Surgery on day 6 started off with David. One of the earliest patients to show up for screening on our first day in Rwanda, David returned each day and waited patiently for his opportunity to receive our help. Moreover, with moderate English speaking abilities, David stepped up without my asking and played a major role in screening patients, translating between Kinyarwanda and English. Through this partnership we developed a strong bond during the week and I was elated when I saw him on the schedule for the final day of surgery. A driver of wheat from Tanzania to Rwanda, David was one of the kindest and most professional patients we dealt with. After about an hour and a half in the operating room, he emerged with rest results. Hours later, after he woke up from the anesthesia and felt strong enough to return to his family, I stopped over to visit him one last time. With tears in his eyes, he grabbed my hand and muttered a humble 'thank you.' Little moments like those almost brought me to my knees at the work we were doing here. In just a short time, we were able to change the lives of so many deserving people and their families, and it was humbling to see how much it meant to them.
On that note, it's a somewhat odd dynamic that I hold with these patients. Of all the people on our team, I deserve the least amount of credit for their successful surgery. Ironically, however, since I've interacted with these patients in depth from their first screening to their recovery after surgery, I've developed a very strong bond with many of them. These people are so grateful for the work we've done here, and the doctors and nurses working tirelessly in the operating room don't always get to see the expressions of gratitude and amazement from patients at the work they've done. If anything, it speaks volumes of the selflessness and humility in our doctors and nurses in the OR, who spend every minute dedicated to saving as many patients as possible and don't have the luxury of time to build such personal relationships. With the unique ability to see these patients at each step along the way here, I've learned stories about them that many people on our team never knew. Through this blog, I have not only tried to convey their stories and gratitude to our friends and family back home, but to also shed light on their complete story to the members of our team.
Finishing out our time here, the 2nd and 3rd surgeries of the day went smoothly and the patients emerged with beautiful results. The second patient of the day, Esperance, oddly enough, was forced into a marriage at the age of 16 and tried to run away afterwards before being brought back to her husband by her parents. Since then, however, she has lived a very happy life, building a family with her husband in northern Rwanda. She and her family were ecstatic when they saw the incredible results of her surgery.
The third surgery of the day, and the last surgery of our trip in Rwanda, was performed on a quiet, lovely woman named Grace. One of the first patients to arrive at the hospital on our first day, she, like David, kept coming every day and waited patiently with the hopes of being seen. The look on her face said it all when we awoke after surgery, elated at the amazing work that Drs. Jag and Merry had accomplished.
In total, the three surgeries on day six brought our total to 22 for the trip. The OR and PACU teams worked extremely hard and developed a strong system to ensure that our group treated as many patients as possible. Without these incredible people, 22 patients would not have had their lives changed for the better this week and I am in awe of their dedication and medical abilities.
While the last few surgeries went on, Vianney and I continued to screen more and more patients. Another 20 people showed up on our last day of surgery, all unable to receive our help until next year. Vianney received one of the hardest jobs of the trip, screening these people and subsequently telling many of them that they would not be able to receive our help this year. Extremely personable and kind in nature, Vianney developed a strong relationship with these people and had to look them in their tear-filled eyes as he told them they wouldn't be eligible for surgery for at least another year. Each one had a compelling story, each had a reason squeeze them in for one more surgery, but we simply didn't have time to take care of all of them. For each person we helped, another ten were left untreated, all very deserving of our aid, but it would take months of hard work with our team to get to all of the patients we wanted to. The great demand of patients we faced each day only solidifies our need to continue coming back to Rwanda. We are so grateful for the opportunity we had to make a significant difference for 22 lives, and many more when looking at the second and third order effects, but we are only scratching the surface with thyroid surgeries in Rwanda. Until a substantial push for ENT surgeons becomes prevalent in the country, this group makes up a substantial portion of goiter surgery in Rwanda and as such, the team remains dedicated to coming back for many years to come.
As we finished up our final day of surgery, we all stood around to give our final thoughts for the week, still amazed that it was over so quickly. We looked for ways to improve for next year's trip and we thanked each for our work throughout the week. In each person's words, I witnessed firsthand how much we care about each other, our patients, and the cause we stand for here.
Our final night in the country consisted of a goodbye dinner and a night out for some of us to spread our wings and relax after a long week of hard work. Within a day, the bulk of the team will be out of Rwanda, along with our equipment. Our impact, however, will live on with each of these patients and we stand waiting for the next opportunity to come back to this great country.
David patiently awaits his surgery to start the day.
The OR team works hard to treat him.
Nurse Nancy scrubbing in!
Who said I couldn't help with surgery?!
David joined his wife again to rest after surgery.
He came out with beautiful results.
Grace gives a smile before going into surgery.
The doctors did a wonderful job with her procedure.
With a big smile, Jana scrubbed in to help out.
The anesthesia team says goodbye to their anesthesia technician students. Aline and Marie were a pleasure to work with and they represent a bright future for medicine in Rwanda.
Jovia returned to get the bandage off her neck. Her husband returns from his trip on Monday and she looks forward to surprising him with the results of her surgery.
Dr. Jag thanked all of us for our hard work throughout the week. The trip would not have been possible without his leadership and dedication.
The team unwinds from a busy week with a relaxing last dinner together.
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