This weekend was a busy weekend.
To start the weekend off right 3 of the 4 team members were coming out of Michigan and their plane didn't fly out so they missed their connection to Tegucigalpa. Those things rarely happen, but when they do it can wreck havoc with good plans.
So I breathed deeply and went to the airport 3 hours early because of an immanent teachers strike. Also not on my agenda, by the way... Since the hospital is over a two hour drive from Tegucigalpa, in Choluteca... That means that between Thursday morning at 7:30 am and 9:00 am I had to rearrange all land travel arrangements... Whew, but I got that done... then I had to get to the airport before the teachers which are on strike did...
But did I tell you that the air-conditioning on the Ford F-350 decided to start blowing a musty smell on Monday afternoon when I was going to get it washed, so I took it to the shop and they said 3 days to fix it... Which obviously was too late for my Thursday team...
So I scrambled and found someone else to fix it for a mere $500 and some change... and it was supposed to be ready Wednesday afternoon, but wasn't because the part didn't arrive from San Pedro Sula on Wednesday morning like it was supposed to arrive. The part arrived Thursday morning as I was fixing everything else which went wrong...
I went to the airport, the coast was clear, no rioting teachers near the airport...
Remaining in contact with the air-conditioning people by cell telephone, I left the airport, to pick up the truck which was now supposed to be ready at 12:00. Remember the flight of my medical team of four, which now consisted of the one lonely doctor, was set to arrive at 12:10... Several blocks and several traffic jams away from the air-conditioning place.
Things were not looking good. But remember it is only 9:10 because I had to go to the airport really early because of the teacher's strike. Remember also that I have had to make arrangements for another car and driver for Friday for the people who missed their flight. What a mess. Jose has agreed to take the people south on Friday, but when he was driving his car through the mountains the other day, the hood flew up, nailed the windshield and broke it all the way up and down and across. So I needed to help him with the logistics for a new windshield. After all we don't want gringos in a car with a totally fractured windshield. So, off we go to get a new windshield put in... They say 45 minutes, so by now it is 10:30ish and 45 minutes puts us at 11:15 which is not cutting it too close. That gives us an hour to pick up the Ford and get to the airport, right? WRONG!
see the rest of the story below...
Dr. Margaret Lee on the left
Dr. Lee, who came all the way from Hawaii, of course was on time and now due to the problems with the plane in Michigan she would have to surgery without English speaking nurses to help. Not an ideal situation, because that means I have to stay pretty much tied down in the OR translating.
The first patient is ready to go, but the hospital is a little short on staff, since we had planned to bring our own nurses...
Another patient ready to go...
This time we did varicose vein surgery on several patients.
See the tumor on his head?
Now you see it but later we took it off...
I am not sure I would be smiling so big going into surgery, but he was happy!
Another vein patient, patiently waiting her turn...
Another vein patient... She had big wads of veins on her legs...
I know they must have hurt her...
Dr. Lee performing vein surgery
These make me think they hurt just to look at them.
I think she does this to make them not bleed so much...
The room filled up with student nurses...
We ended up having plenty of help in spite of the fact that our nurses arrived a day late.
Another patient..
Friday was "Fix a Hernia" day...
All these patients patiently waited their turn...
Things were slower with me interpreting, so they had to wait a while...
She was really happy about her exam...
Finally, Friday afternoon Dr. Adam Nofziger who is an ER doc and the two nurses arrived. Remember, they are the ones who got stuck in Michigan!
He worked in the ER. I sure hope he will be back... I think he liked it, maybe!
Left Danielle Dymora, Center Jamie Schwartz, Right Dr. Adam Nofziger
Having a cup of coffee before leaving for the hospital.
So the guys which are fixing the windshield now have it almost out and the 45 minutes have passed... I am panicking by now... So I ask... when? "Oh, it takes 1 hour 45 minutes or maybe 2 hours."
By now, I am about to flip my top, but I smile and I call Jose...
He comes to where I am to pick up the money for the truck air-conditioner and goes and pays them and they are ready early... if you don't consider the fact that the car was supposed to be ready yesterday.
So by now it is 11:30... He then comes and gives me the Ford and I leave for the airport and he stays with the car which is getting the 45 minute windshield job...
So to make a long story short, I am at the airport and see the plane land...
The lines at immigration were backed up so Dr. Lee didn't walk out to meet me until 12:50...
Whew, what a day!
But everything was great from there on.
Great team, great patients, great Honduran volunteers at the hospital, great spiritual weekend...
Oh, by the way about 30 minutes out of town the air-conditioner started blowing REALLY hot air... So next week it goes to the shop again...
When you think about it, pray for your friends who are missionaries in third world countries. We have to wade through tons of problems to get anything done... Every day is a challenge, but the up side is there are lots of blessings along the way.
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