Day 20 of the Daily Lenten blog journey…

I almost didn’t finish yesterday’s post due to the events of todays post.

Yet another major emergency went down yesterday evening.  I heard Dr. Isaac calling on the radio for one of the nurses.  Then, shortly after, for a surgeon.  I knew that he had previously gone down to do a C-section on a woman, so I was worried this likely meant something was not going right. Continue reading →

Day 19 of 46, in my daily Lenten blog journal

I have been holding onto this story for quite awhile, mainly because it is delicate, disturbing, and I just wasn’t sure I could honor it with words.  But it focuses on a condition that exists throughout the world, and has been dealt with in many terrible ways over history.  My instinct, as a person who enjoys humor, is to soften the topic with light-hearted joking. Continue reading →

Day 18/46 of daily Lenten blog journey

With certain specialties of medicine come different categories of pride.  What I mean to say is, each branch of medicine has a perspective on their service that brings them self-satisfaction and dignity.

For instance, ER docs may take pride in their unruffled serenity despite any catastrophe that they might encounter.  Surgeon’s may delight in the fine dexterity and precision in which they exact their craft. Continue reading →

The torrent of emergencies at the hospital continues…  I guess that’s what happens at hospitals, eh?

But I’m talking about ‘Code Blue’s,’ which are emergencies that require a special response from everyone in the hospital.  See Day 15 for a brief explanation of the Code Blue emergency call.   Continue reading →

Day 16/46 of the daily Lenten blog

I think I’m bored of yesterday’s topic, let’s move on to something different, shall we?

Nah, just kidding.  Here we go: So I sprinted over, rounded the curtain, and was horrified to find… Continue reading →

Day 15 of 46, of my daily Lenten blog journey

Every morning when I arrive at the hospital I begin my routine of surveying the hospital to see what’s brewing.  First stop is always the emergency department to see if there’s anyone there that needs attending. Continue reading →

Day 14 of 46, daily Lenten blog journey

We had an older gentleman show up at the hospital a couple days ago hoping we could help him with his leg.  He sustained an accident and had broken the lower bones in his right leg.   He went to one of the most well known hospitals in Honduras.  They reduced his bones and put external fixators in to stabilize the fractures (in other words, they set his bones straight, and stuck some pins in to keep them in place.). Continue reading →

13/46, of daily Lenten blog journey

Y’all hear of Ketamine?  It’s a drug.  Its main purpose is medicinal, but it has abusive potential as well.  I have come to love it.  Not for my own personal use, but as a tool at the hospital.

Continue reading →

Day 12 of 46, of my daily Lenten blog

The Honduran people are very nurturing.  It seems that it’s second nature to look after their loved ones, as well as their neighbors.  I have yet to hear of a patient going to a nursing home, although I know they exist in some of the bigger cities.  People appear programmed to take care of their elders, their disabled, and their ill. Continue reading →

Day 11 of my daily Lenten blog journey

I’ve been thinking about this oxymoron for awhile:  Tough Love.  Every parent understands the concept, and yet it is often hard to put it into practice.  Who wants to watch their child suffer?  Whether it is physical or emotional pain, our instinct is to protect and avoid.

In medicine, this concept is a daily truth.  Every day we have to put people through a small bit of torture on the road to better health.  Whether it’s starting a painful IV in order to give infection-fighting antibiotics, or doing physical therapy after a traumatic injury, healing is usually a painful process.

This made me think about a patient that I cared for a couple years ago, whom I nicknamed, Donny V (not his real name…).  I blogged about him awhile back (click here if you want to read).  He had gangrene in his lower left leg and we had to do an amputation.  He went on to have infection of the stump, and became deathly ill.  I really thought he was going to die.  We had to return him to the OR to open up the wounds and drain out all of the purulent material (pus).  Then, we went through an arduous daily process of changing his dressings and draining fluid, which was agonizing to him.  He would often howl and sob in pain, but we persisted, as it was saving his life.

He made it through the trial, and I just saw him last month.  He was being evaluated by our prosthetics team (who comes down from Washington State, Yeah!) for a new leg.  It’s so cool to see beauty made from ashes.  He’s going to be kicking goals on the fútbol field in no time.

He also doesn’t have any eyeballs, that’s why his eyes are closed.  Really sad.

Naw, just kiddin’, he blinked…

Back to Tough Love.

For those of you who have a hard time trusting a God who allows suffering in this world, I get it.  But look, it’s not part of the deal.  Bear with me, check this out:

Jesus says in John 16 (NIV):  “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  ‘trouble’ is in the contract, it is a given.

And then the Word says:

James 1:2-4 (the Message) says:  ‘Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.’ 

Wait, bad stuff is part of the plan?  But I’m going to grow from it if I persevere?  So just lean into it?

Oh, ok.  Let’s do this.

I really hate to give you any homework, but this video is just so dang good, so consider it.  This guy is named Matt Chandler, and I have a bit of a man crush on him, because he seems to be a really genuine guy who loves Jesus.  The cliff notes version of his talk is from Minute 39:16 to 44:00.   CLICK RIGHT HERE.  But, if you have 50 minutes to spare, it will be time well spent to watch it all.

Photo of the day:

Basketball court just behind El Camino bilingual school (where my daughter Juliet attends). Doesn’t get used much.  There’s this little game called Fútbol (soccer)…

11 down, 36 to go.