It's a famous Luke Myhre line: "I don't do jet lag."
On the Africa to America leg, we simply jumped into life and it worked. It's a long day (extra 7 to 8 hours) going that way, and for me that is easier.
On the America to Africa leg of the journey, the jet lag issue is usually a little more intense. We left the US Saturday afternoon, travled 20 hours snatching a little nod of sleep on the airplanes, and landed in Nairobi Sunday night, home to Kijabe about midnight. Slept 1 am to 7 am and then it was back to reality.
Today 8 new Medical Officer interns started DAY ONE of their internship, so Scott and I had to be at their orientation at 8 am. And I also had a new visiting doctor to help orient, rounds to do, clinic, patients. We lost my phone's SIM card in the move, so Scott was scrambling to replace it, and at one bizarre moment today I was wheeling an infant I had just intubated for respiratory failure through the halls on the way to the ICU breathing for her with a bag, and trailing an oxygen cylinder and two nurses, as he passed me to pick up the nonfunctional phone, and he said "I guess you hit the ground running". Amen.
Hospital 8 to 5:15, Junior Class sponsor party 5:30 to 7, Kijabe Hospital greet-new-people dessert night 7-8 . . .
I know that busy-ness can be a strategy to numb grief. And that's supposed to be a bad thing. But for the moment I can just say it worked, I walked through this day without bursting into tears, and while being numb is not a great way to live, for now it's all we can do.
On the Africa to America leg, we simply jumped into life and it worked. It's a long day (extra 7 to 8 hours) going that way, and for me that is easier.
On the America to Africa leg of the journey, the jet lag issue is usually a little more intense. We left the US Saturday afternoon, travled 20 hours snatching a little nod of sleep on the airplanes, and landed in Nairobi Sunday night, home to Kijabe about midnight. Slept 1 am to 7 am and then it was back to reality.
Today 8 new Medical Officer interns started DAY ONE of their internship, so Scott and I had to be at their orientation at 8 am. And I also had a new visiting doctor to help orient, rounds to do, clinic, patients. We lost my phone's SIM card in the move, so Scott was scrambling to replace it, and at one bizarre moment today I was wheeling an infant I had just intubated for respiratory failure through the halls on the way to the ICU breathing for her with a bag, and trailing an oxygen cylinder and two nurses, as he passed me to pick up the nonfunctional phone, and he said "I guess you hit the ground running". Amen.
Hospital 8 to 5:15, Junior Class sponsor party 5:30 to 7, Kijabe Hospital greet-new-people dessert night 7-8 . . .
I know that busy-ness can be a strategy to numb grief. And that's supposed to be a bad thing. But for the moment I can just say it worked, I walked through this day without bursting into tears, and while being numb is not a great way to live, for now it's all we can do.
3 comments:
2 Corinthians 3:6
New International Version (NIV)
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
I wondered, when I saw those photos of goodbyes and teared up myself, if there was just that much more pain for you. I will continue to pray for you and yours... I know you don't know me, but please accept my sincere love and care for you. Praying for rest.
you all and me both, friends. you're bagging babies struggling to live, I'm ordering jelly beans in bulk and making phone calls about ranunculuses...somehow different but functionally accomplishing the same secondary emotional purpose...numb-ness.
I'm thankful God invented anesthesia for surgery. Can't a degree of numbness/busyness be a good thing for a season? Not sure if my psychologists friends would agree, but works for me too.
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