Kirsten Aboard the Comfort #6: Arrived in Panama

We just arrived in Panama. We had to wait to cross the Panama Canal as there was a lot of traffic there. It is amazing how the ships can stop and wait their turn and then move on. They have to know when it is their turn to cross. When we leave here for Colombia next week we will be going through the canal.

Here is a picture of the tugboats pushing us into place at the pier. We get close and then they take over and push us against the dock.

The May Group at the Dominican Republic Airport
Sorry for the scary eyes- Michelle was supposed to fix the picture!

Today they will be unloading supplies and getting set up for clinics. Monday and Tuesday will be pre-op day and Wednesdays we start surgeries. I will be working the swing shift again which I am glad for.

I am scheduled to go ashore two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday we will try another COMREL. I don't know what we will be doing yet, but since I was part of the last group that didn't happen we will get priority to be on this one.

Even though we are at a pier we stilll need to be on a manifest to go ashore. Apparently we are at a pier where a lot of cruise ships come in. At night we can go shop in the duty free stores. Of course they won't be cheap but it will be nice to go ashore.

I am volunteering today to help the Navy Reservists serve lunch. They were short some people and since I room with 3 of them I said I would help. I get to wear one of those great paper hats. Lt. Montebon said she would put Honorary Reservist on mine.

It is exciting to be in a new country and to see what the people from Panama are like. It is very hot here, 110 degrees with the humidity. I have to make sure I keep taking my Malaria medicine.

Me by our Ship's Helicopter

Kirsten Aboard the Comfort #5: Arrived in Colombia

We just arrived in Cartegena Colombia. We are not seeing patients while we are here; this stop is a liberty. We have had briefings from NCIS (No, not Mark Harmon although that would be great) and every person that knows anything. Colombia has been working on its crime and drug issues. It is relatively safe here, although we have to be aware all the time.

I looked outside and it is so hazy here, worse than LA. With the heat index we are going to be at 110 degrees while we are here. I am supposed to drink 1 liter of water per hour when I'm off the boat!
I am going ashore tomorrow to help the Chaplain paint a school. I am not interested in partying and spending the night; I have a few friends that will do some shopping and sight-seeing with me on Friday. I'm not sure what to do with all of my time off!

We are on water rations because we cannot dump pure sewage. They have to bring a barge out 1-2 times a day to pump it out. When the sewage fills our water shuts off.

We leave on Friday or Saturday for Panama. That will only take one day to get there.

I am not buying souvenirs for my kids anymore. Dayton and Daphne are getting all of them. I got Dayton a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and Daphne gets a halter top and a skirt to tie around her swimsuit. Now she just needs a swimsuit!

Kirsten Aboard the Comfort #4: Things I Miss Most

As I was laying in bed today I made a list of things I miss the most while I am here.

#1- Gary snuggling up to me at night
(I found this old picture on the internet!)

The rest in no particular order:

Picking up the phone to call someone whenever I want

Sleeping until I want to get up

1% Milk
We have milk here but it is in boxes,
the kind you don't have to refrigerate

String cheese

Getting in the car and driving somewhere, whenever I want

Getting mail, even junk mail!

My sewing machine and all my fabric & quilting stuff

My queen size bed with fitted sheets
When I got here there was bedding sitting on my bed
for me to make up. I asked where the fitted sheets were
and the women from the navy laughed

Q-tips
(mine were "lost")

Eyeglass cleaner
(also "lost")

Hearing Dayton & Daphne on the phone,
especially hearing Dayton say "Nana"

My jetted bath tub and laying in it for 20 minutes

Murray the Amazing Wonder Cat

The smell of Dayton & Daphne after a bath (Mustela)

Homemade chocolate chip cookies

Kirsten Aboard the Comfort #3: Finished in Antigua

It is about 11:30pm Thursday night. I was scheduled to work from 7pm to 7 am but there weren't too many patients and another nurse came in. I had 10 patients from 7pm to 11 pm. Today was the last day we did surgeries and everyone will go home tomorrow. We pull up anchor and head for Colombia Saturday morning. I never had to work the night shift, tonight would have been my first night. I enjoyed working the swing shift, although it has its moments as well.

This was my cutest patient tonight! His name is Isaac and he is 9 months old.

Tomorrow I will go in and start working on tying everything down. When we are at sea we have to make sure nothing will move as we could run into some swells.

Some of the people on the ship will be leaving and some new ones will be coming on board. It is sad to see friends go but there is always an opportunity to make new ones. I am also sad to leave Antigua because the people here are so wonderful. Very rarely does anyone complain about the pain. They are so happy to be here and to have had the care provided to them. The one thing all the patients agreed was that it was cold for them, but we were happy to provide an extra blanket to keep them warm. I have been cold at night as well a couple of times.

