For yesterday's Devotional, we mixed it up a bit by having Alex lead some hymn singing (Come, Thou Fount; and In Christ Alone). In terms of the hospital, yesterday was my day in the pre-op area and my overnight call.
[Photo 1: the sign outside the hospital. In for a long day.]
Pre-op consisted of starting lots of IVs. In between patients, I had a chance to read C.S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters." My pre-op shift ended around 2 PM, at which point I was able to go back to the hotel for a bit before my overnight call. After a two-hour nap, email time, and dinner, it was time to return to the hospital.
For the most part, last night went pretty smoothly. There were some late surgeries, with the last patient arriving in recovery at around 9 PM. However, all the patients admitted to the hospital (turned out to be four in all) were fairly stable. The nurse who was on call with me, Michelle, was gracious enough to let me get a few hours of sleep while she monitored vital signs overnight.
[Photo 2, 3, 4: the hospital at night.]
[Photo 5: taking care of the last two patients to arrive in recovery.]
This morning, it was simply a matter of getting some quick vital signs before the surgeons arrived, eating the boxed breakfasts that our colleagues brought for us, and heading back to the hotel to have the rest of the day off.
[Photo 6: clinic starting to pick up in the morning.]
[Photo 7: standing outside the front of Hospital Suizo.]
It promised to be a busy day at the hospital. The original plan was to only have clinic and no surgeries because we'll be leaving tomorrow, but the group ended up scheduling in surgeries for today in order to accommodate all the patients that needed to be treated.
As for me, though, I went back to the room to nap before getting an all-American lunch at Pizza Hut.
[Photo 8: the movie that was playing at the Pizza Hut, featuring Jackie Chan!]
The rest of the day consisted of emails, other computer tasks, and gift-shopping. I had plenty of limpera (Honduran money) to bring back some genuine Honduran coffee, postcards, and keychains.
[Photo 9: before going gift-shopping, a special coconut cookie...with a bite taken out of it.]
[Photo 10: the souvenir shop, El Buen Amigo.]
[Photo 11: chilling in a hammock.]
Tonight was also the end-of-the-trip banquet. It was a night of good food, good company, toasts to all the folks who made the trip possible, and overall merriment.
[Photo 12: the med students at the hotel, before the dinner.]
[Photo 13: our banquet table.]
[Photo 14: Alex, me, and Josh.]
[Photo 15: Alex busting out the tunes.]
Tomorrow is a big travel day. See you all back in the States soon!