Karen's Rus Rus Report #5: People Just Kept Coming

It's been crazy busy here. I don't know when I've been so tired and hot but felt so alive. The clinic overflowed all day long. Many are from other villages and stay overnight in the buildings near the hospital. Many are sleeping on concrete floors. A few have mattresses. 

Wes prepares to depart on an emergency flight.

The fellow on the litter (in the picture above) had a broken leg and was flown by Wes to Puerta Limpera, but when they landed there...the X-ray machine was broken so Wes then had to fly the man to Ahaus where the X-ray machine was working! There is another case that needed flown out but the surgeons cannot take him until Thursday. Our airplane and Wes are so critical to the work going on out here! 

I was helping all over the place but was able to spend some time helping the local nurse get charts started for paperwork that was back-logged before we came. Keeping records on each patient is a totally new thing for the clinic and will be a good improvement.

Here I am helping organize patient records.

 People just kept coming. We finally just had to tell them we couldn't see any more and that they would have to wait until tomorrow. Wow. What a day, but we treated more than 100 people! I cannot possibly tell you anything that could make you understand the intensity and unbelievable quality of this experience. 

IHS medical staff working with a young patient.

We saw one little girl who was 4 years old. She was hardly able to walk. She no longer played with the other kids. It was the moment of breaking for me. I held it together but nearly had to leave in tears when I realized that--even with all of our assembled medical experience and knowledge--we could not help her or figure out why she was having such problems nor would she have access to any specialist who might be able to help. It's heart breaking.

Thank you for your prayers.