#NurseDTakesZambia #2

With my large backpack clipped to back, its length hovering way above my 5 foot frame, and my not so smaller bag blocking the image of my front side, my tribal themed leggings walked me across airport security lines and on to my gate. I was finally that traveler with the enormous backpack, filled to capacity with the bare necessities to maintain an adventure, and on the road to some sort of exotic destination. 

Just like I had a story, the one about nurse D on a nurse mission, I wondered about the travel purpose of the other travelers. To test my silent bets I asked them in person. One was headed home to Johannesburg,  and another going to explore Cape Town. The sweet family sitting beside were off to visit family, the other girl with backpacks outweighing her not so large frame was headed on a 3 week adventure of safari hopping. As many passengers had their Xanax and personal exhaustion kicking in, as evidenced by their snores audible across the isles, I wandered about chatting with the few wakeful ones whose minds were not yet captivated by the flight's entertainment screens. 

After intermittent sleeps, occasional distraction by the on flight movies, chatting with my neighbors and my frequents self repositioning to relieve my aching butt from developing a pressure sore; the 14 hour flight to Johannesburg  was nearly reaching its landing when the gentleman a few rows behind me called for help as his dad went pale and began to faint. Nurse D on a mission, together with an on flight surgeon and an infectious disease doctor, joined efforts with the flight's staff to maintain and stabilize the patient. The oxygen kits that we all usually effortlessly block out of our minds during its detailed explanation of use prior to every flight, now came to use. With our mini medical crew we raised his legs and laid him down to treat his hypotension. When he began to complain of chest pain we add some aspirin to his on-flight breakfast menu.  And so the last hour of the flight passed by as fast as an hour on shift, as we stabilized our patient and prepared to hand him over to the medical crew awaiting him when we landed. 

With my adrenalin pumping my body with energy, the last part of my journey included a stopover in Johannesburg and some fabulous family greetings with South African kosher goodies. My final arrival in Zambia humbled me as I was. graciously welcomed by my driver, David, waving a sign with "Devorah the great" written across it. 

After a quick tour of our little town in Lusaka, a meet and greet with our team, and a Shabbat dinner with the medical team plus some friendly neighbors who popped in to be part of the festivities; mission #NurseDtakesZambia, was off to a fabulous start.