The
Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital was a busy place today. The OR staff and surgeons started performing surgery at 6:30
a.m. and completed 22 joint surgeries today.
The
patients who had surgery on Saturday and Sunday are recovering on the hospital
wards. Patients are taken for
X-rays of the new hip or knee and have blood work done the day after
surgery. Each patient then
has a physical therapy session in the morning and another in the
afternoon. The Operation Walk
physical therapists were joined by 10 physical therapy students from Guatemala
City who are in their final year of studies.
We
were able to talk to many of the patients today between physical therapy
sessions. We asked each patient how long he or she suffered with pain prior to
coming here for surgery. Answers
ranged from 3-20 years.
We
also asked what each patient's hope was for the future. Most patients answered that they would
like to be able to work again. Here are several other responses:
"I feel absolutely great today. In the future I'm going to do
everything!" Rosalvina, right hip
replacement
"I
want to be able to work again...work in my garden and maintain my house."
Catalina, bilateral knee replacements
"I
just hope for a normal life." Jorge,
right knee replacement
"I
want to work, and I want to dance because everyone loves to dance."
Luiz,
bilateral knee replacements
Some
of the patients also wanted us to express their thanks to all involved in
Operation Walk. A few comments to
share:
"I
want to thank all of you, especially the doctors that come from far away with
their good hands."
Lidia, left knee replacement
"I
want to thank all of you for leaving your houses to come here and help us walk
again."
Victor, bilateral knee replacements
On
a cultural note, it was the feast of Our Lady of La Merced. A procession went past the hospital and
thru the town of Antigua. The
photo below is of a float honoring Our Lady of Merced. The float weighs over one ton and is
carried by the women through town.
The Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital was a busy place today. The OR staff and surgeons started performing surgery at 6:30 a.m. and completed 22 joint surgeries today.
The patients who had surgery on Saturday and Sunday are recovering on the hospital wards. Patients are taken for X-rays of the new hip or knee and have blood work done the day after surgery. Each patient then has a physical therapy session in the morning and another in the afternoon. The Operation Walk physical therapists were joined by 10 physical therapy students from Guatemala City who are in their final year of studies.
We were able to talk to many of the patients today between physical therapy sessions. We asked each patient how long he or she suffered with pain prior to coming here for surgery. Answers ranged from 3-20 years.
We also asked what each patient's hope was for the future. Most patients answered that they would like to be able to work again. Here are several other responses:
"I feel absolutely great today. In the future I'm going to do everything!" Rosalvina, right hip replacement
"I want to be able to work again...work in my garden and maintain my house."
Catalina, bilateral knee replacements
"I just hope for a normal life." Jorge, right knee replacement
"I want to work, and I want to dance because everyone loves to dance."
Luiz, bilateral knee replacements
Some of the patients also wanted us to express their thanks to all involved in Operation Walk. A few comments to share:
"I want to thank all of you, especially the doctors that come from far away with their good hands."
Lidia, left knee replacement
"I want to thank all of you for leaving your houses to come here and help us walk again."
Victor, bilateral knee replacements
On a cultural note, it was the feast of Our Lady of La Merced. A procession went past the hospital and thru the town of Antigua. The photo below is of a float honoring Our Lady of Merced. The float weighs over one ton and is carried by the women through town.