Thursday

What an exciting day it was at the hospital.  We met with the head of the hospital and we were cordially welcomed and encouraged us to come again.  We presented the check for the two orthopedic students to the head of the hospital that was given by Iowan Orthopedics.  Then we presented all the donated medical equipment to the OR staff and they were more than thankful for these supplies.  Thanks to all the donors for these supplies.

Prayers to everyone.  Gayle

 

Halie, Michelle, Michael, Cade, and I had a great day at the orphanage. First thing in the morning, we observed the morning lesson. The volunteers asked us to help, so Halie and I stood in front of the class and sang a song about the days of the week. It was quite fun. After class, the boys brought out punching balloons, which the kids absolutely loved. We played with kids all afternoon and had a great time. Climbing trees, playing memory games, and whistling were all fun activities for both us and the children. Tomorrow we will enjoy one more morning with the kids, and we are looking forward to it!

Tarynne Kinghorn

It was another day full of learning at Bugando Medical Center. We brought in supplies for the hospital and met with the hospital director to tell him about everything we brought on behalf of Hope Ministries. Everyone was very excited for the new supplies. After the meeting, Taylor and I went on rounds with Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Isidor. We saw a lot of fractures that were being treated with the help of external fixators and the use of a bag of rocks as traction. It was interesting to see because these are not things you really see in the United States. One case that was very interesting was a man with a rare genetic disease called osteopetrosis. It caused the man’s bones to become much thicker and it makes the bones weaker and harder to heal. He came in with a fractured femur, which would probably never completely heal.

After orthopedic rounds, Taylor and I went down to the O.R. to observe Dr. Rizk doing a few surgeries. While waiting for the first surgery to start, we were asked if we wanted to see a emergency c-section in a different operating theatre. Of course we jumped in on that opportunity. It was the first time I had ever seen a child being born, so it was an amazing experience. By the time that was finished Dr. Rizk was ready to start his gall bladder removal. It needed to be removed because there appeared to be a mass in it. I got to scrub in to observe the procedure. It was interesting for me to watch, because I had my gall bladder removed laparoscopically a few years ago. It wasn’t done laparoscopically today, but I enjoyed seeing the gall bladder and the different connections that needed to be separated. There ended up not being a mass in the gall bladder as expected, but once it was removed, they found the mass on the pancreas. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to remove it, but they did get it biopsied. After the surgery was completed, we all got a small lunch, where we met two doctors from Austria who are working on a specialization in OB/Gyn. They were going to help with a fistula repair and I decided to observe the procedure, while Taylor scrubbed in with Dr. Rizk on a hernia repair. Fistulas are common here due to prolonged obstructed labors and due to how young some have children. It’s another one of those situations that we don’t see in the U.S. with our medical care. The Austrian Doctor that wasn’t assisting talked me through a lot of what was happening during the surgery, which was very helpful. The last surgery I saw today was another hernia repair that I got to scrub in on. It ended up being a difficult surgery. The cecum and appendix had protruded into the hernia sac, which was causing an enlarged testicle. Dr. Rizk lead me through what was going on during the procedure very well. I got a little more knowledge on the anatomy and learned the importance of avoiding one of the nerves while doing stitching, because it could cause serious pain that wouldn’t go away. Dr. Giiti got to put in hernia mesh for the first time, so he was able to learn a lot as well. I am so thankful for how great with their teaching. I have learned so much from them and have been able to see things I never would have imagined being able to. Tomorrow is the last day at the hospital and I am excited to see what is ahead.

Olivia Tuel