Tuesday March 13

Tuesday March 13

  We had 6 cases scheduled for today, and cancelled 3 before we got started. One was a child with a hernia who had a cold; the second was a woman admitted with an epigastric hernia which we couldn't find and her pain had disappeared; and the third was an older man scheduled for a bilateral orchiectomy but Dr. Golikae had written in the chart that he was suitable for a prostatectomy. So we were able to add on a 5 year old with a right flank mass. John and I did Mohammed Sanho, younger brother of Sanho the scrub tech; he had a quite large nearly African hernia which we successfully reduced and repaired. Then we did the 5 year old girl with. the right flank mass, which actually extended retroperitoneally across the abdomen into the left lower quadrant. It was intensely vascular; we biopsied the wall, and found that the mass was a largely mucinous. I elected not to do a bigger biopsy because of the significant bleeding, and the risk that by being curious we would get into significant trouble. I am quite certain that this is malignant, and most likely untreatable.
  In the other room Ainhoa and Diego did some Z-plastics on the man with the burn contracture of his leg, hopefully starting the process of him being able to straighten his knee.
  I went to the clinic, and Santiago and Diego did a woman with an umbilical and inguinal hernia. Then Santiago called me up to the OR to see a man who had just been brought in after falling off the back of a moving pickup truck. He has massive facial degloving involving his nose hand upper lip, and was actively bleeding so the the ER doctor got him out of the pickup truck that brought him to JFK and brought him directly to the OR bypassing the ED. Santiago told me that he had done a case similar to this as a resident at Waterbury Hospital, and would love to do one again, so who was I to refuse!! We left them in the OR as we went home to shower and get dressed for an evening at the President's house.
   We arrived at her house and were directed to the gazebo and pool area where there was a bar set up as well as a buffet of finger foods. In addition to the HEARTT people, Dr. Macdonald was there as well as Lydia, Ben, and the usual cast . We all had drink and food, and then the President arrived home from her office. After a brief stop upstairs, she came out and joined us where she greeted us and then we each sat next other for a photo op. My conversation with her  was heartfelt and wonderful, and she was very kind in her comments. I told her how exciting it was for me to be present at the rebirth of Liberia, and how I see progress with each visit; she told me that she considers my contribution to that progress and rebirth to be very significant. While I am quite certain that she overstated the effect of my visits, it was a very kind and complimentary thing for her to say.
     After photos John was saying that he would love to talk to her one-on-one, and I encouraged him to do so. He sat down next to her and had a 10-15 min conversation, and came away from it in awe. I loved the look on his face as he described the feeling of just having had a conversation with a President.
     Santiago phoned me to say that they had finished operating and would be on their way over after a quick shower. I guess I was pacing a bit, worried that Madame President would leave before they arrived. Adamah was speaking with his mother, and called me over because she wondered why I was looking so concerned; I explained why, and she said :" don't worry, I won't leave "! About 15 minutes later they arrived and were greeted warmly by her.  Santiago told her about the case they had been doing; he mentioned that he had before and after photos, which she said she would like to see, so there he was showing her the rather graphic photos. Then she had photos taken and conversation with Diego and Santiago before she retired inside. We all stayed a little longer, chatting with Mayor Broh, and enjoying ourselves before piling into the van and heading home. It was definitely quite a night !