Friday, February 27, 1998

Dajabon II Trip Journal 1998

 Dajabon II......The Journey Continues

 

02/13/98 - Friday 

              I took today off so I could leisurely pack and get ready.  We went to Monica’s Valentine Concert then to Randy Conrod’s 21-year-old daughter’s funeral.  The we (Sheri and I) packed our 4 tubs.  We received supplies from Washington State (Dr. Lowell Johnson), Heart to Heart International, Pier, Ethicon Endoscopy, and Ethicon Suture.

            The magic of e-mail has allowed us to communicate worldwide instantly.  I received 2nd or 3rd hand that customs in the DR was being very difficult and holding up all medications. As they come into the country.  Therefore, we had to re-pack and label all our tubs again segregating out the most important items.  We were told that customs would keep them until Monday, then release them.  That would slow us up and would be inconvenient since it meant a trip back to Santa Domingo (a six hour bus trip).  Sheri, Mandie, Holly Davis and I did our repacking and got to bed about 11:00 p.m.   I e-mailed our pastor, Dennis, about the anticipated trouble with customs and asked for prayers.  We collapsed into bed and prayed about the next day’s journey back in time.

 

02/14/98 - Saturday       

            We arrived at the airport at 6:45 am for our 8:30 am flight.  Mandie and Holly were at the airport waiting.  Mandie and I had four 33-gallon storage bins full to the brim, along with two large bags, and two carryon bags.  I was concerned about how they were going to handle the extra bags.  They said that as long as they were less than 90 lb., they would travel with us as regular bags, not freight.  If the bags weighted over 70 lb., there was a $90.00 charge.  The same charge applied to extra bags.  Since I had one 84-lb. bag and two extra bags, we paid $270.00 extra for the bags.  We knew at least that they would get there with the rest of the bags... hopefully.

            We had smooth flights.  The five of us from Wichita (Kay, Cindy, Nancy, Mandie and I) had no problems or bad connections.  We arrived in Dallas and only had to go two gates to our departure gate for Miami.  Once again we had an uneventful flight to Miami. 

            I tried to find Scott Davies, a friend from Wichita, in the Miami airport.  He was coming back from Peru, but his flight was coming in about 4:30 p.m., and we were leaving at 5:15 p.m.  I was not able to find him because he was arriving two concourses away.  We bought our tourist passes in the Airport for $10.00 and filled them the best we could (the instructions were not very good, in Spanish).

            Our flight to the DR was uneventful and smooth.  My big concern awaited us at customs.  We began by standing in line to have our passport stamped then the long wait for baggage to arrive.  Fortunately all of our bags arrived undamaged.  We got carts and loaded the bags.  There were 12 of us, from around the country, that came in on the flight.  Finally Tao and Dan, from MMI, showed up.  They talked with the guard at customs.  Then Tao told us to give him our baggage claim checks.  We then paraded our bags around the customs tables, where all the other passengers were opening their bags, out the airport door and into our vehicles.  There was no holdup or even a cursory check. 

            A short one hour drive and we arrived at the “Chicken Hilton”.  We stopped at the hospital (Elïas Santa Hospital) for a meal of fresh cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes and bread.  Then we went to the “Hilton” and found an empty bed.  Most, who had come in on earlier flights, had turned in since it was 11:30 p.m. local time.  Mandie, Kay and Al Ware, a scrub tec from Cleveland we met last year, stayed up until 1:30 am talking. 

 

02/15/98 - Sunday

            Six o’clock came early today, after a short night of sleep.  (I forgot to put my earplugs in the overnight bag, bad mistake.)  A quick, cold shower and I was up.  Then I began to renew friendships with those from last year and meeting new friends.

            Breakfast was cinnamon bread and fresh fruit.  The weather was slightly overcast and about mid 70’s.  At breakfast we ate with Bud and Carol Radefeld, the medical director of this project, they related a story....     Dr. de la Peña is a general practitioner, who was born in Mexico and now works in Ohio.  As he was flying in to Santo Domingo, he struck a conversation with the man next to him.  This man was an anchorman for a news station in Santo Domingo.  Dr. De la Peña told him about the project.  As they landed Dr. De la Peña told him about the anticipated customs problems.   The man told him he would like to introduce him to a friend of his, the man was the Director of Customs.  Dr. De la Peña introduced Dr. Radefeld to him, and guess what ...  We all just skipped the customs line with our bags.  No checks, no open bags, just like I said earlier.  It is great to see God’s miracles, but it is even better to see how he works things out.

