Brief update on project start:
To make a long story short, our internet access is limited
(hopefully to be remedied soon). I’ve
typed up a long blog post on my ipad which I hope to post eventually, but it is
trapped there for lack of WiFi. I typed
up a longer post on a laptop to find out that it has sketchy power supply. Because I didn’t save it sooner, I lost a
page and a half and can’t get it back. I
took a break and did some reading as it’s been a very long day. Hold on a sec while I hit “save”…
Okay, back now on a recharged laptop battery. Hoping to post this sometime tomorrow
(Tuesday) if I can make it to the internet café with my thumb drive. Enough about technology (or lack thereof).
We made it to Bolivia safely and smoothly, cruised through
customs with the help of our well-connected hosts, and managed to score some
espresso AND bacon at the airport before the bus ride to Colonia Japonesa de
San Juan de Yapacani (from here on simply known as San Juan). San Juan and its hospital are essentially a
ghost town on Sunday, so we were not able to get in to do any setting up - just
a tour of the builings without really going inside any of the rooms. We spent most the day coping with the heat
(98.6F + stifling humidity), settling into our lavish rooms at the Residencial
Jordan hotel (not too shabby by Bolivian standards), and getting to know one
another. So far, being medical director
is going well because I have had nothing medical to direct.
For our first workday (Monday), we ate breakfast and I gave
a devotion out of John 1:16-18 (the God who came) and Mark 1:40-41 (the God who
was willing to touch). Clinic team then
boarded the buses for an off-site location about 45 minutes away while the
hospital team started to unpack and organize the equipment and OR and to see
some initial consultations. Just like
last year, I am struck by the need to think of EVERYTHING involved in the
process of getting a surgical patient all the way through consultation to
postoperative care. Quite a bit is
involved, 98% of which is NOT usually my responsibility at home and which now
IS suddenly my responsibility is here.
Somehow, we managed to get about 40 suitcases and crates of supplies
organized, see consultations on everything from Hirshprung’s disease to hernias
to congenital syndactyly, to assemble the anesthesia equipment, put together
instrument trays, sterilize them, and then get two operations done, all with
the use of a single interpreter (she’s now curled up in the fetal position, but
should be fine by tomorrow). Francis had
to head back to Santa Cruz for the afternoon to pick up supplies to fill some
glaring gaps in our supply list (things like retractors and scalpel blades)
which are in shorter supply than we had expected. The fact that we got any procedures done
(specifically a ventral hernia repair and a delayed repair of a bad tibial
plateau fracture) was somewhat miraculous.
Rather than being frustrated by the pace, I tried to stay positive and
productive as did the rest of the team.
Francis encouraged us to be flexible, patient, and cooperative with one
another - such encouragement paid immediate dividends for the surgical team.
The medical team had an equally busy day, but managed to see
87 patients between the three doctors.
Not bad considering they had the assemble the clinic from scratch on
site. I don’t know many other details as
we haven’t had much time to debrief. Our
work may remain somewhat separate for the next few days as each team has to gel
and work on process improvement to become more efficient. That means sleep, which is what is on tap
starting in about five minutes.
Miss everyone stateside. I am definitely a bit more “on-edge”
here than my usual happy-go lucky self, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t exactly
where I’m supposed to be. My meditation
this morning was out of John 3:30 - that He must become greater and I must
become less. Today felt like it was much
about becoming less. Now eagerly
awaiting the part where God becomes greater.
Battery is about to die again, as is my wakefulness. More to come soon, time and net access
permitting.
-Matt
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