This past week I was able to go to guatemala to do a medical mission. In 4 1/2 days we did 113 surgeries, saw 1000 patients in the clinic and I think 300 dental patients. We were serving the people of HueHuetenago. (a little city in the northern part of guatemala) Many of the people are actually mayan and dont speak the same spanish so it made things somewhat interesting... Its hard to describe how many people were there. the base that we stayed at had no hot water, we slept in one large room on a cot and sleeping bags, and came home with 14 spider bites and laryngitis! I think this was the most amazing thing I have ever done. It was so rewarding. they were so thankful.
So first we flew into guatemala city and drove four hours (up a windy pot-holed road) to a place called solola where we got to stay the night in an actual hotel with beds and showers and everything.
Guatemala military escorted us from guatemala city, to solola, and after another fours hours on a bus to huehuetenago
When we got to the military base on sunday afternoon in hue hue there were already people lining up waiting for us. Many of the people have never or will never see a doctor or have a chance to have the surgery that they need. A lot of them walked for 2-3 days to make it to us. so the clinic started seeing patients right away!
We began unpacking and making empty rooms into operating rooms. we brought in all of our own supplies and medications. there was no air conditioning and my room was so hot. the little babies had fevers of 102 degrees despite me keeping cold wet rags on them during surgery.
I also had to learn to make do with the most basic anesthesia machine. there was no ventilator on this, just anesthetic gas and oxygen so I had to squeeze the bag to ventilate the patient. we started cases mon 730 am and worked til 1 am. the next day 7-midnight, and so on for the rest of the week. this means that i was squeezing this bag constantly that whole time. my arm actually got sore!
This little girl had a cleft lip. If this were to go unfixed, she would never be married.
This little boy was 6 years old but was the size of a three year old. he needed a cleft palate repair because whenever he ate the food would go through the whole and into his nose, which in addition to poor nutrition is the reason he is so small. he was also the dirtiest little kid. a lot of them dont have running water so they are quite dirty. most homes are one room, and dont have a stove so they cook over an open flame. this little one even had dirt impedded under his nails.
I love his little broken boots
me putting a 10 yr old to sleep, who also got a cleft palate repair
and now just random pics
