Chongqing, China Surgical Volunteer Trip

Janet and Frieda Loving "We Both Cute"

Janet Volpe, our pediatrician and team leader was walking by, so I showed her.  She thought it was the cutest thing!  Janet got the warm fuzzies big time, so when Frieda came by, she pulled her over and had her read the note.  Frieda is a one-of-a-kind, and her boisterous, mama-bear attitude totally came out.  She made him stand next to it for a picture, and he really enjoyed the attention.  Keep in mind that these kids are treated pretty badly by their peers, and any attention they get is usually pretty negative.  So when we talk to them and really take an interest in their lives, we can really tell how much it means to them.

No-nos

Frieda and Cheri, our two PACU nurses, make many no-nos.  They are little arm restraints that go on the young patients' arms so they don't pull their stitches out when they come out of surgery.  Interplast needs about 1,800 no-nos per year, and they can be made by anyone.  They are easy to make and fun to decorate, so if you know of any groups that would be interested in making these for us, then go ahead and email me at seth *AT* interplast.org.   Frieda and Cheri would sure appreciate it, and you don't want to mess with them.

Can't Get Enough Grandma!

Can't Get Enough Grandma!
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Uploading pictures in a smoky Chinese internet cafe at 1:48 AM on a Friday night isn't the most fun thing in the world, and one would think I wouldn't post three pictures of the same person. But I just can't get enough of grandma. She's just beaming!

When we bring parents/grandparents into the recovery room, they are usually quiet and uncomfortable due to all the strange machines and their groggy post-op kids. But not Grandma here. She was all smiles and laughter and hugs. She kept thanking us and bouncing around, and was really a blast to be around.