Today, Tuesday, the physical therapists Jessi Ivie, Sarah Nale and Tina Oh started working with yesterday’s surgery patients. Most of them are in a good frame of mind and able to tell us a bit more of their stories. Jessi has an app on her phone that allows her to communicate in Spanish well enough that she doesn’t need a human translator. She gets William up and walking. He, like most of the Guatemalans is “strong and tough,” she says.
Gaspar, one of Dr. Cahill’s patients injured his hip when he fell from the second floor of a house he was painting, back in 2007. He is looking forward to being relieved of chronic pain.
Elva, the redhead who was in a motorcycle accident was walking with a cane before surgery and is hoping not to need it. Like many of the patients, she tears up when Fr. Chris offers to pray with her.
Maria Marcela has been housebound for three years since her motor vehicle accident. She is looking forward to being able to get out and about again.
Lilian is very grateful and describes her experience of the Obras and the Faith In Practice team as “La Familia Unida.”
Daniel, the one with the deep infection is in an isolation room. Dr. Michael Bubis, the hospitalist who is checking on the medical condition of the patients will look at the cultures of his tissue samples taken during surgery, in order to figure out which antibiotic to prescribe him for the next six weeks.
Randal, the 20 year-old is already getting around with his walker unassisted by staff. He has mild cerebral palsy, which causes tendon contractures. Dr. Johnson lengthened the achilles tendon on his left foot so that he can place it flat on the ground. He will need to come back for the same surgery on his right foot. In the U.S., these procedures are usually performed before children’s bones fully mature, between six and ten years old, so Randal is about a decade overdue. But he is cheerful and expects to be discharged soon to head back home to Morales with his mom, seven hours by bus. When Fr. Chris asks if he has a girlfriend, he blushes and says that his whole focus right now is on being able to walk.
Courtney Kim, Team Blogger
