Last night :(

Tonight is our last night in the Philippines. It amazes me how quickly time has gone and thinking about all the opportunities we got to participate in and the many people we met along the way. Today, we went to the Enchanted GK Farm. This village was created by individuals whom we met that want to make a difference. Their mission is to urgently and sustainably build a global company, which will showcase the best of the Philippines! In hopes of uplifting the people, especially the poor by providing affordable, quality, natural products! It truly is a magical place! Our tour guide introduced us to the few French students that he specifically chose because he believes with their knowledge and expertise, the GK village can possibly make the Philippines into a first world country by 2024! They specifically asked for Public Health experts to help them launch this village and take it to the next level! They need people to stay for atleast 6 months in order to be accepted! I can picture myself staying there and hopefully making a difference! This is truly my passion to make a difference in people's lives and turn hopes/dreams into reality! Only time can tell if I am meant for thisopportunity! We shopped and had our last dinner as a group! I will truly miss these people! Gigi is right Noone can possibly understand what we have been through besides the people you shared it with! We allowed to watch each other grow as individuals, we watched each other at our most vulnerable, and gotten to know the most intimate of details! These people will always share a special place in my heart because although we could not stand each other at times, or when we were cranky we still kept our cool with each other and stood by each other! I love them and will never forget the moments we had with each and every one of them! Thank you for allowing me to be apart of something special with all of you! Ill see you guys at the airport tomorrow! Good night!

At the GK Enchanted Farm!

Hopefully soon it will become a wedding reception with a honeymoon suite on the top level! Basically I know where I will get married!

Inside the Reception Hall

Some pictures of our travels!

Day at the beach!

Working with my favorite surgeon Dr. Andres!

Oh our bug infested room!

My favorite translator Hannah and I after a long day!

Work hard! Play harder!

Looking at the glass half full

Today was one of the hardest days I have encountered since being a nursing student. I was encountered with a lot of challenges in the nursing world. I felt lost, my team felt lost, miscommunication with doctors due to language barriers, learning things we have not been taught in school, and not having direction with the staff. We were a great team today at surgery and tried our best! Tomorrow starts up again and what we learned again today we will take into consideration and do better. All we can do as nursing students is to take constructive criticism well and do better the next time. I know it may not be easy because we are human, however if we don't have someone telling us how to do things properly we will never learn. My favorite surgeon told me today that doctors and nurses are a team. They trust nurses with their life. Sometimes they get frustrated and get mad, etc. but what they are really mad and frustrated about are at themselves.



This trip is slowly coming to an end and I am learning more what it is like to be in a team. We cannot function without our team and I would be nothing without them. So thank you guys! I would trust you guys with my life. Thank you for helping me out today! Let's hope tomorrow goes  more smoothly!

It's my BIRTHDAY!

Hello everybody! Sorry for the delay! We have not had internet for the past several days! So much has been going on and so much traveling that it has been hard to obtain internet! There is just so much to say, but just so little time and space. What I do feel like writing about is not what I have done these past few days, but how this place has truly touched me.

The 19 people that have also shared this experience with me have touchd me. We are all so different and somehow it works! We have all cried, laughed, and worked our butts off together! I am so proud to call these people my friends and classmates. To have watched them challenge themselves and use everything they have learned in the classroom and bring it all into real life challenging situations is just amazing!

I am learning a lot about myself and culture throughout this trip! It just amazes me how everyone here is so generous!! I am not kidding I feel like Queen Elizabeth with how they treat us! Always being called ma'am, waving to us whereever we go, having food served to us whereever we go, and asking to take pictures with us! Seeing how they live with so little, but at the end of the day they are happy because they have hope and most importantly love for one another.

After we performed assessments on our families, I gave our donations to them. I watched their eyes in amazement because they had no idea! They kept hugging and kissing me! Telling me I was there guardian angel and all for what? Some old tshirts I thought were outdated and other supplies! I broke down crying because I never felt so good before in my life! As we were leaving the family ran towards the bus to say goodbye to me! I knew right then and there I have a purpose in life and that is to help people!

I live my life loving every aspect of life and what is given to me and they are no different! I always imagined the perfect life having the perfect husband, the perfect house, job, kids, and etc. However, perfect I learned from being here is living my life with the people I love and love me in return. Life is too short to waste on the trivial things. I just want to live my life doing what I love and sharing every moment with the people I most cherish.

This experience is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me because (I am sure I can speak for the rest of my team as well) we all have grown up and learned a lot about ourselves and other people as well.

I have never been more inspired to give back to others and hopefully teach my children to be more open minded, cultured, and giving to others who are in need. It truly is a beautiful thing to give someone hope again whether it be giving them donations, medical care,food, building them a home, or sending their children to school.

