My day begins with the task of going into town and retrieving a package sent over night from Nairobi. A blade for the dermatome. An instrument used for burn grafts. It had not arrived as of yet. The G4S courier said around 12:00.
Headed back to the hospital and went to Ward 10 to apply warm air to the 14 yr olds graft to facilitate drying and aid in the healing process.
Well that began an emotional phase that was quite intense. I seemed to have held it together until I saw the 18 yr old cleft lip repair as I was leaving. She was so happy and I just lost it as we have changed her life so drastically for the better and then I see these little fellas with their lips and pallets healed and some others have already been discharged and I am elated.
I look at the burns we repaired and crumble. They are so disfigured. Their lives will be challenging in a way it is hard to comprehend. Did we really do the right thing? Yes, no question about it. Yet I am torn as I anticipate their lives will be so so sad. Their follow up care will be non existant they will be shunned from society...It is heart breaking and I cry for them.
This is a hard last day for me.......
I regroup and we start to debride and graft a 9 month old burn baby. Her Mom is 18 yrs old and seems to be very sad and concerned. It was a challenging case to say the least. From beginning to end but all went well and we were out of the OR by 10:30pm.
Wilie had our dinner waiting for us in the lounge and my laundry was folded as well. She is a wonderful woman I am grateful to have met. The team joked, reminisced about our experience and how well we all got along. I said my good byes to Geoff as I will not see him again.
All of us will be flying on the same plane to Nairobi at 9:15 tomorrow morning, except for Geoff.
As my adventure continues........looking forward to the next part!
