Second Post of the Day

This is what happens when you post in the morning, so be sure to read the post below, too...

As we were posting the last entry, another patient knocked on the door. Felipa is one of our chronic patients in Chicabracan. She's one we employed, briefly, as a translator. We still use her to translate once in a while when a patient cannot speak Spanish, but many of our patients there bring their own translators with them.

Felipa's 8-year-old daughter was injured a week ago when the van she was trying to board failed to stop long enough for her to get on. She managed, somehow, to cut her inner thigh quite badly. They came to the hospital to get stitches and when they returned today to have them removed, the wound was still open. The docs in the hospital, very appropriately, told her to wait another week for things to heal a little better. Then, quite inexplicably, they told her not to walk in the meantime. Well, you get some right, you get some wrong. (Though this is not exactly what you're looking for in a health care provider!)

Heidi looked at the wound, more or less agreed with the assessment to wait another week, and explained the "use it or lose it" principle. The cut isn't deep enough to affect anything other than skin. Walking around will produce a better outcome than laying on a bed, guaranteed.

Later, Isaias returned to the house after his speech therapy appointment with a note from the therapist explaining that her opinion is that he needs a plastic insert in his mouth to help reduce the nasal quality of his voice (from the wide open palate). Luckily, we know a missionary who can help us with this.

In the afternoon, Heidi, Annie, and Beth went to the Hospital Buen Samaritano in Chichicastenango to do their abdominal hysterectomy. All went well and the patient is now recovering. They'll go by to check on her tomorrow.

Construction work continues on the new driveway. We did catch a guy trying to rip us off on a rock delivery. He claimed his truck held 10 cubic meters of rock. The contractor told Matt privately that they don't make a 10 cubic meter truck, only about 7 or 8. We asked to measure the truck and the math came out to 7.5 cubic meters, which is what we paid for. No special gringo pricing, please...

Tonight, Heidi and Matt went over to Martin's house to check on Gloria again. Please keep her in your prayers.

Tomorrow, Heidi, Annie, and Beth will go to ASELSI. Matt and Isaac will stay home and supervise the first concrete pour.

Oh, and please read Beth's blog at the following address:

http://www.inmedblogs.us/bethgullone