia and I leave early tomorrow morning. this trip has taught me so much, not only in the medical field, but also to be happy with what we have. the Mongolians do not have very much, but they are always happy, always smiling, and always so generous. even with what little they have, they still came and brought gifts to the team, which were not asked or needed of them. they have taught me to be generous with what I have and always to remain smiling. see you soon!
-Bekah A
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Unplanned
Heyo!
so today can be summed up in one word: unplanned. Almost everything did not go according to schedule and this created a little bit of confusion between the different units. so what happened was there was one planned operation today, that went great, but after that things went off the plan. the first cath case, that was going to be a simple in and out repair, turned out to take the entire day and an open heart surgery at the end. what happened was the device used in the cath migrated from where it was supposed to be into another place and the cath lab was unable to fish it out. the patient was then taken up to the OR so they could get it out. from what I heard, the procedure was successful, though frustrating, and the child was in the process of waking up from the anesthesia when we left at about 9 o'clock. this complication caused for the cath lab schedule to change from 5-7 planned procedures to 3, though thankfully the ones that were cancelled were cases that could wait until next year and still be ok.
on a bit of the brighter side, I got to experience something today that not many kids my age get to see: an open heart surgery. I did not see all of the procedure, due to 2 things; 1. I got there a bit late, and 2. because I was not in full scrubs and gloves, I could not get too close to the patient. however, I did get to see the heart start to beat again after being on bypass for the operation. it was a very cool experience, though it did make me a bit queasy.
I also learned today a magical cure for a bad case of the grumpies: bubbles! for many of the younger patients, blowing bubbles with them will make them smile and you might even get an adorable giggle from them.
that's all for now, and it's time for bed. Good night!
-Bekah A
so today can be summed up in one word: unplanned. Almost everything did not go according to schedule and this created a little bit of confusion between the different units. so what happened was there was one planned operation today, that went great, but after that things went off the plan. the first cath case, that was going to be a simple in and out repair, turned out to take the entire day and an open heart surgery at the end. what happened was the device used in the cath migrated from where it was supposed to be into another place and the cath lab was unable to fish it out. the patient was then taken up to the OR so they could get it out. from what I heard, the procedure was successful, though frustrating, and the child was in the process of waking up from the anesthesia when we left at about 9 o'clock. this complication caused for the cath lab schedule to change from 5-7 planned procedures to 3, though thankfully the ones that were cancelled were cases that could wait until next year and still be ok.
on a bit of the brighter side, I got to experience something today that not many kids my age get to see: an open heart surgery. I did not see all of the procedure, due to 2 things; 1. I got there a bit late, and 2. because I was not in full scrubs and gloves, I could not get too close to the patient. however, I did get to see the heart start to beat again after being on bypass for the operation. it was a very cool experience, though it did make me a bit queasy.
I also learned today a magical cure for a bad case of the grumpies: bubbles! for many of the younger patients, blowing bubbles with them will make them smile and you might even get an adorable giggle from them.
that's all for now, and it's time for bed. Good night!
-Bekah A
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
A little bit of Chaos
Heyo!
today started out pretty chaotic, which seems to be a running theme. the 19 yo boy who came into the unit on Monday was receiving treatment that would stop his heart, then start it again using chemicals in order to reset his heart rate. his heart was beating at 150 beats per minute and this was making him feel terrible. unfortunately, the chemicals did not work, however, they then tried to restart his heart again by shocking him. this, thankfully, worked beautifully and he was at a stable 60-70 beats per minute for the rest of the day. once he was all settled, the unit was pretty quiet for a while. then, of course, things got a bit more exciting. the OR case from yesterday seized for, I think aka don't quote me on this, less than a minute. the Mongolian nurses got him back and thankfully not much damage was done that I heard personally.
the other cases for the day went smoothly, as usual, and I even got the chance to go out with a Mongolian friend of my family's, Yumji. we went out and caught the remainder of a traditional Mongolian orchestra's performance and then we went out to eat with her mother and her little 8 yo sister. I just got back from that and now I am headed off to bed. Night!
