Good and sad day: Farewell Dr. Nichelle

Baby Security Council trying to draft a Resolution banning
Dr. Nichelle from leaving Dili

Today was one of those really happy and really sad days all at once.  It is a spectacularly happy day because our lovely little man turned eight months today.  But it was a similarly sad day because our beloved Dili Doctor, Nichelle Geary, departs post for new adventures elsewhere in Asia.

To say that she has touched the lives of many (okay, most) of the new Dili babies and their moms (and remember, we are close to a rugby team for Class of 2011) is an understatement.  For most of the moms, she was the healthcare professional that got to share the most wonderful news with each of us as we sat nervously in her trailer-cum-consultation room on the Australian Embassy living compound.  From there, she was the one who did our monthly check-ups (to the best of her ability with the limited resources here) which generally included talking the overly-controlling thirty/forty-somethings through so many of our fears and concerns.  She patiently weighed us, listened to the little bubs, checked our well-being, diet, vitamin intake, and monitored our progress diligently.

My visits to Nichelle was truly something to look forward to.  As anyone who has ever been pregnant can tell you - it is a weird and wonderful time all at once.  Consider that there is no sonar in her office, it was mostly an opportunity to visit and talk about how you feel, what you have been experiencing, and ask her any questions you have.  Which, for the longest time, as someone with a spectacularly uncomplicated pregnancy, was a special time I looked forward to.

So happy after the big scare.

Of course, my love and respect for Nichelle was irreversibly cemented in when things went wrong.  On that fateful Monday morning when I went from low-risk, uncomplicated, healthy and fit pregnancy, to 'you have to leave Dili now' pregnancy, it was Nichelle that shepherded me through the process and on to the plane (literally).  From monitoring my 'cramps' to finally deciding that I had to evacuate Dili ASAP, including arranging for my special medical visa through the Australian Embassy, and then, perhaps most importantly, communicating with the hospital in Darwin and administering the life altering (and I don't mean this lightly), steroids that allowed Luka's lungs to develop to give him a much, much, better start in life, she has touched Luka's and our lives forever.

And so it was that we hosted the wonderful Dr. Nichelle as she is known to us, for some coffee and treats at our home this afternoon.  Working moms came from the office, stay-at-home moms, dads and nannies all came to pay our respect to a fantastic doctor, and a beautiful person.  Seeing her surrounded by seven of her babies this afternoon was something to see.  Watching her listen to each mom's recollection of her impact on her pregnancy was amazing.   From breaking the news to one mommy that she did not in fact test positive for the Malaria she suspected, but rather for pregnancy - to reliving the experience of her checking my blood pressure one last time before I boarded the flight while in labor (not telling the airline of course) - it was a special few hours of reminiscing about some of the most significant moments in our lives, and she was central to so many of them.

Nichelle, you will be so sorely missed.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart, I salute your courage, your patience, and your most beautiful self for caring so much about each and every one of us.  Your new post is so lucky to have you.

With deepest gratitude Lovely Lady.

Hard to believe this is the 30-weeker Nichelle really
did not want to meet in Dili in March.