Oatmeal for breakfast again. It’s like they know I’m coming! I have to say last night was the warmest shower of the trip and I stood in there just embracing this small fortune. Despite waking up bright and early I was convinced the bus drivers quit because they were 30-40 minutes late picking us up. Surgeon time isn’t their thing. When we got to the hospital we decided to be that group fo people to take a big group photo in front of the hospital, embrace the lateness and enjoy the week slowly coming to an end before going to round.
Our patients from the day before looked wonderful and were so happy. Especially our little boy who likes to taunt the hyenas with his new ear. The babies with the clefts were feeding well and it was a successful rounds before breaking off to the OR. I started my day with 2 palatoplastys and I have to say the start felt pretty good. I really love helping them and operating. It’s such an amazing feeling. And these mission trips to get to help others is really something else. It’s worth occasional cold water showers and roughing it. After the palates I joined one of my attendings in a cleft lip repair that came out amazing and finished the day with a rhinoplasty. The moms in Ethiopia are amazing and seeing them latch to their mothers breast after the repair is so heartwarming. Dear America, please get on the rest of the worlds level with breastfeeding in public. It’s beautiful and amazing. This is what they were made for. I for one loved getting to see that embrace take place after the surgery that helped them get there.
The gentleman who came in is a priest and I don’t know the whole story but and oxen came between him and ripped the right tip of his nose. He scarred down and lost cartilage and his breathing was comprised so we did an alar Graft, released the scar and he was the happiest person you’d imagine. In the other room some of the residents were repairing a CSF leak through an endoscopic sinonasal approach which turned out successfully. They really make do with the instruments they have and they do it well.
At the end of the day we gathered back to the bus to head to the hotel for dinner. I can successfully say I have avoided using the hospital bathrooms (aka sqatty holes in the ground) the entire trip. I may be in kidney failure and dehydrated but I am very much a clean freak. I just cannot do it. What if I fall? You just can’t recover form that.
We went to the restaurant across the street to celebrate the day and had way too much of a good time.
Work hard play hard is definitely out mantra. We danced, ate, had way too much turbo and just overall had a blast. I even got challenged by a local to dance and you bet I did. Eventually everyone got up to dance and it was quite the laugh. Tomorrow is our last day and I’ve already had my cold shower tonight (I knew it was too good to be true). Sweet dreams everyone!Repaired cleft lip
My OR crew
In the OR, doing my thing
Our OR again
My babies
Simply amazing work! You and the group are quite special.
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