Thanksgiving

When I think of some of the challanges I have recenntly faced...

1. I am thankful for the sun, the ocean, the sand, good food and drink. Oh yes, and Skype!
2. I, for one, am also thankful for nurses drawing blood, but since we draw our own here, I am thankful that I still remember how.
3. I am thankful for transdermal bilirubin devices. These would have made managing several of the patients this week (inpatient and outpatient) more efficient. Tempermental lab equipment makes bilirubin a send-out lab, of course when least convenient. Since bili lights are limited and the bulbs do not last forever, transdermal bilis could be quite cost and resource effective.
4. I am thankful for urinalysis and urine dips being completed the same day. It was frustrating to evaluate for UTI when it took two days to determine whether or not leukocytes and bacteria were present. I'm still unclear as to why this happens here because the dipsticks are the same that we use.
5. Mostly, though, I am thankful for the opportunity to volunteer in Jamaica. The relationships and experiences here are priceless ones. I am defineately more savvy that when I first arrived.