            After our orientation in the morning we loaded the vehicles, school bus, van Toyota wagon and a truck, and we began our journey to the Campemento Los Pinos (Camp of the Pines).  The trip took about four and a half to five hours.  After we arrived we unloaded our suitcases and moved into the dorms.  Carefully arranging our mosquito nets and bunk beds.

            At dinner we had chicken, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables.  We also had fried plantain, very interesting taste.  After dinner we had a devotional by Daniel Castro (MMI director from Honduras), very thought provoking.  He taught on Luke 10:35, the paralytic being lowered to Jesus by 4 friends.  Some times we are like the religious leaders, some times like the friends who bring one to Jesus.  Some times we need to be the paralytic and rely on others to bring us to Jesus.

            We went to bed at 9:30 p.m. When the earplugs went in I didn’t hear anything, except when the guy in the bunk above turned over, I thought someone was getting into my bed.

 

02/16/98 - Monday

I awoke about 5:30 am when the generator came on.  Yes, I could still hear it over the earplugs.  Unfortunately the generator is on at 5:30 am, but the lights in the dorms and bathrooms don’t come on until 6:00 am.  So I got up and went to take my cold shower ... in the dark.  A flashlight helped but only marginally.

            For breakfast I had scrambled eggs, fresh bread and fresh cantaloupe and papaya.  I still don’t like papaya.  I also have trouble with leaving the butter on the tables for two weeks, no refrigeration.

            Al, Kay, and I began our morning by walking 35 minuets to the hospital.  Unfortunately, it is 35 minuets by car ... up hill.  Tough walking.  We actually didn’t go to Dajabon, but a different direction to Los Almacigos; it is the name of a tree.  It was a new hospital for us, it was confusing.  We unloaded the big truck into a garage attached to the hospital.  Then the process of arranging, cleaning, and organizing.  Unfortunately only one OR so we put two tables in there.  We were trying to start by Noon, but a fifteen-year-old came in for a C-section.  Dr. Bartak (an OB/GYN) was only too happy to help.  The busyness never let up until about 5:30 p.m.  We saw 61 new consults and did six major surgeries and two minors.  Mostly hernias, from ages six to fifty.   We had an operating air conditioner in the OR but the rest of the hospital is ventilated with louvered windows.  The flies weren’t too bad.  It got up to about mid 80’s.

            Mandie is working as a runner with the clinic.  Today they went to El Piño.  They didn’t have air conditioners, so we don’ take about that.  Their day was very busy, but they didn’t have any toothbrushes to give away until tonight.

            Tonight for dinner we had beans, rice, and meat (beef, I think) along with okra (yuck), bread and salad.  After dinner went to the chapel where all the tubs were opened organized and sorted.  They were very excited about the amount of things that were received.  Mucho drugs, toys, Bibles, and toothbrushes.  It was a hot and muggy, but productive time.

            My back is a little sore tonight, from not only the long bus ride, but also the loading and unloading.  It also hurt because of the OR table.  It was very low and I had to stoop over for two surgeries.  We couldn’t raise the bed and we couldn’t find any cinder blocks to put it on.  The second surgery I did on one knee.  They also didn’t have nay stools to sit on.  Later when I was working on the other OR table I noticed Dr. Radefeld had started a case next to me on that short bed, but it was now up!!!  They were afraid to tell me that the bed had been wired down for transport and they forgot to unwire it to raise it up.  It’s hard to be flexible when you’re stiff.  Ha! Ha!

            So to bed, quite tired and stiff - now with Advil on board.  To sleep.

 

02/17/98 - Tuesday (El Martés)

            The generator begins each morning, but today the lights came on also.  A quick cold shower and a shave, and I was at breakfast.  We had pancakes and pineapple (papaya was also available).  The also have cereal available, granola type ... no Cocoa Puffs, and whole milk.

            There were six of us to walk today and I think we walked faster because my legs were more tired when they picked us up in the van.

