Didn't get to blog last night because the internet was down all night. We have been getting back late, around 9:15- 9:45pm and dinner takes time, so we aren't back in our rooms until 11:30. This morning was the first morning that I woke up completely exhausted! Up until now, I've been doing well, but this morning I was really wishing for a Venti Starbucks, instead of the tiny little cups of instant coffee we have at the hotel! 

Today was an excellent day at the hospital, I finally know what supplies I have available, and am having fun making things work! We have had some difficulty with being short on ventilators. The surgery schedule allows for each kid to have one day on a ventilator, but we've had a couple kids who aren't following that schedule, so things have been tight. I have been trying not to use our back-up ventilator, because it is an older model, control-only vent that no one is familiar with, and I am not on shift at night. Today however, I made a circuit for it and ran it as non-invasive CPAP on a failing kid, because we had no other ventilators. It worked well so I gave a short inservice to the night shift. It seems to have saved her from re-intubation, at least for the time being, which is nice because if she needs a ventilator tonight - it will be a person instead of a machine! All the vents will be in use after the last case of the day, who is still in the OR (it is currently 10pm).

Today's winner of "best hair". =) 

This little girl is a return-to-sender after being discharged to the ward. She is definitely everyone's favorite, with her sweet personality and big brown eyes. We have yet to see her smile, but we all dote on her. She's near the front of the unit so all the visitors stop and smile and croon at her. She just stares back at everyone with this exact look.

The trouble maker from Monday, discharged from PICU yesterday, now sleeping and looking all peaceful and angelic in the pediatric ward.

My sweet little tiny guy failed extubation and had to go back on the ventilator. He is doing better, so hopefully he can come off tonight or tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers! His name is Yosef.


I am meeting some really amazing people and they are wonderful to work with! I've been invited to come back on another ICHF trip, and also to a hospital in London! Everyone has traveled a lot and volunteered with different organizations, and we are having a great time exchanging stories. My favorite story is from one of the PICU nurses who studied for a year of undergrad in Israel. She said there are holes in the street where you can drop in a bomb if you find one. I could not stop laughing! I'm thinking - what?? The last thing I'm going to be thinking if I find a bomb is, "I'm going to pick this up and drop it down the bomb hole." I'm also pretty sure the reason they have those is to recycle undetonated bombs....so - you drop a bomb down the hole, and you can probably buy it on Terrorist Ebay in an hour or so. That's just my theory!

Here's a picture taken out the front window of the bus. Ahead are the mountains bordering Iran! Hopefully tomorrow I'll remember to bring my camera to dinner and take a picture of the food. I've ordered the same yummy chicken kabob dish for dinner the last three nights. Hopefully in a couple of days, I can come to the dining room, sit down, and just say "the usual!"