2010 Guayaquil, Ecuador

Operation Walk Virginia is on the move!

Advance party arrived in Guayaquil

Today went very well. Got to the hospital at 7am and they had a bunch of porters unload the container and take it to the storage room. That vs using carts - and they were heavy boxes. We got most of it unpacked by noon and now it's like a little medical shopping store. one SNAFU. Someone locked a door to which there was no key and the guy had to cut into the ceiling to open it. We had lunch in the hospital cafeteria. $1.85 for soup, rice & lentils, a pork chop, slice of watermelon and juice! Pretty darn cheap. Not bad either. Went to the airport and picked up 21 most of the team. 6 more come in tonight.

Day One

Patient screening started today at 7am.  We screened 53 patients and only had to turn away a few - it was very difficult telling the patients and their families that they couldn't have surgery. We had an additional expense, toilet paper and soap for patients that are not provided by the hospital. The ward is 22 beds gender free with a curtain seperating the patients

Day Two

Somehow we didn't get done quite as early as we had hoped - we were able to do only 11 cases.

The patients are amazing!!!! They take so little pain medication and do so well!!! They are simply determined. Each time we speak with them, they cry. As we get hot, tired and sweaty this is what we need to remember - it is for them that we work this hard. One lady after 1 therapy session got up on her own and went to the bathroom with a walker by herself!!! Gave the therapist heart failure. She did great. We think that the 6 patients we did Sunday will go home tomorrow.By and large the staff have been extremely helpful. Dollie and Margarita I know have worked each day we have for 12 hours a piece and always with a smile. There is also a Ecuadorian nursing student who is coming and is SO eager and SO helpful. The medical students we are using as translators are invaluable - what a blessing to us! OK, today we did 13 surgeries and it went well. My feet are tired from going up and down the steps so many times but I get dizzy in the elevators without doors so you watch the wall go by. Tomorrow we are hoping to do 12 more surgeries. One of our surgeons is also going to be speaking to their orthopedic doctors and residents about new techniques in the US. The press was here today and took lots of pics of the patients. I'm sure it was cool for them.

Day Three

OK, today we did 13 surgeries and it went well. My feet are tired from going up and down the steps so many times but I get dizzy in the elevators without doors so you watch the wall go by. Tomorrow we are hoping to do 12 more surgeries. One of our surgeons is also going to be speaking to their orthopedic doctors and residents about new techniques in the US. The press was here today and took lots of pics of the patients. I'm sure it was cool for them. We ran out of sterile gowns for the staff to wear in the OR and I had to buy $400 worth from Ecuador - this is where your donations really help us for situations just like this! Last year we tried to buy size 9 sterile gloves but they don't make them that big in Ecuador :) Ours had expired and could not be used. We had hoped to do 15 surgeries a day but are not able to safely as the staff would be working 15/hr/day for 4 straight days. 12h/day is long enough.We crossed a major hurdle by getting the administrator of the hospital to not charge the patients for their labs and xrays. That was worrisome for us because we didn't want them to not go and get them because they couldn't afford it.

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Hard to imagine, 3 days in the hospitals and you get 3 pills for your worst days of pain - it was all we had. We had a meeting with the hospital staff and they gave us hospital day calendars and lab coats with our names on them! How sweet is that??!! They gave all the women on the team flowers which we in turn gave to the discharging patients. With few exceptions we leave all the supplies we don't use as a donation for the hospital. In a 900 bed hospital that runs on charity donations, those were very much appreciated!

All but 3 patients left today - full of smiles and their little baggies of medications and instructions - and crutches or walkers of course. We did not get enough commodes donated this year and had to purchase them here in Ecuador. The 2 bilateral hip patients and the lady from the Amazon got the 3 we purchased. I'm not entirely sure that many of them have toilets! We give them a 10 day supply of vitamin pills, iron tablets, tylenol, aspirin for blood clot prevention, and each got 3 pain pills to take home.This will be my last post from Ecuador for the upcoming future. Somewhat bittersweet. While I am so very glad to be going home, there are many people that I will miss - especially the patients. We were able to operate on a woman who had waited last year for surgery and then we ran out of parts - she danced (very slowly) with her son on the unit sobbing the entire time. They drove from the Amazon and it took them 19 hours to get here. Amazing.

Our last group adventure was a ride on a boat on the river called the Morgan. It was great fun with music, a little dancing and allowed everybody to finally relax and enjoy what Ecuador has to offer. Then a final Ecuadorian dinner, packing and putting my feet up to let the swelling go down before flying home tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for following along with us - it's been a great mission and very successful.

Day Seven

Homeward bound after a successful mission in Ecuador