Day 3: Long Before and Long After
Walking back into the hospital this morning felt different. Yesterday began with nervous waiting, anxious families, and the uncertainty that comes before surgery. Today began with relief, laughter, and smiles.
The first patient we checked on was Naydelin, the team’s first surgery on Monday, who greeted us with the brightest smile, somehow even happier than the day before. Manuelito de Jesus lit up the moment we walked in. Alma, who had been so quiet during triage and throughout surgery, had already begun to open up, talking with us comfortably and smiling freely.
Then there was Fernanda. Before I could even enter the room, she stood up on her bed and started jumping. The second I reached her, she wrapped her arms around me in the tightest hug and refused to let go. It was a simple, genuine moment that said everything without needing words. Heleny was just as full of energy, excited to see us again and eager to take photos together, her happiness impossible to contain.
I keep returning to the children in these posts because I am still young enough to truly relate to them. I understand the nervousness, the need for comfort, and how much a small act of kindness can mean.
Something as simple as a sticker (I now have eleven on my name badge) can instantly turn a distressed expression into a smile. Watching these children bounce back with such joy and resilience in under twenty-four hours has been one of the most eye-opening parts of this experience.
While the morning surgeries were underway, we assembled gift bags for the patients: toiletries and essentials for the adults, and small toys for the children. The wards felt almost like a community, filled with gratitude, warmth, laughter, and hope.
By the afternoon, the pace shifted back to surgery. Forty-two total cases, a number that feels almost impossible when you witness the care, focus, and teamwork behind every single one. One patient originally scheduled for a hysterectomy turned into something far more complicated once the procedure began. Dr. Ayyar scrubbed in alongside Dr. McDowell and Dr. Bonner, and what unfolded became a real-time lesson in collaboration: each surgeon adapting, communicating, and problem-solving entirely for the sake of the patient.
I also had the opportunity to observe a laparoscopic cholecystectomy with Dr. Ayyar, who carefully walked me through each step in terms a non-medical person could actually understand. Despite the intensity and pace of the day, every surgeon and staff member continuously explained what they were doing and why, genuinely inviting me into the learning process. Standing just a foot away from these procedures and hearing the reasoning behind every decision gave me a new appreciation for medicine and for the people dedicated to it.
What stayed with me most at the end of the day was how connected every part of this experience felt. Following Naydelin, Fernanda, Heleny, and Manuelito from triage through discharge and then watching that same spirit of collaboration inside the operating room all pointed to the same truth: healing is built through trust, compassion, and the small human moments that make people feel cared for long before and long after a procedure is complete.
Jaya Sheth, Blogger & Photographer
