Day 4: When Everything Goes Right
Day 4 has felt different from the rest of the week. It was different not because anything dramatic happened, but because nothing dramatic happened at all.
We have settled into a rhythm: morning rounds, pre-op, surgery, PACU. Repeating the same general process over and over again. Earlier this week, the hallways were confusing, people unfamiliar, and the organizational system completely new, but now there is comfort in knowing what comes next.
At first, I thought the routine meant the day was forgettable. But while reflecting on the day, I noticed how much peace exists when things are simply going right. Smooth surgeries with no unexpected turn of events. Quiet recovery rooms. Parents are able to exhale after hours of waiting. In a hospital, “boring” means healing, and I think that idea is incredibly overlooked.
This morning during rounds, one woman who had surgery yesterday asked to take a picture with her “ángeles,” referring to her surgeon and the team that operated on her. It was such a small moment, but it completely changed the way I viewed the day. Every day, more than 40 surgeries are being performed by this team. However, while these procedures may feel routine to the healthcare providers, for each patient and often their entire community, their lives are being changed.
Later in the day, I had a conversation with Dr. Roberto Fuentes, a local oromaxillofacial surgeon, about the Guatemalan healthcare system and the realities hospitals here face. Dr. Wani first met Roberto on one of these trips years ago, and the two connected immediately. Since then, Roberto has continued working alongside our team. Because he both lives and practices here in Guatemala, he brings an unmatched perspective and is intimately familiar with the challenges patients and healthcare providers face on a daily basis.
I asked him why organizations like Faith in Practice bringing healthcare providers from the United States makes such a difference. His answer was rather straightforward. He explained how important visiting medical teams are because here in Guatemala, there are simply not enough healthcare workers, specialists, or resources available to meet every patient’s needs. The doctors coming in are volunteers, meaning they are able to help people even if they cannot afford care. Roberto also explained that insurance here is incredibly expensive, costing more than a fifth of an average person’s income. Naturally, the waiting lists to see specialists are miles long.
The effects of limited access to healthcare are reflected in the severity of many patients’ conditions. In the United States, if something hurts or feels wrong, most people are able to access a doctor relatively quickly. Here, many patients have gone years without being examined or treated. As a result, conditions that could have been addressed early become much more severe over time. A mass that may have been removed years ago continues growing for decades before the individual is finally able to receive care.
Earlier this week, I focused mostly on the surgeries and the technical aspects of medicine, the procedures, and the fast-paced environment of the operating room. But today taught me that healthcare is also about consistency. It is about showing up every single day ready to care for people to the very best of your ability. Sometimes, the most meaningful days are not the dramatic ones, but the quiet days where everything simply goes right.
Jaya Sheth, Blogger & Photographer
