I heard from my friend, Nancy, this week. She is in Rwanda right now taking care of the children at Urukundo while Mama Arlene is in the U.S. taking care of personal business. Nancy is in need of an INR meter for a patient who was recently put on Coumadin for a blood clot. The meters are rather pricey, and the test strips are pricey, too.
I hate asking for things.....like I've said before, I'm independent to a MAJOR fault....but this is different. This patient (and yes, even in Rwanda there are confidentiality rules, so I can't give a name) is someone whom many people depend on for their well being....people who are unable to take care of themselves right now. Soooo, it's really important for them to be able to return home, and to do that they need to be able to monitor their blood values on this medication. Since Nancy will be in Rwanda for a couple of months, she has agreed to oversee the training of this patient in the use of the meter and the monitoring of the values so the doctor is comfortable with sending the patient home. The dilemma.....the meter costs about $1,000 and the test strips are an added expense on top of that. The other issue is getting the meter to Rwanda in a timely fashion. This last issue may be manageable as Mama Arlene will be returning to Rwanda in mid-January, so if I can lay my hands on the meter and test strips, she could take it back with her.
If any of you know a Phillips rep, I would love to talk to them. Phillips makes these meters, and I'm hoping (best case scenario) that they would donate one along with a year's supply of test strips. Worst case, I will buy one and the strips in the next week, but either way I need it soon so Mama can take it back with her. Any help would be great! If you know of anyone, email me at sbrown2126@kc.rr.com and put INR in the subject line. Or....if you'd like to donate toward the purchase of the meter and test strips, go to www.onegooddeedkc.org and in our project lists, choose the PayPal donate button next to $tatAid.
People helping people....that's what it's really all about isn't it? Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Gifts from the Heart.....
As promised, I am posting some pictures of my Christmas gift from my family. I love, love, love this gift.....for many reasons, but most of all because it was a gift from their hearts--which is the very best gift of all!
This mosaic table top was made by my daughter with tiles that she and my son collected from various places.
The base was from a lampost that used to be in my husband's backyard. My dad sent it off to be sandblasted and repainted. They have been working on this for awhile....and managed to keep it a secret from nosey me--although I have to say that some things that were said over the past week or so now take on new meaning! :-)
Another gift from the heart was one from my son to his two cousins' four girls. He made them a kitchen set to die for. He also made a duplicate for his girlfriend's little girl. They are some lucky little ladies!
I hope your holidays are filled with "gifts from the heart" and shared with those you love!
This mosaic table top was made by my daughter with tiles that she and my son collected from various places.
The base was from a lampost that used to be in my husband's backyard. My dad sent it off to be sandblasted and repainted. They have been working on this for awhile....and managed to keep it a secret from nosey me--although I have to say that some things that were said over the past week or so now take on new meaning! :-)
Another gift from the heart was one from my son to his two cousins' four girls. He made them a kitchen set to die for. He also made a duplicate for his girlfriend's little girl. They are some lucky little ladies!
I hope your holidays are filled with "gifts from the heart" and shared with those you love!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Simple Pleasures
My daughter is home for Christmas....well, sort of. She's working on the staff of a political campaign so has to fly back for an event on the 23rd, but will return home on the 24th. I won't say which political campaign because she gets a little fussy about me posting sassy things or being too free with my opinion lest I make her look bad in the ever-watching public eye. I think turn about is fair play for all the times she made me a little fussy with her sass and attitude as a teen, but I will try to behave and not embarrass her.....but only because I love her and want her to succeed. Anyway, we got to enjoy some simple pleasures today and do a little mom-daughter bonding. That basically means we ate foods that aren't good for the body....however, they do wonders for the soul....and we went shopping.
Our shopping was mostly about finishing up our last minute Christmas shopping before our family Christmas tonight with my parents. We had lunch at one of the places that has become our guilty little pleasure, and always reminds us of the "Will and Grace" episode where Karen takes Grace to the Mexican fast food place where all the rich women indulge in sloppy, fat-filled burritos while sharing their tacos with their shoulder bag dogs and wearing huge sunglasses to hide their shame at being "common." We, however, had no shame and walked right in sans sunglasses and shoulder bag dogs. The lack of dogs simply because neither of our dogs would fit in a shoulder bag....or any other kind of bag for that matter. We then did our shopping mostly at local small businesses because we have come to know many of the shop owners in the neighborhood and prefer to support them rather than the big chain stores. I don't mean to sound self-righteous here, I just prefer to help out a friend who pours their heart and soul into their business rather than a faceless conglomerate who makes a killing selling mass produced products that are not very unique.
After our mom-daughter day was through, we met the rest of the family for dinner and gift exchanges. I feel that I have been very blessed in my second marriage.....for many reasons, but today it was because of the sheer pleasure I get from watching my own children from my first marriage interact with their stepbrothers from Steve's first marriage. I have heard stories of the horrors and hardships of "blended" families, but our, now grown, children get along quite well. There is all of the teasing without any of the bickering. A simple pleasure, but one that I treasure.
We ended the evening with a trip to my dad's warehouse to return the car my daughter had borrowed before she leaves in the morning to visit her Dad's family for Christmas....or so I thought. The real reason for the trip to the warehouse was so I could get my Christmas gift. They surprised me with a beautiful pedestal table which was a joint project between my son, daughter, husband and father. I will post a picture tomorrow since I didn't have my camera or even my phone with me to snap a shot tonight. The pedestal part of the table is made from an old lamppost that used to be in my husband's backyard, and the table top is a mosaic tile top made by my daughter with tiles that my son found at an architectural salvage store. My dad provided the tools and finished the grout work. I was stunned....and so very pleased. They know me well....I love those gifts from the heart and made by hand! Simple pleasures....are the best.
Our shopping was mostly about finishing up our last minute Christmas shopping before our family Christmas tonight with my parents. We had lunch at one of the places that has become our guilty little pleasure, and always reminds us of the "Will and Grace" episode where Karen takes Grace to the Mexican fast food place where all the rich women indulge in sloppy, fat-filled burritos while sharing their tacos with their shoulder bag dogs and wearing huge sunglasses to hide their shame at being "common." We, however, had no shame and walked right in sans sunglasses and shoulder bag dogs. The lack of dogs simply because neither of our dogs would fit in a shoulder bag....or any other kind of bag for that matter. We then did our shopping mostly at local small businesses because we have come to know many of the shop owners in the neighborhood and prefer to support them rather than the big chain stores. I don't mean to sound self-righteous here, I just prefer to help out a friend who pours their heart and soul into their business rather than a faceless conglomerate who makes a killing selling mass produced products that are not very unique.
After our mom-daughter day was through, we met the rest of the family for dinner and gift exchanges. I feel that I have been very blessed in my second marriage.....for many reasons, but today it was because of the sheer pleasure I get from watching my own children from my first marriage interact with their stepbrothers from Steve's first marriage. I have heard stories of the horrors and hardships of "blended" families, but our, now grown, children get along quite well. There is all of the teasing without any of the bickering. A simple pleasure, but one that I treasure.
We ended the evening with a trip to my dad's warehouse to return the car my daughter had borrowed before she leaves in the morning to visit her Dad's family for Christmas....or so I thought. The real reason for the trip to the warehouse was so I could get my Christmas gift. They surprised me with a beautiful pedestal table which was a joint project between my son, daughter, husband and father. I will post a picture tomorrow since I didn't have my camera or even my phone with me to snap a shot tonight. The pedestal part of the table is made from an old lamppost that used to be in my husband's backyard, and the table top is a mosaic tile top made by my daughter with tiles that my son found at an architectural salvage store. My dad provided the tools and finished the grout work. I was stunned....and so very pleased. They know me well....I love those gifts from the heart and made by hand! Simple pleasures....are the best.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to NANN I Go!
I got an early Christmas present and it couldn't have come at a better time. My mood kind of matched the weather today.....dreary. I opened my email after dinner and found an acceptance from NANN of the abstract I submitted for presentation at the 2012 conference. At first I thought it was an acceptance for a poster presentation, but then I saw the words "concurrent session." Not many things leave me speechless, but this did. Of course, after the shock wore off, the panic set in!
The title of the presentation is "A Nurse, an Entrepreneur and a Collaborative Approach to Advancing Neonatal Care in a Developing Country." And big surprise.....it's about the projects Michael and I are working on in Rwanda. Needless to say, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I've already asked for input from Michael....after all, he's the "entrepreneur" in the title. I'm hoping my friend (and veteran NANN presenter!), Sara, will give me the benefit of her expertise as well.
Wish me luck as I work on this presentation....I'll need it! I hope this means that good things are in store for the projects we've been developing. Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to what comes next!
The title of the presentation is "A Nurse, an Entrepreneur and a Collaborative Approach to Advancing Neonatal Care in a Developing Country." And big surprise.....it's about the projects Michael and I are working on in Rwanda. Needless to say, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I've already asked for input from Michael....after all, he's the "entrepreneur" in the title. I'm hoping my friend (and veteran NANN presenter!), Sara, will give me the benefit of her expertise as well.
Wish me luck as I work on this presentation....I'll need it! I hope this means that good things are in store for the projects we've been developing. Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to what comes next!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thoughts on Being a "Nosey Barker"
Remember complaining "when will I ever need to know this" during various classes throughout your school years? I usually had those complaints in various math classes throughout the years....and maybe with good reason, after all I'm pretty sure I've never had to come up with any information about isosceles triangles (including, until now, how to spell it!). So now in my "middle age" years I find that some lessons learned can have benefits I never would have imagined.
When I first started traveling internationally on various nursing missions, I was interested in learning everything I could about the different cultures I visited. I've told you before that I'm basically nosey, so it should come as no surprise that I want to know all about why people do the things they do. I was the one on those trips who was always asking "why?"
