So I woke up feeling MUCH better...however Gayle..not so much. seems like today it was her turn & Erika another Recovery Room nurse too. They both had exactly what I had maybe even worse!!! all day yesterday as I felt sick I just kept praying that I would get thru the day & I think I was blessed to do just that. I was scheduled to go on the later bus so the folks who arrived at the hospital 1st sent back Gatorade & meds for the "sickies" & I got Gayle settled before I left & didn't even know Erika was here sick!
Since Erika & Gayle stayed back that left Linda & me & Claudia a Colombian Pediatrician who now lives with her husband in Bolivia & regularly helps Op Smile on missions here. She was nervous to be in charge but she did great. We also had our 3 volunteers who each took a bed that they would "man" for basics while we did the medical care - BUT....it was a CRAZY day in there with alot of chaos. We decided it was a myriad of things - it seems that all the Palate repairs who came back had their nerve blocks wear off before they got to recovery so instead of coming to us somewhat sedated they came to us crying & screaming. These same kids we also decided were also the strong personality patients who fought just about everything we did & 5 of them managed to get their IV's out...which we had to restart usually with a team of 3. Isabella who at screening seemed like a delightful little girl was brought in by her surgery team & in Spanish they called her a wild devil child...I seriously gave her 4 doses of pain med in the span of an hour & she still screamed even after I brought her mom in to held her - the karma was definitely not working in our favor. Another patient lost quite a bit of blood & had a low blood pressure so I had to give some fluid boluses. Several had respiratory difficulties & I gave about 6 aerosol respiratory treatments, A few had fevers...is was as I sad a crazy day...and our volunteers...well I trained Villa on the fine art of pulling fluid from an IV bottle to help me with the 2 fluid boluses I had to give trained all 3 of them in holding/giving resp treatments & they all helped all of us with IV starts..so much for them "Manning a bed for the basics" they were a crucial part of he recovery room team & we took a picture of the PACU "Wednesday team" at the end of the day - one of the few pictures I took today & I didn't take many yesterday when I was sick so I have to make up for it the next 2 days!
4 patients were cancelled today because either they were sick or didn't return...so we only did 22 cases today & it was a miracle we were done by 6:30 & back at the hotel by 7. I had never left the hospital when it was still light. Rumor has it tomorrow will be a long day!
A few fun things...one of the patients from yesterday came back to "model" her dress for me (I did get a pic of her!) They have these great things Cunapes at breakfast every morning & often as a snack in at the hospital..they seemed like cheese rolls to me but today I asked Claudia about them she said they are made from yucca & queso (cheese) & butter - sounds fattening & probably is cause they are yummy. I had one today when i was feeling better.
Other things I have noticed...last night when I was getting home close to 9 pm I couldn't believe that on many corners there were young mothers usually with a toddler nearby standing who were selling fruit or other things on busy street corners. The streets are crazy & because they done have money for signals (except in the main big cities) all streets lead to roundabouts because that way you have to (in theory) slow down & merge - to me it seems like a big game of :Chicken" cause no one really slows or stops - its completely crazy!!! There are also ALOT more stray dog wandering the streets than I initially realized - especially in the barrios near the hospital. As you pass peopled 10x10 place of "business" electrician, vet, car repair - whatever it seems they all just stand or sit in the doorway waiting for a customer to come to them...and then as we left the hospital tonight there was a young girl cooking meat in a grill that was over a wheelbarrow w/ the fire portion in the wheelbarrow - I wish I had thought t take a picture of that....
Its already 10:30 & I want a good nights sleep for a busy day tomorrow but I was glad I got to make some phone calls via Skype to my family & my office at CHOC & TT..all is well in my absence & that allows me to focus on what I need to do here...Buenos Noches from Bolivia!
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