Monday, Monday...

Our first patient today was the toughest yet.. She is HIV positive, widowed, extremely poor - with cervical cancer. She was quiet,  sweet and so clearly grateful for our care. These patients walk into the OR, amidst a mass of foreigners in strange blue outfits and masks, and are so absolutely trusting. Even while she was sitting on the table, bent over to get her spinal block, this lady held her hands in 'prayer' position repeating "Aw Kun" (Thank You) to all of us. With each case I love these people more and more.



Kevin and John (aka Dr. Davis and Dr. Bell), our amazing surgeons,  did a phenomenal job under very difficult circumstances. They are operating with only a fraction of their normal equipment, but managed to make-do with what was around, even when the going got pretty rough. I also have to modify my anesthetic options to maximize safety since every aspect of care here is significantly different from home (e.g. the OXYGEN cut off for over twenty minutes today, and there are no back up tanks or supplies of any kind - a llittle nerve-wracking to have all the dials go dead and see that red "No O2 Pressure" sign... :-0).

We needed to unexpectedly transfuse this patient - which means the family members had to line up and donate blood to the blood bank BEFORE the hospital would realease a matched unit to us.

Tonight she's doing great and is very stable.  We're exhausted, and heading for our first Tuk-Tuk ride to a restaurant!