There's Something About Maryland

Today marks exactly one month before my departure from Cameroon! Last week I would have told you it won't be bittersweet at all, but after being transferred I might actually miss this a little! My new job in the nursing department keeps me a lot more busy! I almost wish they would have transferred me sooner. Funny to think a week and a half ago I thought I wouldn't have anything to do here. Now it seems like this last month I will do more medically related stuff than I ever did before! Since last Thursday I've observed 5 ultrasounds, one of which was a Doppler (during slow hours in the nursing department), started 4 IV's, and mixed and dispensed countless other meds via IV ports (gave one girl her meds as she was in the process of vomiting. Right before my lunch break. That was interesting). I've cut myself on glass ampoules of injectable vitamin B, almost stabbed myself and at least one of my colleagues with syringes (fortunately they weren't contaminated yet), but never let it be said that I'm not learning and improving every day! I was even THIS close to seeing a delivery, but the patient gave birth so quickly that I missed it. I feel like my day is coming though!

Last weekend I got to go see a chief's coronation. The husband of the lady who does echography here was "elected" so there was a big ceremony. It was pretty similar to most other ceremonies I've been to. Loud music during all but the most important parts, beer company advertisements everywhere, a micromanaging and MC who clearly loved the sound of his own voice, late start due to waiting for the most important attendee (some big wig "District Officer" or something), and a big lunch afterwards. Luckily for me I showed up 2 hours late which ended up being right on time! I beat the DO by only 20 or 30 minutes which couldn't have worked out better! The ceremony itself wasn't terribly interesting in actuality, but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I can say I've experienced it! Plus, Mme. Suzanne has been really nice to me while I've been here so I was glad to be able to go out and support the family! I was the only white person there, and they put me in the front row, sent me through the food line basically first, so I felt like a real VIP.

Yesterday after work one of the nurses actually thanked me for my help throughout the day and told me what a big help I was. I cannot tell you how big of an impact this made on me. This is the first time anyone has thanked me since I've gotten here. Not only that, but she told me I was helpful. That made up for at least 3 of the last 6 months of thanklessly slogging through patient paperwork. I didn't come here for recognition, but everyone can use a little affirmation every now and again. It's just nice to know that I was even able to make a difference one day, and being able to contribute to the hospital's productivity is the only thing I ever wanted here. I didn't come here expecting to be saving lives, that would be naive, but I wanted to at least have some tangible effect on patient's recovery, which I now get to do theoretically for the next 4 weeks until I leave.

 I'm not yet sold on switching my major to nursing or anything. It's a lot of education to go through to spend all day on your feet, cleaning up all kinds of bodily excretions, and trying to show the patients that you care (even when you don't sometimes!). I've definitely come to respect the sheer amount of work that nurses have to do each day. Paperwork, constant complaints/inquiries/general monkeybusiness from patients (who think they know more about their treatment than trained medical professionals) and visitors (who never observe the posted visiting hours and also feel obligated to give their medical opinion on their loved one's condition). Not to mention admitting patients, getting medications dispensed, communicating well with the doctor, etc! They're definitely stretched thin during their shift! In my personal experience, the only ones I ever hear talking about "how busy nurses are" is nurses (and boy do they beat the horse to death sometimes). I always kind of just dismissed it as a biased opinion. I mean what vocation goes around bragging that they don't work very hard? Besides maybe day-traders, golfers, food critics, professional poker players...    but I digress. Basically everyone says they work hard. Now my opinion has changed though: Nurses have earned the right to say the work hard (as if they were waiting for permission). I get done with the day and I just really want to sit down on good days, and take a nap on hectic ones. Combined with working out 3-4 nights a week and an overactive mind at bedtime and I'm practically a zombie as I write this now! Take away for me? Go easy on nurses in the future. I'm not gonna go around saying all nurses are underpaid and overworked, but at the very least they're often underappreciated! I hope that no matter where I end up, whether it's a career in healthcare or otherwise, that I remember my time working in the nursing department here and how it kicked my butt.

Every once in a while I'll meet a person here who has a friend or relative in the States. Without fail, whenever I ask where the person's living the answer is always the same: Maryland. Actually for the past two months every time someone mentions an acquaintance in the States, I just ask how they like living in Baltimore. I even tried asking one person if their friend was an Ravens fan, but the response was a blank stare. I'm not sure why every Cameroonian picks Maryland. Doesn't seem like there's anything special about it, and besides, isn't it a little on the cold side? Maybe they don't really get a choice where to go in the States...   I'm not sure! Personally I've never been to Maryland, but it's an interesting mental exercise to mix two completely separate "compartments" in my mind that have never touched before. I see a typical American city with an honest-to-goodness infrastructure, but also with a bunch of roadside stands, open air butcher shops, and very questionable automotive repair shops, with gutted cars stacked 3 high as far as one can see (as some sort of testament to their success rate... or lack of success). Baltimore is on my list of cities to visit someday: I'll have to get there eventually if I want to see a baseball game in every Major League ballpark, but my mental construction based on what I know of Cameroon and the U.S. separately has to be a little off the mark. I kinda was starting to wonder if anyone lives in Baltimore besides Cameroonians! Although the cuisine here is really the antithesis of vegetarian-friendly, if I ever miss Cameroonian food at least I know where to go.

TL;DR I went from no job last Wednesday to working the morning shift in the nursing department. Changes are hard, especially when  you don't know what to expect, but the winds of change blew in my favor this time. It's definitely an interesting job, and I enjoy it, but it sure is a lot of work! After 6 months of sitting around most of the day a little bit of work is probably good for me though. I'll be leaving for home in a month! It has gone by pretty quick. I got to see a chief's inauguration last weekend. It was typical Cameroonian fanfare, complete with a late start, but I was a step ahead and came 2 hours late on purpose! They put me under a canopy reserved for fairly important guests near the front of the "stage" area. I'm glad I went to support my colleague's husband, and to say that I've been, but the actual coronation ceremony wasn't exactly a Vegas show. There really is something about Maryland. It draws Cameroonians like moths to a lightbulb. I guess the 49 other lightbulbs to choose from are either too dim or don't have enough other moths flying around them to attract anybody. Kind of a strange phenomenon, but it's given me some interesting material to churn when I'm sitting around.

Where the pawns sat.

Good view from my seat

Big wig shows up. Immediately afterwards the national anthem was sung in about 6 different keys and tempos simultaneously

The new chief on his throne.