Sunday, April 12, 2026
Team 900 Cahill / Dawson / Kim
Sunday is triage day, and it starts early: coffee is out by 5:30 a.m.; breakfast is served at 6; everyone gathers for devotional at 6:30; and we head over to the Obras at 7. There’s the orientation meeting at the hospital, and then pre-op clinics begin, where the surgeons evaluate the patients who are on the list for surgery. Those who are candidates for surgery then are evaluated by anesthesia to make sure they are in good enough health to undergo the procedure. A total of 95 patients were seen, and 78 were scheduled for surgery this week: 38 knees; 15 hips; 14 trauma; and 11 foot & ankle. The mobility clinic got underway as well: a whole different set of patients who need wheelchairs and other assistive devices, as well as medical evaluation.
Fr. Chris Eggleton and I followed Dr. Jack Dawson and his Resident, Dr. Abdullah Ghali, as they evaluated the trauma patients. Most of them have old injuries from motor vehicle accidents, but a few have tumors. One young woman has a large cancerous tumor in her knee and will find out after biopsy whether there is any alternative besides amputation. Many of the problems from old accidents involve hardware inserted in initial surgeries that has either shifted or become infected. Most are seeking treatment because of pain and inability to walk properly. One young man had a leg injury from a gunshot wound after he and his father were targeted by a gang when they went to Guatemala City for work. His leg has healed perfectly even though the antibiotic nail in his femur was supposed to be temporary and usually needs to be removed. Since he’s fine, he won’t have to have another surgery after all.
