WHAT A DAY!!!! HAPPY ST PATRICKS DAY FROM BOLIVIA!

Sleeping in until 7 was so nice....I actually "got ready" today (ie wore makeup & did my hair in something other than a pony tail) Had to be on the bus at 8:30 to go to another hotel fro the "Educational Conference"  I didn't really know what to expect since I had never participated in this before...I had put together a Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) talk on recognition & management of pediatric shock.  There were about 35 Bolivian nurses there & I had a translator...I wanted it to be interactive & relevant to how they practiced & it went surprisingly well & was a great experience for me. With a case study & questions what I thought would be 30 min was just over an hour & they took notes & everything - I am really glad I did that :)

After my talk I took a taxi to the hospital where others were setting up etc.  On the way I noticed things I hadn't seen before...first of all the kids go to school on Saturdays here, there were a bunch of fruit stands & some big trucks of watermelon being sold on the side of the road along with some sort of cold juice drink in big jugs  - advertised usually on a handwritten sign as "...frio"  I passed a "Gymnasia" their version of a gym - quite different that LA Fitness I must say! and the way we went there were lots of areas where it seemed building materials were made & sold (wood, brick, stone)

When I go to the hospital the recovery room was looking really good & with just a few "tweeks" it seems like it will be just fine! The Clinical Coordinator (who is in my hotel "villa" with me) & doctors were finishing up the schedule & everyone was helping to put charts together.  We had told people to come back at 1 for the posting of "he list" but at 2 they were still finishing it.  I wandered out & saw Luz one of the patients we screened - a darling 8 year old who  had surgery here in Santa Cruz 6 years ago & was here for follow up - she & I took some pictures & she followed me around awhile :)  Loved that! I also saw a mom & baby I had talked to another day - they had travelled 20 hours to get there.

I had never been present for the "list posting" on my other missions so this was a new experience & one with experiences of both sheer joy & utter disappointment.  They first read the list of "rechecks" kids that had a cold or other reason why we might not be able to do surgery - there were about 12 of them & after recheck I think 4 were added to the schedule.  Then was the "too anemic for surgery list" that group Gayle the pediatric intensivist (also my roommate) spoke to telling the parents to feed them more green veggies etc & that milk & rice wont help & she also gave them all iron for their babies & told them to come back in June for a "local" Op Smile mission (smaller just done by a Bolivian team) & that their charts etc would be held.  Those 2 sessions seemed fine but NOTHING prepared me for "the lists"

They actually read off every name & pt # as they were scheduled day by day Mon-Fri.  Everyone anxiously waited to hear their name called & if it was they were filled with elation & quickly went to where-ever they were asked to "report to"  As each days "List" was read you could almost feel the uncertainty in the area build with those who were still left. The last name on the last day was a 15 year old girl who had a small deformity on her face (a hemangioma).  She was a priority 5 out of 5 (lowest) so when she came to me as the gatekeeper I knew it was remote but on the last day they will sometimes add some of those cases on...I watched her & felt SO BAD cause I was pretty sure she wasn't on the list then her name was read - in a 10 second period the look on her face went from complete sadness that she would always look that way to pure joy as her name was ready & she smiled the biggest smile ever...it was a truly miraculous 10 seconds & if that was all I got out of this mission it would be plenty...but I know there is much more joy to come

Unfortunately not everyone gets their "happy endings" & there were some disappointed & dejected parents & that just broke my heart...I stayed in the background just to observe but if it was clear you were a part of the medical team the parents of the children who were not selected for surgery would come up to you & hold out their baby to you with this look of "please cant you do something"...it was really more than I could take.
Even worse than that was the fact that about 20 of the "Not Selected" wanted more information & so Gayle (the intersivist) that was her role to talk to them.  Some were fine & understood but one young mom (she was 20 & looked about 40) had a heart wrenching story.  She had come on the bus yesterday from beyond LaPaz...the 36 hour ride because of several road closures.  Apparently the Chairman of the Bolivia Op Smile Board had gotten a bank to pay for the bus to bring that group here - she told Gayle she had no money & would NEVER be able to get to Santa Cruz again....her baby had a primary cleft lip - a simple surgery but the baby was anemic with a Hemoglobin of 8.2 & our cut off for surgery is 9.0.  She also told Gayle that her husbands family doesn't know why he married her & they believe there is something wrong with her & that is why the baby has this deformity.  she was sobbing that she could not possibly go back without the baby having the surgery...Gayle was awesome - she went & talked to the medical team & told them the whole story...since the the baby was big & healthy they decided to go ahead & do the surgery - the mom fully embraced Gayle & did not let go for what seemed like forever...that moment even 2nd hand was priceless...we really are changing lives one smile at a time.  The baby will have surgery on Tues & I know it will be an experience that touches many of our hearts.

Tonight was a team dinner at a very nice restaurant...we were all expecting to pay for ourselves but the owner is the same Chairman of Op Smile Bolivia who coordinated the bus & at then end of the night he took care of all the meals & drinks for all 50 of us...there are some VERY KIND & GENEROUS people all over the world - it is so nice to be reminded of that....Dinner was late & long (3 hours) & its already after midnight so I am off to bed as soon as I check Facebook to see the pictures Wendy took of Sarah before Mormon prom :)  THANK YOU!  My day was also made as I saw all the FB posts of my kids enjoying our traditional St Patricks Day celebrations & music in both Utah & Calif....Doug had green breakfast for Sarah & Kimmi & yes the leprechauns turned the toilet water green again this year! & Kelli & Ryan enjoyed a full course late night green dinner - LOVE that Doug & my kids are keeping the traditions alive! as for me I was seen in Bolivia with my green shirt on & at dinner with my Green hat & beads!  Happy St Patricks Day from Bolivia!