Thought you all would enjoy this pic after I
came "out." Card from a cured patient - I want to make it into a
t-shirt!!! Scrubs are saturated with sweat although I have yet to experience
literally pouring half a bootful of sweat like one of the doctors.
Today our numbers dropped. No new admissions, a few discharges CURED! Happy dance. And several deaths. Our rate since opening Dec 10 is about 1:1, cured to died. Really quite remarkable but still so much more to be done.
I'm enjoying getting closer to the national staff, teaching at every opportunity, learning the ins and outs of the ETC, adjusting to the heat, drinking at least 2 gallons of water a day if not 3 ... and now in the nice hotel where my old body can sleep on a good mattress, cool down in AC, have a real shower at the end of a long day and sleep til the last minute. So far I'm scheduled for 8+ shifts in a row of 13 hours ... And then a night shift :(
Hardest thing to manage right now is my feet. Wow. Those damned rubber boots are necessarily loose so no support, worn the full 13 hours (except to change to go for lunch) and my feet and knees and legs ache til the next morning despite tylenol and ibuprofen. Another expat said it took her a month to stop hurting.
Team is generally really nice with a couple marginal personalities thrown in :) People always coming and going. Swiss, Mexican, German, Swedish, French, Italian and a couple Americans.
Today I went "in" in the morning, but must have washed my face a little too vigorously cut I had a teensy nick on my chin, so couldn't go in again. It will be healed tomorrow, and we usually go "in" three times for an hour each. I'm getting more comfortable in PPE, sweat trickling down even in places you never sweat. It's a bit of a struggle to get undies and scrubs back up after squatting over a pit latrine when they are soaking!
Today our numbers dropped. No new admissions, a few discharges CURED! Happy dance. And several deaths. Our rate since opening Dec 10 is about 1:1, cured to died. Really quite remarkable but still so much more to be done.
I'm enjoying getting closer to the national staff, teaching at every opportunity, learning the ins and outs of the ETC, adjusting to the heat, drinking at least 2 gallons of water a day if not 3 ... and now in the nice hotel where my old body can sleep on a good mattress, cool down in AC, have a real shower at the end of a long day and sleep til the last minute. So far I'm scheduled for 8+ shifts in a row of 13 hours ... And then a night shift :(
Hardest thing to manage right now is my feet. Wow. Those damned rubber boots are necessarily loose so no support, worn the full 13 hours (except to change to go for lunch) and my feet and knees and legs ache til the next morning despite tylenol and ibuprofen. Another expat said it took her a month to stop hurting.
Team is generally really nice with a couple marginal personalities thrown in :) People always coming and going. Swiss, Mexican, German, Swedish, French, Italian and a couple Americans.
Today I went "in" in the morning, but must have washed my face a little too vigorously cut I had a teensy nick on my chin, so couldn't go in again. It will be healed tomorrow, and we usually go "in" three times for an hour each. I'm getting more comfortable in PPE, sweat trickling down even in places you never sweat. It's a bit of a struggle to get undies and scrubs back up after squatting over a pit latrine when they are soaking!
Happy to be here. Doing my best. Yesterday I was accused of being an optimist by a sourpuss and with a laugh said YES!
Sending love to all and virtual hugs. Time for a long shower and bed.
Sue
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