The surgeries my friends do every year in this village are ob/gyn. Women here have lots of fistulas (holes in the bladder) and problems like prolapse (organs coming out the body) due to the force of labor without medical assistance.
Today I got to watch a surgery for a prolapse. The woman's uterus was hanging out of her body. It actually hung down between her legs and had become callused. I cannot imagine how painful and difficult that would be. The women here are constantly working very hard.
This was a most unique experience--to be able to be looking right over the doctors' shoulders, watching the surgery.
I also went over to the post-op clinic. There are nine patients in recovery who had already had their surgeries. They look like they are recovering well. They each have a family member there with them. Nurse Diane is very good at communicating with them. She has learned the Bambara words needed to ask about their condition and tell them follow up instructions. The women and families have complete trust in her. It is touching to see--both how much she cares for them and also how they trust in her.
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