June 18th
Hello and happy Wednesday!
Today was a tiring but rewarding day! Gayle, Maggie, Michael, Foster, and I were at Selian Hospital for another full 12 hour day of surgeries, while Katelyn and Drew were with hospice. In the hospital, we saw some crazy procedures that we would never be able to see in the United States, which was a group highlight of the day! The group was also encouraged with the prayers before every surgery, and worship music that was played throughout all procedures. We worked with orthopedic surgeons in the morning, and spent the rest of the day with the general surgeons. Some of the procedures included cleft palate, thyroidectomy, prostectomy, rod removal, herniectomy, and MANY more!
Maggie thought it was interesting to see the difference in the procedures here, versus how they would be performed in the United States. She scrubbed into the cleft palate surgery, and was so encouraged to see how successful the outcome was. Even though the resources and instruments were much more limited than what we have in the United States, the surgeons were still highly successful.
Foster thought the ability of the doctors to adapt to their limited instruments was really inspiring. She mentioned the happiness she could see radiating from the hospital staff, although the circumstances may have suggested otherwise. She appreciated the positivity and patience that the surgeons showed to us as students. Foster also mentioned their willingness to teach us everything they were doing, even through the most complicated procedures.
Michael was very encouraged to see how positive the outcomes for our patient’s were, after previously seeing them at their worst in outreach clinic. These positive outcomes bring joy to not only the patients, but also to us as students. Michael also mentioned the willingness of the doctors in their teaching. He was highly encouraged by the knowledge they all displayed and shared with each one of us.
I thought today was a super rewarding experience. Although it was long, it was cool to see how much these positive patient outcomes will be life changing for our patients. It was also very interesting to be able to scrub in and watch these major surgeries because they were procedures we likely will never be able to see in the United States. The doctors were all very kind in their teaching, even if we did not know the answers to the questions they had asked. It was also very interesting to see how the doctors and nurses cared for these patients as a whole, more than just their procedures.
The surgeries we witnessed today were very touching for the group as they were life changing for our patients. These positive outcomes will allow them to live the rest of their lives to the absolute fullest. The group is off to safari tomorrow morning and we are all looking forward to a new experience!
- Karly
Hamjambo rafikis! Today Katelyn and I had the opportunity to do hospice home visits and deliver food to them. Our first visit was to a young man with HIV and Potts disease. He was so extremely grateful to receive the food and his smile was truly infectious. Our second visit was to a patient with bone Tb and was paralyzed from the waist down. This visit was very heart wrenching because of his living conditions and how helpless he was. Due to his paralysis, he cut a hole out in his mattress for when he has to defecate. Our third visit was to a lady with HIV and cancer. She was living her mom and bedridden due to pain. The mother broke down in tears when we delivered the food and said “God truly has answers our prayers.” Our fourth and final visit was to a lady with breast cancer that has metastasized to her liver. She and her 4 kids were being cared for by her sister, who has 3 kids of her own. Both of them were so appreciative and thankful for the food and empathy we provided them. While it was a very sad day, our day ended on a very positive and joyful moment when 8 little kids were waiting at our car to greet us. There was so much laughter shared with them and was such a wonderful ending to a very emotional day.
Katelyn was emotionally touched throughout the day by seeing people— some the same age as her— living in such harsh and difficult conditions. She found it hard to relate to the patient in any way, which was emotionally difficult as well as very grounding. She found great gratitude for everything and everyone she has in that moment, and prayed for the young man’s body and spirit.
I was also very touched by the day by seeing how much joy they could have living in such poor health and environments. I was very impressed by their hospice care system— including a doctor, nurse, social worker, and pastor — and the first thing they did at every visit was pray. My most impactful moment was when I told the young man we were praying for him. He responded and asked that I say a prayer for him out loud with all our hands touching him. This was definitely a day Katelyn and I will remember forever, and take with us a deep appreciation and gratitude for all the blessings in our lives.
Drew