More Water

Hey Everybody!
        I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. My weekend has been good. Both yesterday and today I went to the hospital to visit Ester. Her surgery went well and the doctors were able to fix the leaky valve in her heart. When I saw her for the first time yesterday I didn't know what to expect. I was told that she was going to be in the ICU and will have many tubes hooked up to her.
        When I walked into the ICU the nurses had just finished extubating her. She looked at me with very glazed tired eyes. I was so happy to see her and know that she was alright. I sat beside her bed and with all the strength in her body she said the word "water". The nurse that was tending to her told me that she is not allowed a lot of water after surgery and can only receive one syringe of water every couple of minutes. I was allowed to give her the water. Every couple of seconds she would ask for water. I felt so bad denying her of something that is so basic. After about an hour she said to me, "Can I have some water Mom?". I know that she was on a lot of very heavy medication, but Ester started calling me Mom a couple of days before the surgery. It almost made me start to cry.
        After a couple of hours she asked if she had had the operation. When I told her that the surgery happened she said thank you God for all you have given me. I cannot get over her undying love for God. All of the women in the house  are religious. They always tell me, "There has to be a higher being". Maybe there is.
         When it was time for me to leave on Friday, Ester started to cry and asked me to stay with her until she is well enough to go back home. I told her that I needed to go back to the house to take care of the other children. She held my hand very tight and didn't let go until she fell asleep.
         I left the hospital once she fell asleep.
         Ester was a lot more alert when I visited her today. She was still in the ICU, but was not hooked up to as many machines as before. she is starting to eat and drink which is great progress.
         The house has been pretty normal these past couple of days. We have been doing a lot of arts and crafts and today we went to the park to play. I love being around these children. They are so inspiring. Even though it is difficult to communicate with some of them, I still understand what they are saying and hopefully they understand me.

Ok, I am going to leave the house tonight until Monday night. I have my days off now which I definitely need. I am very tired and want to get re energized before another week of SACH.
Enjoy the rest of your weekends!
          Kennedy is going home on Monday and I will not be here to say goodbye to hime then. Our goodbye is going to be in 20 minutes. I am so sad that he is leaving, but at the same time know that he has been given another chance at life because of SACH. I plan to keep in touch with him and his family and hopefully see him if I go to Africa next summer.


Shauna
Ps. I have been here for almost a week at the house. It feels like I have been here for a month. Living with these women and children all the time makes me feel so close to all of them.