Sunday, November 13, 2011

full OR day #1

As expected, it was a busy and exciting day today. 12 patients had their surgeries today. We got to see the progress of patients who were operated on yesterday. Everyone in the team showed great cooperation and helped each other whenever needed, regardless of their specific roles. Credit must be given to the nurses of Nepal Medical College who put their best effort to coordinate with Operation walk team and keeping up with the challenge of the mission with us.  Everything was all different to them just as much as it was for us. We are very grateful for their patience and collaboration, critical to the mission. Nurses and physical therapists of our team were very enthusiastic in teaching and learning from their counterparts from the hospital, just as much as the counterparts were in doing the same.
We had an opportunity to talk with a 25 year old patient with Ankylosing spondylitis, who had walked in to our screening clinic yesterday stooped over his cane, and his legs deformed because of the nature of his condition. This pleasant young man, who is a primary school teacher at a local school in a village in Southern part of Nepal, has an elder brother who is a labor and barely is able to support his financial needs. He sought help two years ago when his hip pain started to get worse, visiting orthopedic doctor in the capital city four times a year in hope of some treatment. He came to know about Operation Walk through Dr. Shah, an orthopedic doctor in Nepal Medical College. Dr. Shah says, a mission like this is adding “life to years” to patients like this gentleman, who has life full of opportunities ahead of him beyond this condition. This patient was very excited about the surgery, and hoped to get better paying employment to be financially independent after treatment. He said he had faith when nobody in his village believed that his condition could be treated. He had bilateral hip surgery today, and was feeling great when we left the hospital. To be able to provide hope and treatment to people who are in such dire need of them is satisfying beyond words, and we hope to be blessed with this kind of satisfaction throughout the remaining days of our mission.

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