Finally posting

So I’m sitting here, in a dark and quiet ward, working my last night shift for this stretch, I can’t help but be grateful.  I have been back for 2 months (where has time gone?!?!?!?!), and I only have 6 weeks left. L (Ok time needs to slow down I’m not going to want to leave)  It has been great being back.  I have been able to renew old friendships and have them grow even deeper and make new ones.  It feels like I came home.  But at the same time, I also feel like I am away from home.  I now feel like I have 3 home, home home, Costa Rica home, and Mercy Ships home.  I also can’t help but long for my 4^th home.  Home in heaven with Jesus.  I often sit and wonder what it will be like?  What will I be doing once I get there?  What are mommy and daddy doing?  One thing I do know, is that I will be in awe. 

My time here has been busy and wonderful.  I’ve had the privilege to work with 6 different specialties.  General, orthopedics, pediatric eyes, thyroids, plastics, and maxfax.  Each of these specialties are fun, exciting, and difficult in their own way.  But I do have to say, ped eyes and thyroids are probably my favorite.  I know, I know…I’m not supposed to have favorites.  But there are just something special about them.  And a bonus…this year I actually got to work with more of the ped eyes and see their eye’s start to start working again.  And there is just something about thyroid patients.  I have a feeling it has to do with the fact that, that basically these patients go into surgery with a lump/goiter and come back with nothing.  And we get to see the reveal.  Yep pretty sure that has a lot to do with it.  Plus those ladies and few men are just awesome. 

But the plastic patients are slowly starting to become favorites too.  It’s always amazing to see how they are shy and then slowly over time, they come out of their shells.  They are here for usually over 3 weeks, so we get to know them.  They get to know us and other patients quite well.  They start off shy not waiting to talk/be with people, and over the weeks, they have made fast friends with others.  Lately they have been staying up out in the hallway past midnight talking and laughing with each other.  It’s almost sad to see them being discharged from the hospital.  You get to know them and see them basically every day and then…boom…their wounds look good enough that they can be discharged.  Now that being said, they aren’t totally discharged, they still have outpatient appointments and therapy appointments.  They normally aren’t totally discharged for another couple of weeks. 

I know there is more that I should write, but to be perfectly honest, my brain isn’t totally working at the moment.  I blame it on it being my 4^th night working. 

Just a few pictures of some of the ortho and plastic patients that I've had/have the privilege of working with.