-Bekah A
today started out pretty chaotic, which seems to be a running theme. the 19 yo boy who came into the unit on Monday was receiving treatment that would stop his heart, then start it again using chemicals in order to reset his heart rate. his heart was beating at 150 beats per minute and this was making him feel terrible. unfortunately, the chemicals did not work, however, they then tried to restart his heart again by shocking him. this, thankfully, worked beautifully and he was at a stable 60-70 beats per minute for the rest of the day. once he was all settled, the unit was pretty quiet for a while. then, of course, things got a bit more exciting. the OR case from yesterday seized for, I think aka don't quote me on this, less than a minute. the Mongolian nurses got him back and thankfully not much damage was done that I heard personally.
the other cases for the day went smoothly, as usual, and I even got the chance to go out with a Mongolian friend of my family's, Yumji. we went out and caught the remainder of a traditional Mongolian orchestra's performance and then we went out to eat with her mother and her little 8 yo sister. I just got back from that and now I am headed off to bed. Night!
-Bekah A
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
quiet days are good days
Heyo!
today started off a bit chaotic and full of some annoyed people. this was due to the fact that the operation scheduled for today had to be canceled because the child had eaten not five minutes before the doctors were going to start prepping him for surgery. this posed a problem since he was not supposed to eat since the night before so that he would have an empty stomach for the procedure. after finding this information, words went flying about who told the mother that the kid could eat and what to do next. after the dust had settled, it was decided that the procedure would be moved to a date that I do not know personally. however, this turned out to be a good thing as the first kid who had a diagnostic cath this morning was in need of surgery and now there was an opening. in fact, it turned out all for the better as the one whose procedure got cancelled could wait but the kid who actually got the operation may not have survived until they could operation.
once the whole drama in the morning was over, the rest of the day went by smoothly. three other cath procedures were completed smoothly and the patients were all recovering very well when we left. also the operation patient came back soon before we were about to leave, creating a little commotion, though he seemed okay when we left.also good news about the patients from yesterday: the three cath patients were all discharged with no problems and the little girl who had surgery yesterday was moved to the other floor looking much better than when she came in.
that's all for now, but feel free to ask any questions about our trip so far. talk to you tomorrow!
-Bekah A
today started off a bit chaotic and full of some annoyed people. this was due to the fact that the operation scheduled for today had to be canceled because the child had eaten not five minutes before the doctors were going to start prepping him for surgery. this posed a problem since he was not supposed to eat since the night before so that he would have an empty stomach for the procedure. after finding this information, words went flying about who told the mother that the kid could eat and what to do next. after the dust had settled, it was decided that the procedure would be moved to a date that I do not know personally. however, this turned out to be a good thing as the first kid who had a diagnostic cath this morning was in need of surgery and now there was an opening. in fact, it turned out all for the better as the one whose procedure got cancelled could wait but the kid who actually got the operation may not have survived until they could operation.
once the whole drama in the morning was over, the rest of the day went by smoothly. three other cath procedures were completed smoothly and the patients were all recovering very well when we left. also the operation patient came back soon before we were about to leave, creating a little commotion, though he seemed okay when we left.also good news about the patients from yesterday: the three cath patients were all discharged with no problems and the little girl who had surgery yesterday was moved to the other floor looking much better than when she came in.
that's all for now, but feel free to ask any questions about our trip so far. talk to you tomorrow!
-Bekah A
Monday, September 23, 2013
A good start
Heyo!
so today we started to work, but first some organization was rather necessary. this year is new to everyone that came due to the fact that instead of everything, like the ICU, the OR, storage, and pharmacy on one floor, they are instead on all different floors. what happened was the hospital got a bunch of money to build and get new equipment, so the old area is still being renovated, though they have a new ICU with nothing plugged in. So, at the start of the day, we had to organize all of the medicine that we brought, figure out and label the medicines that were already there as they were written in Mongolian, and get a good picture of how to get to each area. I, being a non medical helper, was stationed in the ICU as a messenger and helper. once everyone was settled in to their respective areas, we started the procedures.
today, three catheterization procedures and one operation were completed, all being relatively simple cases to start off with. all were completed smoothly and they all looked well when we left for dinner. the one operation patient was the cutest little girl and was even falling asleep in my arms after they gave her some drugs to help her with the anesthesia. the great news with her is that the big murmur that she had was all gone when she returned to the ICU after the surgery. I am excited to see what is in store for tomorrow.
