On My Birthday...

One night, not long ago, it was the-night-before-the-night-before my birthday. As in.... two nights before my birthday. Well, that's the night it was. And this is how I spent it. I mixed up some flour, cocoa, coffee, and a bunch of other stuff that's not nearly as interesting. Then I put it in the oven. After all that, I put some frosting and chocolate chips (which I bought in States and have been hoarding) and some coffee beans on top. In the end, it looked just like that picture on the right. The reason for this, is that the picture on the right is actually a picture of the results of my labor. Like... Tastie!

Now the reason that I spent the-night-before-the-night-before my birthday baking, is that I had a party planned for the DAY before my birthday. Parties are rather fun, and I take great delight in planning them. So mocha cupcakes and Coke were on the menu. I invited all the Filipino staff, and prepared for a large turnout.






  First though, I had to teach a room full of women about fetal development in another language, and do about 11 prenatals in Visayan while explaining the whole thing to my shadow in English. This requires quite a bit of vocal stamina, mental flexibility, and a good sense of humor. Thankfully, all were in stock. The invigorating anticipation of my party supplied all the essential elements.

My party started out slowly. As in, there were two girls and myself. However before long, and in very classic Filipino timing, my Hair-Accessories-Making-Party/Lesson was in full swing. I had a full range of ages, and a representation from both genders... who knew? So in a flurry of hot glue, scissors, and sparkles, all my dear, dear Filipino friends began creating their unique versions of beauty.

My heart just swelled with happiness as I watched so many friends enjoy themselves. We chattered in mixed languages, giggles and exclamations accenting the musical flow from time to time. I just fluttered around like a regular.... something winged and energetic.... and gave instruction and opinions everywhere. These people were BRILLIANT! Super creative and wonderful.

So obviously, after a party like that, I was totally bubbly and overwhelmed with happiness. I just couldn't get over how GOOOOOOD my life was, and I had no clue how my actual birthday could top the beautiful day I had. But guess what? Well, just wait for me to finish my story, ok?

So... Now I'll tell you about my birthday. Like the ACTUAL day I was born, except 27 years later. First I woke up. That's how I start most of my days around here. Then lots of girls who live in my house told me "Happy Birthday, Melissa!". "Thank You" I replied. I think that's a pretty boring response, but it's also pretty classic, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with it.

After that, I walked to class with one of my housemates. When I walked in, I was startled to hear a lot of voices that were simultaneously saying the same word. That word was, "Surprise!" Which is exactly what I felt. Because there, in the middle of the table, was a bunch of really yummy desserts, and some soda and stuff. So while we learned all about genetic screening, we stuffed our pretty faces with delights such as pound cake, Chai cookies, cookie dough dip, and donuts.

Following the party, I had swing shift. I have this super cool housemate named Nancy. She has the gift of sarcasm, but also, she is really cool in a lot of other ways. She knew I wanted to catch a birthday baby, so she let me take the patient that was  already admitted. But the really great thing, is that God rewarded her generosity, and we BOTH ended up catching a baby on my birthday. My baby was a girl, so I gave her this headband I made, which matched the scrub top I was wearing (which I also made). And wouldn't you know, but the partying wasn't even over at this point. Wanna know why?

Well the reason has to do with the fact that Nancy is not the only really cool girl I live with. I actually live with 9 really cool girls. So all of them baked me this cake, and brought dinner and a present and this cake to the clinic while I was on shift. They also blew bubbles at me, and threw balloons at me. That was pretty special, because I never before had a birthday party where people came and threw balloons at me. Plus also, the bubbles.

So in the end, My birthday kinda lasted for TWO full days. It might be a bit extravagant, but I guess you only turn 27 in the Philippines once, right? As the day was ending, Nancy and I got our picture taken together. Her baby boy wore a shnazzy bow tie that we'd designed. So it was kinda a fun photo shoot. Except for the one thing, which was that my baby kinda cried. But I guess you could probably deduce that from the picture.

The end.

On Continuity...

Continuity.