In China, I wanted to know why women who've just had a baby eat only warm foods and dress in warm clothing....even when it's hot outside. Just being nosey.....until that info came in handy a couple of years later when we had a Chinese family in the unit I worked in at the time, and the mom/baby nurses were complaining about the "stinky" soups the grandmother brought the mom, and mom kept the thermostat cranked up to about 85 even though she was
already wearing a fleece robe and slippers. That "trivia" I had gleaned from being nosey came rushing to the forefront of my brain, and I was able to tell them that in China they believe
that a woman loses "chi," or life force, after birth so they need to replenish it by staying
warm and eating warm soups. They also stay in bed for a month after they deliver.....AND they
get 18 months of PAID maternity leave....this may be due to the whole "one child" rule thing,
but still....
On that same trip we were talking to a doctor at one of the hospitals in Beijing about whether they had health insurance (they do, of sorts anyway), and I asked what happened when their coverage ran out (we were talking about long, chronic illnesses). The doctor told us the patient was then turned over to the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and everybody laughed......but, being the Nosey Barker that I am, I wanted to know what happened to them then. The doctor paused for a few seconds and then said, "they tend to get better." This really was just a side note for your amusement (especially for any of you wholistic types who might have happened on to this blog...). Seriously, though, this exchange led me to an interest in natural alternatives to traditional Western medicine, and I think it is something that warrants further study.
But I digress.....a few nights ago I had another experience where lessons learned served me well...I can't share the details of the situation due to HIPAA regulations, but I will share information on some customs in Africa. In some places of Africa (maybe all, I don't know) it is thought that if you give someone something, you no longer have it. Makes sense, right? After all, you GAVE it to them.....Unfortunately, they apply this thinking to HIV/AIDS as well. Healthcare workers in clinics told us that it is very important to phrase training carefully so the wrong message isn't received....frightening to think that all that teaching we do as nurses, well-meaning and evidence-based as it is, may be received differently than intended depending on cultural beliefs. It is frustrating for healthcare workers in some of these African HIV/AIDS clinics to try to get people to use condoms for prevention if they think that all they have to do is "give" the disease to another in order to no longer have it themselves. Another thing I have observed is women who are afraid of having their babies in the hospitals or clinics....in part because not all are very good and you may die in the process, but also because Africa is an interesting blend of traditional healing and more modern influence. Women who visit traditional healers as well as going to healthcare clinics are often chastised by the healthcare workers for their traditional beliefs. When you know you're going to be yelled at, it's kind of hard to choose to put yourself in that situation. Think about this if you ever find yourself caring for someone from another culture....don't just assume they don't care about themselves or their babies. Tradition is a strong influence, and the fact that they show up at a hospital is a HUGE step for some. (sorry I couldn't tell you the whole story so this might make more sense, but just get this message: don't be so quick to assume and judge!)
So.....being a "Nosey Barker" has its benefits at times.....the challenge is using the tendency for good and not evil.... :)
When I first started traveling internationally on various nursing missions, I was interested in learning everything I could about the different cultures I visited. I've told you before that I'm basically nosey, so it should come as no surprise that I want to know all about why people do the things they do. I was the one on those trips who was always asking "why?"
In China, I wanted to know why women who've just had a baby eat only warm foods and dress in warm clothing....even when it's hot outside. Just being nosey.....until that info came in handy a couple of years later when we had a Chinese family in the unit I worked in at the time, and the mom/baby nurses were complaining about the "stinky" soups the grandmother brought the mom, and mom kept the thermostat cranked up to about 85 even though she was
already wearing a fleece robe and slippers. That "trivia" I had gleaned from being nosey came rushing to the forefront of my brain, and I was able to tell them that in China they believe
that a woman loses "chi," or life force, after birth so they need to replenish it by staying
warm and eating warm soups. They also stay in bed for a month after they deliver.....AND they
get 18 months of PAID maternity leave....this may be due to the whole "one child" rule thing,
but still....
On that same trip we were talking to a doctor at one of the hospitals in Beijing about whether they had health insurance (they do, of sorts anyway), and I asked what happened when their coverage ran out (we were talking about long, chronic illnesses). The doctor told us the patient was then turned over to the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and everybody laughed......but, being the Nosey Barker that I am, I wanted to know what happened to them then. The doctor paused for a few seconds and then said, "they tend to get better." This really was just a side note for your amusement (especially for any of you wholistic types who might have happened on to this blog...). Seriously, though, this exchange led me to an interest in natural alternatives to traditional Western medicine, and I think it is something that warrants further study.
But I digress.....a few nights ago I had another experience where lessons learned served me well...I can't share the details of the situation due to HIPAA regulations, but I will share information on some customs in Africa. In some places of Africa (maybe all, I don't know) it is thought that if you give someone something, you no longer have it. Makes sense, right? After all, you GAVE it to them.....Unfortunately, they apply this thinking to HIV/AIDS as well. Healthcare workers in clinics told us that it is very important to phrase training carefully so the wrong message isn't received....frightening to think that all that teaching we do as nurses, well-meaning and evidence-based as it is, may be received differently than intended depending on cultural beliefs. It is frustrating for healthcare workers in some of these African HIV/AIDS clinics to try to get people to use condoms for prevention if they think that all they have to do is "give" the disease to another in order to no longer have it themselves. Another thing I have observed is women who are afraid of having their babies in the hospitals or clinics....in part because not all are very good and you may die in the process, but also because Africa is an interesting blend of traditional healing and more modern influence. Women who visit traditional healers as well as going to healthcare clinics are often chastised by the healthcare workers for their traditional beliefs. When you know you're going to be yelled at, it's kind of hard to choose to put yourself in that situation. Think about this if you ever find yourself caring for someone from another culture....don't just assume they don't care about themselves or their babies. Tradition is a strong influence, and the fact that they show up at a hospital is a HUGE step for some. (sorry I couldn't tell you the whole story so this might make more sense, but just get this message: don't be so quick to assume and judge!)
So.....being a "Nosey Barker" has its benefits at times.....the challenge is using the tendency for good and not evil.... :)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Turning My Heart Toward "Home"
Today my dear friend leaves for Rwanda on a mission of the heart. She has asked me not to give details of her trip to honor the privacy of another, and I will....but I just wanted her to know I am thinking of them both and sending much love their way. I am also a little teary, partly I'm sure because I am tired.....coming off a three night stretch at work....and partly because news of her impromptu travel has had the effect of turning my own heart toward Rwanda.
My friend and I both fell in love with Rwanda on the same trip back in March 2008....in fact, it's where we met as well and have been fast friends ever since. I think of her as a sister....the one I never had.
As I think of her today, and reflect on the reason for this journey, I am reminded of why she holds a dear place in my heart. It's all about friendship....real friendship. The kind that travels half way around the world at a moment's notice because you need me friendship. That kind of friendship is rare, and certainly to be treasured. I soooo wish I could be traveling with her....we have so much to discuss, and I am concerned. Our paths came together in this country, and our hearts have kept us returning here. Each of us on a different path in this place we love, but always intersecting at places we both are drawn to...places that have also become "home" to us.
So, as I sit here today thinking of her and of our friends and "family" in Rwanda, I say this: "Godspeed, my sister/friend. Take care of those we love....and take care of yourself because you are dear to me and we are linked in places in our hearts that are vital to our very existence. Much love and prayers go with you....and remember I am only a phone call or email away!"
My friend and I both fell in love with Rwanda on the same trip back in March 2008....in fact, it's where we met as well and have been fast friends ever since. I think of her as a sister....the one I never had.
As I think of her today, and reflect on the reason for this journey, I am reminded of why she holds a dear place in my heart. It's all about friendship....real friendship. The kind that travels half way around the world at a moment's notice because you need me friendship. That kind of friendship is rare, and certainly to be treasured. I soooo wish I could be traveling with her....we have so much to discuss, and I am concerned. Our paths came together in this country, and our hearts have kept us returning here. Each of us on a different path in this place we love, but always intersecting at places we both are drawn to...places that have also become "home" to us.
So, as I sit here today thinking of her and of our friends and "family" in Rwanda, I say this: "Godspeed, my sister/friend. Take care of those we love....and take care of yourself because you are dear to me and we are linked in places in our hearts that are vital to our very existence. Much love and prayers go with you....and remember I am only a phone call or email away!"
Friday, December 2, 2011
Anna's Oven
Today my husband, Steve, and I had lunch at a little cafe in Westport called Anna's Oven. Great food.....they have a lot of what I consider "comfort foods" like Mac 'n cheese and meatloaf, and pumpkin bread pudding. They also play Pandora....but, of course, me being me and prone to odd encounters, I heard "Twilight Zone." That's because the owners of Anna's Oven give 50% of their proceeds to an all-girls' school in Kenya called St. Anne's. Just another out of Africa experience.....and a great opportunity for us to support local business, small shops, AND Africa all at the same time! So......if you're ever in Westport by the University of Kansas Hospital on 39th street in the first block east of State Line Road, check out Anna's Oven. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.....whatever your politics or social consciousness!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Gratitude
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more...It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie
This is one of my favorite quotes, and it seemed appropriate for this holiday of Thanksgiving. This month Facebook users have been posting something they are thankful for each day. I must confess I didn't participate in this, not because I wasn't thankful for many things, but because I couldn't seem to settle on just one thing a day. What made one thing the "winner" of the day over another? I also felt the need to explain some things, which isn't status friendly much of the time. So....I left the month with my friends possibly thinking I am an ungrateful sort. Not so. I am thankful for the same things most people posted....family, friends, a job, a home, enough (really too much) food to eat.....and the list goes on.
