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Here’s to the Adventure Divas

Posted by on Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Sitting here on my last day of Yap. It was peaceful in a non hurried and decreased technology kind of way. I’ve learned that I take WAY too much for granted. From medical supplies, equipment and labs to food and vegetables to family and friends.

What I did have here was time. And in that way I am grateful. I now find myself completely drained. My brain is spent from trying to remember misplaced knowledge.

It is long since forgotten or something I never learned in the first place. Either way I can’t remember.

My emotions have been all mixed around.

At times I’m strong and happy. Particularly when the coffee has been infused over an hour in a nice AM bolus. And the sun is shining and I’m walking around off to the hospital and feeling the breeze. Yap has the nicest warmest breezes I have ever felt.

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Other time I’m lonely and I wonder how the kids are. Do they miss my cuddles as much as I miss theirs?

I miss their sweet faces and their puppy smells from running around all day. I miss checking in on them at night and feeling my heart skip. I love the heavy breathing and the long dark eyelashes resting on their face. I love the pouty puffy kid lips.  I miss even the backtalking. The cajoling. They can get so creative and persistent.

 I linger at handprints on a wall.

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I miss it all.

My soul sister out here has been Holy Morris- Author of Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for Women Who are Changing the World. I happened upon when I ran out of reading material and I grabbed it thankfully. She is an Adventure Diva all by herself as well.

Am I grateful to be to be here? Yes.

I wake in the morning always with the thought. How is the baby in the hospital. I checked that my cell phone didn’t die overnight. And then sigh. No news is good news. right? Then I make my coffee and sometimes sit and read the news and hope to hear from home. 

Mornings in Yap 

I’ve logged onto facebook more times than I can count but amazingly enough- despite it’s gazillion users, not much changes in 2 minute intervals.

Tired and drained and straining to save this baby has taken a toll. On everybody I’m sure including him. So one day I’m feeling alone and then I open an email from a close girl friend serving in the miltary  in Afghanistan. And I’m reading of her experiences and I’m reminded that the brave women away from their families and changing the world aren’t  just in that book I carry around. They are our friends.

And they are our children.

I read Jessica Watson’s Blog tody - You know her?? The sixteen year old girl who just sailed solo around the world. 

 I’m going to miss the kick I get from overcoming challenges by myself, flying along in the dark. A new sunset every night and the time I always take to watch it. I’m going to miss watching the waves and sea.

Wow! A sixteen year old. So brave. She pushed me to go outside and sit and watch the sun go down and listen to the water. The water really does really lap. It’s like a big St. Bernard all slobbery against the Inn’s walls and under my deck.

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The Adventures Divas they are out there living and breathing and changing the world. They are changing our world, protecting our country, inspiring our youth.

We leave for the Philippines tonight and I’m nervous about the flight and excited to keep moving forward and helping this baby. He is still  sick. My emergency bag is packed with Epi and normal saline and needles and a laryngoscope and an ambu bag. 

I’m tired and want to take a long bath and to curl up with a book and read to my kids.

But I tell myself to shut up and that if a 16 year old girl can sail around the world all by herself and my girl friend can be so far away from her family and carry a rifle every day to work  in Afghanistan.  

Well then I can do it too…

Here’s to the Adventure Divas of the world.

You inspire me and keep me moving forward.

Filed in When I Feel Like Writing | 4 responses so far

4 Responses to “Here’s to the Adventure Divas”

  1. Kylaon 16 May 2010 at 12:21 am 1

    You’re doing important work there and very soon you’ll be back with your sweet kids, making up for lost time. I can imagine how hard it would be to be away, though…the longest I’ve been away is 2-4 days and my arms always ache for them by the time I get home. Hope all goes well with the
    patient transport!!

  2. Kathleenon 16 May 2010 at 12:40 am 2

    Beautifully written Sheila. Reading this, I see your mother also. She writes beautifully as well. I am so thankful to have gotten to know both of you along the way of cyberspace.

    I will be praying for you and this patient on this journey. Do you need any donations to help with the care of this patient? If so, please let me know. I would love to send a small donation.

    You are every bit the diva and adventurer as this 16-year-old young lady. You amaze me — mainly with the good you have done with your medical degree. This is what the world needs much more of. Bless you sweetie.

  3. Art Doctoron 27 May 2010 at 1:54 am 3

    I wrote a poem in-response to your blog post:

    and can totally relate to you, but on a less-medical way.

    Love the hand print photo.

    Good health & happiness to you Dr. Cason.

  4. Art Doctoron 27 May 2010 at 1:55 am 4

    (link didn’t embed in my comment, but it’s on my blog, “The River. The Ribbon.”

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