| Each volunteer on the mission is invited to share their thoughts and reactions to the project with you here. You can respond to their comments via e mail or on the discussion page. |
The
sounds of the OR -- Medical and Cultural Exchange
April
3, 2000 1:14 AM Barcelona, Venezuela
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Walking down the hall of the operating suite at Razetti Hospital, the sounds of each operating room are a unique blend of instruments of many kinds. Mixed with the expected sounds of patient monitors and the hiss of oxygen and anesthesia machines are the sounds of music. Music helps the cases and the day go by faster. The first day, for example. lasted over 14 hours. Each operating room has a radio, or a CD player brought by the team. Often, the doctors from each country share favorite CD's. |
 QuickTime Audio From Room This image is one of 9 images built into a larger composite image. Click image to see the whole room |
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As you walk down the hall, the music from from the hallway loudspeaker is a piano version of "As Time Goes By" which is even more ironic because all the OR's have clocks which are stopped -- but each at a different time. The music playing in Quirofano 2 (operating room) is Latin. As is the music this morning in Quirofano 3. The Orthopaedic team in Quirofano 5 is playing Neil Young. |
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In the recovery area, nurses were listening to the soundtrack CD from "The Big Chill" and then when it finished, the local recovery room nurses offered a local music CD for the team to hear. Under the recovery room noise and doctors and nurses discussing patient care, the sounds of Marvin Gaye and Puerto Rican meringue singer Olga Tanon soothe the patients and the medical teams through their long days. Frances Garza, a recovery room nurse, says the teams love to share the music they bring. "In Steve's room it's all Mexican music", she says, "but he brought lots of heavy metal and acid to listen to." |
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Many team members agree that the music makes the long days go faster. But even with the music the days' schedules are long. "The important thing is to getting an early start..that's the same as it is in the states. You want to get surgery started on time." Coughlin went on describe how he thinks the rest of today will go. "I think they are going to load us with some trauma today. That's why we end up being here until later. Even though our elective list has shrunken, our "add-on" list --things that they'll drum up from the floors-- will grow." "That's what happens. You finish at 7:30 or 8. No matter what your schedule is you finish at 7:30 or 8. It fills up and expands so you drag yourself home, have a whiskey, cigar and go to sleep. It's just like home."
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Bobby
Satcher and D'Juanna White Satcher
April 2, 2000 6:14 PM Barcelona,
Venezuela
Many mission volunteers give up a week of vacation with their families to travel with Operation Rainbow. Two doctors however, have been able to make a commitment to the Venezuela mission while still spending time with their spouse. [. . . read more . . . ]
First
Cases - Healing in Venezuela
April
1, 2000 6:03 PM Barcelona, Venezuela
In many of the surgical cases, Operation Rainbow doctors are working side by side with Venezuelan medical residents and doctors, helping them lean new skills and improve techniques learned during their education. [. . . read more . . . ]
First
Looks - Assessing the need
April
1, 2000 9:20 AM Barcelona, Venezuela
The hallway
in the basement of Dr. Luz Razetti hospital erupted into applause as the
team of 20 volunteers from Operation Rainbow made their way to a small
room which doubled as reception hall and assessment room. Waiting for
the team were potential surgical patients and their families. The expectant
looks from each expressed the hope that the visiting doctors, nurses,
and lay volunteers would provide change in their lives by repairing the
deformities and birth defects.
[. . . read more . . .
]
Delivering
the instruments of change
March 31, 2000 6:44 PM Barcelona,
Venezuela
Operation Rainbow's mission to Venezuela hit the ground at 8:54 PM Thursday local time, arriving at Simon Bolivar airport in Caracas. The team then transferred to a military C130 for a short flight to Barcelona, on the northern coast of Venezuela. [. . . read more . . . ]
The
Universal Language of Caring
F.R. "Fritz" Nordengren -
Project Producer
Welcome and thank you for taking time in your life to share the stories contained in this site. What you are reading is the result of work begun in August, 1999 in Armenia. During the mission there, the idea for this site was born.
Now, though the cooperation of the project sponsors, and my fellow producer Tom Burton, we are able to bring our work and the work of Operation Rainbow to you via the web.
This web site gives you, the reader, a chance to participate in a mission to heal children in Venezuela. While you may not be able to attend in person, what you will read here are the thoughts, reactions, and observations of the events, as they unfold. Once or twice each day, the project participants will publish new stories, photographs, and interviews with the team members, patients, and families making this project possible.
The people who you will meet and get to know come from a variety of backgrounds, nations, and families, yet all share a common language . . . the language of caring. We look forward to having you with us March 31, - April 8, 2000.