Un-screening day

Tomorrow, Mon. June 8 was going to be the second and final screening day here in Benin. They had a 2 days screening at the very beginning of the outreach and at that point decided they should have a second half way through the outreach to fill the rest of the surgery schedule. Well, in the meantime we have booked the surgery schedule plum full. This is good...in the sense that we will be running at our full potential, but tomorrow is going to be a hard day. They have asked for extra volunteers to go help out as they have to trun away EVERY person who comes. The word has been spread since the beg. of the outrach about this screening day. We are praying there will not be a big turn out. But no matter what, there are going to be quite a few people showing up tomorrow hopefull and excited with anticipation that they may get a free surgery and we have to tell them all no. If you get this in the next day please pray that is goes well.

This is a very hard thing to do here. Just last week as I was the charge nurse on the ward I got called up to the dock. There were parents of a small boy with a hernia as well as a woman with a goiter. Both were asking if they can get surgery. I had to tell them both no. I can't even begin to describe the looks on their faces. They were so hopefull that we could help them. It is not just an easy "Im sorry, our schedule is full." They often plead with you that they have no money and cannot get help elsewhere. Just that moment was heartbreaking, so I can imagine how tough tomorrow will be.

I will be at this screening tomorrow, but not to turn people away. I will be screening the VVF women again. I love doing this as you get to know the VVF ladies. You get to know so much about them although most of the time their stories are pretty tragic....and I can't even begin to imagine myself in their shoes. I will actually be helping these women get surgery...the only patients in our schedule are looking for. There are a few we still have to turn away, which again, is devistating as they try to plead with you. Most of the women we will see tomorrow will be able to get surgery though. We have some VVF women now on board now and they are just so delightful. I love working with them.