-Bekah A
so today we started to work, but first some organization was rather necessary. this year is new to everyone that came due to the fact that instead of everything, like the ICU, the OR, storage, and pharmacy on one floor, they are instead on all different floors. what happened was the hospital got a bunch of money to build and get new equipment, so the old area is still being renovated, though they have a new ICU with nothing plugged in. So, at the start of the day, we had to organize all of the medicine that we brought, figure out and label the medicines that were already there as they were written in Mongolian, and get a good picture of how to get to each area. I, being a non medical helper, was stationed in the ICU as a messenger and helper. once everyone was settled in to their respective areas, we started the procedures.
today, three catheterization procedures and one operation were completed, all being relatively simple cases to start off with. all were completed smoothly and they all looked well when we left for dinner. the one operation patient was the cutest little girl and was even falling asleep in my arms after they gave her some drugs to help her with the anesthesia. the great news with her is that the big murmur that she had was all gone when she returned to the ICU after the surgery. I am excited to see what is in store for tomorrow.
-Bekah A
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Prep Day
Heyo!
so today was another tour/ intro day, which was necessary before work. We went to the giant silver statue of Chingis Khan, which, no, is not a misspell of Genghis, which was a translation error from Marco Polo. it was about an hour drive out in the countryside to the statue and the view from the bus window was amazing. Just watching the mountains go by, the herds of goats and cows graze, and the snow start to fall, was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I also got to learn a few Mongolian words along the way such as a few colors, greetings, and I should know the numbers but I can only recall the number one.
the statue was visible from a few miles out and the thing is huge! I can post pictures of thee statue and the rest of the trip once I get them downloaded onto my computer, but to give you an idea, it's like the Mongolian version of the statue of liberty. anyway, at the statue there was the opportunity to hold an eagle, which of course, I did. it was a golden eagle and it sat on my shoulder, pretty heavy too, but it was really empowering to have an eagle on my shoulder. after that, we got to go into the statue and climb up to the top of Chingis' horses' mane to get an amazing view of 1. the countryside and 2. Chingis' face. unfortunately, soon it was time to leave.
after our little tour, we went to the hospital to meet the Mongolian surgeons, doctors, and nurses and have a little intro session. we went around saying what all of our names and jobs were, of course with the help of our friend and translator. then there was a little meeting about which cases we will do this week and then we got to eat dinner with the families of the patients. it was great to see the kids before they have their procedures and hear them laugh. one of the little girls has the best laugh I have ever heard and we had a great game of tag after we finished eating. now we are getting ready for bed, but I think you are just starting the day. Anyway, I'll write again tomorrow!
- Bekah A
so today was another tour/ intro day, which was necessary before work. We went to the giant silver statue of Chingis Khan, which, no, is not a misspell of Genghis, which was a translation error from Marco Polo. it was about an hour drive out in the countryside to the statue and the view from the bus window was amazing. Just watching the mountains go by, the herds of goats and cows graze, and the snow start to fall, was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I also got to learn a few Mongolian words along the way such as a few colors, greetings, and I should know the numbers but I can only recall the number one.
the statue was visible from a few miles out and the thing is huge! I can post pictures of thee statue and the rest of the trip once I get them downloaded onto my computer, but to give you an idea, it's like the Mongolian version of the statue of liberty. anyway, at the statue there was the opportunity to hold an eagle, which of course, I did. it was a golden eagle and it sat on my shoulder, pretty heavy too, but it was really empowering to have an eagle on my shoulder. after that, we got to go into the statue and climb up to the top of Chingis' horses' mane to get an amazing view of 1. the countryside and 2. Chingis' face. unfortunately, soon it was time to leave.
after our little tour, we went to the hospital to meet the Mongolian surgeons, doctors, and nurses and have a little intro session. we went around saying what all of our names and jobs were, of course with the help of our friend and translator. then there was a little meeting about which cases we will do this week and then we got to eat dinner with the families of the patients. it was great to see the kids before they have their procedures and hear them laugh. one of the little girls has the best laugh I have ever heard and we had a great game of tag after we finished eating. now we are getting ready for bed, but I think you are just starting the day. Anyway, I'll write again tomorrow!
