Saturday in Bao Loc

It's getting late now on Saturday night in Bao Loc. The day started early for the team members at the Hong Thai Hotel. They had a wake up call at 5:45AM and then came by bus to the Bao Loc Hotel for 6:30AM breakfast. The Bao Loc Hotel team members had a wake up call at 6:00AM (but for those on the "mountain view side" there was the rooster crowing every few seconds starting a bit earlier than 6:00AM). The rooster's wake up call was helpful for me, though, b/c it made me get up and start getting ready earlier which anyone who knows me knows I need to do.

After our team meeting at 7:00AM, we went to Benh Vien II Lam Dong (Lam Dong 2 Hospital) where many different activities took place. Biomed staff, nurses, pediatricians, other physicians, and others continued to set up the ORs, recovery room, and pre/post op areas. The child life specialist and students were involved in activities with the children. The students were also planned to make "no no's" today (the arm restraints made of tongue depressors and tape to keep children from touching their mouths after surgery). Medical records and electronic medical records staff continued to do their never-ending tasks. Plastic surgeons were involved in "education day." The speech therapists went to the educational presentations to provide support for the plastic surgeons. The many Operation Smile Vietnam staff and volunteers did anything and everything to help continue to organize and carry out the goals of the mission. The different team leaders and coordinators continued to be busy overseeing the mission.

The surgery schedule was posted today for the patients and families to see. Most of us were not there when they got the news about whether they or their family member would or would not have surgery. If they don't have it done this mission and if they are a surgical candidate, perhaps they will be able to have the surgery later here in Bao Loc or another town.

Around 2:00PM the whole team took off in buses to the Dambri waterfalls. We drove through pretty countryside with mountainsides and hills filled with tea plants, coffee trees, and more. We had a somewhat treacherous walk (for some of us) down into the area at the bottom of the waterfalls. The steps were uneven and different heights as well as slippery. There was no way to keep from getting wet when walking by the waterfall (which had a lovely rainbow today). I looked like a "wet rat"---hair, shirt, slacks, and shoes were all very wet! It was worth it to see the beautiful waterfalls and the grounds around them, though.

After that, we got back on the bus and stopped at a nearby Buddhist pagoda. The pagoda and grounds were so beautiful and peaceful! This area in the central highlands of Vietnam has various religions. Most prominent in this area seems to be Buddhism and Christianity. There are very large churches near the hotel and hospital.

Tonight the team went to dinner together and continued to become more of a "family" and close-knit group. Then some of the Operation Smile Vietnam volunteers and staff organized a "dancing party" at the Bao Loc Hotel for the team members from the international team (USA, Italy, etc.) and Vietnam (the Ho Chi Minh City team from the Odontostomatology Institute and the staff from Lam Dong 2 Hospital). Music was done by a "DJ." One of the songs was a well known New Orleans piece that we (Kristie Palermo and I from the New Orleans area) felt moved to start a "New Orleans second line" dance. It was fun seeing the different styles of dancing and some fancy dancing we did not know some of our team members had (go, Nicole!).

Tomorrow is Sunday and we'll be in DaLat. Then Monday will start the busy surgery week. Speech therapy will be set up in the post-op area, but we will rotate between a few other areas to see where we need to see patients and their families. We're also looking forward to having Mrs. Cindy McCain visit the mission site.

It's past time for me to sign off---That was the day and evening here in Bao Loc, Vietnam. Charlotte (speech therapist)