I am also thankful for those many things that I felt needed an explanation. Such as failure. I am thankful for failure because I really do learn from it. I'm not bullshitting here....believe me, I'm no saint--failure pisses me off! BUT, once the anger and frustration have run their course and I have the sense to reflect on the failure, I find that I usually have been taught a much needed lesson. I also generally find that those lessons learned from a failure are often some of the most valuable. Hopefully they are making me a better person in the end.
I have said before that I am an only child. This I have not been thankful for. It's lonely being an only child....and as you get older, it's a little frightening. There's no one to share the pain of losing parents with. I am very thankful that I haven't had to face that pain yet in my life. What I am thankful for, though, are the siblings-in-law and their spouses and children that I have inherited with my second marriage. They are a treat and a joy, and they have welcomed me as a sister. I LOVE being with them and all of the noisy chatter, laughter and chaos that involves. I no longer feel alone as an only child.
I am also thankful for finding acceptance in unlikely places. A couple of summer's ago my daughter spent the summer with her father and stepmother in Pennsylvania. At the end of the summer, I wrote Jamie (the stepmother) a thank you note for welcoming Cait into her home and for buying her things for her apartment at college as well as some new clothes. Those of you who have to share your children with step- mothers or fathers know what a blessing it is to have them treat your children well. What I didn't expect was a return note telling me what an awesome daughter I had raised accompanied by photos of Cait and Aerial, her dog, that Jamie took while they were at the beach. Validation is always sweet, but it means so much when coming from an unlikely source.
The above experience with Jamie was a great example for me to follow last year when I came face to face with my husband's ex at his father's funeral. Instead of ignoring her or avoiding her to escape the awkward meeting, I simply thanked her for coming (no small feat since she drove through a horrific snow storm and frigid temperatures to be there), and told her how much her presence meant to her sons. It cost me nothing, and I think gave her something (based on my experience with Jamie). After all, problems between former spouses really shouldn't be held against the current ones, should they?
Thankful for lessons learned, however they come.....whether by "still, small voice" or out and out smack upside the head. Knowledge is power.....and the power lies in being able to heal the heart. There's a whole lotta gratitude in that.
This is one of my favorite quotes, and it seemed appropriate for this holiday of Thanksgiving. This month Facebook users have been posting something they are thankful for each day. I must confess I didn't participate in this, not because I wasn't thankful for many things, but because I couldn't seem to settle on just one thing a day. What made one thing the "winner" of the day over another? I also felt the need to explain some things, which isn't status friendly much of the time. So....I left the month with my friends possibly thinking I am an ungrateful sort. Not so. I am thankful for the same things most people posted....family, friends, a job, a home, enough (really too much) food to eat.....and the list goes on.
I am also thankful for those many things that I felt needed an explanation. Such as failure. I am thankful for failure because I really do learn from it. I'm not bullshitting here....believe me, I'm no saint--failure pisses me off! BUT, once the anger and frustration have run their course and I have the sense to reflect on the failure, I find that I usually have been taught a much needed lesson. I also generally find that those lessons learned from a failure are often some of the most valuable. Hopefully they are making me a better person in the end.
I have said before that I am an only child. This I have not been thankful for. It's lonely being an only child....and as you get older, it's a little frightening. There's no one to share the pain of losing parents with. I am very thankful that I haven't had to face that pain yet in my life. What I am thankful for, though, are the siblings-in-law and their spouses and children that I have inherited with my second marriage. They are a treat and a joy, and they have welcomed me as a sister. I LOVE being with them and all of the noisy chatter, laughter and chaos that involves. I no longer feel alone as an only child.
I am also thankful for finding acceptance in unlikely places. A couple of summer's ago my daughter spent the summer with her father and stepmother in Pennsylvania. At the end of the summer, I wrote Jamie (the stepmother) a thank you note for welcoming Cait into her home and for buying her things for her apartment at college as well as some new clothes. Those of you who have to share your children with step- mothers or fathers know what a blessing it is to have them treat your children well. What I didn't expect was a return note telling me what an awesome daughter I had raised accompanied by photos of Cait and Aerial, her dog, that Jamie took while they were at the beach. Validation is always sweet, but it means so much when coming from an unlikely source.
The above experience with Jamie was a great example for me to follow last year when I came face to face with my husband's ex at his father's funeral. Instead of ignoring her or avoiding her to escape the awkward meeting, I simply thanked her for coming (no small feat since she drove through a horrific snow storm and frigid temperatures to be there), and told her how much her presence meant to her sons. It cost me nothing, and I think gave her something (based on my experience with Jamie). After all, problems between former spouses really shouldn't be held against the current ones, should they?
Thankful for lessons learned, however they come.....whether by "still, small voice" or out and out smack upside the head. Knowledge is power.....and the power lies in being able to heal the heart. There's a whole lotta gratitude in that.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Sistas"
I am an only child. This lot in life has always left me feeling a bit cheated and like I missed out on something terribly important. For most of my life I thought that something was a brother. When I was around 12, I decided to "adopt" one. My parents had some good friends at our church who had a son, also an only child, who was a few (6) years older than me. I proposed a deal with him for us to become "adopted" siblings. Now I'm sure this gave him a laugh, but he chose to humor me and agreed to be my big brother. He's been a pretty good big brother over the years....I've had the benefit of knowing he's there if I need him, but without having to put up with the teasing and tormenting that biological brothers inflict on their sisters (although, having a son and daughter myself now, I know this is something important in that relationship that I've also missed out on). Now I wouldn't trade Ken for anything in the world....in fact, he's still looking out for me on the executive board of One Good Deed.....however, as I've entered my middle-aged years, I've come to realize there's something else I've missed out on as an only child....and that is SISTERS!
I never wanted a sister growing up. All of the ones I knew who were sisters of my friends seemed like an awful lot of trouble and, well.....competition! As it turns out, we really do get wiser with age. I think getting older brings its own perspective on life which is lost on our youth simply for the fact that we haven't yet lived enough to realize that all of the things we found to be of great importance in our younger years really don't amount to much. When I found my current (and last--because he's wonderful and perfect for me!) husband, I also inherited his sisters and sisters-in-law. This opened a new and marvelous world to me!
Don't get me wrong here....I had a great assortment of female friends over the span of my life, and shared many experiences that were made richer for those relationships. But.....it was different. In my life now I still find myself with an assortment of female friends and also some inherited sisters who, I am happy to say are also my friends. To my amazement and great joy, I have found these marvelous creatures to be just about the best thing EVER!
Have I mentioned before that I am really rather shy? Hard to believe for some of you, I know, but it's true. The women in my life these days who have become my extended family, and whom I've come to think of as "Sistas," have filled that void that was there in my childhood. Okay, so some of you are thinking "big deal, she's talking about networking." Not so....networks are who you call when you need a job or a professional introduction or the name of the person who can put you in touch with the person.....you get my drift. But "Sistas" are the ones who coax you into a goofy hat and proper attire for a royal wedding to sip champagne beverages and watch Will and Kate say "I do" as you totally make teary, sniveling fools out of yourselves while proclaiming how terribly sweet and romantic it all is. "Sistas" spice up a routine cab ride by spinning a tale to the cabbie about you being dairy farmers from Wisconsin who are in town for a cheese convention, and then later get him to agree to drive across town to pick up a last minute Christmas gift for your grandchild who just today told you she can't possibly live without something you realize you've overlooked on her list and you can't possibly go yourself because you're already in your jammies and of course you will pay him handsomely. They are the ones who call you to tell you about a grant that might be perfect for your organization---not to be confused with networking because the sista actually prints off the application and brings it to you and offers to help write it. Or they climb a display at the department store to dismantle and undress the manikin torso who they are sure is wearing the size you need for your husband. "Sistas" have your back at all times no matter what and will rally to your side whatever the occasion or disaster and immediately formulate a plan, attack, or party befitting the occasion. (and yes, biological sisters can also be "Sistas")
Now, my "Sistas," you know who you are....and you have become many these several years, I have to say you make my life fuller and richer and I don't know how I ever survived before you came along. I do know that I could not possibly survive without you now! Celebrate yourselves.....and let's make a date real soon to put on our most Carrie-like shoes and spend an evening with the sex and the city girls while drinking cosmos and catching up on life!
I never wanted a sister growing up. All of the ones I knew who were sisters of my friends seemed like an awful lot of trouble and, well.....competition! As it turns out, we really do get wiser with age. I think getting older brings its own perspective on life which is lost on our youth simply for the fact that we haven't yet lived enough to realize that all of the things we found to be of great importance in our younger years really don't amount to much. When I found my current (and last--because he's wonderful and perfect for me!) husband, I also inherited his sisters and sisters-in-law. This opened a new and marvelous world to me!
Don't get me wrong here....I had a great assortment of female friends over the span of my life, and shared many experiences that were made richer for those relationships. But.....it was different. In my life now I still find myself with an assortment of female friends and also some inherited sisters who, I am happy to say are also my friends. To my amazement and great joy, I have found these marvelous creatures to be just about the best thing EVER!
