So where did you
spend your Friday? Chocolate
City
I tell you what,
I’m really happy right now! There haven’t been any crazy antics here for a
while and everything is settling into a nice steady pace. I’m thankful for
great team mates who make it all work and for sunny Saturdays and cosy lie ins!
This morning I dozed until 10am, then went up to our swimming pool on deck 8 (aka
a giant paddling pool) and swam around in circles for half an hour before half
dozing on deck. I catch myself at times like this and realise what a bizarre
life I am leading. Swimming around in
circles on a very noisy deck surrounded by containers and a couple of cranes,
lazing in a dusty plastic chair, looking out at some locals slowly dismantling
the remains of a crane on the jetty opposite, so they can sell the scrap for
some cash. I have watched them dismantling this for over a year now and I’m
wondering how much steel there can be left. It’s a lengthy process which
carries on throughout the sun scorched days. I can only imagine the relief of
sinking into the cool (but dirty) sea water when there’s eventually enough to
lower down and swim with it back to shore. I dragged myself out of the
half-doze and went back to my cabin and to find a note with random question
no.2347. One of the patients needed some help to book a flight to Senegal Africa …. is it?
Not really, it’s the crazy in-between world known as Mercy Ships and I love it.
There’s been plenty
of beautiful patient stories lately and I’m reminded that the ordinary here is really
pretty extraordinary. There’s so many stories that cause the tears to well
within my eyes – none of them hit the BBC headlines but they’re certainly more uplifting
than most of the headlines I get around to read - Alimou from Guinea is one of the obvious
specials. He’s 22 years old and had an 8 year history of a gigantic tumour
growing in his mouth. 22 years minus 8 equals 14. So that’s pretty much all of
his adult life that he’s had this tumour growing. The stench of the fungating
wound that arrived with him was beyond imagination. Sorry if that sounds harsh
but it’s true. After a few hours I couldn’t smell it any longer but could
instead taste it in the back of my throat. The translators commented on our
ability to not react to the smell. It’s interesting the ways in which God
speaks and I’m pretty sure that’s one of them. The things that were left unsaid,
the showing of love and acceptance despite physical grossness – something Alimou
had not felt or received in years – spoke much more loudly than any words ever
could. Anyhow, he had his 3kg tumour removed from his mouth and is now smiling
from ear to ear on the ward. How our surgeons, Dr Gary Parker and Dr Mark
Shrime, put their incredible skills into action every day, I’ll never know. They
are beautiful artists at work and I love looking at the results of their work
as they look on in complete humility like they didn’t even do anything that
special. Pretty cool.
So there’s a
little snippet of life from me. We’re revving up for another full on rainy
season. The skies are already lit up at night with fantastic lightening shows and
the rain is slowly getting heavier and more frequent. I’m preparing to be
confined for the next few months, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel…
I’m so excited as I begin making plans for a 3 month break from mid October to
mid January. Having been away for almost 3 years, I am longing to have more
than, ‘fine, fine’ conversations and spend some proper time with friends. I am
hoping to catch some snow so that’ll involve a holiday I hope…. really can’t
wait to switch off and do ‘normal’ life for a bit. I’ll be in touch with plans,
if you’re around I’d LOVE to see you. I’ll then be coming back for another year
(or so - don’t tell my mum). We’ll be spending the next year in Benin
‘Life is meant
to be an adventure. When we cease to reach out and stretch ourselves, something
in us dies.’ David Adam
All for now,
much love as always, KWW xx
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