Ward updates!

Ward Updates
This past month has been tough in our Women’s Health ward. We have taken patients with only a 20% chance of success for fistula repair. Most surgeons would not even consider operating on these women, but one of our wonderful surgeons wanted to give them that chance anyways. The reason for the success rate being so low, is that there has been too much damage done during childbirth. One woman had her baby’s head stuck outside her vagina for seven days causing a lot of tissue death to the uterus and bladder. Another woman had a hole so big in her uterus that her uterus actually prolapsed through that hole. To get the best chance of success, the doctor takes some of the muscle of the thigh and brings it up to create more blood supply and support to the site of injury. 
The surgeon also takes a fat graft of the inner thigh to also add support. It was hard to see these young girls with so much damage done to their bodies. It was even more heart breaking when some of the surgeries weren’t successful, knowing that many of them have been isolated and shamed due to their condition, and they will have to go back to that situation after the ship. Some of the hardest moments are seeing their tears and disappointment as they realize they are not dry like their friends beside them. That their surgery was the one that didn’t work. While the others are celebrating their healing, they sit ashamed once again thinking they are the cause of their physical failing. I want them to know how special and precious they are. That what they have does not define who they are. That they are some of the strongest, most courageous people I have ever met. I always wish I could do so much more. It is an emotional roller coaster as you want to celebrate with those who are healed but cry with those whose surgery has failed.  Please pray for me during these times. It is easy to turn to God and say why? How can you just sit there and watch this happen? Why can’t you just heal or do something? What is the purpose in all this suffering?


New Years and Christmas
Through all the hard times however, there have also been many hope-filled, special ones. Christmas and New years was one of those times. Besides the great activities, traditions and food on the ship, there have also been amazing times on the ward. I got to spend Christmas with my patients, and what a special experience that was! Gifts were given to all of them. Each one received fabric, a small amount of money, snacks, supplies for knitting, and many other small little gifts. Crew members would come and visit and sing songs with pianos, bells, violins and flutes. The women would break out into random song and dance as they thanked the Lord for their gifts and for sending Jesus to the earth for all to be saved. They had such thankful and joyful hearts even in the midst of their suffering. It reminds me of how I can choose to have joy no matter where I find myself in life. New years was also a very special time. After having a dance party with people on the ship, I couldn’t wait to head down to the ward to say hello to the ladies. I thought most of them would be asleep, but all of them were awake in the halls and ward. The amount of joy and love that was given to me when I got down there was very special. We ended up having another dance party on the wards to celebrate the New Year. One lady said this was a new start for her. For so long she has been isolating herself and was sad, but now she will go home and celebrate and be sad no more because God has given her a new hope through her healing! Another one said that no one would recognize her when she got home, because not only was she healed physically but she has also been given the joy of the Lord, and it has transformed her outer appearance. These ladies have such a special place in my heart, so it was amazing to start off the New Year with them and be reminded of how blessed I have been in 2017.




Looking forward…

Unfortunately due to many circumstances, our program for fixing fistulas for women after traumatic births is taking a short break. It will resume in March, and in the mean time please pray that those barriers for women coming to our ship be removed. In order to optimize the operating room, we started doing general surgery. This means many discharges and admissions as the patients need less time in the hospital. This past week we have been doing 6-7 surgeries a day!! The surgeries we will see on my ward for the next few months will be thyroidectomies, hernia repairs, and lipomas (tumor looking fat accumulations). These are some pictures of the types of patients we will see on the ward.
Lipomas

Hernias
Enlarged thyroid




Thanks for reading!! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Years with your families.

Stephanie



*This blog does not necessarily reflect or represent the official opinions or ideas of the Mercy Ships Organization.
*All photos by the Mercy Ships Communications team except for the hernia and lipoma photos.







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