The diaries of the 2012 Med4Nicaragua Mission: April 2012

Saturday, April 14, 2012

"LA team" up at 4 am home by 4:00 pm. "SD team" up at 9:00 for a 12:00 flight, with some flight delays they were home by 1:00 am. A long day of travel but a feeling of content for all.

A year of fundraising, coordinating and planning. 29 free surgeries- well over $1,000,000.00 worth of free medical care. We bring everything with us, every surgical gown, IV fluids, medications, sutures, surgical packs, monitors, tubings... the list goes on and on. We take nurses and take them out of their comfort zone of their specialty give them a five minute orientation and expect them to go. We are a mobile surgical team all money is raised by us.

To date Med4Nicaragua has completed 69 free surgeries and changed the lives of many.

Welcome home all, and thank you for your hard work and devotion.
Thank you to Steve Teasdale for helping me with the blog. The lack of wifii made it impossible to keep up on the blog daily in Nicaragua.

Until next year!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Friday was the last day we would be in Nicaragua, We spent Thursday night as a group sharing stories and talking about how the trip has changed each and all of us in some sort of way. It was a night full of emotion and tears.

The next morning some of us woke up early to take the bus down to the beach to surf. For a few of us it was a first time experience. As the morning went on other members of our team arrived at the beach to surf or lay in the sun. Of course Kai Brody showed us all up out on the waves!!!!

From the beach we returned to the hotel to load the luggage and head back toward Managua to throw a pizza party at the orphanage. On our way out of town we made a final stop at Roberto Clemente medical clinic to donate our leftover medical supplies and our scrubs. They were very grateful for everything.

As we began our 3 hour ride towards the orphanage the bus became very quiet as most of us took naps. We stopped a house along the side of the road to hand out "pillow pet" stuffed animals the smile on his face as he was handed these items was priceless. A picture in my mind and a warmth in my heart I will never forget.

We made a surprise stop in Messiah to visit an open air market for 30 minute souvenir shopping trip. After our quick stop we took the long way to the orphanage. In other words we were lost. Once we got there we began interaction with kids. Some of the boys were excited about the soccer balls that we brought for them and almost instantly a game of soccer was on!! The letters written by the children in Seal Beach were given to Josh the director to pass on to the children that live at the orphanage with a promise of return letters and pictures. The donations were given to the orphanage with much gratitude.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the time with the kids, and you could defiantly see the smiles on the children's faces.

We left the orphanage and arrived late back at the hotel that would be the final place the team would be together. The "LA team" and the "SD team" said goodbye, as we had become so close to everything. Everyone was exhausted and went straight to bed to begin the long trek home in the morning.

The Messiah - open air market

Stacy Byone's prize possession - found at the Messiah. Quite a conversation starter. And yes, the Rooster made it thorough customs!

Orphanage

Playing soccer with the kids from the Orpahanage

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Last day of surgeries. 11 total today. Our team has amazing spirt, very organized and the flow is smooth. Not to say that there are not a few problems here and there such as, power outage in the OR, Dr. Maxwell- anesthesia ventilator stopped working during surgery, our camera that the doctor's use during surgery decided to give out during the case. But amazingly we reverted to plan B without hesitation and the patients did very well. Each operating room and recovery was assigned a Nicaraguan Nurse to shadow us. The Nurses were so grateful that they were hugging and kissing us with appreciation when we left.

We donated most of our equipment to Rivas hospital.

Dr. Vega - Chief of Staff at Rivas Hospital

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Today we returned to Rivas hospital with a better idea of what to expect. The team took to the task of finding our patients and getting the day started. We had 10 surgeries scheduled for the day. 6 general, and 4 OB/GYN surgeries. By 8:30am we were beginning the first incisions of the day. There was an ease with team, as if everyone had been working together for years. The team really developed a sense of kinship with one another, although we've only worked one day with each other. The surgeries went smooth all day long.

We had a different experience as we ordered pizza for lunch, and apparently in Nicaragua, instead of pizza sauce they use ketchup. A little different to say the least.

As the day went on and we turned over patients we began to explore the rest of the hospital. We decided to visit the emergency room. To our surprise it was ALOT more different then we would have ever imagined. It was over filled with patients flowing into the hallways. The beds were covered with sheets the patients bring in themselves. Rooms were divided by actual shower curtains. The equipment was minuscule. Literally they were reusing equipment patient to patient. The floors and walls were filthy and many patients looked as if the were in complete misery. Really makes you grateful for what we have in the US. After a long day we packed up and headed back to the hotel for a quick bite to eat and an early night sleep. Some team members stayed up a little later to share some war stories from the day, while others relaxed in the pool. As the night settled the anticipation and realization of our last day set in..

A typical bathroom at the hospital. No soap or toilet paper available.

This little boy was not our patient. Valishia discovered him sitting by himself waiting to have surgery on his arm. He was at the hospital with his Grandma who was waiting outside. He had been at the hospital for two weeks waiting for the orthopedic surgeon to come and do his surgery. After he emerged from the anesthesia after the operation there was no pain medication for him. Our team to the rescue. The Recovery room nurses gave him some Morphine from our supply and helped to recover him.

We found his grandma and gave her some pain medication and some instructions for his discharge.

Valishia and the boys grandmother. She was so appreciative.

The wound cart.

The families of the patients tend to their own.

A typical patient's room.

The linen cart

The orthopedic supply room.

The wait to be seen in the Emergency room.

The Emergency room. The beds are separated by shower curtains.

Fluid and Blood warmer.

The Lobby of the hospital.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

What an amazing and successful day. A 14 hour day - our team worked successfully together from prep to Recovery room!

We were joined by a Dr. Robert Vega a Nicaraguan doctor who has just completed medical school on his way to finding a residency. He scrubbed in with Dr. Brody and assisted Kai, Dane, Gabby and Kelsey in translating. He was a huge asset to the team.

We completed 10 surgeries today. Total abdominal hysterectomy, myomectomy. eight fibroids removed (one the size of a baseball), with severe endometriosis. Laparoscopic bilateral tubal ligations, endometrial ablations, laproscopic colectomies, cholecystecomies.

The women with the fibroid cysts was told by Nicaraguan doctors that she would never be able to have children. After surgery Dr. Brody told her that she believes she will be able to conceive in 3 months. She cried and and called us her angels.