Day 5 – Wednesday, 14 May
MORNING DEVOTIONAL:
This morning I realized we were half way through the surgery days; and I know for a fact that many of the medical professionals on Team Pogo are feeling the effects of three days of surgical work at a higher elevation. But not a soul here is dismayed or discouraged.
After Beata’s medication, Dennis dove right into the thick of it to address an age old question as it relates to religion: The problem of evil. This led to a lively discussion, and in the end we all agreed that our mission to help others has drawn us together. Dennis then played John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
Finally, Dr. Pogo thanked several team members for being fast on their feet yesterday, which prevented some potentially bad outcomes. We are all working a foreign place with nonfamiliar equipment and some protocols we weren’t trained in. Still–that has stopped no one from bringing their A Game. Because of this, yesterday ended up a good day for our patients. Your humble blogger would end up seeing a little bit of that when attending rounds. See below!
WALKING TO THE HOSPITAL:
For the record, I want to include a shot of the main entrance of Obras Sociales Del Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital, where Team Pogo is doing their work this week. It’s a perfect example of how things here in Guatemala are a mix of old and new; and how the legacy of colonialism, in this case its architecture, still touches everything. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s final blog, where I plan to share bits of a tour of Obras Sociales Del Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital.
(Please see photo above of the hospital entrance.)
MORNING ROUNDS:
Jeff accompanied me on rounds this morning and he’s an excellent translator. Not only does Jeff know idioms and colloquialisms, he’s deeply empathetic.
We followed Dr. Jay to meet JOSE. Jose had his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) repaired yesterday. A torn ACL can prevent you from putting weight on your leg, which impacts your way of life in a dramatic way. It prevents participating in most sports and physical labor. In this country that can be devastating. Jose’s future just got a lot brighter. He’ll be released today, but will be returning for PT. After 6 weeks he can expect a full recovery!
(See photo above with Dr. Jay, Jose and Jeff.)
Next, Dr. Jay spoke with MELVIN, who had surgery yesterday for a very tough knee injury. Melvin will need to keep his knee straight for 6 weeks and will have to stick with a lot of PT for a long, slow recovery. But without this Faith in Practice surgery? Melvin would face life permanently on crutches or in a wheelchair. So this is a lifechanging moment for Melvin! Melvin was happy to have a photo with Dr. Jay and is very determined to make all of this work.
(See photo above of Dr. Jay with Melvin.)
I was then introduced to JOSE, the hospital’s Physical Therapist. Jose works PT both in the hospital and in outpatient. For those patients who can’t stay locally he prepares instructions and trains them in exercises they can take with them, much like in the US. Jose made himself available during rounds so he and Dr. Jay could align post-surgery care for Jose (Jose the patient) and Melvin.
(See photo above of Jose interviewing with your trusty team blogger.)
Next we met MARVIN, who had a nasal polyp removed yesterday. Marvin has an excellent prognosis. When we asked permission to photograph him with Dr. Pogo, Marvin insisted on removing his bandage to show the world just how handsome he is after Pogo’s amazing surgery!
(See photo above of Dr. Pogo with Melvin.)
To complete Rounds today, here’s a FINAL FOLLOW UP on the story I’ve shared for the previous two days about the Guatemalan girl who needed her nose repaired, which she has suffered from since birth. Because of the sensitivity of the story, (see Day 3), I’m going to use an alias for the girl’s first name; let’s call her “ANGELA.”
Angela likely has to wait another day before returning home. However, we learned she was up eating breakfast with her Mom, and would probably be willing to talk. Well, Angela and her mother were most decidedly happy to chat with Jeff and me, and very gracious about sharing more about their personal story.
Turns out Angela and her mother don’t live that far away from Obras Sociales Del Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital. Over the years, despite the fact that they’re not wealthy Guatemalans, they have donated some of their own milk and broccoli to Obras Hospital (and its related agencies, such as an orphanage and convalescent clinics) on a regular basis. Because of that connection, they learned that LIP offers surgeries for folks who can’t afford the cost. For a long time Angela and her mother didn’t believe any kind of surgery was possible, but they finally asked. Which brings us to today. Angela had the operation that is going to greatly improve her life.
Here’s a thought: It’s as if their family’s acts of selfless giving through the years have been returned to them tenfold. They are inexpressibly grateful.
More than grateful, Angela was full of spunk and humor. She and I chatted for a while, and I learned that Angela has an older brother. Angela and I agreed that, regardless of age difference, “sisters are always smarter than brothers!” She asked me what my favorite animal was, and I told her cats. I’m not sure she approved for Angela proudly informed me that her favorite animals are horses. She also plays soccer and in her last game she scored three goals. In other words, she’s a rockstar. We left with the promise that Angela would wait a few days before getting back on the soccer field and that she’d better be careful!
(Please see the photo above of me with Angela and her Mom.)
SURGICAL WORK CONTINUES APACE:
On this third day, the work in the ORs continued unabated. Fact: it’s unusual for surgeons and their teams up north at home to put in 3 consecutive days of surgeries like this. It’s exhausting. Please take a quick look at a photographic surgery survey in the next 4 photos:
Dr. Jay and Technician Ellie utilizing an endoscopic tube to work on a patient’s shoulder.
