Normal Day…What Does That Look Like?

October 5, 2013

Dear Ones,

  I am frequently asked the question, “What does a normal day look like for you?”  And my usual response is, “When I have one, I will let you know.”  Nothing about my world would be considered by most as “normal” whatever “normal” is supposed to look like  but in a way it has become normal for me, the unknown , the “Oh, wow, didn’t see that coming.” The shrug of the shoulders and the smiling face saying, “Ah , yes, this is China.”  Take today for example, in general it actually followed a pretty typical routine…

0030- IV Antibiotic infusion completed, Ayis given final instructions and I walk to my bedroom, wash face, pull on pajamas, phones (all three) placed on chargers, and I slip into bed.

0230- Phone rings, ayi needs me to check on baby with a fever

0245- Back in bed, baby simply needed a dose of Motrin.

0430- Time to change fluid syringe on IV pump.

0440- Slip back in bed for just “5 more minutes.”

0520- Alarm goes off, coffee pot is turned on, clothes pulled on, grab phones and head for the roof, question is always, “Will I make it through a work out and quiet time this morning without one ringing?”

0645- Almost made it…phone rings another fever, instructions given, back to morning routine. 

0710- Shower… better make it fast someone will call or there will be a knock on the door if you choose to linger.

0740- Pre- Round on my nurseries…

0800- Round with Doctor, new orders received, medications refilled, questions answered, instructions given, snuggles, tickles, loving…more of the same to follow all throughout the day!

0945- Attempt to do some computer charting, network is pretty slow today it will take a while….

1030- Meet other nurses in 4^th Floor kitchen for more coffee and breakfast, this is also the time when we touch base with one another in person rather than by the almost constant Viber and texting that we do the rest of the time, finding out what everyone is doing, how they are doing, and in general what is happening in our world.

1100- Call from an ayi to check on a baby, quick run down to the 1^st floor.

1110- Call from Linda saying that there are foreigners in the lobby who want to visit.  I go down to meet those who have come to see our Big House and have the opportunity to take them on a tour and share with them a little of what is happening in our Home.

1245- Stand on front porch waving goodbye having given instructions to their driver on where to find the local McDonald’s.  Back to trying to chart and reply to MD emails.

1315- Walk through nurseries to check on a couple little ones who are having some problems, that need tending to…along with hugs and snuggles of “helper” children.

1400- Chinese Teacher arrives in my office about the same time that my ayi tells me there is something wrong with the IV line and I get a text saying there will be two new babies admitted this afternoon.

1445- IV has been restarted, and I have a few minutes left in my Chinese lesson time slot, my teacher is incredibly understanding of the whole situation, this is not the first time and she has actually stood by to watch, she now corrects some of the grammar that she heard me use while working on the baby and she gives me some new vocabulary to help with the next time.  She then corrects my Chinese Character practice book and gives me homework for next lesson.

1545- New IV infusion up, text received, new babies have arrived and are on their way to 4^th Floor office for admission work up.

1800- New babies are settled in, one was transported to the hospital for further testing but is back now and we have finished all the admission paperwork, assessments, ID tags, and e-mails to our physicians.

1815- I have started a load of laundry, and pull on normal clothes as the Boss is in town and we are all going out to dinner.

2015- Arrive home, change into scrubs, and check on all my little ones for evening rounds.  Lean over cribs, hug necks, sing lullabies, say prayers, hand out coloring books to the little rascals who are refusing to sleep and are sitting on the floor with a box of crayons, trying their hardest to obey when the ayi says not to color on the floor- they are adorable!  As I walk through my last room I pick up the tiny fussy bundle from his ayi and carry him with me back to the office where I hold and bounce him as I once again sit at my desk working on charting.

2130- Move Clothes from washer to dryer…

0000- Remove clothes from dryer (yes, it actually does take 2.5 hours to dry a load of clothes in our dryers.)  Hang up IV antibiotic to infuse and sit down once again to rock my precious bundle of still fussing baby.  Saying a prayer of thankfulness for the grace of little ones who have done well, they are all still with me at the close of this day…I will hold and rock this one until he falls asleep or until the next call comes and after that midnight med is infused I will fall into bed once again.  Knowing my God will provide all the strength I need to face whatever He brings in the next 24 hours.

Grace for the Journey,

Mariah