As I went to bed last night anticipating going to the colonies, I prayed fervently that my hands could be his hands. I know that Christ suffered for these people. He knows their pain. He knows what they need. I prayed for the strength and compassion to provide that. I had no idea what to expect. Other than changing Annie's "tubie" dressing when she had leukemia, I have had zero experience with wound care other than a bandaid and a kiss. That wouldn't be enough, and I felt woefully inadequate. But the other thing I am acquainted with is the enabling power of the atonement. I knew if I asked for his help, it would be provided, and my capacity to serve would be increased. All I knew is that I wanted to treat these people with dignity and compassion. I wanted them to feel loved, seen, and touchable from the inside out.
The colony we visited was called Bethel Nagar. At most, there would be 35. I didn't count, but I'll bet we only saw between 15 and 20. We arrived and set up in the little town hall. It was exceptionally hot and humid today. We unloaded the medical van which included tables, chairs, stools, bandages, washing tubs, scissors, blood pressure cuff, supplies to test blood sugars, eye drops, medication, medical records, gloves, masks, antiseptic and metal urns to hold clean water. I don't think I left anything out. Bear with me as I share this whole process. There's a lot of information. Annie greeted the patients, took their blood pressure, and tested blood sugar if needed, then sent them for a consult with the doctor. He then sent them to me for bandage removal and washing. We were all double gloved and masked, and would change the top layer after each process. They would first place their foot in a u-shaped device to prop up their foot. Then I would cut the top layer of the bandage near the knot, immediately cleaning the scissors with alcohol before unraveling the bandage. I helped them to the next chair and removed the top layer of gloves. I prepared for the washing by first putting some sterile cloths for cleaning in my lap along with a blue surgical room bootie to put on their foot/feet once everything was cleaned. Next, I filled the washing tub with enough water from the metal urn to cover the affected areas, and added a capful or two of antiseptic depending on how much water was needed. They would soak for two to three minutes. I noticed a lot of caked on mud, most likely from the rain storms, so some needed more time than others. I would trickle the water and massage their shins and calves while they soaked. Then I would lift their for from the water, and scrub as much as I could by hand, and then clean more deeply into the wounds with one cloth, dry their foot with the other cloth, put on the bootie, and send them to the next station -- oiling. To prepare for the next patient, I walked with the tub of used water about thirty yards to a field, and emptied the tub. Before I returned to my station, there was a tub of clean water with a cup in it for rinsing, and another tub of antiseptic water for sterilizing. And my process would begin again. Midway through our visit, Annie came to do bandage removal. She was a trooper!
Perry was in charge of oiling. She would apply oil to her gloves, and massage any area with whole skin. Some of them would need their toenails clipped. Those who had toes only had a few at most. Their tendons have pulled back, and so the remaining toes are shortened and often kind of piled one on top of the other. Clipping the toenails was a difficult task, but Perry was awesome. She is 17 years old and is here with her friend Rebekah, who is 15, and Bekah's brother Blair who is 18. I am so impressed with these kids. Remarkable. After Perry was finished, she sent them to wound care where the dead skin was cut away, cleaned even more, and then re-bandaged. Heather, a volunteer who is a physical therapist for older patients in Hawaii has put together a series of exercises to help them with circulation and flexibility. Today was her first shot at trying it. She did great! I really think it will be a wonderful addition to increasing wellness if they will do it. As you can imagine, self care isn't high on their list of priorities. They weren't to be touched by anyone -- no one else cared, why should I? But Rising Star is trying to help change that. Hopefully they will take it in. The final station was eyedrops and medication. Quite a process.
So there you have all the nuts and bolts. Now for some of the connecting. There was one woman who was in quite a bit of pain. There was a language barrier, but I found you don't need words. Eye contact and a smile speaks volumes as does a touch or a helping hand to a chair. Many patients had no toes, which makes it tough to balance
The colony we visited was called Bethel Nagar. At most, there would be 35. I didn't count, but I'll bet we only saw between 15 and 20. We arrived and set up in the little town hall. It was exceptionally hot and humid today. We unloaded the medical van which included tables, chairs, stools, bandages, washing tubs, scissors, blood pressure cuff, supplies to test blood sugars, eye drops, medication, medical records, gloves, masks, antiseptic and metal urns to hold clean water. I don't think I left anything out. Bear with me as I share this whole process. There's a lot of information. Annie greeted the patients, took their blood pressure, and tested blood sugar if needed, then sent them for a consult with the doctor. He then sent them to me for bandage removal and washing. We were all double gloved and masked, and would change the top layer after each process. They would first place their foot in a u-shaped device to prop up their foot. Then I would cut the top layer of the bandage near the knot, immediately cleaning the scissors with alcohol before unraveling the bandage. I helped them to the next chair and removed the top layer of gloves. I prepared for the washing by first putting some sterile cloths for cleaning in my lap along with a blue surgical room bootie to put on their foot/feet once everything was cleaned. Next, I filled the washing tub with enough water from the metal urn to cover the affected areas, and added a capful or two of antiseptic depending on how much water was needed. They would soak for two to three minutes. I noticed a lot of caked on mud, most likely from the rain storms, so some needed more time than others. I would trickle the water and massage their shins and calves while they soaked. Then I would lift their for from the water, and scrub as much as I could by hand, and then clean more deeply into the wounds with one cloth, dry their foot with the other cloth, put on the bootie, and send them to the next station -- oiling. To prepare for the next patient, I walked with the tub of used water about thirty yards to a field, and emptied the tub. Before I returned to my station, there was a tub of clean water with a cup in it for rinsing, and another tub of antiseptic water for sterilizing. And my process would begin again. Midway through our visit, Annie came to do bandage removal. She was a trooper!
Perry was in charge of oiling. She would apply oil to her gloves, and massage any area with whole skin. Some of them would need their toenails clipped. Those who had toes only had a few at most. Their tendons have pulled back, and so the remaining toes are shortened and often kind of piled one on top of the other. Clipping the toenails was a difficult task, but Perry was awesome. She is 17 years old and is here with her friend Rebekah, who is 15, and Bekah's brother Blair who is 18. I am so impressed with these kids. Remarkable. After Perry was finished, she sent them to wound care where the dead skin was cut away, cleaned even more, and then re-bandaged. Heather, a volunteer who is a physical therapist for older patients in Hawaii has put together a series of exercises to help them with circulation and flexibility. Today was her first shot at trying it. She did great! I really think it will be a wonderful addition to increasing wellness if they will do it. As you can imagine, self care isn't high on their list of priorities. They weren't to be touched by anyone -- no one else cared, why should I? But Rising Star is trying to help change that. Hopefully they will take it in. The final station was eyedrops and medication. Quite a process.
So there you have all the nuts and bolts. Now for some of the connecting. There was one woman who was in quite a bit of pain. There was a language barrier, but I found you don't need words. Eye contact and a smile speaks volumes as does a touch or a helping hand to a chair. Many patients had no toes, which makes it tough to balance
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