Have I mentioned before that I am really rather shy? Hard to believe for some of you, I know, but it's true. The women in my life these days who have become my extended family, and whom I've come to think of as "Sistas," have filled that void that was there in my childhood. Okay, so some of you are thinking "big deal, she's talking about networking." Not so....networks are who you call when you need a job or a professional introduction or the name of the person who can put you in touch with the person.....you get my drift. But "Sistas" are the ones who coax you into a goofy hat and proper attire for a royal wedding to sip champagne beverages and watch Will and Kate say "I do" as you totally make teary, sniveling fools out of yourselves while proclaiming how terribly sweet and romantic it all is. "Sistas" spice up a routine cab ride by spinning a tale to the cabbie about you being dairy farmers from Wisconsin who are in town for a cheese convention, and then later get him to agree to drive across town to pick up a last minute Christmas gift for your grandchild who just today told you she can't possibly live without something you realize you've overlooked on her list and you can't possibly go yourself because you're already in your jammies and of course you will pay him handsomely. They are the ones who call you to tell you about a grant that might be perfect for your organization---not to be confused with networking because the sista actually prints off the application and brings it to you and offers to help write it. Or they climb a display at the department store to dismantle and undress the manikin torso who they are sure is wearing the size you need for your husband. "Sistas" have your back at all times no matter what and will rally to your side whatever the occasion or disaster and immediately formulate a plan, attack, or party befitting the occasion. (and yes, biological sisters can also be "Sistas")
Now, my "Sistas," you know who you are....and you have become many these several years, I have to say you make my life fuller and richer and I don't know how I ever survived before you came along. I do know that I could not possibly survive without you now! Celebrate yourselves.....and let's make a date real soon to put on our most Carrie-like shoes and spend an evening with the sex and the city girls while drinking cosmos and catching up on life!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
"Aren't You Afraid?!?"
I think the question I get asked the most about going to Rwanda is, "But aren't you afraid?!?" I typically launch into an explanation about Rwanda's past and issues still boiling up in the DRC and then finish off by saying that I am cautious while in Rwanda, but have never felt afraid. All of that is true.
That being said, I have been thinking about this question lately as I prepare to return to Rwanda in March with some of my colleagues. Now I think I would answer that question differently. My answer now will be, "Yes, I am afraid." And here is why:
I am afraid that no matter what I manage to do in this country, there are still children surviving on one meal a day--if they're lucky. I am afraid that people are still living without potable water and have to walk, sometimes 3 or more miles just to have a drink that won't make them sick. I am afraid that HIV/AIDS is still taking many lives and leaving people with large holes in their families where people once were--despite our best efforts at educating them, and despite the world's efforts at providing treatment to people in this country and many others. I am afraid that a woman I have come to love and admire for her dedication to the children of this country, so much so that she left America several years ago to make a home for them in their own land, will leave this world and there will be no one to take over her work with the children she has raised and loved as her own. I am afraid that once the term is up for their current president, another who will follow will not have the vision for his/her country that President Kigame does and that genocide may rear its ugly head once more. I am afraid that no matter what I am able to accomplish in my lifetime, these people that I have come to love will still be impoverished and forgotten by the rest of the world.
I was going to fill this blog with photos aimed at shocking by the simple horror that everyday life is for some people--mostly those with HIV/AIDS, but I chose instead to leave you with this one because it symbolizes the hope I have for the future of these people. It is what keeps me going even though my Mastercard balance is frightening and ways to make extra money in my own country are scarce right now......It is HOPE and it's why I will return as long as I'm able to do what I can so they will know they aren't forgotten--at least not by me.
That being said, I have been thinking about this question lately as I prepare to return to Rwanda in March with some of my colleagues. Now I think I would answer that question differently. My answer now will be, "Yes, I am afraid." And here is why:
I am afraid that no matter what I manage to do in this country, there are still children surviving on one meal a day--if they're lucky. I am afraid that people are still living without potable water and have to walk, sometimes 3 or more miles just to have a drink that won't make them sick. I am afraid that HIV/AIDS is still taking many lives and leaving people with large holes in their families where people once were--despite our best efforts at educating them, and despite the world's efforts at providing treatment to people in this country and many others. I am afraid that a woman I have come to love and admire for her dedication to the children of this country, so much so that she left America several years ago to make a home for them in their own land, will leave this world and there will be no one to take over her work with the children she has raised and loved as her own. I am afraid that once the term is up for their current president, another who will follow will not have the vision for his/her country that President Kigame does and that genocide may rear its ugly head once more. I am afraid that no matter what I am able to accomplish in my lifetime, these people that I have come to love will still be impoverished and forgotten by the rest of the world.
I was going to fill this blog with photos aimed at shocking by the simple horror that everyday life is for some people--mostly those with HIV/AIDS, but I chose instead to leave you with this one because it symbolizes the hope I have for the future of these people. It is what keeps me going even though my Mastercard balance is frightening and ways to make extra money in my own country are scarce right now......It is HOPE and it's why I will return as long as I'm able to do what I can so they will know they aren't forgotten--at least not by me.
(Thank you to Nicole Mainzer for sharing this photo of two of Mama Arlene's children on her facebook page.)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Serendipity
So as not to offend the nonreligious or not so spiritual of you--or, really, not to scare the rest of you and send my children off on a search for a loony bin to put me in (like they haven't thought of that before!), I will call the amazing coincident-like experiences I tend to have "serendipity." This word doesn't really suit me because I don't believe in chance, or I at least choose not to believe that things happen by chance, I will use it anyway for convenience.
Over the past four or so years, my life has had more than its fair share of serendipity. Lately this has been in the form of speaking opportunities with various groups and organizations--don't be overly impressed, these are local things and, while important nonetheless, they will not make me famous! So, as I've been pondering what to say at each of these opportunities, I've been thinking a lot about how some things have come about and what they have meant to me in my life. (This is another thing you begin to do as you get older....ponder the meaning of your life--or maybe try to ascribe meaning to your life!)
One incident that has taken on a new meaning to me is an encounter I had with a neighbor, also a nurse. I was watching TV with my husband one night and I kept hearing something hitting the window behind me. I looked out, but couldn't see anything. Steve said he would take the dog out for her last potty break of the night and see if there was anything out there that could be hitting the window. Turns out it was our downstairs neighbor, Donna. Donna is also a nurse and we have often enjoyed sharing "war" stories about our careers. Donna had found herself locked out of her condo because her patio door had closed and locked behind her, and being on the first floor, they had a privacy fence with a padlocked gate due to recent break ins in the neighborhood. So....she was trapped on her patio. This was in the fall and the nights were getting kind of chilly, so she wan't happy with the idea that she might be there awhile before someone came along to rescue her! Steve got to be her knight in shining armor (more likely her knight in faded jeans and a sweatshirt) and let her back into her condo.
We all had a good laugh over the incident and then I forgot about it. A week or so later, Donna appeared at our door bearing a bottle of wine to thank us for the rescue. We spent the evening on our balcony drinking wine and talking. Once that talk turned toward our common interest of nursing, Steve excused himself. On this particular night, Donna was talking about her recent resignation from the place she had worked for many years. Her husband had started a new business venture which was taking them too far from the area to continue living here and they were in the process of moving and selling their condo--much to our dismay!
For the two of you who regularly follow this blog....you might recall that I, too, had resigned from a job that I was at for several years, and while I seldom share the details of that, it was an extremely hurtful experience. Suffice it to say that for those who spend their careers easing the pain of others, we often inflict so much of it on each other. Anyway, as it turns out, Donna had had a similar experience to mine with her resignation. We had a very frank discussion about our hurt and it was cathartic for both of us. We ended the evening with hugs and "air" kisses and with the promise to "do this again soon."
A couple of weeks after this conversation I learned that Donna had become quite ill and was in intensive care with a terrible case of pneumonia. In a very short time, the pneumonia won and claimed her life. Now Donna and I weren't best friends, but we did share a love of nursing and the bond that such things bring, so her death hit me harder than it might have if she had just been a passing acquaintance. That, and the fact that she was just truly a warm, compassionate person who genuinely cared about people.
Serendipity....Had Donna not locked herself out of her condo, we might never have shared this conversation. It was a conversation that went a long way toward healing my heart, and I hope it did the same for her. I think we always have a lesson to learn from the things life throws at us. Often from a place of great heartache can come great healing and success. If I hadn't experienced the heartache of betrayal and mistreatment when I left a job I had loved, I might not have been in the right place emotionally to experience Rwanda in the way that I did. I wish I could say that the heartache is gone, but it is, after all, heartache and it will have to heal in its own time. But I am thankful that from the experience, I was taken to a place that had suffered unimaginable heartache and I met people who have worked through that heartache to come to a place of healing and who face a brighter future because of the lessons learned. Serendipity.....
Over the past four or so years, my life has had more than its fair share of serendipity. Lately this has been in the form of speaking opportunities with various groups and organizations--don't be overly impressed, these are local things and, while important nonetheless, they will not make me famous! So, as I've been pondering what to say at each of these opportunities, I've been thinking a lot about how some things have come about and what they have meant to me in my life. (This is another thing you begin to do as you get older....ponder the meaning of your life--or maybe try to ascribe meaning to your life!)
One incident that has taken on a new meaning to me is an encounter I had with a neighbor, also a nurse. I was watching TV with my husband one night and I kept hearing something hitting the window behind me. I looked out, but couldn't see anything. Steve said he would take the dog out for her last potty break of the night and see if there was anything out there that could be hitting the window. Turns out it was our downstairs neighbor, Donna. Donna is also a nurse and we have often enjoyed sharing "war" stories about our careers. Donna had found herself locked out of her condo because her patio door had closed and locked behind her, and being on the first floor, they had a privacy fence with a padlocked gate due to recent break ins in the neighborhood. So....she was trapped on her patio. This was in the fall and the nights were getting kind of chilly, so she wan't happy with the idea that she might be there awhile before someone came along to rescue her! Steve got to be her knight in shining armor (more likely her knight in faded jeans and a sweatshirt) and let her back into her condo.
We all had a good laugh over the incident and then I forgot about it. A week or so later, Donna appeared at our door bearing a bottle of wine to thank us for the rescue. We spent the evening on our balcony drinking wine and talking. Once that talk turned toward our common interest of nursing, Steve excused himself. On this particular night, Donna was talking about her recent resignation from the place she had worked for many years. Her husband had started a new business venture which was taking them too far from the area to continue living here and they were in the process of moving and selling their condo--much to our dismay!
