Thursday and Friday

Thursday morning we had clinic at ASELSI. Isaac had been a bit of a bear all afternoon and evening on Wednesday but Thursday morning seemed better.

We saw about 30-35 patients at ASELSI, including several new prenatal patients. Among them was our friend Laura Maria Hernandez, who you might remember as our first patient with the molar pregnancy (who we had admitted to the hospital here in Quiche, she spent 10 days here for a 10 minute procedure, then we had to ambush her at her house to confirm that the hospital got all of the tumor, etc.). Well, thanks be to God, she is now pregnant with a BABY, not a tumor!!!

One of our diabetic patients came in looking like she had lost a fight. Well, she had. She got beat up by three drunk guys a few days ago, but was really more interested in getting her diabetes meds. She basically shook off the whole thing as one of those things that just happens sometimes. Grrr...

We also found out about a young woman who turned up pregnant, infuriating her father, who won't let her leave the house. A midwife came in and told her that she's pregnant with twins. Midwives have been right and wrong on that particular issue, so we are sending a Mayan woman who knows the family out to ask if the father would allow us to bring an ultrasound in and check her. She will explain that if the midwife is right and his daughter is not properly cared for, she could be in some real trouble. We are praying that he will let us try to help her.

Thursday afternoon, Heidi had two surgeries: one a vaginal hysterectomy and reconstruction (vag-a-thon) that took a few hours, and an oopherectomy (removal of an ovary) that had been entrapped in some surgical scarring and was really hurting the patient quite badly. Two women's lives will be changed rather dramatically for the better as a result of this work. However, she didn't get done until nearly 9pm.

Isaac was being a bit of a knucklehead for Matt at home and shortly after 5pm, launched into an hour long tirade that left Matt afraid that something was going to pop! So he packaged up Isaac in the truck and left for Chichi. The screaming must have damaged Matt's brain a little, though, because he arrived in Chichi with a quiet child but no reading material. So he was stuck with "Operative Gynecology" for about an hour and a half. He won't make that mistake again.

Today, Isaac woke up a little angel and pretty much stayed that way all day. Maybe he DID pop something! Heidi was at the Hospital Buen Samaritano this morning and had some excellent patients. One was a cervical cancer patient who has thus far jumped through all the hoops put out for her by the Guatemalan health-care system, including a visit to INCAN, the cancer hospital here. Heidi called INCAN to get some test results and was pleasantly surprised at their helpfulness, friendliness, and efficiency. It looks like Heidi will be able to help this woman with a surgery next Wednesday.

She also had a visitor this morning at Buen Samaritano. Maria Suy Chan, the breast cancer patient who Heidi and Dr. Hoak tried to schedule for a mastectomy nearly a year ago (she finally declined the surgery, went to Guate, was admitted for a week then told they couldn't operate because she was pregnant, then declined any treatment for several months, then finally got her surgery in Guate) came by to give Heidi a gift for all her help. It's a beautiful skirt that will probably get worn quite a bit! (Heidi was a little hacked that it was an XL, but compared to Guatemalan women who are mostly a foot shorter than her....anyway.)

This afternoon, we dropped off a key to the green truck and the house, along with some money to Jacob at the Utatlan school. He just had eye surgery, so he is sending Juan Par and Jacobito (Jacob Jr.) to go get Jim, Roy, and John tomorrow at the Guatemala City airport. Our green truck is still there, so they will bring it back with them. Jacob called this evening to tell us that they had some problems getting the truck out of the parking lot. Apparently, during this week, with no signage to this effect, the parking lot changed hands. It is no longer a private parking lot, it belongs to the Civil Air Patrol (or the Guatemalan equivalent thereof). Jacobito is obviously fluent in Spanish, is experienced in negotiating the Guatemalan "system" and is a law student, so he got the truck out with a few photocopies of various documents. Another example of God always sending the right person for the job. Whew! (Matt was supposed to fly down with Duane this morning to get the truck out and would probably still be standing there arguing with someone.)

Anyway, here are some pics of Isaac, Heidi, and Matt in clinic on Thursday.