Last night we did not have internet access (I know, "first world problems"...), but we did sit around as a very tired group and just typed up the few highlights below. Now I am finally getting around to posting them for your reading pleasure...
- · 5 am, “quiquiriqui!!!” (That’s cock-a-doodle-do in Spanish… our wake-up call)
- · Nichelle and Kimberly each got to do their first skin incisions and abdominal closures
- · Kimberly also got to do half of a hysterectomy!
- · Elizabeth scrubbed in to her first surgery! (And did great!)
- · All three of our surgeries went well and are expected to recover well!
- · We saw 9 patients in clinic
- · We got to show a young couple their baby’s heartbeat for the first time (7 and 2/7 weeks!)
- · The Guatemalan OR team did a fantastic job working as a team to help us emergently convert a vaginal case to an abdominal case quickly and safely.
- · Jana made an amazing pizza dinner, which just hit the spot when we got out of the OR around 7 pm
- · Limes were successfully purchased in the market by Kim and Elizabeth, who also managed not to get lost many times going to the market by themselves
- · At least three patients had their cell phones ring during their consults today—a growing issue!
- · We got to see a patient for a follow-up visit whose hysterectomy we did in 2010! She looks great, and is still grateful and appreciative
- · No one is very sick on this trip currently
- · We are looking forward to operating on three more special ladies tomorrow.
- · We’ve seen lots of women who came in with very supportive husbands for their consults, which is always positive to see
- We took lots more great pictures in the OR, which we will try to share as soon as the internet is fast enough to upload them!
Today, one of the best highlights was our first patient, who came in because she was told she needed a D and C for a miscarriage. When we went to ultrasound her, however, we were able to show her what appeared to be a normally growing baby inside with a very early heartbeat! As I always teach the students and residents that I work with, we "always give the pregnancy the benefit of the doubt" when it comes to very early diagnosis of miscarriages and other pregnancy mishaps. It was another in a very long list of great teaching points for all of us learners on this trip.
Tom and I actually got called to the OR around 9:30 last night to an incarcerated hernia case, and got out just after midnight-- so I was even more thankful for an upbeat, energetic, and helpful team today. I continue to be amazed by the talent levels of all of the people I am working with, and will of course never cease to be amazed by the patience, gentleness, and generosity of the Guatemalan people that I am so privileged to serve.
II am now going to attempt to post some more pictures, but I have learned the hard way this week to go ahead and post the text first then try to deal with the pictures; internet has been sketchy for posting large files lately!
Good night to all-- and thanks for reading and praying for us!
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