Today marks our second day in Antigua, Guatemala. We woke up to the wonderful view of the Fuego Volcano drinking our Guatemalan coffee, a perfect backdrop and brew for the quiet moment of devotion and prayer before a meaningful day ahead.
After we wrapped up our prayers we made our way to the Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital. While walking down the cobblestone roads past multi-century old churches and bathing grounds the excitement could be felt throughout the team. Excited to make our mark in the world and meet many new faces on our triage day and set-up day.
Once we reached Obras Hospital we were provided with instructions on a variety of safe keeping procedures. We were then led to our triage rooms in which each surgeon received a room where they met with their patients to determine treatments, surgery dates and pre/post-operation instructions.They would then be brought to meet with many of our anesthesiologists to make sure they were prepared for the surgery in the coming days.
This day was not short of lessons or stories. It was quite obvious to see that the Guatemalan people have a very strong work ethic, are respectful, positive, extremely resilient and love their soccer.
I spent most of my day with the orthopedic surgeons and each patient story was unique in its own way. One of the first patients we saw had severe osteoarthritis in her right knee and needed a knee replacement.Though as soon as we took her medical notes we saw our next patient had the same last name. Both the husband and the wife had severe osteoarthritis in their right knees. We then sat to have a quick conversation with the husband to find out how far they had travelled and how they got to Obras hospital. They had traveled eight hours by bus, supported by a collection of money from their entire family, just to see our team.
After telling them we will be performing a total knee replacement their faces lit up. Both had been experiencing intense pain for over 5 years though expressing it in a humble way you could see the relief on their faces when they heard the news. Such a small change in face gestures was felt throughout the whole room. Before leaving, they shook hands with every staff member and nurse, their gratitude was felt amongst us all. Keep in mind both of these patients also had severe osteoarthritis in their left knee as well that would need to be treated the next year.
Another story that was captivating was the many ACL, MCL and PCL tears we saw. Many patients live with these injuries for years, unable to access the care they need. For many, the injury is caused by soccer which prevents them from playing it. You could quickly understand that soccer was not just any sport here but their way of life. The moment our surgical team told these patients they will be able to play soccer again their body language immediately changed and just like the patients before their smile lit up the room. It was more than just a surgery to them, it was a restoration of their ability to play what brings them joy.
The next few days will be filled with more surgeries, more stories, and more transformation. I encourage you to follow along each day- not just to see what we’re doing, but to witness the impact of compassionate care, shared humanity, and Faith in Practice.
Ross Roloson, Blogger
