day one officially

Hey Guys,

Wow what a first day so I will sum up the first day... tired and first experiences. The trip in was long and winding after the 7 hours worth of flying on planes and sleeping in the airport we loaded up in a van and headed to Jinotega. It was midnight when we arrived and I realized that a large bus can fit through some of the smallest spaces that I have ever seen:) but all in all it was a great travel experience, we arrived at 2am. My co-worker I am traveling with is amazing and so is the doctor team that is here for this week.

Day one... we woke up and met at 8:00am and had our group breakfast. They have some of the best coffee that I have ever tasted, and trust me I needed it after the 6 hours of sleep that I got. I imagine that I look like what I have heard mom describe when grandma fell down and stretched the skin under her eye. Once we finished breakfast Sandy the surgeons nurse asked me if i would like to scrub in... and I excitedly agreed.


We headed to the street to load up the hundreds of pounds of medical supplies that our team and over the entire year scrounged together. The supplies were literally hundreds of pounds when the packs went through airport security there was not one that weighed under 50 pounds. Off we were... two blocks later we were there! We unloaded and headed in, to be around this team alone was a blessing, the way that they operate is so efficient and professional.

We started to asses the patients within 10 min. of us arriving, there was five women that were chosen for the first day of surgery. Unfortunately we had to postpone one of the patients due to the fact that she had been given an anti-coagulate and got moved to the next day. So after another 10 min of  assessing the patients we headed to the OR!

Upon arrival I was thrown a pair of scrubs and then I was just in my boxers in the middle of the OR changing for an operation. This was not just me but the entire team. Once in scrubs we began unpacking the labyrinth that was the medical supplies that were brought. Once this was complete patient number one was there, Maria. Maria, had cancer in her uterus and had walked for hours to get to the hospital with her daughter to see our team. Mind you this is the first time that I have ever been in an operating room and around blood, unless if you count the time that i cut my finger and some how bled all over the house. And so it began, they began to operate and I was able to take a clinical approach and not once did I feel queasy or nauseous. There is no reason to tell you every detail, but let me just say that I have truly tested whether or not I can be in an OR and I can.

We saw three more patients that day. What I was most impressed with was when the mist around how a surgical team communicated and operates was lifted they were truly remarkable. They way that they were constantly anticipating what the other might need and at the same time, teaching the medical staff accompanying us at the time on what to do. Mind you they hospital staff only spoke Spanish and the doctors for the most part only spoke English this was a barrier in itself. I have a difficult time asking for water "... agua.... por... favor???" I don't think that you can appreciate the pauses in type :). I am just ordering water they are inside a person!

Once the days operations were complete we walked back to the hotel, it was a great walk because of the sights and the thoughts that went through my head. We had saved four people that day! Four lives and we were just walking down the street like we were tourists. I got some looks just because I resembled a Doogie Houser figure:)

I was speechless... literally I had seen so much, and interacted with so many that I had no idea what to say! We had dinner and left to retire for the night. I started to watch the Superbowl and fell asleep!!! I woke up in the finish of the game and saw that it was probably one of the best in years:). But that  rest was very needed and now I can talk again:) I will fill you in later on today's exploits, we are headed to the rural villages to see the micro-business loans with two photographers that do freelance work for national geographic. Wish me luck...