It's a word used to describe the type of care we give to some of our patients.Sometimes we adopt certain patients and really give them all their care. Some are because we need the experience, and some we adopt because they need us. We come in for every prenatal visit, and we spend weeks glued to our cell phones, just waiting to hear that they're in labor. And the last 8 days have been rather... well....

Crazy.
 
They told me I was when I took 4 continuity patients in the middle of September. But either I needed them, or they needed me. Maybe both.  And although their due dates spanned 19 days, they all gave birth within 8. I'll have to tell you the stories over the course of 2 posts, because it'll get rather long. First, let me tell you about Claire, the cute little girl in the picture above. 

 

Long.

That's how her labor was.... really, really long.  She had a good attitude, and we spent a lot of time walking, swaying, and sitting on an exercise ball. Finally, after 12 hours of hard work on both of our parts, she had to be transported. Her body was just not progressing as quickly as it needed to, and she was now outside of the normal time limits for giving birth. The hospital was now a better option for her, as they could handle out-of-normal births.




Sad. 

The feeling rushed over me as I prepared papers for transport. As I crawled into bed around 4 am, I prayed that God would watch over her and her baby.  I slept deeply, only to wake up to a text at 11am. "Maam, my panubigan is out na. I think paglabor ko".

Upset.

Because her bag of waters had already ruptured, she was on a 12 hour timeline to give birth at our clinic.  Since she hadn't texted me right away, we only had 6 of those hours left. For a first baby, that's pretty fast. I knew her chances of getting transported were pretty high. Just 8 hours after my last patient as transported, I was prepared to feel devastated. But the shift was busy. Crazy busy. And one of the babies was born with some of its organs in the umbilical cord. Like the one in the illustration here. My supervisor let the mother kiss the baby, then she and I jumped into the ambulance within seconds of the birth and rushed her to the hospital, praying for all we were worth. She hung on for 4 days and one surgery, but she's gone now, leaving her family with a gaping wound.
Determined.

Both of us were. I rushed back into the clinic and my patient was still there, dancing with her husband. Slow dancing. He turned on music for them. Tenderly, he swept the hair back off her forehead and kissed her gently, murmuring in her ear. I recall the day she came into prenatals and giggled as she smoothed out a paper on the bed next to where I was writing. Her marriage certificate. "This past July, ma'am." She was shy, but so happy. And I knew I just LOVED her!

Loving.


It was the feeling in the cubicle. Between her husband, the other midwives and I, the woman was well cared for.  The supervisor gave her more grace with the time than expected. Her husband held her, pushed with her, and encouraged her after every contraction. We told her she could, and then a look of confidence would come over her face, and she would try again. And as her baby was born, the whole room erupted in praise to God, congratulations, and cheering. The baby took a bit to start crying, and again, cheers as the first sweet cries were heard. The dad held his cell phone up to let the caller hear the baby.

Intense.

That's how  the whole shift was. Intensely happy, intensely sad, intensely fearful, intensely loving. It was intensely busy, intensely tiring. And all in all, it was intensely wonderful.

I Have Decided...

 In the absence of inspiration, I have decided to re-post something I wrote about three years ago.

I Have Decided

I have decided. I will not be dissuaded.
I have determined. I will not look back.
My path is set, my course, established.
...and yet, I know not what it is.

This I know.
God is good. His ways are good.
God knows the end from the beginning.
He has determined my course.

I know I'm walking a road of death.
But this death leads to life.
The death of me results in the life of Christ.

I know I'm choosing a life of pain.
Because I'm seeking the Healer,
Not the approval of man.

I know my path is that of rejection.
Because I've been accepted.
And they rejected Him.

I understand that I will be hated.
Because I am loved.
And I will love in return.

I know I've chosen to give up my dreams,
In order to fulfill my dream.
To know and be known of Him.

And yet, I've decided.
I've said "yes!"
My life is no longer my own.

I take you, Jesus, to be my King.
Whether in life or in death,
For richer or for poorer,
In sickness or in health,
For better...
Even when worse is the temporary result.
Because death will not part us.
It will be our wedding day.

 Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
   8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
   9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
   10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;