Gateway Medical Team

Where do I begin? Our clinics are getting busier and busier and more and more interesting! Our team from Gateway Church arrived on Thursday morning and jumped right into seeing patients. Dr. Heidi was here as well seeing her regular appointments so there were people everywhere. Heidi, an OB-Gyn doctor is getting great response with many new patients being seen every week. We could have clinic everyday and still not see them all. Her patient with the breast mass returned as did 3 of the children who are getting ready for cleft lip surgery. Osni is gaining some weight. Keep praying for him please.

We quickly sent Dr. John Osborne up to the local Health Center (which is part of the government health care service) where he saw 19 patients with high blood pressure and other cardiac problems. Here where we live there are no cardiologists and very little choice of medicines available. He brought along a portable echocardiogram machine to use. I didn't even know there is such a thing! Wow.

Back at ASELSI, Dr. Scott Conard saw all of our patients that we see on a monthly basis with chronic diseases of the heart and diabetes. It was great for our patients to be seen by someone who is a specialist in these areas. It was also great to hear him say that we have been doing a good job with these folks.

Carla Johnston, an advanced practice RN and Tonya Walters, also an RN, saw our sick children. They were also very busy!

Meanwhile I was getting training on how to do ultrasounds! Mary Brenner brought her portable machine and worked hard to show me many things whenever I wasn't being pulled away for other things.

So we were able to see over 70 patients in just a little over 4 1/2 hours!

On Friday morning we set out in the mobile clinic bus for a busy day of seeing patients in Xepocol. This is about a half hour drive outside of Chichicastenango. We took our bus there consistently for a year when Roger Turnbough was with us but have not been back since. Working with the local "Health Committee" we set up our clinic in a field to the side of the local elementary school. People soon started arriving and clinic got started. Dr. Scott and Carla setup their stations on the school porch while Mary setup her ultrasound room inside the bus. Tonya was a quick learner in working in the pharmacy for the first time with Richard who runs our regular pharmacy. Poor Carla had become really sick during the night (something she ate??) but was working hard at seeing patients between running to the outhouse. What a trooper!

We really saw some sick folks and even sent some in for surgical consults based on the ultrasound findings. We saw close to 100 people in all. Meanwhile back in Chichi, Dr. John was presenting a seminar to 12 guests from the various medical care providers located in Chichi.

So all in all it was a great trip and many people were helped. On Saturday morning the team headed off to the lake and then on to the capital to return to Dallas on Sunday morning. Short trip but great results!!

On a sad note, we received notice that little baby Lesly that had come to our clinic 2 weeks ago had died in the hospital. Despite the interventions she continued to lose weight and finally went to be with Jesus. We were all sad for her family as they had tried to do what they could to help her. We also have received the biopsy report on a young mother of a 16 month old child who is also pregnant again. She has ductal cancer of her breast and will need a mastectomy ASAP. Please pray for her, her family and the unborn child. I will let you know how she does.

Please also remember to pray for our Christmas party on this Thursday. The final count is in and we should have 2000 children attend this year. That's 400 more than last year! Thanks to all who worked so hard to send enough presents. Shawn calculates that we should have just a few gift bags left after the party. Please pray for the program that the salvation message will pierce through the darkness and many will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Thanks so much.