Medical Team at Casa Del Rey

This week there is a medical team staying at Casa del Rey. Many of them we know from previous visits - some come down several times a year. Their main mission is to do rural clinics much like the ones we do, but on a larger scale. When you have a 10-20 person team, you can see a lot more patients!

We mentioned that this team has an anesthesiologist and that allows Heidi and Dr. Hoak to operate more and cheaper. Our local anesthesiologist is a wonderful woman but she works in the state hospital in the morning and then at Buen Samaritano in the afternoons - and not for free. So surgeries have to be scheduled when she's available and then the indigent fund has to absorb her cost. With a visiting volunteer, we can operate all day and without the extra fee.

Plus, this team has some handymen who are installing a central vacuum and central oxygen system. At the moment, we have to use a little electric vacuum pump that only holds about a liter and we have to use oxygen bottles. This will be a wonderful improvement and will increase both convenience and patient safety factors!

Heidi did two surgeries this week. Four were scheduled but two patients were no-shows. It happens. Both surgeries were vaginal hysterectomies with some additional repair work (clearly, Matt is writing and he's not a doctor!). One patient is getting on up there in years (they're not always exactly sure how old they are) but told Heidi she'd rather die on the table than continue living with her uterus hanging between her knees. Guess that's a pretty good indication for surgery!

Yesterday was Isaac's four month check-up at the pediatrician in Guatemala City. Everything looks good. He's more or less at the 50th percentile for "height" (really length) and weight - by American standards. He's about the biggest 4 month old most Mayans have ever seen! He got two more vaccines and tolerated them pretty well - only about a five minute meltdown.

We were on our way down to Guatemala City on Wednesday evening (the trip down and back in one day is too much for him) and got stuck in three different construction zones in the course of about a kilometer. Apparently they don't talk to each other. It started getting dark and our normal hotel was full. As was the hotel we stayed in when he was delivered. So we called our buddy Matt Capehart (owner of the Casa del Rey hotel - see the link on the right hand side of this page to "The Capeharts") and he said he could get us a hotel-owner's discount at most hotels. He called back and said he'd made reservations for us at the Tikal Futura hotel. It was FABULOUS! What an amazing hotel! We were ready to sell the house and move in - except that we don't own the house and it's a really long commute.... And all of that for about $70. Thanks so much, Matt!!!!

It must be construction season (still) in Guatemala because we got stopped for two more construction zones on the way home. What should be a 3 1/2 to 4 hour trip is now taking 6-7 hours. Fun, fun.

Today, Heidi is in her clinic at Buen Samaritano. She has a few post-op patients and whoever the team referred in to her. She often gets lots of referrals from teams - and we've gotten some good surgeries out of these. Many times, though, it's a chance to educate and evangelize a bit, too, so today should be good. Pray for her to have lots of patience (with a "c") because she's bound to have lots of patients (with a "t").