            Bud didn’t feel up to par today, so he stayed in the clinic and say 59 new consults.  In surgery the day started with twins who had enormous umbilical hernias.  The first twin was put to sleep with gas and normally they start and IV for fluids and emergency access.   An hour later they still had not found a vein.  I then proceeded with out and IV to do the umbilical hernia without problems.   It was very humbling for the anesthesiologist.  But he did put in a caudal block on all the kids under anesthesia and it seems to really help prevent post-op pain.  I even tried unsuccessfully to do a cut down on the saphenous vein.  Then the twins’ surgery went very well, followed by an inguinal hernia on a 2-year-old.  Then an adult hernia was repaired by me.  Then Bud came in at the end of my schedule to do a large bilateral goiter.  I helped with that one.  The OB/GYN doctors did 3 or 4 hysterectomies and 6 tubal ligations.

            Needless to say the peanut butter sandwich and vanilla wafer cookies for lunch with water didn’t last long.  We left the hospital about 6:00 p.m., so we arrived back at camp after they started serving rice and fried eggplant with cabbage and tomatoes.  I went for everything except the cabbage... twice.

            Mandie had a busy day at the clinic but they got done early and stopped for helago (ice cream).  She seems to really enjoy herself.  She is the only general helper who has been on a project before so they really appreciate her.

            I went to my room after dinner and laid down for about 1 hour then got up to join the rest.  They were sitting around singing songs in Spanish and English with a guitar.  The interpreters are part of the group.  Although some are workers for MMI and do not speak English but drive trucks or do whatever needs to be done.

           

Wednesday (El Miércoles) 02-18-98 

            Up at 5:30 am with the generator and shower.  Some people have used the camp shower or sun shower bags.  The work by filling them with about 5 gallons of water and you leave them out in the sun.  It will get up to 105° out in the sun but by nightfall it is back to 70° or so.  Therefore, it only works from 2 - 5 in the afternoon.  So I don’t use them.

            Breakfast was a hard-boiled egg, 2 pieces of bread, and 2 slice of cantaloupe with a glass of water.  We then began our walk with 5 of us today.  We got about 2.5 miles today up and down 3 hills.

            Surgery today was very difficult.  We still only had 1 room with 2 OR beds.  I started the day with an inguinal hernia on a 3-year-old.  I then saw clinic patients for 1 - 2 hours then back to OR for an inguinal hernia on an 80-year-old.  A local surgeon named Dr. George.  He helped me with a hernia on a 20-year-old female, then the removal of a mass on a 68-year-old male’s patient’s neck.  Then the hospital allowed us to use the room we were using for bumps under local.  It was a 10 x 10 room with a metal table and only the light of the louvered windows.  I then room with 3 - 4 people relaxed eating cookies and juice.  Our lunch was a choice of either tuna or peanut butter. We didn’t do as many cases totally but seem to do more complex cases with the 2 OB/GYN surgeons.

            After work we drove through Los Almacigos to get ice for the camp.  The city is small, about 2-5,000 people.  The streets are very narrow and crowded.  A small city square was in the center of town.

            Dinner consisted of rice, meat sauce, con con (which is the rice in the bottom of the pan that hardens, so it is crunchy), with fresh bread, lettuce and a coconut flan (it like custard).  It was also very tasty.

            At announcements tonight, they commented about the improvements on the camp.  We had noticed the new clothesline near the cabins.  When we put our towels on it, it sags and it is about neck high.  In fact Al came in after lights out and caught it in the neck.  It did seem kind of dumb.  But tonight they explained that the real improvement was a telephone but it didn’t work ... because what we thought was a clothesline was really the telephone line. Oh well.

            Tonight our program was a time of sharing by those who wanted to, readings, insight in Bible verses, sharing of experiences, and some jokes.

 

 

 

El Jueves (Thursday) 19 de Febrero 1998

Breakfast today was a coffee cake, cantaloupe and a glass of water with of course fresh bread.  The six of us walked again after breakfast and it was warmer today.  Last night was also very humid and warm.  We walked about 2.5 miles (or maybe kilometers) who knows.  This way to our hospital this year is more rural and less populated.