For the two of you who regularly follow this blog....you might recall that I, too, had resigned from a job that I was at for several years, and while I seldom share the details of that, it was an extremely hurtful experience. Suffice it to say that for those who spend their careers easing the pain of others, we often inflict so much of it on each other. Anyway, as it turns out, Donna had had a similar experience to mine with her resignation. We had a very frank discussion about our hurt and it was cathartic for both of us. We ended the evening with hugs and "air" kisses and with the promise to "do this again soon."
A couple of weeks after this conversation I learned that Donna had become quite ill and was in intensive care with a terrible case of pneumonia. In a very short time, the pneumonia won and claimed her life. Now Donna and I weren't best friends, but we did share a love of nursing and the bond that such things bring, so her death hit me harder than it might have if she had just been a passing acquaintance. That, and the fact that she was just truly a warm, compassionate person who genuinely cared about people.
Serendipity....Had Donna not locked herself out of her condo, we might never have shared this conversation. It was a conversation that went a long way toward healing my heart, and I hope it did the same for her. I think we always have a lesson to learn from the things life throws at us. Often from a place of great heartache can come great healing and success. If I hadn't experienced the heartache of betrayal and mistreatment when I left a job I had loved, I might not have been in the right place emotionally to experience Rwanda in the way that I did. I wish I could say that the heartache is gone, but it is, after all, heartache and it will have to heal in its own time. But I am thankful that from the experience, I was taken to a place that had suffered unimaginable heartache and I met people who have worked through that heartache to come to a place of healing and who face a brighter future because of the lessons learned. Serendipity.....
Thursday, November 3, 2011
A Chance to Share.....
Apparently meeting with the Minister of Health has given me some credibility. Important work somehow doesn't stand alone unless someone important deems it so. I'm fortunate that someone important took notice of what I was doing and considered it worthwhile.....not because I necessarily needed that validation, but because it has opened doors for me that might otherwise have remained closed. Below is a photo of Dr. Bingawaho (the "someone important"):
Dr. Binagwaho is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine in Harvard Medical School. She chairs the Rwanda Country Coordinating Mechanism of The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Dr. Binagwaho is the co-chair of the Salzburg Global Seminar "Innovating for Value in Health Care Delivery: better cross-border learning, smarter adaptation and adoption." She is a member of the Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries. Dr. Binagwaho also serves on the Health Advisory Board for Time Magazine; and on the International Strategic Advisory Board for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London. -- Wikipedia, retrieved November 3, 2011.
She received training as a pediatrician in Belgium and France where she specialized in emergency pediatrics, neonatology, and HIV/AIDS treatment in children and adults. She is the current Minister of Health of Rwanda where she was born, and she has received an honorary PhD from Dartmouth......So, now do you see why I was absolutely terrified to meet with the woman?!?
I'm so glad Lindsay didn't tell me all of this from her Google search before our meeting! I probably would have fainted dead away--as it was I could hardly speak. Now, I don't want you to think she is foreboding or unpleasant. Not at all.....well, maybe just a little foreboding, but she was quite pleasant to us, and it seemed she was giving very serious consideration to the value of the Helping Babies Breathe program for her country. She obviously saw the potential for the program to effect real change because she gave us her endorsement and the go-ahead to proceed with training in the country. I hope I will get a chance to meet her again someday, and I hope next time I can be a little more at ease so we can actually have a two-sided conversation--one in which I am not tongue-tied and in a panic!
People in the U.S. are mildly impressed at this meeting; mainly, I think, because they didn't really think I had it in me to accomplish it (and in reality I didn't accomplish anything, I just showed up for the meeting that Claudia from Eos Visions arranged!) But in any case, several people at home have taken a new look at my work in Rwanda. At first I wanted to say, "Well, what did you think I was doing over there?!?" But I realize that while I talk about my trips a lot, I tend to downplay the importance of what is accomplished. This is
partly because I am having a hard time believing it myself, and partly because I get the sense that some people seem a little miffed at me. My husband says I'm too paranoid, but I think I'm pretty intuitive about these things, and this reaction often puzzles me. Anyone can do what I am doing if they're willing to spend the time and money. Okay, maybe not anyone, but anyone with some training in some kind of useful information, which, after all, is just about anyone! Sooooo, in an effort to calm my paranoia, I decided to share a bit more with people what I actually have been doing in Rwanda the past three + years.
The first sharing opportunity came at the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) Conference in September 2010. I submitted a poster presentation on the "adoption" of the NICU at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali by my unit at the University of Kansas Hospital. The title of the presentation was "From Kansas to Kigali: Sister Units."
This is Sara and I in front of the poster. Sara, Ali, Alice Cannon, and Jen (my former manager) were all co-authors of this poster because each had a role in making it happen!
Last month I had another opportunity to share, this time at a neonatal update in my own unit. I was given the opportunity to present on Rwanda for CEU credit. I decided to include a variety of experiences and to include a bit more personal information about my trips. I tend to shy away from divulging personal information where Rwanda is concerned, in part because it is deeply personal and tends to make me teary (which sometimes has the effect of making others uncomfortable), and in part because (I know many of you will find this hard to believe) I am actually a rather shy person. Seriously, when it comes to opening up to people about my feelings, I find it difficult--you know, exposing that soft little underbelly and all!
What I found through this experience, though, was that the validation I really wanted was the one I got from my peers and coworkers at this presentation. And the validation wasn't for me, but for Rwanda and for the impoverished, underprivileged and often forgotten people of the world.....my heart.
I have some other sharing opportunities coming up in the next few months...a couple with nursing students, possibly one at Grand Rounds, and at some community organizations. I have also submitted a couple of abstracts for presentation at next year's NANN conference. My goal is to increase awareness of the importance of looking at healthcare from an international perspective because now, more than at any other time in history, we are living in a global community and what effects the least of us will have an impact on most of us. We have to be aware, we have to care, and we have to act before it is too late. This is my purpose, my passion, my crusade.....
Dr. Bingawaho has a very impressive resume:
She received training as a pediatrician in Belgium and France where she specialized in emergency pediatrics, neonatology, and HIV/AIDS treatment in children and adults. She is the current Minister of Health of Rwanda where she was born, and she has received an honorary PhD from Dartmouth......So, now do you see why I was absolutely terrified to meet with the woman?!?
I'm so glad Lindsay didn't tell me all of this from her Google search before our meeting! I probably would have fainted dead away--as it was I could hardly speak. Now, I don't want you to think she is foreboding or unpleasant. Not at all.....well, maybe just a little foreboding, but she was quite pleasant to us, and it seemed she was giving very serious consideration to the value of the Helping Babies Breathe program for her country. She obviously saw the potential for the program to effect real change because she gave us her endorsement and the go-ahead to proceed with training in the country. I hope I will get a chance to meet her again someday, and I hope next time I can be a little more at ease so we can actually have a two-sided conversation--one in which I am not tongue-tied and in a panic!
People in the U.S. are mildly impressed at this meeting; mainly, I think, because they didn't really think I had it in me to accomplish it (and in reality I didn't accomplish anything, I just showed up for the meeting that Claudia from Eos Visions arranged!) But in any case, several people at home have taken a new look at my work in Rwanda. At first I wanted to say, "Well, what did you think I was doing over there?!?" But I realize that while I talk about my trips a lot, I tend to downplay the importance of what is accomplished. This is
partly because I am having a hard time believing it myself, and partly because I get the sense that some people seem a little miffed at me. My husband says I'm too paranoid, but I think I'm pretty intuitive about these things, and this reaction often puzzles me. Anyone can do what I am doing if they're willing to spend the time and money. Okay, maybe not anyone, but anyone with some training in some kind of useful information, which, after all, is just about anyone! Sooooo, in an effort to calm my paranoia, I decided to share a bit more with people what I actually have been doing in Rwanda the past three + years.
The first sharing opportunity came at the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) Conference in September 2010. I submitted a poster presentation on the "adoption" of the NICU at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali by my unit at the University of Kansas Hospital. The title of the presentation was "From Kansas to Kigali: Sister Units."
This is Sara and I in front of the poster. Sara, Ali, Alice Cannon, and Jen (my former manager) were all co-authors of this poster because each had a role in making it happen!
Last month I had another opportunity to share, this time at a neonatal update in my own unit. I was given the opportunity to present on Rwanda for CEU credit. I decided to include a variety of experiences and to include a bit more personal information about my trips. I tend to shy away from divulging personal information where Rwanda is concerned, in part because it is deeply personal and tends to make me teary (which sometimes has the effect of making others uncomfortable), and in part because (I know many of you will find this hard to believe) I am actually a rather shy person. Seriously, when it comes to opening up to people about my feelings, I find it difficult--you know, exposing that soft little underbelly and all!
What I found through this experience, though, was that the validation I really wanted was the one I got from my peers and coworkers at this presentation. And the validation wasn't for me, but for Rwanda and for the impoverished, underprivileged and often forgotten people of the world.....my heart.
I have some other sharing opportunities coming up in the next few months...a couple with nursing students, possibly one at Grand Rounds, and at some community organizations. I have also submitted a couple of abstracts for presentation at next year's NANN conference. My goal is to increase awareness of the importance of looking at healthcare from an international perspective because now, more than at any other time in history, we are living in a global community and what effects the least of us will have an impact on most of us. We have to be aware, we have to care, and we have to act before it is too late. This is my purpose, my passion, my crusade.....
Sunday, October 30, 2011
A Little Down Time.....
