Operating and More...

Well, last night we were too exhausted after a pretty grueling day in the OR to write anything, so here's a quick catch up... Yesterday was one of those days when we just couldn't get anything to go right-- From not being able to start our first OR case until nearly noon to having to stop and change the tube in the bladder out because the first one wasn't working to running in to more bleeding than we wanted to calling Tom because I panicked and thought I had cut in to the intestines to... well, you get the picture. The ladies who work in the OR thought it was a spiritual attack brought on by the fact that our patient practices some witchcraft, and I'm not at all sure I don't believe them!

Thanks to all of you who have been praying so faithfully for us, today was a million times better and one of the best days I've ever had down here! The patients from yesterday looked fantastic this morning, the one from Monday went home, there were only three consults waiting for us, and four good surgeries scheduled. For the first time this week, we actually got all the scheduled cases done today! Tomorrow should be a relatively light day in theory, so maybe we'll have time to catch up on odds and ends (and shopping, of course!) that have eluded us earlier in the week. There are several of the nurses at the hospital that want to talk to us about something or other so we can finally see them tomorrow maybe.

Today we have a few fun pictures to share also... One is of Monica receiving a random but much needed shoulder rub from a young girl who came with her mother for her consult today! Never mind that they had been waiting by that time a good five or six hours to even see us and we had relatively little to offer for their non-gynecologic problems-- The girl saw that we looked tired and took over trying to help US out, which is just another example of the spirit of the Guatemalan people we are so privileged to serve.

Warning: pictures that follow are not for those who really don't like gross stuff...

There are also some pictures of a great big uterus that Tom and I took out at the end of the day, which was actually a lot of fun considering how smoothly the surgery went. Also pics of Tom and I operating (Monica was nice enough to be operating the camera for this one) Monica got to be a little more involved on the cases today since they were going more smoothly, which was a blast for me (and hopefully for her, too!) to get to have her open up and close up her first surgery!

Thank you all for your continuing prayers-- We really felt them today in the operating room and in the Hospital in general and are feeling refreshed even after such a long day by being reminded once again how great our God is.