My birthday is almost over in the Philippines, but continues in the US. I could not have asked for a better birthday present!

To my family and friends I miss you guys dearly and sorry I have not responded to your emails! Internet here is very hard to obtain! However, I will try my best answering you guys! I love you and miss you guys very much! I wish I could share this experience with each and every one of you!

Tomorrow, is a 2 day medical and surgical mission! I will be in the surgical mission, whereas Aileen will be in the medical mission. Then, we switch off Tuesday! I cannot wait to tell you all about that! I am posting some pictures of what we have done thus far because I am sure some of you may be curious! Love you all and good night!! Danielle

Day 2 of 3 of our first medical mission complete!

So we have unofficial patient counts that have come in...over 2000 patients have been seen over the last 2 days. Yes, that means that every single one of those people was actually assessed head-to-toe and triaged by one of us 13 Chamberlain student nurses! It's nothing short of being mind blowing!!

Just like yesterday, some went to surgery while the majority went to the triage area. Today was my turn to be in surgery and I was so excited because I heard we actually got to scrub in and assist the surgeon. The 3 of us that went today for the first shift was -- Casey, Megan, and myself. Nursing school doesn't teach us how to be surgical techs, but this was the best experience to learn quickly from the amazing surgeon we all worked with.

Our performance continues to build and improve with every patient we see in triage. Asking the right questions, providing a great head-to-toe assessment, accurate vital signs, providing patient education, and concise and clear documentation are just some of our goals. Although we aren't nurses yet, The Filipino people have treated us strangers with such great respect and have been so grateful for us being there to take care of them.

However, tomorrow is our last day here in Cabatuan and it'll be bittersweet when we finally leave on Thursday. So many people walk this earth looking for ways in which they can make a mark on this world, I just so happen to think that our 2013 Chamberlain Philippine Team is well on its way.

First day of our medical mission

What an amazing day, to say the least. We just completed our first day of our medical mission and have 2 more days to go here in Cabatuan, Isabela. We were invited to a breakfast at the home of the governor of the area and then promptly led to the field. Once we pulled up, we were treated like absolute all-stars by all the friendly Filipinos who waited patiently for our arrival. Lots of "hello's" and waves as we walked by.

Some of us were assigned to surgery and some to pharmacy, but the majority of us went to triage. I have to say...it take pure guts to do what we did today!!! How many people can truly jump into something they've never done before on a scale this immense, with lots of pressure to do the job quickly yet efficiently, and all with a language barrier that stands squarely between you and your patient? Every patient encounter was different yet we got real good at what we did. By the end of the day our confidence was sky-high!!! We can't wait to return tomorrow.

Each of us learned something about ourselves today -- we make great team players, we are adaptable and flexible, and we will make fine nurses really soon.

Full day number 2

Last night with my roomies Sarah and Beth =( Prepping for our 8 hour drive to Isabela in the morning! Today was another crazy day!! We had to meet in the lobby this morning at 0745 to meet the group! We traveled for what seems like hours on the bus again to have breakfast and see our families we donated for!! The village was in Pampanga! I uploaded pictures below of what it looks like! As soon as we arrived we were blessed respectfully by the children (filipino tradition where someone would grab your hand and touch their forehead)!! There were probably a hundred children all over! They surprised us with entertainment at the beginning, which consisted of the people in the village performing dances and singing! I really wanted to bring the kids home! THEY WERE ADORABLE!!! One especially reminded me of myself when I was a kid! After, they made an AMAZING FILIPINo FEAST FOR US!!!! I felt like I was royalty with the way they were treating us! It really shows how grateful they are for us being there!!!!After dinner we played with the kids and started to prepare with our medical care for our 2 families we were assigned to! I was really nervous, especially being filipino american!! I was grateful I had a translator there with me the whole time!My first family experience was really overwhelming. I had so many thoughts racing through my head! I wanted to make sure I was culturally competent, but at the same time performing medical care proficiently! Make sure you always take off your shoes when entering their homes, unless they say not to! I almost forgot!! Both of my families' husbands were not home, they were working and would not be back for weeks because they were working at another providence! Both of my families also had 4 children so I definitely had to be speedy with my head to toe assessments! I would have to say the most challenging of my day was patient teaching and the wound care for the children! I had villages spying on me when the children were hysterically crying! They probably thought I was torturing them!! After assessments and teaching, I gave them my donations of clothing, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toys, and medicines. The whole family kept hugging and kissing me and thanking me. It took me a lot to hold back my tears!! I felt that "spark" again! The reason why I wanted to become a nurse! Something so simple... I didn't build them a new home, I didn't cure their illnesses, and I did not give them any money. But, it certainly felt like I did. That feeling I never want to lose no matter how bad my life may get or how hard/stressful work is. I have a purpose in this world and I shouldn't think so negatively on things that do not matter. Well, I talked a lot. Time for bed now. Good night. I dont know when I can write on this again because we will be driving for 8 hours to Isabela for our next medical mission! However, I will try and keep in touch! Danielle

Dont make fun of me but I added this last picture because I LOVE SKY LANTERNS WHEN I GET BACK HOME IM DETERMINED TO MAKE ONE!!!!!! I am so happy I finally saw one live and up close! Very unsafe,but so pretty! I need to make sure no houses or people are around when I construct and test mine!

