In business, in life, and in Antigua…one of the most important things to remember is that follow through is (or should be) part of the process. After breakfast, devotional, and some time to reflect on what was done and what has yet to become, day four started with rounds in the recovery ward. It was, as always, reaffirming of why everyone here does what they do, including spending time (and vacation hours) away from their own families to help others.
The idea that surgeons, nurses, interpreters, and others actually want to come by and check on every patient the morning after their surgeries is foreign to many of the people we saw this morning. I can’t tell you that it was all smiles, with some still experiencing discomfort, but the genuine appreciation from everyone is always seen and always felt.
My friend Angel (or Angelito per his mom) whom we met on day two, got his tonsils removed today, with one of our anesthesia staff making sure he was calm before heading into surgery by watching some Spider-Man videos. It was another reminder that everyone who comes in is just like the rest of us, sometimes needing some distraction to move on through the day. Also like many of us, he was not the happiest camper when he woke up from surgery, but our own PACU angels made sure Angelito was comforted again before heading to the recovery ward, where we’ll catch up with him tomorrow.
The team completed 41 surgeries today, bringing the total to 80 for their first two days, with two more days to go before an off day, a long day getting home, and more than a lifetime of memories. More rounds, more surgeries, and more stories tomorrow, but for now…some much needed rest and more reflection.
Erin Joseph Machac, Blogger
