Screening Day

 After arriving at the hotel in Amman at 1am, I got a quick deep night's sleep and was on the bus to the hospital at 7am.  This what most buses in Jordan look like, event he city buses. The bus drivers definitely have a flair for interior design, more on that later. :)

 The first day of the mission is the Screening Day where families from all over the region and some from surrounding countries bring their children to be evaluated for surgery. The selection process is based on a series of criteria from age, what the surgeons and anesthesiologists on the particular mission are trained to perform, whether the child is medically stable enough to undergo anesthesia/surgery, etc. When we drove into the parking lot of the hospital my heart dropped to my stomach and my heart swelled with a mix of emotions to see hundreds of parents and children who traveled from far and wide, sitting under a large tent in 95 degree heat waiting to be evaluated for surgery. It was incredible to know that we'd be able to help so many of them but terrible to think that some would be turned away for reasons that were beyond our control.

The hospital we worked out of.

Families waiting to be seen for surgery.

 

Beginning of the screening process. 

One of our youngest patients-Yousef, 3 months old

This little guy definitely wasn't camera shy.

 I was in the vital sign station taking kid's weight, height, temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation to determine whether they were stable enough to undergo surgery.  We had volunteers from Jordan and the Peace Corp to help interpret, all of the families spoke Arabic and very few knew English.  I'm terrible with language especially when I'm tired I start to combine words and say things backwards, I used my best charades skills that day and learned my first 4 Arabic phrases.
Salam=Hello
MushiMushki=Don't worry
MushiMushki Habab=Don't worry baby (don't worry, I only said this to the children) :)
Inshala-God Willing

Beautiful little girls, Shaema and her twin sister who came along to support. 

This little guy lit up the room from the moment his father carried him in, flying like he was superman. Check out his mini tunic, so cute I can't even take it! :) 

Little fashionista :)

Another supportive sister. These two were dressed in the prettiest little matching dresses. 

 In addition to being completely sleep deprived and in a foreign country on the other side of the planet, it was a complete shock to the senses to be immersed immediately into a new culture.  It was completely different than anything I've experienced before.  Among other cultural difference I'll get to in a later post, I was so intrigued by the variety of clothing on both the adults and children at the screening day.  I asked one of the volunteers about all of the children being so dressed up and she explained that the family's see the opportunity to have a free surgery as a great honor so they are wearing some of their nicest most presentable clothing.  Quite different than showing up for surgery in the US. :)

OR set up

Our first Jordanian Meal. Mensaf-fatty rice with pine nuts and herbs topped with boiled lamb in yogurt sauce. Best cafeteria food I've ever had!

Operation Smile Jordan poster

The play area set up by our childlife specialists. The kids had a blast, most of them were covered in smiley face stickers by the time they got their vital signs taken.

Approximately 145 babies, children and young adults showed up to be evaluated and 80 were scheduled for surgery.  Surgeries performed on our mission included cleft lip repairs, cleft palate repairs, lip/palate revisions, burn and scar revisions, repair of webbed fingers and toes, and removal of extra digits, and a few others.  It was great getting to know the team in the midst of this exciting day.  Off to a great start!

One of the volunteers who was a medical student from Amman so kindly offered to pick us up at our hotel and show us around downtown that night, we managed to muster the energy to make it out on our first adventure in Jordan.

An American in Paris....for 2 1/2 hours!

When I found out I had a 6 1/2 hour layover in Paris on the way to Jordan, I thought to myself "there is no way I'm staying at that airport!".  So i found a quick way to get into the city and spent a lovely afternoon roaming around.  It was a little tricky finding an outfit that would be romantic enough to frolic around Paris in but still be appropriate to arrive in the Amman airport. ;)
It was a really rainy day but mother nature was on my side and skies were clear from a few minute after I arrived in downtown until I got back to the airport, what a blessing!
I took the RER to the St. Michel stop and took a stroll through the twist and turns of the Latin Quarter.  I stumbled upon a few restaurants and cafes we went to on my first trip to Paris last winter and picked up my favorite, an almond croissant and cappuccino, at one of the cafes and took it over to enjoy the view down the River Seine.  I continued on to Notre Dame to take a few pictures before walking up the hill to the Luxembourg Gardens.  It was my first time visiting the gardens, they were absolutely stunning.  I took in the view and found a nice little tree to sit under and write in my journal.  It was a glorious and peaceful afternoon.  It fun and liberating to roam around so comfortably in this foreign city.  I was even asked out to lunch by a handsome man sitting nearby, I didn't have time to go since I had to get back to the airport but it was flattering nonetheless. :)

On my way into the gardens I had my new phone in my hand(that I'm still figuring out how to use) and accidentally took this picture.  In the process I discovered the setting that allows you to turn the lense around to take pictures of yourself, this provided for some amusement. :)

                                                         Hmmm.....where to next???

