What is a general and plastic surgery nurse doing on a women’s health ward?

This question nagged me in the first days of our women’s health rotation.

Fortunately, our team leader and fellow experienced nurses did an excellent job educating us about obstetric fistulas and their surgical care. I quieted myself with the sad fact that obstetric fistulas don’t exist in the United States anymore. So even if I did have women’s health experience back home, this would still be new.

Fast forward a week or so into our women’s health surgeries. One of our ladies had a fistula repair attempted. Unfortunately the surgery failed, the tissue came apart, and the hole opened up again. We were all devastated. It looked like nothing else could be done.

Until a new surgeon came… he suggested that we create a colostomy to give the surgical site a chance to heal properly. Once the fistula was repaired, the colostomy could be reversed and the bowel would be able to function normally again.

Now, there was much discussion and debate on this decision. In many ways it felt like a long shot… there were a lot of things that needed to go well for this to work. But the decision was made to go through with the idea and Mercy Ships partnered with a trusted local hospital to plan the follow up surgeries and care necessary for a successful outcome.

However, colostomies are not a typical surgery on the ship. The last ostomy was done over 2 years ago. Most nurses haven’t seen colostomies… and if they have, the ostomies are not new.

But in this I finally started to see why I was placed in women’s health this year. The surgeons on my unit back home make colostomies all the time. I’ve taken care of dozens of ostomies… and I wasn’t the only one. A few other nurses on our team had experience with ostomies as well. God provides.

But it became obvious we didn’t quite have all the supplies we needed. We had enough to make do, but our patient would definitely need more for this plan to work. My friends and I put our heads together, talked with the leadership, researched online about ostomies in developing countries, and sent out an order to Amazon.

It seemed to be the quickest solution. At this last part of the field service, we needed these supplies fast.

We went over the list of supplies and tried to be as frugal and practical as possible. I was proud of all we were getting for the money we spent. It seemed like a good deal.

But then I got an email for our home office in Texas responsible for shipping packages to the ship…

Included in our order was a bundle of baby wipes. We thought it would be a clean, cost effective, and easy option for washing her skin around the colostomy without the hassle of collecting additional water from the well or river at home.

What I didn’t think about was the weight…

Because wipes are on the heavy side, shipping them from our Texas office to Africa would cost about 8 times what we spent on the wipes themselves.

The email was asking for confirmation that we really wanted this item shipped given the higher cost.

My mind slammed on the brakes.

Is this too much? Am I being unreasonable? Are baby wipes really worth all THAT???

My friends were sitting next to me and saw my face. As I explained the situation they hardly missed a beat, “Just send it, Erin. We’ll all chip in on the cost if we have to. These wipes will be good for her. Don’t worry about it. Just go for it.”

I replied telling Texas to send the package anyway, but it still bothered me as I settled into bed. What was the right decision? Is it wasteful? Is it reckless? To spend that kind of money on baby wipes?

As I prayed, God brought to mind the story of Mary washing the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume…

Talk about an action that incited debate. Some called it wasteful. Some called it reckless. But Jesus… Jesus called it beautiful. And then He used a phrase that brings such comfort to my heart…

“She has done what she could.” 

Do what you can. Give from your heart. Count the cost and love anyway.

In light of this story, Jesus seems to be all about Baby Wipe Extravagance.

As my mind recalled His character, I found more and more examples…

Because the Creator coming to Earth as a helpless child is far more than Baby Wipe Extravagance.

The Son of God putting Himself through puberty is far more than Baby Wipe Extravagance.

The King of Kings riding on a donkey into the city that would betray Him is far more than Baby Wipe Extravagance.

The only perfect man dying on a cross for my sin is far more than Baby Wipe Extravagance.

As I sat recalling His Goodness and Generousity, I just started to cry. Thank God for His Baby Wipe Extravagance!

Why did I ever hesitate? Why am I so compelled to be hyper-pragmatic about the things that matter and so lazy with the things that don’t? This additional cost of shipping is the amount of two months of the YMCA membership I never used – I had that membership for 18 months! But I never worried about that. 

While I know efficiency and cost effectiveness are important, this situation shined a light on how my priorities can still be so broken. I am incredibly grateful my God is not stingy. He loves lavishly. He provides more than enough. Even when we don’t realize it…

He sends us Baby Wipe Extravagance.