Catching Up Time

It has been months since I blogged, and I would like to say that I am back by popular demand. That wouldn't be true so I'll not say it. Two people actually told me they missed seeing our blog.

For the next few days, I will try to cover what has been happening in the lives of Rosalyn and John and hope that the rest of the family will blog on their own.

In January I made a trip to the Philippines. It was time to say good by to our good friends, the Sam Carriaga family. Dr. Sam had been our man in the Philippines for 13 months and he did an incredible job. During 2008 Dr. Sam treated 10,528 patients.

Before the Carriaga family left for their new home in Canada, Dr. Sam directed one more medical mission for BandS and the Caris Foundation. On Siargao Island they worked in more than one location and treated 4,317 patients. The weather was terrible and I was stranded in Cebu and the medical team was stranded, first in Siargao and then in Butuan. Typhoons in the area kept all the air planes grounded for several days.

From the Philippines I went to Indonesia. Working with James Karl and his organization, we attempted to set up a schedule where the Indonesian government would pay for 200 eye surgeries and we would pay for 200. We did our first 100, but so far the Indonesian government has not funded any surgeries on Nias. We are trying to do a small eye clinic in Nias in June and then, if the government still has not lived up to their commitment, we will probably do another eye surgery clinic in the fall.

While I was in Nias I made arrangements to purchase a building that will be used to care for neglected children. This care center will be operated by Dennis Cady. The work he does in Nias is nothing short of spectacular.

Happy 18th Hutton!!

Reagan's Braces

50's Night at Cotillion

Football Banquet

This year's football banquet was long...as usual...but I loved every minute of it. I always knew that when I had a senior I wouldn't mind listening to every word and staying for the LONG video and I was right. I was very proud to be Hutton's mom and to listen to the coaches talk about him. He is a very special player on and off the field and I think a very deserving Mustang Man winner.

Happy Birthday from Across the Pond!

Happy birthday, Bailey! We (J, Laurie, Jordan, and Caitlin) love you and hope your birthday is blessed. Enjoy your time overseas! I (Jordan) wish I were there with you. I had so much fun in Italy and wish I could go back immediately! Have a beautiful day, and know that people back home are thinking about you. Sorry it's a little late!

Happy Birthday Bailey!!

I know that it is only the 24th here but across the pond my baby is turning 20! She spent the day in London and saw Wicked tonight. Bailey I am so proud of you. You love Jesus and people, you are smart, confident, independent and incredibly beautiful. You are a blessing to our family and even though I am missing you a lot today I love that you are experiencing the world. You are a precious gift. Thank you for all the joy you have brought me the past 20 years...even though that makes me sound really old! I love you!

A few pictures of George and Laura's Midland visit

 

30,000 Midlanders showed their support

 

Reagan with his "W"

 

I loved how he talked about Laura...

 

Cotillion

 

I know I am a little biased but this is one cute boy!

Varsity Patriot's Quarterbacks

 

Reagan on the Mustang Sideline

 

Hutton #2...Mustang's starting Pony

 

Always Beautiful - Never Cuter

 

 

Rosalyn and I were in Colorado last week enjoying ourselves. Golf was good, fishing was great, but voice mail from Rainey was the most exciting. She call and explained that her dad had helped her take out one front tooth and she had done the other one by herself. She is very proud of her looks as she began first grade on Monday.

Emily assured me that there was nothing wrong with her teeth and she didn't want any of them taken out.

Home from Shenyang, China

 

We are home! We arrived on Sunday night about 7 p.m. Jet lag has control of both Rosalyn and I, but I think Caitlin has ajusted more quickly.

Caitlin made a lot of friends on this trip, but this little boy really fell in love with Caitlin. He would throw her kisses when she left him and would even give her a kiss on the cheek when she ask him to.

Better View

 

 

 

 

My attempt to send a readable collage didn't work. I hope you can see these and put them in the proper order.

Homeward Bound

 

We leave in a few hours for Seoul. We will overnight there and then fly direct to LAX and on to DFW, with an EST of 4.30 p.m.

This collage pretty well tells the story. This is one of my favorite patients. She waited three days for her surgery and was a joy to be with. I'll let you try to figure the order of pictures. From the time she came until we sent her home with a Bible, it seemed she never stopped smiling. Even the picture of her in the recovery room shows her smiling.

This has been a very difficult trip. We were delayed two days at the beginning of the mission and we left the hospital a day early. None of this was of our choosing. It was very difficult to leave the hospital when disappointed parents mobbed us and with tears, some on their knees begging, asking us if we could please take care of their child. We told them that we were willing to do more cases but the hospital made it impossible for us to do so.

The hospital did let us take one child back to surgery who needed to have a couple of stitches in his palate. The excuse they gave was that the hospital was going to being inspected by the health department and we could not operate until this had been completed. The inspectors never came.

This hurdle was one of many that were placed in our way. Thanks to Keith Enger, we are all able to travel together. I will need to explain that when I get home.

I am anticipating that processing out of the country will be as difficult as getting in. We are allowing 3 hours and I hope that is enough. I will breath easier when we are actually on our way to Seoul.

Thanks for reading.

Outside/Insude

 

 

These two beautiful girls have pretty smiles, but when you look into their mouths you see they have major defects. Both of them have had surgery and have gone home and I am sorry to say I do not have an "after" photo.

We face different problems each day. Two of our surgeons have left, but we are keeping the OR's busy with the ones we have. Mary and Della Marie departed this morning for Sualt Ste. Marie, Ontario. Mary was having a lot of problems with asthma and Della Marie had family members at home that were facing major surgery. We hated to see them go because they were both great workers in the hospital.

We are sending all of the babies who weigh less than 10Kg to another hospital for surgery. They have better facilities for pediatric care and we will not be able to get to everyone as it is. We have agreed to pay a set fee for each surgery.

I have never seen polution as bad as it is here. When I think that they are planning to play some of the Olympic soccer games here, I feel for the players and am concerned about their health.

Here is a quote from a letter from a surgeon who worked with us last year. "I took my bath in May. Part of my decision to do this was made on my association with you last year in Xi'an."
Do you know what he means and why he is writing in code?