Many of the older patients brought pictures of their family. I wish I had brought some pictures to show them. The nursing care here is not difficult and I have plenty of time to visit with the patients and their escorts. It is nice to find out what they do, what they used to do, how large their family is etc. They are always so happy to talk with me. I especially enjoy the patients that have cataracts done. They are usually there for a few nights as they have one done, wait a day and then have the other done. I really get to know them better each day. I am usually sleeping in the morning when they leave. Some day I am going to have to get up early and see them off.

We have an accupuncturist on board. He roams around in the patient areas and talks with them. This man was the escort for his mom. He had been bitten by fire ants on his leg. He came in limping and during his treatment he was walking fine.

It will take us about 4 days to get to Cartegena. There we have a liberty. There are some tours available but I have not had a chance to look at them. It would be nice to take the time and do one of the tours. I have to make sure I have someone with me and I have to present my plan to the Commander. It is a time like this when I wish I had family to do some touring with.

While we are heading to Colombia we will be orienting the new staff to the ward, nursing procedures etc. I remember what that was like almost 2 weeks ago. I remember being very nervous.

Our next stop where we have clinics will be in Panama. I am nervous because most of the people there do not speak English. The people from Antigua nearly all spoke English so we did not need translators. Having translators takes a lot more time. I will take advantage of my time off to practice.

I get up everyday and do the eliptical trainer for 45 minutes. After climbing up and down the stairs my legs are tired by the end of the day. I usually end up sleeping through breakfast and just eating lunch and dinner. Of course I am supplementing from the ship's store.

It is hard to believe I have been here almost 2 weeks. It seems like my life back home was so long ago. I do think of my family everyday and I am grateful to dad for letting me be gone for so long. I know he is struggling to take care of the dogs and pay the bills! Maybe I will get a raise when I get home.

We got to celebrate Nurses Day with the nurses from Antigua the other day. It was really nice to celebrate it with another culture. Nursing is very international and it made it even more special to celebrate it here. It was also Florence Nightingale's Birthday. I winder what she would think of how nursing has changed since she was a nurse. I wonder what I would think of how nursing has changed in 100 years! It has changed a lot, but I think it has been improved. We are nurses because we like to care for others, it's not for the pay or for the hours. All of us share a common bond, no matter what language we speak. We care for others that need us and it enriches our lives. I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am to be here. It is so wonderful to be caring for people who appreciate the work you are doing.

This is one of the waiting areas at the clinic on Antigua. It was at the MultiCultural Center. The people here were waiting to see the General Medical Practitioners.

Here is a link to an article my Church did on the mission I am on. They sent a film crew out during April.

I hope to sit down tomorrow and write a little synopsis of the first country we visited. I miss you all and hope you miss me too.

Love, Mom

Kirsten Aboard the Comfort #2: Beginning Work

We have been here a week now so I thought I would give you an update.

First of all, I finally did receive my luggage! Unfortunately, a lot was missing and some was damaged. I had 2 bottles of laundry detergent that opened and dumped into my clothes. They had been packed well but because so much was missing the bottles were damaged. The detergent soaked my clothes and started molding. It wasn't my assigned laundry day but I got permission from the Commander to use the laundry. I have made a list of what was stolen and it is very interesting, a lot of random things. Dad is busy putting together a replacement package of the things I still need.

I spent 2 full days ashore on Antigua working in the clinics. On the first day we went ashore for the Pallet Exchange Ceremony. This is where the Church's donated pallets of supplies were presented to the organizations on Antigua that will use them. There was 2 pallets of school kits and at least one pallet of hygiene kits as well as other needed medical supplies. We were only scheduled to be there for the ceremony but we were anxious to help, so we just jumped in and helped wherever we could. I worked in the General medicine area where adults were seen. I watched for open providers and sent patients in. We also ran errands for the providers (doctors, Family Nurse Practitioners) and took patients where they needed to go. I did get to flush an ear!

The next day I had a 5:00 am call-away, which means I had to be in the area ready to leave on the boat by 5:00 am. Luckily I was able to sleep a little on the 45 minute ferry ride to the island. When we got on the island the line (6:30 am) was already huge and people seemed a little frustrated. Our providers immediately started seeing patients and continued for about 9 - 10 hours. We actually had to turn some away which was disappointing. The patients are allowed to see only one provider a day, which means if they see the doctor they have to come back to see the dentist or optometrist. We got back to the ship about 6:30 pm and the kitchen stayed open so we could eat.

For lunch I had my first MRE! It really was good, honest. I had spaghetti with a meat sauce, a blueberry/cherry cobbler, crackers, bread with cheeze whiz and condiments. It comes with a pouch and packet that when you add a small amount of water it heats up and warms the meal. It is loaded with calories and can probably feed me for an entire day. I saved some of it for today.