Steve and I spent the weekend at the lake enjoying the boat for one last time before we have it winterized for the season. It's been nice having the boat and my parents' condo to get away to this year. Even though we both have time off work, it seems we always find something else to do instead of relax when we are home. This summer we were able to get away for a few days to enjoy just being lazy at the lake. I highly recommend it!
A couple of times we were able to take a few days off during the week as well and head to the lake when the crowds weren't so great. My favorite times have been in late summer and early fall when the summer crowds are gone due to school starting and people getting back into their usual routines. The lake is so calm at these times, and we enjoy taking a lunch and the dog and just spending the day on the lake.
Having worked the night shift for most of my career, I often have trouble sleeping......day or night! I found this year, though, that I can sleep quite well on our boat out in the middle of the lake! There's nothing quite so sleep inducing as the warm sun and an anchored boat that is rocking slightly in the breeze. Even the dog napped her days away on these occasions!
This weekend is our last on the boat for the year. We took it out one last time today--even though it was a little cool. I have to say that although I tend to be a "sun worshiper" at heart, I loved being out on the lake with a panoramic view of the fall colors. Here are a few of our pictures from the weekend that I'll share for you to enjoy, too. Tomorrow it's back to work, both at my staff nurse job and also at One Good Deed. Michael reminded me via email this weekend that we have a lot to do before the next delegation to Rwanda in March!
The cool weather produced the beautiful fog each morning! We had to be up early to enjoy it, though, because once the sun came up it burned off quickly. I'll leave you tonight with a picture of Bailey the boat dog.....she is the queen of the lake and LOVES her boat rides!
A couple of times we were able to take a few days off during the week as well and head to the lake when the crowds weren't so great. My favorite times have been in late summer and early fall when the summer crowds are gone due to school starting and people getting back into their usual routines. The lake is so calm at these times, and we enjoy taking a lunch and the dog and just spending the day on the lake.
Having worked the night shift for most of my career, I often have trouble sleeping......day or night! I found this year, though, that I can sleep quite well on our boat out in the middle of the lake! There's nothing quite so sleep inducing as the warm sun and an anchored boat that is rocking slightly in the breeze. Even the dog napped her days away on these occasions!
This weekend is our last on the boat for the year. We took it out one last time today--even though it was a little cool. I have to say that although I tend to be a "sun worshiper" at heart, I loved being out on the lake with a panoramic view of the fall colors. Here are a few of our pictures from the weekend that I'll share for you to enjoy, too. Tomorrow it's back to work, both at my staff nurse job and also at One Good Deed. Michael reminded me via email this weekend that we have a lot to do before the next delegation to Rwanda in March!
The cool weather produced the beautiful fog each morning! We had to be up early to enjoy it, though, because once the sun came up it burned off quickly. I'll leave you tonight with a picture of Bailey the boat dog.....she is the queen of the lake and LOVES her boat rides!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Some Folks I Know.......
It's time for me to introduce you to some of the people in my life who have been very instrumental in making my extraordinary dream a reality. I'm not sure really where to begin because I'm not sure where the true beginning is. I guess first would be with my own children, now adults themselves, who first got me involved in volunteerism through their own volunteering. They are, and always will be, my heroes.
Both of my kids had requirements in high school that started them on their paths to volunteerism. My son, Matt, continued his path in college where he worked as a volunteer fireman. During hurricane Katrina he went with the Rolla Rural Volunteer Fire Department to Louisiana where they helped with recovery and clean up. He pursued this path further by becoming a paramedic.
My daughter, Cait, was active throughout high school and college with Habitat for Humanity. She also traveled with People to People Student Ambassador Programs which sparked her interest in international activities. She has joined me on two trips to Rwanda and continues to remain actively involved in One Good Deed's activities.
My husband, Steve, has become my biggest supporter and champion. He has been to Rwanda with me and also shares my love for this country and the people. He's the one who has taken on the worrying over my rather impressive credit card balance so I can simply think about it!
Along with Michael is Cecile. I first met Cecile in 2008 on that first trip to Rwanda. She was an intern in Michael's company and our group was her first delegation. She has been my friend and supporter ever since. This young woman has a passion for her country and her people that is unmatched, and she has given me so much insight into Rwanda's past and she has so much hope for Rwanda's future. I was having a hard time choosing a photo of Cecile, in part because she is so beautiful it's hard to narrow down the great photos of her, but I decided this one of her with Rwanda's President Kigame was fitting.
There are so many more people I could share with you....and I will in good time, but these are the ones who have been key to making my dream a reality. Without them, there would be no One Good Deed and though I would still be an ordinary gal, I wouldn't be realizing my extraordinary dream!
Both of my kids had requirements in high school that started them on their paths to volunteerism. My son, Matt, continued his path in college where he worked as a volunteer fireman. During hurricane Katrina he went with the Rolla Rural Volunteer Fire Department to Louisiana where they helped with recovery and clean up. He pursued this path further by becoming a paramedic.
My daughter, Cait, was active throughout high school and college with Habitat for Humanity. She also traveled with People to People Student Ambassador Programs which sparked her interest in international activities. She has joined me on two trips to Rwanda and continues to remain actively involved in One Good Deed's activities.
My husband, Steve, has become my biggest supporter and champion. He has been to Rwanda with me and also shares my love for this country and the people. He's the one who has taken on the worrying over my rather impressive credit card balance so I can simply think about it!
Of course I have to include Michael. He, too, is my champion and also my mentor. He came to Rwanda for very different reasons than I, but we both share the same love for the people and the country. Without him, I would have no direction and would probably have given up long ago.
Hospitals and Clinics and Schools, Oh My!
July 2011 came quickly. Michael was, as I expected, very excited about the HBB program and its implications for Rwanda. As I've said before, Michael is my mentor but he lets me find my way. This is not to say that he leaves me to blunder along on my own until I finally hit on something worthwhile. He does provide some gentle guidance in the form of open-ended questions and in sharing his experience with other professionals' projects that he's been involved in. I value his advice because he did, after all, do a pretty comprehensive study of developing countries and their particular issues and of Rwanda in particular, so he is somewhat of an expert in this area.
It isn't often that I get really strong endorsements out of Michael. He's pretty non-invasive--more like a quiet listener who occasionally will say something like, "really? Perhaps we could look at trying to turn this into an opportunity...." After I told him about HBB I got an email almost immediately and the first sentence was "This is fantastic!!" I'm learning. It's interesting to me as I plod along on this course that I feel has been waiting for me for a long time, how gratified I am with small victories. You can imagine how I felt when I received a "fantastic" from my mentor and friend--the one I consider the expert in this field I am pursuing. His excitement confirmed what I suspected when I first heard about the HBB program, and now we were frantically putting together an itinerary for Rwanda that would be based on introducing this program to the places in the country that could be trained to implement it. Finally my path had led to sustainability!
Michael's next suggestion caught me off guard. He said it was now time for me to meet with the Minister of Health of Rwanda to let her know what I was doing in this country. Really? Couldn't I just continue to fly along under the radar, not drawing too much attention to myself but just making little differences in my little area of the country? I have a confession to make here. I am always a little uncomfortable when people tell me what a great thing I am doing and what wonderful work it is. Quite honestly, I feel like a pretender. Don't get me wrong, I am very dedicated and passionate about the work I do in Rwanda, but I tend to downplay it in my own mind because it doesn't seem like it should really count because I AM HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!!! I love what I am doing and I love this country and the people and I love feeling like I have something to offer them that will make their lives and the lives of their children better. I guess it is time for me to get over this idea of "what I did on my summer vacay" and realize that this really is vital work and I really have been studying this country and its people and its history and the needs I see are overwhelmingly huge, but I really do have information that I can share that just might make a difference in a big way. What we are trying to do here really is a big deal and it is important, and of course the Minister of Health would want to hear about it!
So.....in mid-July another colleague of mine, Lindsay, and I set off for Rwanda prepared to introduce the HBB program to some hospitals, clinics, and the Kigali Health Institute--oh yeah, and to Dr. Bingawaho, the Rwandan Minister of Health!
I wanted to introduce you to Lindsay with these photos first because they kind of sum up the Lindsay I have come to know on this trip. Lindsay is one of my co-workers and she is often someone that others overlook or dismiss as kooky, hyper, or silly. They are SOOOOOOO wrong! Well, she can be all of those things at times, but she is also warm, and fun and childlike. I do not mean "childish." Childlike to me is an amazing quality that most of us lost somewhere along the way. These photos of her are my favorites because they show Lindsay as I have come to see her....warm and loving and completely giving of herself. She loved the people of Rwanda, as I do, which of course totally endeared her to me all the more. She also immersed herself in the activity of the children. They accepted her and were drawn to her, in part, I'm sure due to her blonde hair, but also because I think they recognized her childlikeness--her ability to meet them at their level with an open heart and mind. She saw them. They were no longer the forgotten ones of Rwanda in her eyes.
I will forever love her for this.
Several months before we left on this trip, Lindsay had suffered a terrible hurt. She had been wounded deeply by an incident that is not mine to tell, so suffice it to say she was recovering (if we ever truly do) from a broken heart. I think I related to this piece of Lindsay because I, too, came on my first international nursing mission after a broken heart. I had left my job as a clinical educator, in part for the "tongue in cheek" way I described earlier in this blog, but also after what I perceived to be an enormous betrayal by people I had trusted and looked up to. Maybe that is how we come to really important places in our lives.....broken and hurting, so that we can truly understand the brokenness and hurt in others and touch it in a special way that comes only from having traveled a similar path.
