Thursday March15

       Sad news this morning when we arrived at JFK: the man we operated on yesterday for a perforated ulcer did not survive the night. He had trouble regaining his respiratory drive, and was kept in the OR on the anesthesia machine ventilator for several hours because of his weak breathing. Unfortunately there are no ventilators at JFK other than the anesthesia machines in the OR; the option of leaving him on a ventilator overnight just doesn't exist.
       David and Sandeep did a man with a large hydrocele, and then 2 of the Liberian residents repaired and epigastric hernia primarily. While they were doing that, the biomedical engineer came up and put a newer, larger monitor on the stand we brought for the endoscopy cart. We had some difficulty finding the endoscopes that Santiago had sent over, and which we had used last September. Eventually we found them, and were pleased to see that the equipment is all in working order and we will do some endoscopy in the coming days.
       After a brief rest we went to the Royal for dinner with Lisa Travis and her friends Christine and Lawrence, a Liberian couple. Lisa is from North Carolina, and has extensive business and philanthropic interests in Africa. She recently met Jonathan Laryea in Kinshasa, and was interested in learning more about our work in Liberia which she was here visiting. Her business involves analysis of drugs to see if they are really what they are being sold as; apparently there is a large problem with fake drugs in Africa. Additionally she has ideas about setting up a cancer center at JFK, and we talked some about that. Christine and Lawrence have a fascinating background, having lived through the war years here and abroad. We had a lively conversation, and a great time !