my patient today

this was my patients heart today, getting an aortic valve replacement. sorry if you get grossed out.

graduation, sort of

This tuesday was my graduation, sort of. its not really until Aug, but this was the cap and gown part, so martha and bobby came out. and dont worry, they cleaned my entire apartment, down to moving furniture to clean underneath! they should come out more often!

guatemala

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

funny story

so... funny story...
To make my very long drives more more enjoyable, I have begun listening to books on tape, and it totally rocks. so yesterday, i was sitting at the light, listening to the shopaholic series (very good books by the way), and the character becky was describing these shoes that she HAD to have, and as I sat there listening and thinking that there were times that I HAD to have some shoes, and they sounded so pretty, that I didnt realize I had taken my foot off the brake was rolling, nor did I hear the girl honking behind me, and when i felt this crash behind me, i couldn't believe she had hit me!...that was until I realized there was a lot of new space between me and the car in front of me... but she was cool and didn't care. i couldn't help it, the shoes sounded so pretty...

gotta love the bentleys

so I was able to make it home this past weekend and actually got to see both bentley babes. I love those girls...only the bentleys would bring their 96 yr old grandma out on a friday night to 3 different artshows carting around her wheelchair, walker, and cane. plus take her to the fashion walk where i have to say were some odd people... and only the bentleys grandma would absolutely love it! pictured below is some guy walking around on stilts dressed up like an elephant with roselle, the 96 yr old grandma in her wheelchair!

My new place

I know I know, it has been way too long since my last blog, but there has been no real blog worthy material... same old... working in the hospital doing anesthesia... however I have recently moved since my old roommate graduated and is now on her way back up to seattle, I was forced to changed my living situation. Luckily for me, my sister liz's husband's grandma lives in a little gated community in rolling hills estates, oh and she just so happens to have a little guest house for me to live in for FREE! So here are a couple of pics of the new place, it feels like a little cottage. It is so quite at night, I can hear the chirping of little creatures again. It is so secluded that it can be a little lonesome sometimes, luckily I am busy enough that it doesnt last too long. there is also a horse and a donkey that live behind me (featured below) and it has an awesome view that overlooks the city!

ode to juno

I just wanted to let you all know that Juno is out on video! I love this movie and I love that vonnie not only cried during this movie, but sobbed! I went and saw it with my beautiful girls vonnie, lizzy, and lindsey tingey, and after it is over lizzy turns to me and asks if i cried, and i was like ya, i had a tear and lindsey was like ya i had a tear too, then we all look over and vonnie, and she is sobbing, like face swollen almost has the sobbing hiccups. love it. good times. i miss you guys...