We made it!

Monday is the first day of surgery with 15 procedures planned, including: 4 Cleft lip repairs and a scar revision for the plastic surgeons, 4 hernia repairs for the general surgeons and 3 hysterectomies for the gynecologists.

The fourth day of surgery has 16 procedures planned, including: 3 hysterectomies for the gynecologist, 4 gallbladder operations for the general surgeons and 3 cleft lip repairs, one of which was bilateral, for the plastic surgeon. Over the course of 2 days, Pat Shelby and Cheryl Davies immunized 150 residents at the Obras: the senior population on Tuesday and the children and teens on Thursday.

The second day of surgery has 17 procedures planned, including: 3 Cleft lip repairs and a 2 palatoplasties for the plastic surgeons, 4 hernia repairs for the general surgeons and 5 hysterectomies for the gynecologists.

The third day of surgery has 17 procedures planned, including: 4 hernia repairs for the general surgeons, 5 hysterectomies for the gynecologists and 3 Cleft lip repairs and 2 palatoplasties for the plastic surgeons. Several people felt a small earth tremor today which was found to have originated 1500 miles offshore in the Pacific. Real Desrosiers, originally from Montreal and owner of the excellent Adventure Travel, through which we book most of our excursions, advises that these tremors are so common, he counts to 15 before he leaves the house.

The fifth day of surgery has 19 procedures planned, including: 3 hysterectomies and an ovarian cystectomy for the gynecologist, 3 gallbladder operations and 3 hernia repairs for the general surgeons and 2 cleft lip repairs and two palatal fistula repairs for the plastic surgeon.

On the weekend, 7 participants went to Tikal and 6 went to Monterrico. Many people stayed in Antigua.

Participants in an H4H mission pay all their own expenses, giving up holiday time or taking time away from their medical practices. All money raised for H4H goes directly to patient care and to supporting the resident patients in the Obras. On the middle weekend participants are free explore the country and relax. A group of 16 took the bus to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan on Saturday. Several of them flew over the forest on exhilarating zip lines. On Sunday, they caught the bus to Chichicastenango, and the largest Mayan market in Guatemala.

The sixth day of surgery has 16 procedures planned, including: 5 gallbladder operations, 5 hysterectomies and 2 bilateral cleft lip repairs.

The seventh day of surgery has 15 procedures planned, including: 7 hysterectomies, 2 gallbladder and 2 hernia operations, and 2 cleft lip or palate repairs, along with a palatoplasty.

The eighth day of surgery has 17 procedures planned, including: 6 hysterectomies, 3 gallbladder and 5 hernia operations, and 2 cleft lip or palate repairs, along with a palatoplasty.

The ninth and final day of surgery has 10 procedures planned, including: 2 bilateral cleft lip repairs and 5 gallbladder operations, 2 hysterectomies.

The last day there is no surgery. Post-surgical patients are checked on. Team members start to make their way home.