Day 1 Sunday, June 14th
Genesis 1:3-4. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”
We would like to thank everyone with Faith in Practice, the hospital staff, patients, and all of our friends and family at home for all of your support and for making this mission possible. As beautifully said by one of the incredible hospital workers at Hospital Hilario Galindo (HHG), “Thank you for being our light, and thank you for being good.” At 6 am sharp, we kicked off the first official day of the mission with a reflection from Tony, our spiritual leader, on practicing mindfulness and discussing our personal reasons for joining the team here in Guatemala. Oscar, a returner and one of the team translators, shared his experience with the mission and noted that back home, he was met with pity when he told others about his upcoming mission. He emphasized that we are not doing pitiful work here, since he feels we get as much out of the experience as anyone else. On his first mission, Mitch from the wheelchair clinic expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come and break their monotonous daily cycle of life back home to do good in the world. As one of the core leaders of this team, Rocky drew a powerful analogy to motivate his annual return to this mission, which resonated with many of us. He said that as the year goes by, he feels like his cup of motivation and fulfillment is constantly draining, and that this mission allows him to replenish it. Tracey, an annual returner to this mission and one of our talented general surgeons, highlighted the joy of working with patients, the appreciation for the team, and the opportunity to grow and innovate in her surgical skills continually.
Each surgeon on the team took time today to conduct a preoperative evaluation of each patient they will treat this week. Here, the surgeons had the opportunity to meet their patients in person, assess whether they were appropriate candidates for the proposed surgery, and explain the risks and benefits of the expected recovery process. The patients then went to the anesthesia team, where they were assessed again to determine the safest form of anesthetic method for them.
On our team, we have three general surgeons: Dr. Tracey Childs, Dr. Brian Diskin, and Dr. Dan Nadig. Brian’s first case of the day was a former patient who had come to Faith in Practice (FIP) in years prior for her hernia, but was turned away and advised to lower her (hemoglobin A1CHbA1c) to lower complication risks in the hernia repair. After working all year to lower her HbA1c, she reduced it from 10 to 7.1. The surgery was still very high-risk, and all three general surgeons consulted on this patient; it was clear that the surgery would be very difficult, if even possible. Tracey explained that none of the patients in Guatemala are chronic drinkers or smokers, and they are all very conscious of their diet pre-op and post-op. At FIP, all care is for chronic conditions, and many of these patients wait several years before receiving treatment.
However, this patient’s commitment and hard work paid off, because the general surgeons deemed her surgery operable. Following surgery with Dan this week, she will be rid of her hernia for the first time in nine years, which was very emotional for everyone in the room.
Our surgical gynecology team consists of Dr. Canty Wang and Dr. Angela Nishio. Canty and Angela work in the same practice back at Providence Saint John’s in Santa Monica, so they are incredibly adept at operating together. Unlike the general surgery team, who each run their own operating rooms and divide their cases, Canty and Angela will be tag-teaming on operating and assisting in all 19 cases they have scheduled for this week. They rotated in consulting and examining each patient during preops, and worked together to organize their schedule. Only one of the 20 patients they saw was deemed inoperable. After receiving clearance for her hysterectomy, one of the patients asked Angela how much the procedure would cost. Angela explained that all procedures performed by FIP are pro bono and that it wouldn’t cost her to proceed. She immediately teared up and expressed her gratitude and relief at hearing this, and this was one of the most moving interactions I have seen thus far.
Sickness-wise, we have luckily had only one casualty so far, and I am both grateful and regretful to say it was me. I was convinced that when I got sick, I would miss out on opportunities to see our team in action around the hospital today. Despite the turmoil of being sick, I am grateful to attest firsthand to the immaculate care our team provides. Minutes after my symptoms began, Dr. Joe Austin, the team doctor, and several RNs in the PACU, including Derrick, Jenelle, Pamela, and many others, immediately came to my aid. They all had to simultaneously see patients and set up the PACU for those scheduled for the following day. Still, everyone remained attentive to my condition, and I never felt concerned about my well-being. Under Dr. Joe Austin’s direction, everyone quickly administered the appropriate medication to alleviate symptoms and started IV fluids to treat dehydration. While under unfortunate circumstances, I am very lucky to have been surrounded by world-class healthcare professionals, and I have confidence that each of them is the best provider we could have on this team.
As Oscar stated earlier in reflection, and I very much agree with this now, when you tell people you are embarking on a medical mission, they feel pity for you. They assume that we are sacrificing something for ourselves to do suboptimal work here. Having observed our surgeons in pre-op, our team doctor in action, and our PACU staff providing impeccable, timely care, I think I can speak for all of us when I say this mission is not a sacrifice for any of us. Each member of our team I have met is one of the best in their field, and they devote 110% to every single case, truly providing the best care possible.
Sara Ty, Blogger