            Our day in surgery today was the busiest yet.  We did 27 cases total.  I did 10 procedures myself starting with pediatric hernia, then a left thyroid lobectomy.  I then did a subcutaneous mastectomy in a male for a breast tumor.  3 inguinal hernias, an epigastric hernia and 3 mass removals followed that.  Two of the mass removals were weird looking but of course we don’t have the capability to have a pathologist look at the tissue.  So we just remove them.

            We had tuna fish for lunch, but I chose the reliable peanut butter and Ritz crackers with water.  Someone did bring some Dominican coffee and I had some.  It is served in a small cup (about 1 oz.) and it is very strong and sweet.  Al also paid and had Alex (one of the interpreters) go into town and bring back ice cream for everyone.  One was some kind of plum and the other raisin vanilla.  Not too good but cold.

            After stopping in Los Almacigos for ice, we went back to camp about 6:30 p.m. in time for dinner.  The entree was a Dominican casserole, yet rice was a major component, along with spaghetti, beans, and chicken.  We also had fresh bread, tomatoes and onions.

            Tonight’s entertainment was Dave and Fran Hanie.  They are from the Chicago are.  He is retired and She is an IV nurse.  It was a riot.  I ended the night playing hearts with six other people.

 

El Viernes (Friday) 20 de Febrero 1998

            I almost over slept this morning, as I didn’t hear the generator.  That meant competition for the cold shower and then to breakfast.  This morning was delicious French toast (fresh bread) with cantaloupe and water.  They do have cereal, but I don’t like whole milk after drinking 2% all the time at home.

            Walked again today and it was not as warm, but still not cold outside.  We push and walk faster and my legs ached as we went up the hills.  This part of the DR is very hilly and looks kind of like East Texas, except with banana and coconut trees.  Also the flowers are beautiful.  There are poinsettias that are 12 - 15 feet tall.  Also a lot of hibiscus and other flowering shrubs.  All grow well here but only a few people place a priority on gardening.  Mostly in the towns.  There are almost no manicured lawns.  I have never seen grass being cut, except around the hospital and that was being done by a man with a machete.  No, I didn’t bother him by taking a picture.

            Our day in surgery may have been the busiest yet with 12 major surgeries and 18 minor procedures.  I did 5 major and 3 minors.  A thyroid, a hydrocele and 2 hernias.  One case was frustrating in that we don’t get to see all our patients that we personally operate on.  Someone else sees a 48 year old man with a lump I the right abdominal and thought it was incisional hernia from a previous surgery.  I wasn’t sure, but with no x-rays, lab work-up, exploration was the only option.  It ended up being adhesions of small bowel, so I did a lysis of those.   That is a little larger operation than usual due to potential for difficult post-op.  During the surgery the electricity went out, so we relied on no cautery and only my headlight.  That tends to really make my neck and back sore after a full day of holding your head just right to keep the light within the good part of the bifocals.

            The other frustration of the day was due to not having any running water.  We had been lucky in having running cold water to scrub in and to clean our instruments.  The water comes from a cistern at the hospital.  Last night when the truck came to water its pump was broken and wouldn’t work so no water.  We had to get the interpreters to carry several buckets of water from down the street.  From those we poured water out of a cup on our hands to scrub and rinse off.  No it’s not very sterile, but its what we have to work from.

            It’s quite amazing that there is not much infection although we did drain one abscess while we were here.  It may be because they don’t take antibiotics very often and therefore don’t develop resistance.  There were reports of Pseudomonas outbreaks in the nurseries in the country in one of the local papers.

            The people of the DR are quite trusting.  The have complete and absolute faith in the medicos (doctors).  When seeing them in the clinic, even with an interpreter, they ask no questions about their illness, nor the treatment or alternatives.  They don’t ask about the prognosis or want statistics.  Through the interpreter, I asked about this and asked if they ask question about us and if we are good or well trained.  They responded by saying “you are the doctor, do whatever must be done.”  No questions about why me, or what if.  No bargaining, just absolute trust and submission.  I should have that simple faith, that complete unfaltering trust in my God that is much more powerful than the “North American medicos.”

            Dinner tonight was rice, potatoes, and meat (I have stopped asking, but it didn’t look like beef).  Also fresh tomatoes and bread.  After dinner we had the “MMI Olympics.”  It was a great time of fun with 3 teams of 5 competing a number of fun made-up events.  Afterwards 8 of us played cards and visited until lights out at 11 p.m.  Walking back to our bunks, we were overwhelmed with the millions and millions of stars in the clear night.

