It's Worth It.

 This past week was my last with the plastics dressings team. It's bittersweet. I have so loved doing the wound care for all our plastics patients. In the same breath, I am also excited to rejoin the ward and start loving on all of our obstetric fistula ladies!
Plastic surgeries here on Mercy Ships have such a special place in my heart. I truly admire and am inspired by our plastic surgeon, and friend, Dr. Tertius Venter for being such a selfless, loyal, and faithful servant of God.  I love our team of nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and doctors who pool knowledge, creativity, and hours of hard work to deliver the best possible, first-world care here on the ship, which is for the moment docked in Madagascar.  I love our day crew, our locally hired translators, who fill so many roles, from interpreter to cleaner to food server to prayer warrior to brother, sister, mother, father, and friend. And I love our patients and their families. They spread joy. 
But dressing changes. That can't be easy. You are inflicting pain day after day, making children cry or scream from fear and from pain. Making adults cringe when you pull off a painful dressing, or remove sutures or staples, or even K Wires. Spending long hours, working until all the dressings are finished. Bending over, straining your back and your body to reach the wounds. Why would you want this job? Isn't it hard? Is it worth it?

Yes. It's worth it.

Baby Tsanta

Yes, I cringe every time I make my patients cry, every time I hear a scream. My body tenses and my heart is heavy when I pull off a dressing to reveal an infected and painful wound. My back aches from bending all day to reach all those wounds in hard-to-reach spots, like axillas and necks, in between fingers and toes. But it's worth it.

I see tears of pain turn into tears of joy
I see fear turn to trust, and then into love
I see pain transformed to strength.
I see constricted limbs move,
  for the first time in years,
  for the first time ever.
The pain inflicted in good wound care,
  will turn into new, healed skin.
  A beautiful scar to tell the story
  A testimony.
  God's faithfulness, His love.
  How He heals all wounds.
When I remove sutures or staples,
  when I remove dead tissue,

Dyllan

  I know there will be a transformation.
  I will see healing,
  and the pain I might cause
  will be worth it.
And when my patients run into our treatment room
When they jump on the table and play with our toys
When they see me in the hall, yell my name, and run into my arms,
When I see fingers that were stuck together
   comfortably and confidently writing with a pen
   or playing the keyboard
When a neck that was stuck to a chest
   can straighten and reveal and even bigger smile than imagined
When I see arms outstretched
  that had been uncomfortably adhered to their sides
When the wounds heal
  revealing healthy skin and improved function
When the tears stop, and the laughter comes in their place,
It's worth it.
When they can bend and straighten their leg, wrist, fingers, toes.
It's worth it.
When they hold a mirror up and see their face, ears, eyes, neck,

Orlando with arms outstretched

  and with tears in their eyes,
  quietly hold your hand and say,
  "Thank you, God bless you, thank you..."
It's worth it.
I wouldn't change a thing.
I have seen the most beautiful transformations
I have seen God at work in this place
And with tears in my eyes,
I can say,
It is more than worth it.

 Two happy patients, Sahondra and baby Fitia. They brought so much joy and love to this place and are now healed and discharged from the hospital!

 In the treatment room, Georgino and I warm up with some fun with bubbles... :) Then he watches intently as I remove his dressing to reveal his new hand. I just love this moment captured as he studies the ways his fingers can move now, and gives us a thumbs up!

Me and Georgino