Awaiting Visa

My very first blog. Quite exciting. Visa is approved on the Papua New Guinea side (Port Moresby). Just waiting for the stamp in the passport. Meanwhile looking into flights--summer holidays have begun. Singapore airlines and cathay pacific is completely booked from london to Singapore or Hong Kong throughout July and most of August. Wow. There are still some flights left for Quantas but not in July. So plan is to go to my cousin's wedding in Singapore and Vietnam and then flying out to Cairns to catch the chartered flight to Papua New Guinea. There is an oil company not far from Kikori where the hospital is, so plan is get on this charterd flight which is once a week from Cairns to Moro (flight time is 2.5hours). Then from Moro base catch another flight to Gobe base (1 hour), stay overnight at Gobe base and then there's a 3hr drive on oil company road from Gobe to kikori. Phew. I thought I would be in a canoe for hours and hours so this sound quite luxurious really.

I got the shock of my life after talking to Dr.Andy a couple of days ago. He is the doctor that was in Kikori for 2 years. I think I am a bit hung up on that I may need to do a caesarian section. Not only the surgery but also the anaesthetic. I have never done one but I have assisted c-sections a few years ago during my obstetric rotation. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember how to suture. Thank goodness I was very keen when I was a medical student and sutured as much as I could. After talking to Dr.Andy, I was filled with fear and impending doom. Since then I have had the weekend to process the reality of where I would be going and the type of medical problems that may arise.

I had to hang on to God's word--Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. This helped dissipate the fear and the feeling of inadequacies. A constant reminder to myself that I am doing Papua New Guinea not only for the tremendous experience of a lifetime personally, medically, but most importantly spiritually. I personally wanted to thank God for bringing me this far in my life and helping me through medical school and providing everything. As some of you may know how miraculous it was financially to get through medical school. I no longer have any school loans or any other debt (ok exc for mortgage now). So I can give back what I have received.