There was a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air this morning for the initial day of surgery. At our morning gathering, we went through some takeaways from the previous day and thought about how we can apply that learning to today. The message of finding our calm carried throughout the day helping us to stay centered while allowing us to stay focused on our purpose for this mission. The Team’s mantra is “adapt and overcome” whatever challenges we face this week.
In talking with Danny, the kid’s PACU nurse, she shared that she felt extremely grateful to be able to experience helping here in Guatemala. “Many things are done differently here, but having such a great supportive team made a huge difference.
One of the first cases was a little three-year-old girl, who touched many hearts with her her sweet charm during her consultation the day before. Adriana was born with a small growth on the left side of her neck and was scheduled to have surgery in 2020, but it was canceled due to the outbreak of Covid. She seemed very excited that she could finally have it removed and look even more adorable than she already is. The surgery turned out to be much more complicated than initially expected, but fortunately, the mass was able to be removed successfully in the end. It was truly touching to see Adriana’s stepdads’ profound love sitting at her bedside as she awoke from anesthesia.
Erick Santos was another young patient seen today by Dr. Pogo for both an Adenoidectomy and Tonsillectomy for sleep apnea. A typical young 5 year old boy who loves playing soccer and hanging out with his dog, Cheeky. Pre-operatively he was already talking about his wishes for pizza and French fries post-op. His mom’s wish for him is to be able to, “Sleep through the night like a baby.”
Another compelling patient seen today was Christian, a 30-year-old male from Oratorio, Santa Rosa with an extensive right tibia fracture. Christian was in a terrible motor taxi accident 7 years prior and has since undergone four unsuccessful surgeries. Immediately after the accident, he went to a hospital that sadly wasn’t able to help him due to the lack of necessary surgical instruments. Previously a farmhand, and now unable to work in the past year, only wishes after surgery, to once again provide for his wife and three children.
It was a productive day and all the cases went well. The Team left the hospital exhausted but feeling a sense of gratitude for helping so many in need.
-Beata Pogodzinski and Rebecca Ross
To support this Team, visit: https://donate.faithinpractice.org/team/455485
