Overwhelmed and grateful

Overwhelmed and grateful
Originally uploaded by interplast

Dehradun, India-Nicole Friedland, Interplast chief development officer. Photo by John Urban.

When we arrive at the small hospital which is run by Dr. Kush Aeron and Dr. Yogi Aeron, director of Interplast's surgical outreach center in Dehradun, India, we are immediately overwhelmed by the pictures of patients, before and after, plastered over the walls of the reception room. It is shocking and alarming to realize the plight of these patients who are often severely disfigured by burns or congenital deformities. We stare at the pictures and silently take it in. Doctors who have been here before recognize past patients. For me, it is overwhelming. Even though I work at Interplast, I've never seen so many alarming photos in one setting.

It is good preparation for the next step of the day, which is meeting all the prospective patients. When we first arrived, patients had lined up to meet us. Many members of the team get teary, some unable to talk. We don't often see these kinds of disfigurements. Even experienced doctors, who have been on many Interplast trips are quiet, struck anew by the enormity of the challenges faced by these poor individuals.

Within hours, it is all down to business and examinations. Patients are greeted, examined, procedures discussed. I am captivated by the surgeon’s discussions. A patient will sit before them with hands frozen into claws, eyes pulling down toward cheeks, lips curling back, arms stuck to sides.

My favorite part is hearing a surgeon ask, through the translator, "What would you like done?” Each patient has something clear in his or her mind, some improvement which will make life better. Afterwards, the pediatrician and anesthesiologist examine every patient to make sure they are healthy and ready for surgery. At the end of the day there are 45 patients scheduled over a two week period—many will have multiple operations. We know many more patients will arrive. As we close down the clinic, two more patients arrive and are scheduled for surgery the very next day.

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