Transport Nurses RULE the Night.....

Hi All-

We are sitting here in our apartment in Kampala, listening to the Stork birds chatter away, having coffee and juice. Africa is so amazing it's hard to really put it in to words, so we won't try!

We arrived late Sunday after probably the worst international flight I've ever had. Let's just put it this way, the Steward fell in the aisle trying to make it back to his jump seat. Krista, who doesn't like to fly anyway almost broke the armrest with her death grip, Neha stealthily grabbed her barf bag from the back of the seat and I later found out Jen Schuette was silently chanting "planes don't just fall out of the sky...planes just don't fall out of the sky..". I did hear from behind us someone asking me if they wanted me to dart Krista with a tranquilizer gun...it's all funny now...ha ha ha...but what a rollercoaster ride!

But, we made it to Entebbe late Sunday, sweaty, but safe and sound. We loaded up our bus and van and headed to Kampala where we unloaded into our respective guest houses and passed out. All of which you've heard about from our fellow bloggers.

Monday we unpacked everything and set-up the OR (Theatre) and the ICU. A huge Thanks to everyone who has helped us out with supplies, toys, thoughts and prayers. Despite what you may think, your efforts go a long way here, so THANK YOU! Katie, the T-shirts were a hit, although the Ugandans were wondering why we didn't print an Obama logo too!

We did our first case, a PDA, by about 2:30p - 3p and she came out of the OR around 5:30p. We pulled a 24hr shift and worked nights Monday. We were so delirious Tuesday morning we don't even remember being brought home, eating breakfast...or the case of beer we drank (just kidding) . By the time we reached our 34th hour of night shift and we were waiting for Jen Schuette (our o/n attending) to wake, we had completely lost it and were quoting Monty Python and laughing at, pretty much, anything. "Oh your socks are SO DIRTY...ha ha ha" (you get the picture). Meanwhile, Jen gets up from the call room, and enters the ICU to our craziness. The poor thing sat there, also sleep deprived, and not to mention, had just woken up, thinking she just walked into the nursing loony bin (and i'm sure she was regretting leaving us in charge of the ICU o/n). And she, well practiced in the art of exhaustion, wondering why we couldn't be as lucid as she was...(sorry Jen!) But we digress....The PDA was extubated in the OR and did great o/n, she is walking around and looks awesome, probably to the step down tomorrow!

Today we did an ASD and a VSD, so tonight we have 3 in the ICU. The ASD, unfortunately had terrible pericarditis (cultures are still out), and they closed chest and brought him out to the ICU. So, Abx for him, and perhaps surgery at a later date.

3 yo Emmanuel, the VSD was extubated in the unit and flew through the night, we had him dancing in bed, and I'm sure the great (*cough*) day shift nurses will have him OOB and tuned up by the time we get back there in a few hours. Oh, it's ON, day shift vs. night shift.....bring it!!

We don't want to see any Foley's in place. Chest PT for everyone.

Oh, one other thing..attempting to put together the pressure line's for Duane's cases at 3am...not a good idea, and the source of much more innane laughing. Heparin...what? 500U, ( oh we're not in the US we can write our own orders and use "Do not Use abbreviations") in how many mL's?? Even that seemed impossible. We bow to the doctors...Kings and Queen's of exhaustion.

We Are..

The Night Nurses (Lynda & Tammy)
WE ROCK!!!
(I'm not dead yet)