Sue is coming home!

No, it's not an April Fools joke.  Our patient load is so low all over Freetown, we're starting to dismantle our ETC.  I think MSF Switzerland will continue to work with the survivors and do outreach/decontaminating homes, etc.  But there is so much capacity in ETCs now, they are less than 10% used at this point in time.
 
So I'm being sent home early along with 2 other nurses.  Most of the doctors are also leaving in the next week, leaving 2 nurses and 2 doctors to do the closing down.
 
I leave the hotel tomorrow night at 11 pm, spend the night at the airport (remember the "ferry" we had to take to get here, well the last boat to the airport is at midnight) and arrive after a few stops to Geneva at 5 pm, hotel by 6:30 and bed within minutes.  Debriefings will be Monday and dinner with my Congolese midwife buddy.  Fly westward Tuesday morning - Geneva to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to WA Dulles (for customs, immigration and CDC check) then onward to Seattle, arriving at 9:30 pm.  Very long few days to come, but then 21 days of hanging out, taking my temp twice a day - no isolation, no quarantine.  I'm up for visitors and visiting.  And food.  And sleep.  And walks.  And adult beverages.  And ....
 
Very happy and excited to be heading home, feeling like I personally and professionally accomplished what I set out to do.  And I think I contributed to the greater good of the Ebola effort and advancing nursing practice among the Sierra Leonean staff.  It's been hard work, but fun, too.
 
Thank you all for your support and encouragement.  I'm hoping to do a speaking gig in Olympia and if anyone knows of other venues, I'd love to speak about this experience and raise funds and awareness for One Nurse At A Time.
 
Much love,
Sue