June 3, 2012

Sorry this is another old one, but I wanted to go in order! I'll post my MEDCAP experiences soon :)

June 3, 2012

Tonight is my last night on the ship before departing for my MEDCAP on the southern most island of Talaud, Indonesia. I asked around and finally figured out what MEDCAP stands for: Medical Civil Assistance Program.  The location will be at a school on the island and the patients will be treated from 0800 to 1600/1700 daily. I am required to meet up on the flight deck at 0520 for a ‘helo safety brief’ at 0530.  That means I’m definitely getting a helicopter ride to the MEDCAP location!  We were shown the cots we will be sleeping on and the ‘bathrooms’ we will be using.  Word is that when the locals found out about our visit, they immediately offered to house the volunteers during the mission so I know they are excited about us being there and are very kind people. I’m really looking forward to all the new experiences coming in the next few days!

Since I last posted, we have received and very quickly organized the medications for the Indonesian MEDCAPS. It was a crazy couple of days trying to get everything together. The main problem was that some of the medications in Indonesia are different from US drugs in strength, ingredients, and packaging. It was frustrating at times but our team is a very hard-working crew and we all work together quite well.  There are definitely some fun characters in our department so it’s been a good time throughout the process.

There have been a few days when I miss home and know for sure that military life is not for me.  The adventure of my upcoming MEDCAP has kept me busy and my mind off home! There is plenty of support available within my department, berthing area, and onboard that no matter what situation may arise, there’s always someone to talk to.  I do wish that the internet was more reliable so that I could talk to my friends and family more often but the break from technology has also been nice since I know I rely on it too much sometimes.

The other evening, one of the pharmacy techs took the initiative to teach me about the IV hoods they have on board. It was definitely a new experience since they do not have a sterile room but just the hoods with the big gloves to put your arms in.  I haven’t used that kind before so it was pretty neat to make an IV in the middle of the ocean! He also showed me how to check prescriptions just like a pharmacist would and how to double check calculations done by the tech before an Rx is sent out.  The hardest part was adjusting to the format of the orders and how the computer prints out the prescription label. I’m sure with more practice, I would get used to it very quick. I also had the opportunity to look up some information for a doctor on Thyroid Storm.  Thankfully the patient didn’t actually have this condition since the meds (PTU and methimazole) are not available on board to treat for it. The physician was just checking incase there was a complication during surgery causing the severe disorder.  I’m not sure if the doc went through with the procedure knowing that the medications needed to treat it were not available.

Well that’s it for now, I’m off to finish packing and go to bed since I have an early morning and a big day tomorrow! Hopefully I’ll be able to blog every day about my experiences on the Island!