Operative Day 3
Today was an another amazing day! 10 more lives changed by having receiving the gift of total joint replacement by restoring mobility within their lives, and 10 patients were discharged home to start their recovery! We only see a glimpse of the huge impact it has in the pre- to post-operative functional improvements, but are excited with the anticipation of seeing them again next year and to hear what all they have been able to accomplish!
We could not have done this trip with out any of our volunteers. They all play a critical role in the process, which even though we are here in Nicaragua, runs just as smoothly and effortlessly as if we were at home! We would like to thank our Anesthesia staff, directed by Dr. Charles Weinheimer, and accompanied by Dr. Joel Barton, and residents Carey Brewbaker and Dale Carter from MUSC. As you all could imagine, pain control would definitely be an issue here as we don’t have access to typical pain medications we use at home and you couldn’t even tell! Amazing job guys! Thank you for all your hard work!
Next I would like to thank our unsung heros of the group! Our wonderful Crosslink Orthopedics volunteers, Thomas, James, and Jennings. Not only did Crosslink (Stryker) donate all the implants that made this trip possible, but they went far outside their comfort zone and were our sterile processing department! They washed the dirty instruments after each case and prepared the instrument trays for the next, and did it was a smile on their faces! They also recruited Ralph Barbaro, Hollis’s Husband, a retired Marine veteran, one of our non-medical volunteers and his enthusiasm and work ethic was inspiring to the whole team!
And lastly for tonight, I would like to thank our first class translators! Oscar, Alvero, Melvin, Ashley, Jasmina, and Ani! A few of our volunteers have been able to “wing it” with their Spanish, but the majority of us would be lost without them. They not only translate, but help us to sincerely show the caring compassion to our patients. It would not be the same trip without them!
I could go on for days about each volunteer! But I will save the rest for tomorrow! Buenas Noches!