Dr. Kris, Dr. Mary and Technician Carre performing another hysterectomy.
CRNA Kelly and Nurse Joe readying anesthesia on another patient for Dr. Pogo.
An overview shot of the PACU with three patients recovering from anesthesia. L – R, Jeff, Sherry and Kim.
Speaking of the PACU…
POST ANESTHESIA CARE UNIT:
Today I was lucky enough to speak with a mother, Selsi, in the recovery room with her 3 year old daughter, SOFIA, who had just had a tonsillectomy and her adenoids removed. (For those who might not know, a tonsillectomy offers better sleep and less persistent infections.) While waiting for her daughter to recover from anesthesia, Selsi was kind enough to share her story.
Her daughter was struggling mightily with her condition, so this surgery will provide an immense relief. Selsi had taken Sofia to her local community health center in northern Guatemala and was told the procedure would cost the equivalent of $1600.00! Selsi’s husband died two years ago and she is trying to raise three children as a single mother. There is no way on earth she could afford this.
Then came a glimmer of hope: the health center told Selsi about FIP in Antigua and so Selsi traveled 14 HOURS in the hopes that Sofia could receive this surgery. They’ve been staying here in Antigua since last week. And where did they stay? At Casa De Fe, a local community center that offers beds, free food and safety for patients and their families waiting for LIP surgery. As a side note, like so much here at the hospital and with FIP, Casa De Fe exists solely on donations.
(Please see the photo above of Selsi with Nurse Kim. It’s not our custom to post photos of children who are sleeping.)
TODAY’S SHOUT OUTS:
Yesterday I shared a little bit about Rodolfo, and today I’d like to introduce readers to LYDIA. Lydia greeted us at the airport, and has been coordinating and facilitating a myriad of activities between FIP, the hospital, transportation—even helping find lost cell phones.
Lydia has been working with FIP since 2010 and lives in Antigua. But she does more than coordinate, Lydia builds bridges. By training and education she’s a clinical psychologist, in action she’s an encyclopedia source of solutions. She grew up in Guatemala City and started learning English from a very young age. When I asked Lydia for a quote to share with you all, Lydia said, “Every day is gratifying.” Thank you, Lydia, for chatting with me.
(Please see the photo above of Yours Truly with Lydia.)
HEAVY WORK, LIGHT HEARTS:
Today, if I may, I’d like to highlight a few instances of lighter moments. As is evident for anyone who’s read this far, there are a lot of people here doing some very serious work that will have a profound impacts on many lives. But sometimes if helps to just break the ice, to have a laugh, to let off some steam. I offer three examples:
First, in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), several of us caught DR. EMILY doing that terrible thing that physicians never want that their patients to do. What was this terrible thing?
Physicians go to medical school for years, work through residency and accumulate all kinds of debt so they can become experts in medicine, experts on the human body and experts in disease. What drives physicians nuts is when patients whip out their smartphones and Google what the doctor just told them…simply because they don’t like what they heard. Oops! Yesterday we discovered Dr. Emily in the PACU… consulting Google! The rest of the team in the room gave poor Emily all kinds of grief. It was a great moment.
(See photo above of Dr. Emily consulting Google on her phone.)
Yesterday I introduced you all to our CHARGE NURSE KELLIE. I then snapped this photo of Kellie crossing off, highlighting and otherwise correcting by hand the typed daily schedule posted to the wall of the PACU. (See photo above of Kellie writing on the wall.) I asked the staff “What in heavens is the Charge Nurse doing?” I got some smart-Alec comments, all within earshot of Kellie:
“Don’t call her the Charge Nurse, call her the Queen!”
“Queen? No, not the Queen, she’s God!”
Translation: Out staff LOVES Charge Nurse Kellie.
Finally, another fun instance was an unexpected moment of synchronicity. Just 4 days ago NURSE BREANNA and I were complete strangers. (Please see photo above of Breanna and I staring in surprise at her smartphone.) It turns out that one of Breanna’s close friends worked with me closely years ago before I retired. Yes, Breanna and I both come from Dane County, Wisconsin. Yet each of us had to travel 1000’s of miles to Guatemala on a medical mission to discover that both of us know the same amazing friend and colleague. If you’re reading this blog, Lily, don’t believe a thing Beanna tells you about me!
So many surprises, so many enlightenments, on this trip.
RELATED NOTES AND THOUGHTS: AMAZING THINGS THAT COME FROM GUATEMALA
As best as we can tell, the MARIMBA originated in Guatemala. The first documented evidence of a marimba is from 1680 in Antigua.
JADE JEWELRY originated with the ancient Mayan culture and today Guatemala is still one of the leading sources of the finest jade in the world.
Guatemalan feminist rapper REBECA LANE tours the world. Her music shines light on poverty, inequality, anarchy and champions activism. Her voice has becoming international.
COFFEE was probably invented in Ethiopia, but in today’s world, Guatemala and Honduras export the most coffee of all Central American countries, and Guatemalan coffee is considered some of the finest in the world. Every morning Team Pogo enjoys some to help start the day!
Thanks for reading. Our final day of surgery blog will be next.
–Rich, Pogo Team Blogger
Photos for this entire week are by Jeff E. and Rich N.