                                                             The little tree I sat under.

I was a little nervous about being an American woman flying into Amman by myself at 11pm at night.  Luckily I was seated next to a lovely nurse from Operation Smile, Shawna, on my connecting flight from Paris who had been on 2 other missions with the organization.  She filled me in on what to expect and we both felt better about starting off our adventure in the Middle East together.  All was smooth and easy once we landed, exchanged our US$ for Jordan Dinars, went through customs, and our suitcases were sitting at baggage claim.  Adam(our fearless mission coordinator) was just outside of security waiting for us with a big hug and got us a taxi to the hotel.  Ahhhh......we made it!

June 20th, 2012
Today a life long dream of mine is coming true.  I'm going on medical mission to Amman, Jordan with Operation Smile.  I will be serving as a nurse on a medical team made up of Plastic Surgeons, Dentists, Anesthesiologists, Pediatricians, Nurses, Social Workers and other volunteers from all over the world. Over 100 cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries will take place on children from all over Jordan in the next week.  I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity.  I can't wait to meet the families, little patients and experience the culture and history of Jordan.  
Assuming I have a good wifi connection, I'll be blogging throughout the mission.  Stay tuned! :)

From the Mouths of Babes-Sunday Morning at 6am

During the last hour of my 3rd overnight shift in a row I had a conversation with my very alert and awake 4 year old patient while we were reading a book about bread and jam. For privacy's sake we'll call her.....um.....hmm.....Sadie:

Sadie: Albert is a boy and Frances is a girl, they are brother and sister.
Me: Do you have brothers and sisters?
Sadie: I have a sister and a daddy who's a boy.
Me: Oh....
... Sadie: All Daddy's are boys ya know.
Me: yeah, they are.
Sadie: My daddy has hair on his face and no hair on his head.
Me: Oh ok...
Sadie: I think my daddy got confused about where the hair is suppose to go.

She proceeds to hop off my lap and run over to her bed in her footy PJs where I hear her rummaging around and whispering with her mother. She runs out from behind the curtain in striped underwear carrying a stripped pair of stretch pants in one hand with a matching shirt in the other yelling "look Miss Marisa, my panties match my outfit.....I always like for my panties to match my outfit.....do your panties match your outfit?"......(trying desperately not to burst into laughter, thinking.....distraction what can I say to distract...ack!) "Oh, Sadie, how about that big green apple you ordered for breakfast, it's coming soon", she responds " Oh I love apples I eat apples every morning, let's read bread and jam again". (phew!!!!)

Thank God for A.D.D. in toddlers and for moments like these that make working overnight not so bad! :)

This week......

.....WAS AWESOME!!!!! I have to write it all down, life moves so fast sometime esp. in NYC and I don't want to ever lose sight of the many blessings in my life.

So.....
Sunday-Mike's sisters wedding...on a boat. It was so awesome to share this experience with Mike, and she was a beautiful bride. Chatted with some really interesting people, his step uncle Denny, his Aunt Margaret and his mothers friends Judy and Bill stick out in my mind the most.

Monday-expressions meeting phili
chick-fil-a

Tues-Mezze Mystique audition
Twirling with Holly
Chezzam Gig at Russo's in Jamaica Queens

Wed- Mike was officially asked to sing God Bless America at the World Series Game
I was asked to go be a nurse and teach dance with Blind Project in Thailand.

Thursday-Allegra Auditon
Found out the I officially got the new show Mezze Mystique with director Tricia Brouk
Sound Check with Mike at Yankee Stadium
Toured the Yankees Clubhouse
Watch a fascinating episode of Oprah about Polygomy
Brazilian Butt Lift Workout Shoot Rehearsal(got a really cute Leandro Fitness Sportbra for free)

Friday-Worked on P9 from 7-1
-hung out with Mike(at Big Daddy's and had Cale as our waiter-good times)
-felt sick from the Milkshakes and took a nap

Sat.-Brazilian Butt class
-2 babyshowers for 2 stephanies thrown by 2 Kristens
-Some awesome girl time with Lisa Trader

Sunday-Photoshoot with Michael Abrams on a gorgeous day on the 72nd street pier and riverwalk.