Lindsay and I hit the ground running once in Rwanda. We were scheduled to visit three hospitals and the Kigali Health Institute, but that somehow turned into five hospitals, the Kigali Health Institute, the Minister of Health, a couple of childrens' homes, and an add on trip to the Akagera National Park for a day of fun. Because I was pretty new to this whole HBB thing myself, Lindsay kind of hung back and acted more as a helper where needed while we were introducing the program in Rwanda. Most of the pictures around this introduction are of me.....but she did occasionally step in and do some teaching of her own, which made me proud of her! It can be an intimidating thing to teach people who don't have a firm grasp on your language, but Lindsay was up for the challenge and she handled it with equal measures of grace and humor.
Here are some pictures of our efforts:
It was a lot to cover in the short time we were in Rwanda. Most days we came back to our hotel and had to force ourselves to stay up long enough to eat dinner before collapsing into bed for some much needed sleep. I was encouraged by the reception we got everywhere we went, though. This program touched a cord with the healthcare workers in Rwanda, and I think they see it as a means to help reduce infant mortality in their country. At last, we have found a way to implement something sustainable, replicable, and measurable in this country. Now the work really begins!
It isn't often that I get really strong endorsements out of Michael. He's pretty non-invasive--more like a quiet listener who occasionally will say something like, "really? Perhaps we could look at trying to turn this into an opportunity...." After I told him about HBB I got an email almost immediately and the first sentence was "This is fantastic!!" I'm learning. It's interesting to me as I plod along on this course that I feel has been waiting for me for a long time, how gratified I am with small victories. You can imagine how I felt when I received a "fantastic" from my mentor and friend--the one I consider the expert in this field I am pursuing. His excitement confirmed what I suspected when I first heard about the HBB program, and now we were frantically putting together an itinerary for Rwanda that would be based on introducing this program to the places in the country that could be trained to implement it. Finally my path had led to sustainability!
Michael's next suggestion caught me off guard. He said it was now time for me to meet with the Minister of Health of Rwanda to let her know what I was doing in this country. Really? Couldn't I just continue to fly along under the radar, not drawing too much attention to myself but just making little differences in my little area of the country? I have a confession to make here. I am always a little uncomfortable when people tell me what a great thing I am doing and what wonderful work it is. Quite honestly, I feel like a pretender. Don't get me wrong, I am very dedicated and passionate about the work I do in Rwanda, but I tend to downplay it in my own mind because it doesn't seem like it should really count because I AM HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!!! I love what I am doing and I love this country and the people and I love feeling like I have something to offer them that will make their lives and the lives of their children better. I guess it is time for me to get over this idea of "what I did on my summer vacay" and realize that this really is vital work and I really have been studying this country and its people and its history and the needs I see are overwhelmingly huge, but I really do have information that I can share that just might make a difference in a big way. What we are trying to do here really is a big deal and it is important, and of course the Minister of Health would want to hear about it!
So.....in mid-July another colleague of mine, Lindsay, and I set off for Rwanda prepared to introduce the HBB program to some hospitals, clinics, and the Kigali Health Institute--oh yeah, and to Dr. Bingawaho, the Rwandan Minister of Health!
I wanted to introduce you to Lindsay with these photos first because they kind of sum up the Lindsay I have come to know on this trip. Lindsay is one of my co-workers and she is often someone that others overlook or dismiss as kooky, hyper, or silly. They are SOOOOOOO wrong! Well, she can be all of those things at times, but she is also warm, and fun and childlike. I do not mean "childish." Childlike to me is an amazing quality that most of us lost somewhere along the way. These photos of her are my favorites because they show Lindsay as I have come to see her....warm and loving and completely giving of herself. She loved the people of Rwanda, as I do, which of course totally endeared her to me all the more. She also immersed herself in the activity of the children. They accepted her and were drawn to her, in part, I'm sure due to her blonde hair, but also because I think they recognized her childlikeness--her ability to meet them at their level with an open heart and mind. She saw them. They were no longer the forgotten ones of Rwanda in her eyes.
I will forever love her for this.
Several months before we left on this trip, Lindsay had suffered a terrible hurt. She had been wounded deeply by an incident that is not mine to tell, so suffice it to say she was recovering (if we ever truly do) from a broken heart. I think I related to this piece of Lindsay because I, too, came on my first international nursing mission after a broken heart. I had left my job as a clinical educator, in part for the "tongue in cheek" way I described earlier in this blog, but also after what I perceived to be an enormous betrayal by people I had trusted and looked up to. Maybe that is how we come to really important places in our lives.....broken and hurting, so that we can truly understand the brokenness and hurt in others and touch it in a special way that comes only from having traveled a similar path.
Lindsay and I hit the ground running once in Rwanda. We were scheduled to visit three hospitals and the Kigali Health Institute, but that somehow turned into five hospitals, the Kigali Health Institute, the Minister of Health, a couple of childrens' homes, and an add on trip to the Akagera National Park for a day of fun. Because I was pretty new to this whole HBB thing myself, Lindsay kind of hung back and acted more as a helper where needed while we were introducing the program in Rwanda. Most of the pictures around this introduction are of me.....but she did occasionally step in and do some teaching of her own, which made me proud of her! It can be an intimidating thing to teach people who don't have a firm grasp on your language, but Lindsay was up for the challenge and she handled it with equal measures of grace and humor.
Here are some pictures of our efforts:
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Coincidences (I think not!), Collaborations and Innovations
So.... July 2011 brings me to another trip to Rwanda. This time to do something a little different. But first, let me tell you about the pure genius in that suggestion given to me by my friends Karen and Sara. The advance practice forum in Washington D.C. had an add on session at the end that was a master trainer program for the "Helping Babies Breathe" program. This program is designed specifically for developing countries and it was open to people who work in them--all I had to do was apply for a spot. Sounded easy enough....if I was accepted. In the meantime, Someone was busy again leading me along the path of amazing coincidence (or not).
In February I went to the Pediatrix Neo Conference in Orlando. I had attended this conference a couple of years before and found it to be quite educational and interesting--also really great food because it was really geared to doctors and they don't settle for mediocre food like us nurses do! Anyway, I really went to this conference in February because one of the speakers was a neonatologist that I had worked for at my very first nursing job out of college (yes, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth!). Anyway, I was headed to Orlando to a conference I really couldn't afford given my already overextended credit card bill filled with trips to Rwanda.......I was going to see Dr. William Keenan speak--or so I thought!
I DID see Dr. Keenan, but Someone (I believe this, you think what you want) had sent me there so I could talk to him about Rwanda. I'm sure of this in my heart, laugh or roll your eyes if you must, but I believe! Anyway, I reintroduced myself to Dr. Keenan and told him about what I was up to in Rwanda. Coincidentally (or not), he just happens to be one of the authors of the Helping Babies Breathe program (HBB)! When he heard about my trips to Rwanda he told me I should check out the program. I said that actually I had just applied to the master trainer program that was going on in D.C. in June, and was just waiting to hear if I had been accepted or not. He wished me well and we parted ways.
The next week I received my acceptance to the program. This possibly was a coincidence--I don't see rainbows and butterflies in everything......but still, made me go "hmmmmm." So in June I was off to the HBB training program in D.C. Armed with my Neo Natalie kit (a basic simulator kit for teaching the program) and the flip chart training package, I found myself in my nation's capitol. The training was very intriguing. This program, I realized based on the homework I had been doing for the past three years in Rwanda, was sheer genius! Check out their website at http://www.helpingbabiesbreathe.org/. It's amazingly simple, but profoundly vital to the survival of infants in the developing world. I was terribly excited because I knew I had found my missing piece. I couldn't wait to tell Michael!
The program lasted two days, and I met some great people and made some new friends--bonus! Over the past three years I have come to expect weirdness in my life where Rwanda is concerned. By that I mean I have these "Twilight Zone" moments about Rwanda ALL THE TIME. It used to scare me a little--well, at least I thought it was creepy. Anyway, I had one of those moments at this training program. I was waiting for the registration for the program to start and a woman came up to me and asked if I knew where the registration was. My radar started dinging and I looked her over a bit as I talked to her. I told her I was taking the training as well and that registration wasn't opening for about an hour. She finally looked at me and said, "You look familiar." Here it comes.......insert Twilight Zone music.......She asked where I was from. I told her Kansas City and she shook her head. She was from St. Louis. More music. I used to live in St. Louis (in my previous Mrs. life--my hometown and current Mrs. life is in Kansas City). She asked where I worked in St. Louis. I was having a hard time concentrating at this point--the Twilight Zone music was blaring now. I told her I had worked in the NICU at Cardinal Glennon, but that it was a really long time ago. DING! She worked there, too......a long time ago. She asked my name, I told her and then corrected it to my former Mrs. name. Ding, ding, ding--we had a winner. We worked together in the same unit at the same time and we finally remembered each other from those other lives. She then asked what I was doing now and why I was taking this training class. No surprises now.....after all, Someone was whispering (NO, I am not psycho--this is just a figure of speech, you skeptics!) in my ear that this was who I really came to meet.....again.
Sue, it turns out, is also working in Rwanda and has lived there for two years. She and her husband are there with their church doing mission work. She is a nurse practitioner and works in a clinic assisting with deliveries and neonatal care. We went to have dinner together before our class started. Coincidence......only for the die hard non-believers that there is Someone out there who, maybe not directs our lives, but at least makes strong suggestions sometimes. I'm throwing in a couple of pictures from our class for your viewing pleasure:
I was formulating an idea and I couldn't wait to get home and discuss this with Michael.
In February I went to the Pediatrix Neo Conference in Orlando. I had attended this conference a couple of years before and found it to be quite educational and interesting--also really great food because it was really geared to doctors and they don't settle for mediocre food like us nurses do! Anyway, I really went to this conference in February because one of the speakers was a neonatologist that I had worked for at my very first nursing job out of college (yes, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth!). Anyway, I was headed to Orlando to a conference I really couldn't afford given my already overextended credit card bill filled with trips to Rwanda.......I was going to see Dr. William Keenan speak--or so I thought!
