Warning: This is a normal day in my life and may be a bit graphic and personal. If you have a weak stomach or don't like the kinds of things we do here I would say this is a good time to use the delete button. Just a friendly warning.

Well, Well, Well, Guess who has water in his well! ME! So I am hooting and hollering. I am still trying to work it and get more water but so far things look promising. Things have been a bit busy here lately but I have an extra half hour before heading to do vaccinations in the villages today and I thought I would tell you about my last 72 hours.

The night before last, I was checking my e-mails and got a strange e-mail with the subject line saying "Need Emergency Help". I have to tell you in my 20 some years of Emergency Medical work I have never gotten an emergency call via E-Mail! It was a tour bus company from California trying to find anyone in Guatemala that could help their bus driver get a medi-vac plane out of the country and back to the USA. I e-mailed them back and finally got their phone number. I told them who I was and that I could help. I have connections to Agape Aviations (mission's airplane) and told them I could have the man flown from Puerto Barrios where he was to Guatemala City for $600.00 instead of $20,000.00.

I also knew good doctors and hospitals in Guatemala City that could take care of the man. Rather than re-type it all, I am going to paste the summary I sent to the family (with out names) to give you and idea of what happened. It was incredible how God puts people in the right places at the right time.

OK let me try and update and summarize the situation with Jimmy for you. I just got off the phone with Dr. Karen so I have the latest update. When Jimmy was taken to the surgeon in Puerto Barrios, His lower intestines were (necrosed) dead and blocked. The surgeon on call did not do an x-ray before surgery as best I can tell. He just assumed it was a hot appendix and opened Jimmy up to remove the appendix. However when he got in there I believe they realized it was not the appendix and his lower section of the small intestines were necroses (dead). They removed the dead section and created a stoma to reconnect the intestine. Here is where I start having a problem. They then left him in a room with no medical care all night. I have actually been told that he was told to walk to stop the internal bleeding. (Don't know if that is true or not). When I got to Jimmy's room, it was like an oven and he was in so much pain he could not talk. He looked like he was dying. His intestines were in a coffee jar next to the bed.

Tuesday morning I came into the picture. I don't know you guys or Jimmy but feel you are good people since you want to take care of an employee. So I decided to get this man out of the private hospital and get him flown to a real hospital in country that I know is clean, competent and caring. My experience with them in the past has been wonderful care at a fraction of the cost of US Hospital care.

I called Dr. Karen and had her talk to the Dr. in Charge. She told him to insert a Nasal Gastric tube into Jimmy immediately. This relived him of terrible pain and also emptied out a liter and a half of green bile from his stomach. Why the Dr. in Puerto Barrios did not know this is beyond me. The problem is since they did not have a NG tube into Jimmy some of the fluid he was constantly regurgitating went into his right lung and he now has pneumonia.

We flew Jimmy to Guatemala City and an ambulance took him to the Esparanza Hospital where Dr. Karen ordered immediate x-rays, blood work, and a CT scan. (All appropriate medical care). It was determined by her and the hospital surgeons that he has an obstruction that is life threatening and he needed immediate surgery.

They took him to the O.R. and found that the stoma done by the Drs in Puerto Barrios was not correct and things that should have been done properly were not. The surgeons at the Esparanza Hospital finished surgery on Jimmy at 1:00am this morning and he is doing better this morning in a clean comfortable hospital room with 24x7 care. Dr. Karen stated that they need to keep him for a minimum of 72 hours for observation of the new stoma in his intestines to see if it takes and heals and also they have IV antibiotics to try and clear up the Pneumonia. She will keep me posted as to any changes good or bad. Keep him in your prayers.

Just as things were settling down and I was ready for dinner, the ambulance pulled in with this lady that was in a car accident.  I got her sutured up and sent her home. I am training the firefighters to learn to suture, so they can come here and suture while I sleep, er, I mean observe.

I have to go help the government clinic give vaccinations, but get this, they have been planning this for months and came yesterday and said, "Bryan, do you have any syringes?" I said, "Yes, how many do you need, like 5 or 6?" They said, "No, we need 1000. We don't have any!" Believe it or not, I had exactly 1000 syringes in my storage room. They said, "We need 3cc syringes with 25mm needles." That is exactly what I had!

So it seems as though I am where I am supposed to be huh? I was telling a friend this morning how much I love my job. I really could not be happier with where God has us.

Then, last night as I sat down to relax on the veranda and drink a Coke, Gabby came up to me and said, "Papa Bryan, can I ask you a question?" I said, "Sure honey." So she sat on my lap and said, "What is a Menstrual Period?" My eyes popped open and I choked on my Coke and it came out of my nose. I got my wits and said, "WHAT? You need to talk to your mother about that." She said, "Momma Miech sent me to you." I saw Riechelle in the corner drawing up floor plans with her head down and laughing. Remember, I have never had girls before. I was not ready for this. This is a woman's job! Right? Right?

So, Gabby and I had a Father Daughter talk. I explained every thing in a medical fashion and then she hugged me and said, "Thanks for being my Daddy." It ended up being a very special time for both of us. I am a very Happy man. OK, Got to run.

God Bless,
In His Service,

Bryan & Riechelle and Kids

Junglemedic Missions
Rio Dulce, Izabal
Guatemala Central America

E-Mail: Bryan@JungleMedicMissions.org
Web Site: http://www.junglemedicmissions.org/
 

 This page was last updated 04/24/07

Copyright © 2004 Jungle Medic Missions. All rights reserved