Evaluations, Day 1...50 down, perhaps 70-80 to go???

Good evening, all.  It's 9p and I am still awake ~ amazing, given that I am practically asleep while I am typing this.  Had our 1st day of evaluations at the general hospital today with our team and the Can Tho orthopedic doctors.

We awoke around 6a this morning, after a glorious 10 hours of much-needed sleep last night...so nice, but definitely remembered that the beds in Vietnam are generally quite firm ~ kind of like sleeping on a concrete slab.  But, as Amy and I discussed this morning, it's usually a good thing for the 1st couple of days, as one's body is a little out-of-alignment from all of the travel, schleping, etc., and so a rock-hard slab feels good for those couple of days.  But, if one continues to sleep on it for longer, then it becomes just a really uncomfortable bed.  The upside is for us in 2015 is that we are here such a short time ~ 8 days in-total ~ that we are going to sleep on these beds for 2 more nights and then we will travel back to Saigon and stay at the Ma Maison Boutique Hotel and their beds are fantastic!!

Back to the work ~ we met with the hospital Director ~ i.e. Chief of Staff ~ met with our team to welcome us to Can Tho and this is a traditional and expected ceremony.  It's always interesting to hear the 'message', but he talked, Bruce talked, he talked, Bruce talked, etc.  It is always nice to see the doctors with whom we've worked since I have been a part of the team in 2004.  Dr. Em ~ the guy in charge ~ told me I looked exactly the same as I did 2 years ago.  He's nice...and perhaps a little delusional.  But so kind.

We then walked around the somewhat confusing hospital and found our room ~ which was supposed to be 2 examination rooms, but we only had 1, so we requested another treatment table and that was placed in the hallway with a screen partially providing a little privacy.  So, we had our team, 2 interpreters and got started.  During the Director's speech he said they had 120 patients for us to see ~ they do a little pre-screening ~ and we saw 50 today.  So, we aren't sure if this means we'll see 70 tomorrow or if those original total numbers are accurate?  We'll see.

The Director of the Hospital and Mai (our interpreter)

The Director, Bruce and Mai

Amy with Mai's help, registering new patients

Ta and Anna (the surgical residents) with Jeff, MD

The hospital

Kim, Amy and her team at registration and all things medical records

14 year old boy who we have seen since 2004, who is doing great but needs a little more surgery on his right leg to improve his walking, although he's independent

Little 5 year old girl who has a valgus deformity (means her knees bump together with the problem on the left), which after x-ray is a bigger problem than it appeared, so they will do some surgery on her left leg to improve her alignment and help her to walk better

Meir Nyska, MD (orthopedic surgeon from Israel)...I have benefitted so greatly from working with him since 2004, but we all, including Meir, miss his wife, Fruma, who usually comes along, but chose to say in Israel this time.  Both Meir and Amy and me have agreed that Fruma is not allowed to stay home for the next trip.

The medical team consulting with a new patient.  This man had polio as a child and then was in a bad car accident a few years ago and has lots of impairment of his right leg.  He really wanted surgery, but we as a team agreed we would negatively affect his functional independence with walking and quality of life by doing anything.  It is very difficult to tell patients with great hope for surgery that we cannot help them.

A great little guy...he was awesome!

Our intrepid front-desk staff

A sweet little girl who was a little worried about all of us, but did very well with the evaluation and during my time with her.

A good brace made locally.

We saw a huge variety of patient diagnoses, ages and needs, and we saw more kids this time than we have seen since I have been coming, so I was quite busy, as most of those cases do not require surgical intervention, rather a more therapeutic approach, so I spent some time with many of those kiddos and their parents.  There were a high number of patients today with severe motor and/or global impairments ~ due to a variety of causes ~ that I had to talk with and share with the families who were so hoping a surgery on their family member would 'fix' the problems they have, that no surgery would in-truth fix their issues/problems.  Those are the toughest conversations because many people travel quite far to come to see us and to be told there isn't anything surgical that can be done is heart-breaking.  We had one family travel 515 km (basically 320 miles) to come to see us and we had to tell them there wasn't anything we could do for their family member.  One thing I have learned greatly during my time working here in Vietnam is that functional independence is the key!  So, we have to be very cautious about which surgeries we do on folks, as we don't want to take a person who can walk independently ~ albeit with a significant deformity ~ and make them non-ambulatory.  There were a few cases where the patients were very strongly wanting surgery, but we as a team agreed that the surgery would do more harm than good.  A difficult scenario.

All were tired at the end of the day, as usual, but a good day it was.

We then came back and had dinner with our friend, Phuong, (pronounced 'Fung') and her little 1 year old baby Phuc (pronounced 'Fook').  It was really nice to see her and to meet little Phuc.  Phuong has worked as an interpreter with our team in the past.

Well, it's actually Tuesday morning now...couldn't quite finish this last night, so I must get moving.  Off to the lovely Golf Hotel breakfast and then off to work!

Take good care...

xoxo
Stacy