I DID see Dr. Keenan, but Someone (I believe this, you think what you want) had sent me there so I could talk to him about Rwanda. I'm sure of this in my heart, laugh or roll your eyes if you must, but I believe! Anyway, I reintroduced myself to Dr. Keenan and told him about what I was up to in Rwanda. Coincidentally (or not), he just happens to be one of the authors of the Helping Babies Breathe program (HBB)! When he heard about my trips to Rwanda he told me I should check out the program. I said that actually I had just applied to the master trainer program that was going on in D.C. in June, and was just waiting to hear if I had been accepted or not. He wished me well and we parted ways.
The next week I received my acceptance to the program. This possibly was a coincidence--I don't see rainbows and butterflies in everything......but still, made me go "hmmmmm." So in June I was off to the HBB training program in D.C. Armed with my Neo Natalie kit (a basic simulator kit for teaching the program) and the flip chart training package, I found myself in my nation's capitol. The training was very intriguing. This program, I realized based on the homework I had been doing for the past three years in Rwanda, was sheer genius! Check out their website at http://www.helpingbabiesbreathe.org/. It's amazingly simple, but profoundly vital to the survival of infants in the developing world. I was terribly excited because I knew I had found my missing piece. I couldn't wait to tell Michael!
The program lasted two days, and I met some great people and made some new friends--bonus! Over the past three years I have come to expect weirdness in my life where Rwanda is concerned. By that I mean I have these "Twilight Zone" moments about Rwanda ALL THE TIME. It used to scare me a little--well, at least I thought it was creepy. Anyway, I had one of those moments at this training program. I was waiting for the registration for the program to start and a woman came up to me and asked if I knew where the registration was. My radar started dinging and I looked her over a bit as I talked to her. I told her I was taking the training as well and that registration wasn't opening for about an hour. She finally looked at me and said, "You look familiar." Here it comes.......insert Twilight Zone music.......She asked where I was from. I told her Kansas City and she shook her head. She was from St. Louis. More music. I used to live in St. Louis (in my previous Mrs. life--my hometown and current Mrs. life is in Kansas City). She asked where I worked in St. Louis. I was having a hard time concentrating at this point--the Twilight Zone music was blaring now. I told her I had worked in the NICU at Cardinal Glennon, but that it was a really long time ago. DING! She worked there, too......a long time ago. She asked my name, I told her and then corrected it to my former Mrs. name. Ding, ding, ding--we had a winner. We worked together in the same unit at the same time and we finally remembered each other from those other lives. She then asked what I was doing now and why I was taking this training class. No surprises now.....after all, Someone was whispering (NO, I am not psycho--this is just a figure of speech, you skeptics!) in my ear that this was who I really came to meet.....again.
Sue, it turns out, is also working in Rwanda and has lived there for two years. She and her husband are there with their church doing mission work. She is a nurse practitioner and works in a clinic assisting with deliveries and neonatal care. We went to have dinner together before our class started. Coincidence......only for the die hard non-believers that there is Someone out there who, maybe not directs our lives, but at least makes strong suggestions sometimes. I'm throwing in a couple of pictures from our class for your viewing pleasure:
I was formulating an idea and I couldn't wait to get home and discuss this with Michael.
Turning an Extraordinary Dream into an Extraordinary Reality
It's been three and a half years since my first trip to Rwanda. I've been back four times since then and am in the process of planning another trip in March 2012. Along the way I've met some interesting people and made some wonderful friends. What started as a desire to make a difference has transformed into an actual plan for doing just that. I'm happy to say I haven't had any more malarial drug induced hallucinations since that first trip--in part because I don't take antimalarials anymore. I just pack the treatment for malaria and figure I'll take it if I get bit by a mosquito! It's been an exciting three and a half years.....Here are a few of the pictures from my first trip:
This is Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. See why I am so drawn to this beautiful place?!?
After my solo trip, my dream was taking shape. In July 2010 I returned again to teach the S.T.A.B.L.E. class, this time with two of my colleagues. We had the opportunity to gather more information as well which continued to shape this dream of mine.
On the July 2010 trip I continued to gather information as we visited hospitals and continued to teach S.T.A.B.L.E. I felt like I was getting closer to what I needed to be doing in this country, but there was still a sense of something missing. Throughout all of this time I had been in contact with Michael Grosspietsch. I met Michael on my first trip to Rwanda in 2008. He was in Rwanda working on his doctoral dissertation about how tourism can reduce poverty in developing countries. Michael started an educational travel company in Rwanda called Eos Visions. He arranges educational travel experiences in Rwanda and some of the other countries surrounding Rwanda that are aimed at bringing professionals from various disciplines to Rwanda to meet with Rwandans with the goal of creating sustainable, replicable projects. Michael has trained Rwandans to run the company, creating his own sustainable project.
Anyway, Michael has become my mentor, my supporter, my sounding board, and my friend, and together we are formulating my purpose. He never directs me, but has let me find my way because I think he knows that the discovery is an important part of the process. I think we learn best when we realize things on our own by getting down to the business of hard work and exploration. At least that's my philosophy.
After the trip in 2011 with Sara and Ali, I decided my role was to be that of an educator in this country. There was still a missing piece to this puzzle, though, that left me unsatisfied. I am happy to return to teach, but that is still not creating something sustainable for the Rwandans--it still leaves them dependent on me. My goal is basically to work myself out of a job here! So....I continue to search and Michael continues to listen and brainstorm with me.
Along the way I find that many well meaning people offer all kinds of advice. I'm not complaining--not at all because occasionally from that advice comes pure genius and incredible opportunity. You just have to take the time to sift through it all. That's something Michael is really good at and I'm afraid I probably take up way too much of his time running all of these ideas and suggestions by him, but as I said, occasionally.....genius!
Two of my nurse practioner friends gave me the same information within days of each other. When I hear the same thing more than once, I've learned to take notice because Someone might be trying to tell me something! Yes, that Someone is my version of God. I say my version because I don't consider myself a traditional religious person. I look at the concept of "God" as more of a presence or that small voice that keeps whispering until you finally listen. So, Someone was telling me to pay attention. Karen and Sara both gave me information on an advance practice forum that was taking place in Washington, D.C. in June 2011--right before my next planned trip to Rwanda......
This is Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. See why I am so drawn to this beautiful place?!?
A little over a year later, in May 2009, I returned to Rwanda with my husband and daughter. In the time between that first trip until now, I had been busy starting a 501(c)(3) corporation--a non-profit organization called One Good Deed. Check out our website: http://www.onegooddeedkc.org/.
On this second trip I was learning about the people, their environment, their history, and their needs. Basically I was doing my homework for furture projects in this country I had fallen in love with. Here are some pictures from that trip:
That fall, in October, I returned to Rwanda again. This time I went as teacher/trainer. After meeting with doctors and nurses from some of the hospitals and clinics on my last visit, I decided what I had to offer the Rwandan people was my experience in nursing. I returned to teach the S.T.A.B.L.E. program, a neonatal pre-transport stabilization program that has valuable, basic neonatal principles that can be applied anywhere--with a little modification, of course. Thanks to Kris Karlsen who wrote the program, I received permission to teach "the STA and leave out the BLE (pronounced bull by Kris!). Below are photos from that solo trip:
After my solo trip, my dream was taking shape. In July 2010 I returned again to teach the S.T.A.B.L.E. class, this time with two of my colleagues. We had the opportunity to gather more information as well which continued to shape this dream of mine.
On the July 2010 trip I continued to gather information as we visited hospitals and continued to teach S.T.A.B.L.E. I felt like I was getting closer to what I needed to be doing in this country, but there was still a sense of something missing. Throughout all of this time I had been in contact with Michael Grosspietsch. I met Michael on my first trip to Rwanda in 2008. He was in Rwanda working on his doctoral dissertation about how tourism can reduce poverty in developing countries. Michael started an educational travel company in Rwanda called Eos Visions. He arranges educational travel experiences in Rwanda and some of the other countries surrounding Rwanda that are aimed at bringing professionals from various disciplines to Rwanda to meet with Rwandans with the goal of creating sustainable, replicable projects. Michael has trained Rwandans to run the company, creating his own sustainable project.
Anyway, Michael has become my mentor, my supporter, my sounding board, and my friend, and together we are formulating my purpose. He never directs me, but has let me find my way because I think he knows that the discovery is an important part of the process. I think we learn best when we realize things on our own by getting down to the business of hard work and exploration. At least that's my philosophy.
After the trip in 2011 with Sara and Ali, I decided my role was to be that of an educator in this country. There was still a missing piece to this puzzle, though, that left me unsatisfied. I am happy to return to teach, but that is still not creating something sustainable for the Rwandans--it still leaves them dependent on me. My goal is basically to work myself out of a job here! So....I continue to search and Michael continues to listen and brainstorm with me.
Along the way I find that many well meaning people offer all kinds of advice. I'm not complaining--not at all because occasionally from that advice comes pure genius and incredible opportunity. You just have to take the time to sift through it all. That's something Michael is really good at and I'm afraid I probably take up way too much of his time running all of these ideas and suggestions by him, but as I said, occasionally.....genius!
Two of my nurse practioner friends gave me the same information within days of each other. When I hear the same thing more than once, I've learned to take notice because Someone might be trying to tell me something! Yes, that Someone is my version of God. I say my version because I don't consider myself a traditional religious person. I look at the concept of "God" as more of a presence or that small voice that keeps whispering until you finally listen. So, Someone was telling me to pay attention. Karen and Sara both gave me information on an advance practice forum that was taking place in Washington, D.C. in June 2011--right before my next planned trip to Rwanda......
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