Last night shift...feels like we JUST started!

It's my last night shift in the ICU and 2nd to last shift at King Faisal Hospital and I FINALLY have a chance to sit and reflect on this amazing journey...so here goes:  We land at the airport last Saturday after what feels like a million hour flight and I really have no idea what to expect.  The air smells good...earthy.  We load into a van like a clown car and head to our hotel.  The next day we wake up to a beautiful rolling hill view with people everywhere.  We experience the Union Trade Center (UTC) and exchange money, meet craftspeople at the co-op and meet Jean Paul (former patient and all together amazing person).  Monday we open the ICU with our fearless leader Ms. Consiglia Fail and lets just say we hit the ground running.  I admit the first patient from the OR with the constant help of Connie and Kristen and the more than helpful Bonnie (pharmacist from BWH).  His name is Jean de Dieu and he is a fiesty 14 year old (did I mention my youngest heart patient I've taken care of?)  Day 2...the patients are sick, the resources are not what I am used to and I have to find a different way to approach the care of the critically ill...to say that I have relied on creativity is an understatement.  To be completely honest I felt overwhelmed and wanted nothing more than to be home...until day 3.  Something changed and I thought to myself "Now I know why people come back here"...it's pure magic and almost impossible to explain.  The people of Rwanda are amazing and our patient's are resilient fighters who bounce back from the most complex of procedures.  Day by day we recover patients and each day they progress until they move to the step down unit (SDU).  The teamwork is unreal from the OR to the ICU to the SDU...we are all there for the same purpose...to help someone who would not survive without intervention.  The care our patient's get is phenomenal and the Rwandan nurses in the ICU are a dream come true.  They have stepped up and want to learn.  Their leader (also named Connie) has been such an asset and colleague...my heart swells...such love and camaraderie.  We've melded together as a team...Team Heart 2012.  Tomorrow (or today for some of us) we operate on #15 and #16...our final two patients and I cannot believe how fast this has gone by.  I am blessed to have had the privilege of working with such amazing people and meeting some of the finest people Rwanda has to offer.  May our patients be blessed throughout the rest of their recovery and may we all remember the beautiful lessons we have learned from them.