            Beth fell during the Olympics and hit her elbow.  By bedtime it began to swell and cause quite a bit of pain.  Unfortunately there is no ER or x-ray facility near by.  So she will go into Santiago on Sunday for x-rays.  In the meantime she’s in a splint.

 

Sábado (Saturday) February 21, 1998

Today we got to sleep late - until 6:30 am and breakfast was at 7:00 am.  For breakfast we had scrambled eggs with bits of bacon (not to be confused with Bacon Bits) along with mangu and cornbread - like bread.  The mangu is a Dominican favorite of mashed plantain, vinegar and onions.  It wasn’t too bad.  Also we had banana with breakfast.

            We were scheduled to go to the beach at Monti Christ.  It is a pretty beach about 1½ - 2 hours north of the camp on the Atlantic Ocean.  Since I went last year and remembered the peanut butter and sand sandwiches, and because I was tired from doing 30 cases this week I choose to stay back in camp with 4 others.  Beth was one, because of her arm.  She still feels sore, but she is feeling better.  This gave me a great day of rest, realization and reading.  It was very, very much appreciated.

            I had a wonderful 2-hour nap in the morning, then a lunch of potato soup (much like chicken noodle soup), ham salad, and a cinnamon roll.  The afternoon was taken up with reading, writing and studying.  It was quite a refreshing time.

            The group returned from the beach around 5:30 p.m.  Diner was spaghetti, bread, corn and green beans, and fried plantain.  The other fried plantain was deep-fried and came out like potato chips.  This one was a skilled fried and soft like French fry.

            After dinner the program was a much wedding.  Samir, who is an OB/GYN resident, is getting married in 4 weeks and so they did a mock wedding with Al as the bride, Marsha (circ. nurse) as Samir (complete with heavy eyebrows).  It was very funny.  Then 2 people had birthdays, Doug (project co-director) and Beth King (pediatric resident).  It was a great party.  Then to bed before lights out.

 

El Domingo (Sunday) Feb. 22, 1998

We slept in until 6:45 am today.  There was no water in the bathrooms today, so no cold showers.  Breakfast this morning was a bran muffin, a cinnamon roll and a banana.

I helped with the church service at 10 am in the camp with the scripture reading and closing prayer.  It was very nice.  Bud Radefeld gave a message and several ladies formed a choir so it was nice.

            At each meal we ate with different people to get to know as many as possible.  There are about 15 different denominations represented in the 39 people that started the project.  Four people have left now to return home, because they could only stay one week.  Also Tao Beato, MD, the local project director took Beth Metger into Santiago or Santo Domingo to have her elbow x-ray and treated.  We don’t know if they will return tonight or not.

            The afternoon was hot and everyone just sat around.  Daniel Castro had his guitar and the Dominicans sat singing in Spanish.  It was interesting hearing familiar tunes, like “How Great Thou Art” in Spanish.  Initially it bothered me when we were a group and someone prayed in Spanish.  I would think, “I don’t have any idea what they are saying and this does nothing for me”.  Then I slowly realized God knows Spanish and he is who hears the prayers.

            Rita is a neat lady.  She has been a widow for 12 years and has 5 children, 15 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren.  She went with a lady friend to see one of Dr., Radefeld’s presentations in Ohio 9 months ago and thought a project would be an adventure.  She had never done anything like this, but thought they wouldn’t take a lady in her 80’s but they did.  Her children thought she was crazy.  She had been a schoolteacher for 31 years, so she went to the local library and got a 1st grade Spanish primmer and has been teach in herself Spanish. She works as a helper for the Surgery team.  She washes and packs instruments and fold laundry.  She says this has been a life changing experience.  She hopes to convince her friends to come next year instead of by herself.

            About ½ the group is returning and the other have never been on a project with MMI.  The youngest is Brady Ridel; he is 14 years old.  His dad is here on his 6th year of projects.  He is a pediatric gastroenterologist.  Brady is one of 3 children and 3 foster children.  His mom has been on projects and a non-practicing RN. She is now home-schooling their 3 children.  She has been on projects and they hope to begin full time missionary work in 2 to 3 years either in the DR or Peru.  They now live outside of Nashville and are friend with Michael Card and Steve Green, through their church.  Brian (dad) has offered to serve as a refuge for Monica next year in Nashville.