Making like a tree and leafing...

I was blogging offline during our 15 hour flight and completely forgot to upload...

• 3:05pm CST on 1/9/13, somewhere over Minnesota: 



• It's official... we're Manila bound! All 18 of us made it to O'Hare International Airport with our outrageously heavy suitcases in tow. My backpack felt more like a small toddler at 9 kilograms. Several moms and dads and others stuck with us until it was time to move our way to the security gate. We had to have taken 1000 pics before we left. Some shed some tears...which was so adorable. On the other end of the spectrum is Patrick (my husband) who opted for the curbside drop off. Hahaha. I know its early, but all signs say that we are a pretty rambunctious group. Laughing our heads off over a McDonald's lunch, sharing fries and friending each other on Facebook.
• 5:02pm CST on 1/9/13, somewhere over western Canada:

• Just finished a salmon dinner and it was good!! Jordyn (my seatmate) and I were pretty impressed. Only 12 hours and 29 minutes til we land in Hong Kong.

• 6:00am CST on 1/10/13:
• 3 movies, some ipod time, and a little bit of sleep and we have finally made it to Hong Kong!!! Got ourselves something to drink. $27!!! Hong Kong dollars of course. Taking off for Manila in about an hour.

Some pics of our adventure so far:

O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL

Lack of space underneath our airplane seats...hardly enough room for my legs and Jordyn's

Our first day!

Today was our first full day in Manila! We got up at 8 am to have breakfast and experience real filipino food!!! Then, we drove awhiles way to the Far East School of Nursing where we met with the nursing students there and took a tour of the hospital attached to the school. It was so different comparing it to our hospital and how much money we spend on air conditioning, decorations, amenities, etc. The hospital and school do not have air conditioning in the hallways, only in the rooms. We then traveled to the Fort Santiago, which was a Hispanic stone fortress(the oldest may I add). Finally, we drove to have dinner at Barbaras, a great tourist spot where we had dinner and watched filipino traditional dances all night!!! Finally we are back at the hotel! Sorry if I sound like i am blabbering. I am so tired and I hope I make sense. I am really trying to write on this blog daily! It is currently 10:52 at night here and tomorrow it will be Saturday for us! We have not had sleep for the past 24 hours so I am ready for bed! good night from the Philippines!!! Tomorrow starts at 7:45 am. oh and ps. Driving here in the Philippines is by far the worst traffic ! I will never complain about Chicago traffic ever again!!!!

We are Manila bound!!!

After 15 hours on a plane to Hong Kong, 2 hour lay over, and then another 2 hour plane ride to Manila. We are finally here!!!! It's a shame its 3:31 AM because we cannot sleep!!! Our rooms are really nice here at the Joya Lofts and Towers!!!!its going to be a shock when we get up north and the hotels start looking a little more different!! I am rooming with Beth and Sarah. We are all getting accustomed to being here and getting in touch with our families right now. Time for showers and going to bed! Waking up at 8 AM and then going to the Far Eastern Nursing school. Good night US! Until the next time!!! Good night from the Philippines!! Danielle

THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME!

WEll guys! The time has finally arrived. I am getting my last minute things together! Arriving in O'Hare airport at 11 am where we will be going on our 15 hour flight to Hong Kong!!!!!! ahhhh (brought lots of books for this flight)! . FInally, 2 hour flight to the Philippines from Hong Kong! Stay tuned in our journey!!!! We will try to update this blog daily, otherwise we will have multiple blogs in one day!!! Stay classy America! We will see you shortly!!!

Thank you!

Student nurses from both Addison & Chicago Campuses

With less than 24 hours until we take off, reality has started to creep in. Both the Chicago Campus and Addison Campus students got together yesterday to participate in "Packing Day". From 10am until past 1pm, we took stuff out of boxes, bagged meds like pharmacy techs, sorted clothes, filled our suitcases, and weighed our bags (over and over and over). 50 pound maximums are so restricting!!!

Looking around the room, it was amazing to see the sheer amount of donations we each brought in -- from clothes, shoes, and toys to much needed medications for cough, flu, vitamins, and allergies. The room was PACKED with these important items because of great friends and family who supported us each. Gigi, our professor for Community Nursing and leader of our trip, even mentioned how incredible the amount and quality of our donations were.

