Today

OK, so it's been a while, but I'm back again!  Before I forget, check this link http://www.mercyships.org.uk/mercy-ships-itv, it MIGHT have PATRICIA on it, filmed by ITV (I can't watch it on-board, as the internet connection is too slow)!    The crazy time that has been this year so far is starting to calm.  My TO DO list is actually shrinking occasionally.  God is here; I've seen Him work powerfully (read on and I will share an example).  Right now, He's here too, but I can't see Him and He doesn't seem to be at work, and I need Him to!!!  Still, crying out to Him is a Good Thing, I just need to see His way forward, something to hold onto and 'fight' with.

Anyhow; God at work example follows:  last week we had a 4 month old little guy in the ICU who was really struggling to breathe after his operation for Cleft Lip.  I was involved 'cos we just received a new Ventilator that would be able to help him, and everyone was running away from it 'cos it would be their first time of using it on a real patient (I'd trained them on a 'practice one').  So, I set it up for the Anaesthetist, and it started to work on him, things were slowly starting to improve to 'stable'.  I went back to bed.  Later, as sometimes happens with kids, he got worse...fast!  For those that understand the numbers: Sats 60% on 100% FiO2 and sliding down the GCS (most people here don't even know where Glasgow is)!  I know what it feels like to watch that happening; when Elliot was in NICU, I saw something similar once...until I got asked to leave as they didn't want his Dad in the way!

The staff here needed to radically intervene. Every trick in the book had been tried without success, so they prepared for an emergency intubation/trachy.  Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Officer and the Anaesthetist sought the intervention of 'He who is able to do much more than we can ask or imagine'.  They laid hands on him and prayed (probably not in the Intensive Care textbooks, in fact sadly prohibited in most European hospitals).  A couple of minutes later, they just walked quietly out the room, while the other staff looked on, amazed.  Sats 100% on air, full spontaneous breathing, and what would be described as a 'pink' baby...except that description isn't going to happen in Africa!!  What did happen caused a seasoned NICU nurse and the Ward Supervisor to get on their knees on the floor of ICU, tears running down their faces, giving thanks to the Living God!  The next morning the little guy went to the Post-Op ward, and is now home!

I will stop there; I need to call on He who is able...

Tony.