            After a dinner of bean soup with hot dogs cut up in it.  We were picked up by the Dominican Evangelical Missionary Church bus and taken into town (Dajabon) for a church service.  It was put back to 7 p.m. to accommodate us.  It was the same church that sponsors us here and also the same as we attended last year.  It started late (like Methodist) and had 30 to 45 minuets of loud and joyful praise music.  During the singing all electricity went off and it was very dark.  They never lost a beat but continued to praise God in the dark.  They never lost a beat, but continued to praise God in the dark.  Five to ten minuets later the lights returned.  Daniel Copeland translated the message for us and we felt the love of God there.  It was a small church in a “L” shaped room with 150 people crammed in.  At 9 p.m. we closed and the Dominican bus driver stopped at the ice cream store for us.  Only 2 choices left but it tasted great.

            Riding back the sky was so clear, it was beautiful.  Looking at the huts beside the road made me realize again how much we have.  Some only lit a fire or had a single light bulb, others were in total darkness.

           

El Lunes (Monday) de Febrero 23, 1998

            Our coolest morning yet at 62° and fortunately or unfortunately, no water today.  Beth and Tao returned about 1 am and her elbow was NOT broken.  God truly is good.  We had our favorite breakfast, pancakes and syrup.  The syrup is made locally of sugar cane. The large amount of cane is grown in the South of the country.  I was also surprised to see the large number of rice fields, as well.

            After our brisk morning walk we settled in to a very busy day.  Each morning we begin by forming a circle in the parking lot and singing Alabaré, which is Spanish song

 

Alabaré

Alabaré, Alabaré, Alabaré, Alabaré, Alabaré a mi Señor.

(I will praise, I will praise, I will praise, I will praise the Lord.)

Juan vio al número de los redimidos.

(John saw a number of the redeemed.)

De los que alababan al Señor,

(Of those that praises the Lord,)

Unos cantaban, otros oraban,

(Some were singing, others were praying,)

Pero todas alababan al Señor.

(But everyone was praising the Lord.)

 

The locals frequently join in singing and clapping.  Then with prayer we begin our day.

            The schedule was very heavy today with 15 majors and 15 minors.  I did 4 majors and 6 minors today.  Wearing a headlight all day makes me have a little headache by the end of the day, but not bad.  We had one lady, that Dr. Bartak did, that began to have low blood pressure and was taken back to surgery because of bleeding, co that complicated the schedule.  She did well otherwise.  I had an interesting case, with an 18-month-old, with a large right inguinal hernia that turned out to contain his appendix.  So I removed his appendix through the hernia sac.  We also did an open gall bladder surgery.  The patient presented with an ultrasound that showed a polyp.  When I opened the gall bladder after surgery, there was no polyp.  Even when it looked like technology is advancing here, it can be relied upon.

            Cindy was sick today with tourista, but it was because she ate while they were traveling back from Santa Domingo.  She went with Beth and Tao.  Instead of stopping in Santiago (a town of 300,000) which is 2 hours away.  They had to go to Santa Domingo.  They couldn’t get a x-ray at Santiago because they were having a carnival and a political rally and the roads were closed all over the city.  Even in Santa Domingo they found one of Tao’s colleagues an orthopedic doctor, but the x-ray at his hospital was broken, so they went to a second hospital to have the x-ray.  They then took the film to Tao’s friend at the first hospital.  We in the US have so much to be thankful for.

            I did the morning devotions today and used faith and trust as the theme.  I used the faith and trust of the Dominican’s in giving us, unknown foreigners, their children and sick, without apparent anxiety.  I used Genesis 22:1-14, the story of Abraham and Isaac as a biblical analogy and it seemed to be well received.

            After the dinner of rice and beans, and bread.  I was very tired and took and evening cold shower and then turned in.  I forgot to put in my earplugs, but that didn’t matter.

 

El Martes (Tuesday) de Febrero 24, 1998

            Breakfast was a boiled egg, fresh bread and cantaloupe. Mandie had someone check the menu and then decided to sleep in until almost time to leave.

