Una semana llena de cirugías de cataratas.

This week was packed full of cataract surgeries - which means sight restoration!  All the patients from previous brigadas that were in need of cataract surgery were bussed into Tegus.  It was fun to see familiar faces from Marcala, Florida, San Pedro and Opatoro.  As well as new faces from the brigadas previous volunteers had gone on. 

While we did have a successful week of surgeries we were hoping to see more patients. Unfortunately the fear of surgery here is rather high so some patients chose not to make the trek to Tegus.  However, another week of surgeries is planned in September and my hope is that when the patients who received cataract surgery this week return home with positive results the others will be convinced to opt for the surgery.  However I believe the important thing is that over 25 people did receive free cataract surgery this week.  And all them are seeing clearer today and enjoying a better quality of life :-)

Sonia and I outside the surgery room!  When helping with surgery we help dress and undress patients, escort them in and out of surgery and give the patients their necessary eye drops. 

We also are able to view surgeries via a teaching scope.  The first time I watched a cataract surgery up-close like this I have to admit my stomach was a little uneasy.  However the sense of uneasiness quickly faded into fascination.  It is absolutely incredible how they are so easily and quickly* able to remove the clouded, yellow and opaque lens and replace it with a brand spankin completely transparent new lens! 

*Cataract surgeries take about 20 minutes. 

We also help fold laundry.  Not the most thrilling job.....but somebody's got to do it!

The group from Marcala that received free cataract surgery!  A charming bunch if I do say so myself :-) 

All the patients that were bussed in from the various rural areas for cataract surgery also received a tasty breakfast on the clinic patio.

-tortillas, beans, cheese, eggs & chorizo- YUMMY!

Sonia and I gave sun glasses to all the patients that received free cataract surgery.  This caused lots of excitement. The women to the left was especially thrilled.  When I asked her how she was doing rather than the typical “bien” response she replied “excellente”.  She was also super smiley and giggly.....which ofcourse made her that much more endearing.  If you can’t tell I really enjoyed this woman’s company!

 A group of patients waiting to see Dr. Flores and receive their post-operative care.

Ramón caught my eye immediately with his spunk, good humor and sweetness.  Ramón is 90 years old, a vegan and seems to be trucking right along! 







All in all a very successful week at the clinic!  This week I hope to go on another brigada and escape the big city for a few days.

¡Qué Bonita!

Everywhere I look I am in awe by the beauty of Honduras.  After being here for over a month one might think I would have grown accustom to this beauty but that is simply not the case.  I still find my self gaping out the window in total admiration.  Lush, green and mountainous forests sprawl out endlessly, while the clouds always seem to sit perfectly atop the canopy.

Although I’ve done my best to capture the breathtaking landscape on camera, my pictures definitely do not give the true elegance and beauty of Honduras justice.   None-the-less below are few photos.

This is what 90% of the drive to Opatoro looked like!

The view right outside the clinic in San Pedro.

1 of the 3 streets in the quaint town of Opatoro.

The Copan Ruinas

It was pouring!  Good thing I decided to bring my mother's 20 year old raincoat that no longer repels the rain :-)

Our lunch spot in La Tigra (A National Park)

Flower outside the B&B we stayed at in Copan Ruinas

 

¡Ayudé a construir una casa!

The first night Sonia and I arrived in Honduras we went to dinner with our fellow Unite For Sight Volunteers and an American couple (Mark and Lori).  Through the course of dinner I soon learned that I was amongst some incredible people.  My fellow volunteers.......well they are simple the  best.  And Mark and Lori may be some of the most compassionate and loving people I have met.  Mark and Lori live and volunteer their time and skills in Honduras.  (The couple were long time friends with a past Unite For Sight volunteer who was still in town.)    Mark builds homes for needy families (needy being a huge understatement) and Lori runs an organization that works to empower women.  At dinner we expressed interest in helping Mark build a house and last Saturday was our chance to do just that!

Below are few pictures of the house we built:  

The family we built the house for was previously living in the "shelter" to the right.

It has poured nearly every day since I have been here.  Translation - With a "shelter" like this one, the family living here has been rained on, with no where to go, everyday since I have been here. 

The 12' by 12' shelter is coming along! 

Once again someone is taking the hammer away from Sonia.  She was just to dangerous with it! :-)

Helping to put the roof up! 

Max and I relaxing and feeling accomplished atop the roof we just completed!    

Sonia looking out the single window of the house.  Note the beautiful view.  Property like this would go for a pretty penny in the states.   