16+ foot long table completely full of medications waiting to be bagged

I do want to personally thank everybody who donated to both Danielle and myself, as well as to my fellow teammates. My MVP's: Kevin Evangelista for the best Secret Santa gifts, Diane for her generosity, and to my niece Ava who donated a good portion of her savings (not really, but it was alot!). Because of each of you, we are arriving in Manila very well-equipped.

Now that the packing is done and over with, our suitcases sit quietly in the corner of the room and I sit here eagerly awaiting 2pm tomorrow...I quickly remember that I'm going to be gone for 16 days. Days that I'll miss sleeping in my own bed, miss ordering a pizza on Football Sunday, miss my dog, miss seeing my friends, miss tutoring, miss my family especially my beautiful niece (Hi, Ava!), and miss my husband. While I can't forecast what the next 2 and a half weeks will consist of, these next 16 days are going to count for something...something amazing for the 18 of us going on this trip.

Stay tuned for blog updates, photos, and who knows what! Both Danielle and I can't wait to share our experiences with you all.

Danielle

Aileen

Last night thoughts before we leave for the trip of a lifetime!

Spent these last few days with close friends and family! I could not have it any other way! Going to bed at a decent hour and enjoying it because I have a feeling sleep is going to be very rare! Good night US!

Packing with the team!

Here is a picture of some of the group putting medications into little baggies for the families! (We felt like pharmacist)! Monday we packed at Chamberlain College of Nursing-Addison campus! Here are a few pictures of the Chamberlain Team as we organized and packed all we could into suitcases for the trip!

DONE!

weighed in my 2 suitcases one for my personal suitcase and one suitcase for the donations and both less than 50 lbs!!!! thank god! Thank you again to my family and friends that donated! You guys are my world thank you for your good deeds!

Packing tips!

Okay for the students that are reading this and thinking about going on an international nursing project here are the things I have done to make the trip a lot easier for you!!!

1. PACK EARLY! haha sounds stupid, but really procrastination is everyone's friend!
2. Make a list of everything you will need
3. SHARE and talk with your friends so everyone can perhaps save money and not go crazy buying a ton of stuff!
4. ZIP LOCK BAGS are your best friend! I labeled some of my outfits so they do not get messed up in my suitcase and I dont have to search for a particular clothing material. For example: I put my church clothes into a specific zip lock bag so it doesn't get messed up with my other clothes!
5. They tell you to do this on the trip but do not forget to spray your clothes with bug spray a day or two before you leave!!! I packed everything into my suitcase now and then I will take everything out and spray them individually so I know I have everything to bring!
6. bring a garbage bag for dirty clothes and throw them in there when clothes get soiled
7. I personally brought 7 scrub bottoms, 7 t shirts, one scrub top for the surgical days, 17 pairs of underwear, 4 bra (sports and regular), 5 socks, swimsuit,1pair of sleep wear in a zip lock bag,  2 flip flips (one specific for shower), 2 pairs of gym shoes, and one pair of nice sandals for church wear.
8. PACK HAIR TIES LADIES don't forget them and headbands to pull your hair back!
9. oh and toiletres...bar of soap, tooth brush with cover, deodarant (nonscent), and if you can buy shampoo/conditioner at your destination do that!
10. NET FOR WHEN YOU ARE SLEEPING! I HATE BUGS! OH AND BUG SPRAY! GAWWWW

I can't think of anything else!!!! Ill update as soon as I think of anything more! I am currently asking my friends if I should bring my straightner, I am telling you share if you can!!!

packing!

Hello everybody. So we leave Wednesday. Tomorrow is the official packing day at school where our whole team is going to combine all of our donations that we have collected and finally arrange them into suitcases and hopefully they will weigh less than 50 lbs. I am gathering all of my donations right now and personally putting some of my donations to the families we were assigned to. I put my families names on my bags that I made for them and will put them into the suitcase as well! I really hope I do not have suitcase trouble at the airport!!!! ugh packing is just a lot of work!!!

Schedule is up!!!

 

Schedule may change but here it is!!!! I am getting even more excited for this!!!! Surgical missions and Pagudpud Resort!!!! Here I come!!!

5 days and 22 hours!

Oh man 5 days left!!! I am so anxious! At Starbucks reading my community textbook as we speak =)

Danielle

T minus 8 days and counting!!!

Happy new year everyone!!!!! Hope everyone had a safe New Years! I can't believe we are leaving in 8 days!!!! I feel I have so many emotions going on in my head right now!!! I have so much to read and prepare for the trip!! Most importantly, I feel we still need more donations! So please if you need to give anything away please consider!!! Packing day is January 7th! There is still time!

Danielle