Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Well, it's been awhile since I posted and a lot's been happening, but the most exciting thing by far has been my trip to Guatemala with Healing the Children. This time I went with an Ear, Nose, and Throat team for 2 weeks. I spent most of my time in the PACU or Recovery Room where I acted as a secretary, ward nurse, pharmacist, PACU nurse, translator...you name it, I prolly did it. I was in Guatemala City for a total of 2 1/2 weeks. After the ENT crew left, I stayed in the city and helped out with a Neurosurgical team with members from Virginia and NYC, respectively. I had an incredible time in Guate and was extremely remiss to leave. I miss the people, the country, and everyone I've met and reconnected with on the trip. Here's a "highlight" of my trip...these pics were selected from almost 400 pics taken during my time there. Enjoy! If you have any questions about the pics, comment, email, call...you know what to do.
The Relief Map of Guatemala made about 100 years ago. It costs Q15 for visitors and Q3 for Guatemalans. The exchange rate is Q7.5 to $1. You do the math. The red area is Guatemala City, and if you look hard enough, you'll be able to see La Antigua Guatemala, Volcan Agua, y Volcan Pacaya, also known as Volcan Fuego.

Outside the Central Market in Guatemala City. Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of the 5 armed guards standing on the steps.

Inside the National Palace in the Courtyard of Peace are two memorials remembering the victims of the Civil War. The Flame of Peace is in the back commemorating the martyrs and unknown dead, and the 2 left hands intertwined chosen because the left hand is closest to the heart, represent the indigenous peoples killed. At the base of the work are 12 interconnected left hands representing the 12 different indigenous cultures in Guatemala.

San Sebastian Hospital...in the rain.

This is Brian Smith. He and Brian Sandstrom, the other Peace Corps translator, have the same birthday. They're 2 years apart, have the same first name, and the same first letter of their last names. Coincidence? This was a little birthday party we had for them after dinner the first night we were there.

Clinic...the more organized version.

Jose and myself before surgery. He and his mother spent all day waiting to be seen at clinic, took the 5-6 hour bus ride to San Marcos on the Caribbean coast, got some money and clothes, then took a bus right back to Guate City for surgery the next day. Jose didn't sleep a wink and stayed up all night writing each of us a thank you card on the bus. It's stories like this that make all the work and lack of sleep more than worthwhile.

Brian drawing Brian's blood...actually...that's some kid's premed of Tylenol and versed. No worries, the syringe still has the cap on. The nurses liked to call Brian Sandstrom "tall, skinny Brian"...versus "short and fat" Brian Smith?

One of many dinners with the team.

We could do our own TV show...Scrubs: Guatemala.

Zona 7, view from Camino Seguro.

Chi-Chicastenango, por favor!

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Noehmi, I don't know what we would've done without her.

The first week HTC ENT crew. Tom, Mary, Terry, Kathy, Laura, Henry,
Debbie, me, Don, Brian Sandstrom, Brian Smith, and Victor, our driver.

The women in Brian Smith's (left, with the cap on) village of Chisec, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, make really good chili powder (***) and cacao (coco) balls and pellets which are used for hot chocolate. So here are the Brians, myself, Terry, Henry, and Don marketing the goods.

Sofia!

If you look closely, there's a house in the middle of the picture that
seems to hang rather precariously off the edge of the cliff.

Who would've thought that one would find a lush valley in the middle of the city?

David (middle, with his hand up) invited the ENT team over to his neighborhood where he built this church in order to help feed 150 kids a day and get them out of the gangs that are so prominent in Zona 3, as well as the rest of Guatemala City.

Walking through David's community. Watch out for dog shit.

I think this one's self-explanatory, but if you don't know what that is...
it's garbage.
Typical housing structure in the community where David built his church.

The building at the top of the hill (bottom left) is David's church...we walked down extremely steep switchbacks to be able to reach the soccer field at the bottom of the valley.

Kids playing soccer at the bottom of the valley.
Amazing to find this in the middle of the city.

It was a long walk down from David's church to the soccer field.


Katia, Shonie, Kathy, Kathy, Mike, Don, Debbie, Mike, me, Terry, Tom, Dan, Joyce, and Larry. The Brians and Geof were busy taking pictures, but they're in the next one.

The second week ENT crew...too bad it's foggy in the corner...

Everyone say hi to Mr. Brian Sandstrom!
Hello PACU.

Don and the dreaded laptop.

Dan in the "story" chair. That day was filled with terrible stories of bowel movement.

On the road back to Guate after a wonderful daytrip to Antigua.

Across the street from the soccer stadium...Guate won that night
against Costa Rica, 3-2. It was a great game to watch at Tre Fratelli.

My head hurts looking at this picture.

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Garbage outside the dump, right across the street from the Camino Seguro daycare.

One of the streets directly across from the dump. You've gotta try
to be discreet about taking pictures in this area.

Zona 7 in Guate.

A view from Camino Seguro.

Outside the Municipal Garbage Dump in Guate City
about 2 mins away from Camino Seguro.

Sofia...the cutest baby in Guatemala.

Like many other Chinese, Geof loves food...can you tell?

Brian just had a little to drink...just a little...

Terry and I enjoying some good food, red wine, and coffee.

Maria Jose, Sofia, and Roberto.

My favorite Guatemalan and myself at La Matilde.

Tom's ready to work and a little antsy in his pantsy.

Joyce and Elizabeth, the two OR nurses.

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Monday, October 24, 2005

The anesthesiologists at work.
Dan putting the kid to sleep and Geof getting an IV ready.

Ever wondered what a tonsil looks like?
Well, there's one for your viewing pleasure.

Maria Jose used to be a school teacher. Can you tell?

Brian translating our words of thanks and gratitude for the help and services
of the staff at San Sebastian. Don Alberto (middle) is the head nurse
in the OR, as well as being a lifesaver to our team.
I stayed up all night putting these (and more) damn gift bags together.

Tom and some of the post-op nurses.

Can you feel the love?

Brian on his cell...he got a phone call about every 10 mins or so.

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