            It was cool this morning and the walk felt good.  Once we got to the hospital and sang and prayed it never let up.  I know I said that it was the busiest day yet already, but this was the busiest.  We did 16 majors and 22 minors.  I did 13 cases myself, including 5 hernias and a bunch of lumps and bumps.

            The day was complicated by the autoclave catching fire and the air conditioner quitting.  Both were fixed quickly.  Dr. Jorge Rodriquez came back today in the afternoon.  He wanted to scrub with me to watch a technique for hernia repair that we do in the states.  He scrubbed with me and asked if we could take pictures, which we did.  The reason he wanted them was to show the medical students that he teaches in Santo Domingo.

            All went very well concerning the number of cases we did.  Frank bought us ice cream.  I didn’t get any but that was OK.  The PBJ was enough since we also had Hojuelitas de Maiz.  That was a Dominican Frito Lay Corn Chips.

            We didn’t leave the hospital until 6:30 p.m.  It normally is a 30-minuet drive but it took us longer in the van because we took one of the patient’s home that lives across for the camp.  The young girl was very cute and our driver made sure she had a comfortable ride as opposed to out usually break-neck speed in and around potholes.

            We arrived late for chicken and rice, fried eggplant, fresh bread and tomatoes. Afterward it began to rain heavily so that we couldn’t hear because of the rain on the tin roof.  We worked on our skit for the coming night.  I know what the mean by Monsoon.  I rained so heard I couldn’t believe it.  This was the only time it has rained since we got here and they are having a drought.

            The program was Daniel Casto, the director from Honduras, leading us in singing with his guitar.  He sings beautifully, and except for the rain drowning us all out at the beginning, it was great, especially the Spanish Songs.

           

Miércoles (Wednesday) de Febrero 25, 1998

            No water again for showers this morning, so I borrowed Al’s camp shower and used that.  It’s amazing that a person can shower and wash his hair with 2-3 gallons of water.  Breakfast was skimpy with pineapple and cornbread.  A brisk walk and a short ride and we were at the hospital for the last time.  Our volume was low today, as last year we didn’t get finished until 3 or 4 p.m. I did 2 hernias and 2 minor procedures.  We were finished by 11:30 am and began the difficult and began the difficult task of packing and morning the entire surgery into the big truck.  The hospital made s dinner for us all and we went to the hospital cafeteria (coonedor).  It was a room with a long metal table and benches on each side.   The cook made a Dominican meal of rice with 3 different meat sauces to go over it.  One was cow intestine, one was some kind of fishy smelling stuff and the third had plantain, carrots and slimy meat.  Some of the crew ate like a horse, I ate it and said it was OK but he has a cast iron stomach.  We’ll see what happens.

            After we had almost finished packing the local pastor and hospital director came and asked us all to come to the “lobby,” because the local people.  When we got there, there were 30 to 50 people mostly children all dressed in their best dresses and barrettes.  The pastor first spoke then the hospital director.  The showered us with thanks and praise and said the people of the town were very grateful and could never pay for what we had done because they were too poor.  The hospital had only averaged 3 hernias a month, because they don’t have the supplies or money.  They said we have all of your names and any of us could come to Los Almacigos as individuals and they would give us a place to stay and food to eat.  It was very touching.  We all sang first in Spanish then in English and hugged and said our good byes to the town. 

            Doug needed some organization time with the hundreds of boxes before we placed them the town.  It was dirty because Wednesday is market day and the remains of the fresh fruit and vegetables lined the streets.  The houses varied from small to smaller, but the people were all very friendly.

            A brief ride back on the church bus (our blue van lost its transmission and the church loaned us their bus since Sunday night).

            Dinner was Maria’s specialty - goat, over rice of course.  We also had rolls, cooked carrots and salad.  The salad was lettuce with vinegar and oil dressing and tomatoes and onions.  We also had a flan that was vanilla.

            After dinner was the grand finally - the skit from the surgery and medial teams.  The surgical team did a parody on the Olympics with 4 surgeons competing for the gold with style and technical points.  The medical team did a musical review of a day in the clinic.

            After the skit Pastor Rafael Alvad from the church in Dajabon and his district superintendent along with the national president of the women’s organization came to the camp (the church owns the camp) and brought a 3 tired decorated cake thanks decorated cake that said thanks.  We had lots of time to visit and take pictures and have fun together for the last time in the camp.

