Pages

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Heartcare International ~ Mission in Lima, Peru

The mission of Heart Care International is to improve the health of children who suffer from congenital heart disease and live in economically challenged countries throughout the world.  We are able to achieve this goal through a two-pronged approach:
  • Identify children who would benefit from high technology medical care, including diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization, as well as closed and open heart surgery, and administer life-saving heart procedures to these children in their home countries
  • Train host country medical professionals (doctors, nurses, administrative staff, etc.) in cutting-edge surgical, medical, palliative and interventional care techniques such that local physicians will eventually be able to independently provide the same treatments to children in their home country
taken from: http://www.heartcareintl.org/home

I feel blessed to have been chosen to work with this incredible organization.  Our team performed 15 cardiac surgeries at the Instituto de Salud del niño in Lima, Peru.  During this mission I had the opportunity to work with amazing doctors, nurses & respiratory therapists from all over the US. I also had the opportunity to work with and learn from the ICU staff at Instituto de Salud del niño.  An amazing exchange of knowledge between our team and the Peruvian team took place each and every day and it was truly a humbling experience.

All photos taken with my iphone

entrance to the ICU at Instituto de Salud del niño
This is pt V.M. he is an 11 month old male.  He was the only patient that we operated on that still remained in the ICU when our team left Peru.  He had a TET repair on 3/9 that was complicated by seizures and multiple organ failure. He improved on a daily basis and we are hopeful that Pt V will have a good long term outcome.

small right sided pleural effusion 
narcotic regulations are quite a bit different, no keys, no count...just a small plastic box!
our IV pumps
PD dialysis 
Chest tube set-up
Art line set-up

Dr. Enrique
me 
Peruvian nurses hard at work
daily rounds-- Dr. L teaching the Peruvian team
The Peruvian nurses--some of the most amazing nurses I have ever met!
Heartcare team with the Peruvian nurses
taking a break before rounds

The next few pictures were taken while rounding on the floors.  During these rounds we got to interact with the families and the kids who had recently had surgery.  We learned lots about the Peruvian culture and even got to be on Peru t.v. :)  Here are a few photos taken during rounds.  Most of these kids were getting ready to be discharged home.














Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Peru Part 2 ~ The Inca Trail

There is a chinese proverb that says "he who climbs it once is a wise man, he who climbs it twice is a fool."  This proverb is in regards to Mt. Fuji, but for me it sums up my experience on the Inca trail. Reaching the 14,000 ft. summit was an amazing feeling and getting to Machu Picchu was even more spectacular, but the journey in between was a tough one.  

The Inca Trial---

The challenge is to make it. Period. The hike is not long (approximately 26 miles), but the trail is tough and the altitude makes breathing difficult. 3 solid days of trekking with steep stairs that seem to go on forever I was constantly reminding myself "I paid for this, I wanted this, I chose to do this...."

The first day we are excited and full of energy. Well, most of us. Carie is really sick, she is dehydrated and the altitude is really effecting her.  She is a trooper though and despite the circumstances she makes it to camp.  Sadly she spends most of the day by herself :( The terrain is fairly even and we are gradually introduced to the Inca stairs (these stairs will later become our nemesis). We are stoked when we reach camp and are actually excited about camping. 

Day 2 "Dead Woman's Pass" -This is the day we have been dreading, the day with steep stairs at high altitude, the day that breaks people. We support each other and concentrate on just putting one foot in front of the other, hoping that it will all be worth it.  We make the 14,000 ft summit and feel on top of the world, we are stoked about the descent.  It is downhill, it should be easy right?!?! Wrong. On the descent it starts pouring, it is cold and the stairs are steep and jagged. Kristina and I do our best not to fall.  We fail.  One fall each. Not too bad considering every step felt like it had the potential for disaster. That night the elements present another challenge. It pours throughout the night, raining inside our tent. We are wet and freezing. Mentally and physically we are hurting.  We do our best not to break.

Day 3 is supposed to be an easier day, but the morning proves a challenge because we are all having trouble breathing.  It just doesn't feel like there is enough oxygen...sleeping at altitude has taken it's toll. Dre has an inhaler that we all pass around.  It almost feels like cheating, but to us it's like a tiny little miracle :) When we get to camp that night we are exhausted, our sleeping bags are still wet, but we are excited.  Tomorrow we will see Machu Picchu!

Day 4 starts bright and early with a 3:30 am wake-up call.  It makes no difference really because most of us haven't even fallen asleep yet. We start our trek towards Machu Picchu.  It is cold and dark, but we are stoked.  We are practically running there.  The last part is a legit rock climbing wall. It is steep, but we climb it like monkeys. We reach the sun gate.  We made it!  We all tear up.  It is a mixture of emotions, happiness mostly. Also I think we are relieved.  We are done, we did it. Bucket list--check! We start the descent towards Machu Picchu.  We are in awe and will spend the next few hours inside.  I want to marvel in this ancient glory, but I am done.  I am over it.  My feet hurt.  It is hot.  I want a beer.  The inside of Machu Picchu is full of steps. I can barely listen to our tour guide because she is making me walk up more steps.  I don't want to see another step! Ha!! 

It didn't have to be this way though.  I could have taken the train or the bus.  There were plenty of people inside the gate who chose that route.  You knew who they were.  They smelled fresh and clean. They glided up the stairs with ease.  Those that did the hike looked and felt like me.  They hadn't showered in 4 days, their steps seemed painful and they had this look of smug content.

So, the question is was it worth it?!?!  When I look back I think about one of my favorite quotes "the road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination."  When I remember this time I don't think about the end, I don't think about Machu Picchu really. Instead I think about the journey and the amazing girls I experienced this with.  I couldn't have done it without them.  I think about the random stranger Tom from Australia who I reached the summit with. How we pushed each other to go on despite us both wanting to stop. I think about the laughs and the memories that I will remember for a lifetime.  So I guess the answer is yes, yes it was worth it.
Kristina & I in town before heading to km 82- photo by Dre
porters packing up our gear
The start of the Inca Trail...the next couple pictures were taken crossing the bridge to start our trek.




Some of the ruins along the way.... 


The jungle areas were so beautiful!!!


my girls 

one of our campsites
tea time :) photo by guide
photo by guide
 photo by guide
 photo by guide
 photo by guide
headed to the summit...
photo by guide
photo by guide
dead women's pass--summit 14,000 ft
we made it!!!
photo by guide
starting the descent...so cold!!
hiking in the dark on our way to....
Machu Picchu!!!!!
iphone pic :)




inside Machu Picchu




victory beer at the top of Machu Picchu