When the house was finished all the little kids were excited and running around everywhere!  It was nothing short of chaos.  I'm playing a form of tag here.

To the left is the family we built the house for.  They were so very thankful.  When the house was finally built......many tears of happiness were shed by the family.

 It started pouring not even 20 minutes after we finished the house..........they were dry :-)

Max, Me, Mark, Sonia, Lori, Sherrie

Again note the amazing view!


I'm so happy and blessed to know each one of the beautiful people to the right!












The work I did building the house was very different from the basic eye care I have been providing on outreaches and at the clinic in Tegus but it was equally enjoyable and rewarding.   It seems my smile is here to stay in Honduras :-) 

Florida - San Pedro - Opatoro

The last four days have been filled with lots of new experiences, lots of learning and lots of joy.   On Tuesday morning we (the crew of volunteers and Victor, the optometrist) set out for a 3 day brigada.  Our first stop was in Florida, then San Pedro and finally Opatoro.

The brigada in Florida was held at the quaint church above.  When we arrived a long line of people were already waiting.

 

We saw over 500 patients in 3 days - yes we were very busy and yes I’m going to bed early tonight!  The people we saw were all very endearing, genuine and thankful.  In addition they are very patient.  Some patients end up waiting for hours to see the optometrist and receive their glasses.  The fact that they are still so pleasant and happy after hours of waiting still puzzles me.....but I'm very thankful for it.

A group of patients crowed into the small church during the torrential down pour!

 During this brigada I had two patients that were particularly memorable.  One was a little girl from San Pedro whose poor vision was affecting her ability to read.  I was able to fit her with reading glasses and her big smile as she named off the tiny letters is something I won't soon forget.

And here I am fitting the little girl with glasses!

  Another was a couple from Opatoro.  I was able to fit them both with reading glasses - the old women was particularly excited that she would be able to sew again!  I also gave them each sunglasses.  They each tried on multiple pairs and giggled the whole time (which I thoroughly enjoyed).  I found their choice of sunglasses very interesting! 

Here is the picture of the couple.  When I asked if I could take a picture of them, the women immediately began ordering the man around.  They were just so charming!

  Ohh and I guess I can't forget the sweet old man in San Pedro who was struting a bright blue t-shirt that read "I'm not a gynecologist but I can take a look".

We got a flat tire on the rough rode to Opatoro.  Normally this would have been a cause of frustration but here in Honduras, where the pace of life is so much slow it was FUN!

Our accommodations in Opatoro.  I would call them 5 star rustic because we did have running water (it was freezing) and some access to electricity.  We were also awaken promptly at 4 am by the roosters. 

 

The Toyota land cruiser that gets us everywhere!

There are always people walking on the roads and the use of mules for packing things is very common.

Sonia is filling up a bucket in order to "flush" her toilet.  Ohh the adventure :-)

The Crew!  Bozho, Sonia, Max, Lindsey

 Things are going very well and I’m feeling very refreshed and content.

And the adventure begins......

Thus far my Honduran adventure has been nothing short of amazing!

The journey began at about 1:30 in the morning in Fresno, CA with an In-N-Out burger and fries.  Three and a half hours later Sonia and I arrived at LAX.  (A big thanks to Colin and Megan for making the midnight trek to LA and getting Sonia and I to the airport safely.)  LAX is overwhelming......but LAX at 5 am is incomprehensible.  Sonia and I (in our matching Unite For Sight T-shirts) quickly noticed that we were the only ones speaking English, everyone else was speaking Spanish.....very fast Spanish.  Although I was catching a conversation here and there I think my personal train of thought was something like "Ohh S***".  All and all though our trip to Tegus went very well :-) 

When we arrived at our new home, the ApartaHotel, we were quickly welcomed by fellow volunteers.  Although I think Sonia and I were ready to collapse, we went to dinner with them anyways and discovered that we were surrounded by some beautiful people.
 Early on Wednesday morning I left, along with Sonia and Sherrie (another volunteer), for a brigada in Marcala.  A brigada is basically a rural outreach.  We provide basic screenings, patients meet with an optometrist and we also hand out glasses.  We saw over 180 patients in 2 days!  My 1st brigada experience was rather amazing and as I'm sitting here I'm realizing hard to explain.  So because I want to go to bed I think I will contemplate this later......but I will say that the majority of the people that we saw at the brigada have close to nothing yet they all seem to be content.

Pictures to Come!