           

Jueves (Thursday) 25 de Febrero 1998.

The habit of walking at 5:30 am gets easier.  A quick shower then we all began to re-pack.  It was some easier since we left the supplies we brought along with some of the clothes.  We had to pack our mosquito nets for use tonight at the “Chicken Hilton.”  After breakfast of a hard-boiled egg and cantaloupe and cinnamon rolls we packed the white truck with our bags and the bus and went to the clinic site.

            The clinic was in Bueno Gusto a small village near Los Almacigos.  We had no rounds or surgeries so we went with the clinic people and tired to stay out of the way.  The school was closed so we could use the whole facility, both rooms and the chapel.  It had no electricity but did have a cistern.  The bathrooms were outhouses.  They saw a large number of people.  One lady had a flashlight since she had been here waiting with her 2 preschoolers since 4:00 am.  All of the kids are treated for parasites but I wonder if it does much good since they go back to the same environment.  I guess that is why the health education lectures to the parents are so important.  We finally closed the gate at 11:00 am and had lunch ad the final patients cleared.  We then packed and hit the road to Santa Domingo at about 1:00 p.m.

            The roads back are terrible but at least they are working on them from Santiago to Santa Domingo.  We had one minor emergency when Cindy from Canada had an acute asthmatic attack.  Fortunately we had doctors, nurses and medicines on board.

            We arrived back to the “Chicken Hilton” and settled in to shower and clean up.  It is amazing how much better it looks now after being in the country.  It is almost like decompression.  We were able to gradually enter the Dajabón society by first going through Santo Domingo and our re-entry to American requires that we gradually come back up.

            Dinner at Viscuvios restaurant was great.  It is a 4« Sicilian Restaurant with an extensive menu.  Dr. Bartak paid for dinner for all 40 of us!  A very generous gesture.  I ate with Mandie, Kay, Al, Alex and Betty.  We came back and I turned in but a large group went to the pool and listened to Dominican music and they learned how to do the Dominican dance.

           

Viernes (Friday) 27 de Febrero 1998

We slept in until 6:30 am and then had a light breakfast of fruit and muffin.  Then we all loaded into the school bus and headed downtown to the old section of town.  It is about an hour drive back through Santo Domingo with wide variations of utter squalor to magnificent mansions.  After arriving to downtown we shopped in the Mercado (market).  The city was alive with activity because of the Independence celebrations.

            At noon most of us went to Willie Hunter’s house.  He is the executive director of MMI.  He has lived in the DR for 35 years.  His home is very beautiful.  In the afternoon, Mandie stayed downtown for the festivities.  I want to the Lighthouse.  It is a memorial to Christopher Columbus on the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the New World.  The people in general don’t see Columbus as a hero since they were already here; they didn’t consider themselves lost.  Also all of the Indians on the island were killed and none remain today.

            We then drove back to the “Hilton” and went swimming in the pool.  It was nice, but cool.  The temp today was mid 80’s and humid but at night it drops to the 60’s.  Our dinner was rice and salad, with ice cream for dessert.  After dinner we met as a group to share thoughts and experiences.

 

El Sábado (Saturday) 27 de Febrero 1998

I got up at 5:30 am to pack and get ready for the long day.  Breakfast was 6:15 am and we were on the bus after more hugs, kisses and good byes by 7:00 am.

            I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the drive across the town.  It just sticks with you, the sights, the people, the noises and the smell.


1998 Statistics

Decisions                96

Adults                     657

Children                  399

                     Total  1056

Health Ed                1282

Fluoride                  173    

Eye                         1514  

Lumps and Bumps   10

Pharmacy                3227  

Surgery

          Major           86

          Minor           93      

                     Total  189

          Consults        189


Villages that the Medical Team went to:

El Piño

Canongo

Manuel Bueno

Xaca Gorda

Restuaración

 

Sabana Larga

El Cadillary

Santiago de la Cruz

Bueno Gusto

 


Olympic Events

123 m. Race

Discus

Shot put

Platform diving

Archery

Broad Jump

Soccer

Curling (Marshmallow Blowing)

Balloon Popping

Javelin

Whistling with Cracker

Balloon (water) between legs

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