- Bekah A
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Catching up
Hello!
After
two flights, one to Chicago and the other to Beijing, I can say we have
successfully made it to china! But since we are now on the other side of the
world, my morning is your nights so sorry if I update the blog at ridiculously
late hours.
So 14 hours
and lots of movies after we left Chicago, we arrived in Beijing at about 3 pm
local time, so we had to stay up until nightfall. We decided to go the pearl
market and do a little shopping, and actually ended up staying until closing
time. We asked the employees where to eat dinner, went to their recommendation,
and ate among the local, we got some funny stares as we were not expected to
know about this place, and we had to look around to see how the other people
ate. I guess we really did look completely out of place, but the food was
delicious anyway.So since we only had one full day in China, we decided to tour the entirety of Beijing in one day. this entailed going to the Great Wall in the morning and the Olympic park on the way to our final destination of the Forbidden city. Each of these places was amazing in its own right, but I have to say I was slightly disappointed with the state of the wall and the city. You would think that these symbols of Chinese history would be well kept, but they were dusty and full of litter. they were still pretty breath taking, by no doubt, but it was still a little sad to see a nation's history in such disrepair. anyway, after we finished with the Forbidden City, we found our way back on the subway (not easy seeing that I cannot even try to read Chinese) and got to bed.
Today we got on a plane to Mongolia (finally) and got lucky that once we landed the bag that has medical supplies did not get flagged and we got in with all our stuff. we then proceeded to the hospital to get all of the medicine dropped off and get a little tour of what the set up will be this year. after that we did a little souvenir shopping, as we wont have too much time once the work starts. I think that the plan for tomorrow is to go look at the countryside, but it is still up in the air. see you guys tomorrow!
- Bekah A.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Why hello There!
Hello friends!
This is going to be one of those annoying intro blogs, but it needs to happen. I apologize in advance for any boring logistics to follow, but I hope it will help you follow me on this trip.
For those who do not know, I am going on a 9 day trip to Mongolia! yay! (if you can't tell I am a bit excited) I will be posting to this blog, hopefully, everyday with pictures and a journal of the day. if I don't post one day, I'll be sure to post two times the next day. be aware that Mongolia has a 12 hour time difference so the posts might go up in the middle of the night or very early morning.
Anyway, here's a little about what I plan on doing there. This is a medical trip that my mom does every year funded by her non profit organization, Lifesong. This organization is greatly contributed to by the donations of our family's surrounding community and to all who made a contribution I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart! Anyway, this trip goes to Mongolia every year since 2004 to go and look for children in dire need of medical attention, specifically for their hearts. This year, we will be staying in the capitol city of Ulaanbaatar doing surgeries to those in need. they're even going to perform some open heart surgeries with the Mongolian doctors so they can learn!
We leave Wednesday morning from Newark and land in Beijing the following day. I've been packing for the past few days and i can say that I am almost ready to go. just a little bit more any off we go! Thanks again to all who are supporting me and the trip!
This is going to be one of those annoying intro blogs, but it needs to happen. I apologize in advance for any boring logistics to follow, but I hope it will help you follow me on this trip.
For those who do not know, I am going on a 9 day trip to Mongolia! yay! (if you can't tell I am a bit excited) I will be posting to this blog, hopefully, everyday with pictures and a journal of the day. if I don't post one day, I'll be sure to post two times the next day. be aware that Mongolia has a 12 hour time difference so the posts might go up in the middle of the night or very early morning.
Anyway, here's a little about what I plan on doing there. This is a medical trip that my mom does every year funded by her non profit organization, Lifesong. This organization is greatly contributed to by the donations of our family's surrounding community and to all who made a contribution I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart! Anyway, this trip goes to Mongolia every year since 2004 to go and look for children in dire need of medical attention, specifically for their hearts. This year, we will be staying in the capitol city of Ulaanbaatar doing surgeries to those in need. they're even going to perform some open heart surgeries with the Mongolian doctors so they can learn!
We leave Wednesday morning from Newark and land in Beijing the following day. I've been packing for the past few days and i can say that I am almost ready to go. just a little bit more any off we go! Thanks again to all who are supporting me and the trip!
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