Friday

I have a driver! ;)

...I groggily hopped in a cab to work this morning...drivers says "Good Morning, where to?".... "68th and York please...the hospital :)". A few moments pass as I get settled in a comfortable position where I can take a faux 10 minute nap, I look up to see the driver looking at me in his rearview mirror, "Ma'am is your cholesterol 130"....mildly creeped out and slightly intrigued I replied "um...yes". Driver "I drove you to work 3 weeks ago and you gave me advice on how to lower my cholesterol and said that yours used to be as high as mine until you changed your diet, I cut out all the foods you told me to cut out and I feel better already"...."Wow...that's great". 3 minutes of silence. Driver "Do you like chocolate?"..."Ahh...yeah"...said driver hands me an enourmous wrapped chocolate bar and says "my friend sent this to me from the Ukraine, open it and have some"...proceed to eat delicious chocolate. 2 more minutes of silence, Driver "I want to get into health care but hate blood and gore"...I gave him some advice. We pull up to my work, Driver "73rd and Columbus around 6:40am, I'm happy to be your driver...see you soon"....A perfect cab ride, only in NYC!!!

Back to Blogging!!!

SO it's been quite some time since my last entry. I'm sad to admit that I was detered from something I really enjoy by people who don't even know me. First there was a stalker who started writing to me after I posted the blog in a very distasteful manor and then I found out there was a girl who was ill-intentioned and snooping through my blog looking for information that was none of her business....both scenarios creeped me out and that combined with my busy schedule put a halt to the blogging.

So I'm back to working about 4 night shifts a month which is the perfect time for reflection on the stories of my adventures in pediatric nursing land and my passions as a dancer/performer and the antics that go along with that side of my life. I also love the inspiration that comes along with reading my friends blogs-Alison, Luke, Kate, Abby and then clicking on the links to their favorites, then their favorites, it goes on and on and I'm suddenly introduced to so many fun and interesting things about life and the lives of others!

SOOOO much has happened in the past year and a half, life has moved so fast at times, I've failed too many times to stop for a few minutes to tune into my own station that the static has been building and building around it. It's almost hard to find sometimes which is just not acceptable. I like me, and I've been losing touch with me. :(

So I've started making time for those little things that feed my soul and lighten my heart....like blogging, working the overnight shift at the hospital, calling my family more often, talking to God more often and getting quiet enough to listen, taking dance classes just because I love the style or the teacher regardless of if its going to enhance my audition skills, leaving notes on my boyfriend's pillow just because, picked up my mental sketch pad to work on new dancewear designs, getting in touch with old friends.....etc. etc.

So here are the highlights of the past year and a half:
~I've had a boyfriend named Michael for about a year and a half
~I've been working at Cornell-NY Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan for a year now as a per diem RN on the Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery Unit, Pediatric Floor and Neonatal ICU-It's the best hospital I've ever worked, I love the staff, the kids, and really enjoy going to work which most of you know has not always been the case in my nursing career!
~I performed in 2 musicals-Kiss Me Kate and 42nd Street
~I'm still working as a fit model for Capezio Dancewear
~I attending my first Broadway Opening and Tony Awards last year in support of Michael and his hit Bway show Rock of Ages. So fun! I was "dressed" for my first event ever by Niiamar-it was fun to feel like a princess :)
~Some great visits with great friends.
~Two of my best girls Jenny and Alison are back home and off the road! It's such a delight to be able to say "hey,you want to meet up down the street and have coffee at 2 today?"...ahhh the simple pleasure of life.
~I twirled at my first UCONN Alumni Game which was an awesome stroll down memory lane.
~I did my first infomercial for a product called Rev Abs by Beach Body.
~I did my first cover for a cookbook by Runner's World Magazine called the Athlete's Palate.
~ Amanda, one of my closest friends had a beautiful baby girl named Laura Mckenzie, my NYC girls threw our first baby shower-which was so fun and ridiculously girlie!
~My family is doing well!
~Mike moved to my neighborhood which has been so nice!
~Mike took me on an awesome sunset sailing boat ride around the island of Manhattan for my birthday!
~The girls gave me an wonderfully thoughtful bday gift and painted my new bedroom!
~I'm currently tackling the fear of the vocal audition-even taking an audition class-meaning I'm paying someone to let me sing in front of people which makes me want to cry-sounds insane because it is :#
~I spent last week in Italy-Rome, Orvietto, Pompeii, and Sorrentto! It was my first time to Europe and it was amazing. It was my first real adult vacation. We had a blast, I loved the history, the food, the culture, the food, the food, the shopping, it was a such a romantic city! (I will write a post on that later)
~and I'm sure there are other note worthy events but that's all my tired brain can come up with at this hour of the night!

It was an incredible year in so many ways!