Reanimating Babies, Companero

Trial by fire, thrown into the deep end, cross your fingers and hope for the best.

It was crazy. If I thought that before was crazy or surreal, I was wrong, so very, very wrong. Monday was my first Guardia - my first overnight shift (8 in the morning until 3 the next day - that's oh so many hours). It was baby-mania, it was doppler machines beeping, it was women screaming, it was hot, it was flourescent lights, it was so completely foreign.

But I get ahead of myself. The funniest (and sometimes most frustrating) thing about this experience has been the total confusion Erin and I have been in regarding our schedule. No one seems to know when we are supposed to be doing what. So I am all suited up to follow Dr. Pacheco into surgery when Dr. Allyson (the Director of Education) comes running into the 'OR' to tell me that I have to go to class. (The following was in Spanish, although really it's more like have Spanish/half English. Because Dr. Allyson is to most confusing person to understand. . she speaks fast and then when we don't understand her, she decides to speak in English, which we really don't understand).

Dr. Allyson: 'You have to go to class. Why aren't you in class right now?'
Me: 'What class? What do you mean class? I didn't know that there was a class for me to go to.' (That was what I tried to say, it probably sounded more like. . Class me what go for why?)
Dr. Allyson: 'Baby Reanimation.'
Me: 'Baby what?'
Dr. Allyson: 'Reanimation Neonatal. . .it's important.'
Me: Oh, of course.

And so I went to the class where the babies are reanimated. Or, as we call it in the states, Neonatal Advanced Life Support, which is a much clunkier, much less descriptive name. And at first I was thinking, why I am I here, how am I going to understand a damn thing that will be taught in this class. But actually, it was the most peaceful, relaxing, ego-boosting time I've had since I have gotten here. I could understand most everything the teacher said, I could read the powerpoints, Erin and I took the tests in Spanish together and passed all but 2 of them (which is more than 70%), we successfully completed the practicals. We were in a situation where the people we were with knew as little as we did. One of the medical students was so nervous that when he was going through one of the practicals and asking for assistance, he looked at the teacher and said, 'Companero, por favor, ayudame.' That's equivalent to saying, 'Partner (Friend, Coworker), Please help me.' That may not seem that funny to you, but it was pretty hilarious at the time. It was so great to feel so relaxed again and so in control.

But that was short lived.

3:00 came and I changed into my Scrubs, bid Erin farewell, and slowly walked towards Partos, the room where Guardia is served, the room of the births. . . the heart of the baby factory