The first patients came onboard yesterday and the surgeries have already started. I start my first shift this afternoon from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm. We start getting the patients up at 5:00 am so we can get them off the ship and bring the next ones onboard. There are 26 scheduled surgeries for this morning.

I am excited to finally get started working. We spent the first several days learning about the staff, the areas that we'll be working in, and the ship. Once we are done here in Antigua we will head over to Panama.

The people here are wonderful, very happy and pleasant. There are some issues with high blood pressure and diabetes. The children here are absoluetly adorable, almost as cute as Dayton & Daphne. Most of the adults in line just wanted a check-up; some did have health concerns. The dental area fills up quite fast and is usually the first to have to stop the patients from waiting in line. I was also surprised with how many were here for optometry. They are actually making glasses here for people onboard!

So far this has been a great experience and I am so happy to be a part of it. I have come to have so much respect and admiration for our armed forces; they are truly hard working people. Next year the Humanitarian Mission will be in the Pacific with the Mercy. Yes, I am interested as long as it is after tax season!

I'd love to hear from everyone, I am not getting much email! The internet here is slow, but it works.

Kirsten Aboard the Comfort #1: Luggage-less

After a little confusion the US Navy picked us up for a boat ride to the USNS Comfort. As we turned the corner and finally saw it each of us gasped. It was absolutely beautiful. I have seen dozens of pictures of it, but they don't do her justice. We pulled up alongside a rescue boat and climbed in. They then hoisted us, our luggage (except MY luggage because it was delayed and didn't get to the ship in time!), and the boat up to the Comfort. It was so good to finally arrive.

Our first day we had some orientation and the second day we went to our assigned areas for a 7:30 am "Muster". For me I had stations to go through to orient me to the Aft Ward I would be working on. We learned about the IV's and pumps, charting, vital signs, galley, supply rooms etc. We also had to practice an egress blindfolded. We were blindfolded, spun around and we had to find our way out of the Ward, through two doors and up 6 sections of stairs, and outside. We are having an Abandon Ship tomorrow at 1300. I am still so confused trying to find my way around, there are about 8 decks and 6 or 7 stairways. Not all of the stairways go all the way up/down, and not all of the decks go completely across. My legs are starting to ache by the end of the day.

The military staff here are fabulous. They are happy to answer our silly questions about the color of their uniforms, their rank, etc. Every branch of the military is represented here. It is great to see them all work so well together.

I hear my luggage will be delivered to Antigua on Monday. According to Gary the airline will deliver it to the boat but there is no way they will be able to get it out to us. We don't pull up into a port; we are anchored somewhere. For now, I'm managing without it because I purchased toiletries at the store on the ship, but I miss my vitamins!

I am enjoying the rocking of the boat; it has never been bad at all. It is actually quite relaxing. I never even realized when we were underway.

The food here isn't bad; I have been hungry with all the stair climbing. There are exercise classes everyday, even Zumba! I guess I need to try it.

Once we get to Antigua we will get busy. We will go ashore, set up clinics and evaluate people for surgeries or other treatments. It is amazing how many people we go through in one day, the turn around is very fast.

Continuing Promise 09

USNS Comfort

In about an hour I am heading to the airport for a flight to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. From there I will board the USNS Comfort for a 2 month Medical Mission to Central and South America. My rotation will take me to Antigua, Panama, Colombia (2 areas) and El Salvador.

Continuing Promise 2009 is an annual humanitarian civic assistance operation supported by U.S. and international military medical personnel, U.S. government agencies, regional health ministries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and U.S. academic institutions. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSO/4th Fleet) are the main planning and coordination commands for the Continuing Promise mission.

Here are a few links to the Mission:

Southern Command

Continuing Promise 09

Navy.mil

USNS Comfort

I am both excited and nervous. The first rotation left from Santo Domingo today. They had a wonderful time, worked hard, and their lives have all been touched. I know there will be some of those moments that will break your heart and it will stay with you for the rest of your life. There will also be the moments that make you feel wonderful and uplifted.

I will be able to receive email while onboard, kklein24@gmail.com. I will send my emails to Michelle and she will forward them to others. This is the first time I will be gone for so long from my family. I won't be able to pick up the phone and call Dayton or Daphne. I understand the Med-Surg nurses have been working six 12 hour days so I expect to come home tired. There are a lot of stairs to go up and down everyday.

I have heard the food is good and the military onboard have been great to work with. I will be able to spend some time in the clinics on land and work in the hospital onboard. I have had my shots (Yellow Fever) and I am taking my Malaria medicine. Most of the cases we see will not be difficult. Our staff has medical, dental, optical, veterinarian, construction & engineering available to the countries we visit.

So keep your eye on this blog and hopefully Michelle will keep it updated for me. I am not sure if I can send pictures or not. With over 1,000 people using about 10 computers I am not sure how much time I will get everyday.