Eye Hospital Work

Gilgit Eye Hospital

The first two weeks (between all the days of sickness) I was able to observe at the Eye Hospital. The American doctor wanted me to come and observe how they do things, and to give any input as to what they do right, and what needs to be changed. I enjoyed observing the different clinical procedures as well as some eye surgeries. The surgeries are not performed under general anesthetic, only local. The patients are able to go home directly after the surgery has been completed. I thoroughly enjoyed the staff, especially the two women who work there! We enjoyed Tea time, sharing stories, and lots of laughter together! I have lots of wonderful memories at the Eye Hospital...especially the one story that sticks out above all others...The Miracle!...

The two beautiful girls at the Eye Hospital.

A lovely going away gift.

The Miracle!

The last day of my observation I was in the OR watching surgeries. I was asking the doctor if they ever had emergencies and if they had a crash cart in the facility. The doctor laughed and said that ophthalmologist have a saying that no one dies on their watch cause they just work with the eyes, and yes, they did have a crash cart in the next room. Now, anyone that works in a hospital knows that you never say something like that...drama will be sure to follow...and this time was no exception!

Many of the patients that are seen come from miles away. They stay an entire week in Gilgit or at a near-by family home when their scheduled to have surgery. This particular women, of whom this story is about, came for surgery from a considerable distance away. During the admission process, it was noted that her blood pressure (BP) was 210/100's -- too high to have surgery. The husband pleaded with the doctors to go ahead with the surgery because they paid a lot of money just to come to the clinic. After a lot of negotiating, the doctors decided to give the women some medication to decrease her BP enough to perform the surgery. They gave her medication and rechecked her BP before surgery -- yes, it was down enough to perform the surgery.

The surgery went well, and the women walked away with her husband. Before starting the long journey home, they decided to stop at the hospitals canteen for some noon tea. The act helped save her life! During the tea break, she started feeling light headed and dizzy, so her husband helped her back to the recovery room. Her BP was very low and getting worse by the moment!

The American doctor's wife is an E.R. doctor, and God providentially sent her into the hospital at exactly the right time! She rarely comes to the hospital, and was only stopping by to get something from her husband! She walked into the room at the right time -- this was another miracle. She acted immediately!! She found out that the patient took a sustained release BP tablet on top of the medication the doctors gave her. The S.R. pill had just started working, causing her already low BP to continue to plummet.

To make a long story shorter, we tried using three different critical IV medications to increase her BP, had the bottom of her bed elevated on wooden blocks, and someone else was holding her legs straight up in the air! Her BP continued to decrease -- then her lungs started filling up with fluid! Things looked very bleak! The women needed to be in the ICU in a modern hospital with equipment that worked! -- (Yes, there was a crash cart, but many missing medications and a defibrillator that didn't work!) -- Every minute, or several times a minute, I would check her BP with a manual BP cuff!! I believe I took more manual BPs in those 6 hours than in my entire life combined!

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner...maybe it was because I am a nurse, and nurses are supposed to take control of situations...anyway, God prompted me pray. I laid my hands on her and started praying. I said, "Jesus, we need a miracle. We've done everything we can do, and there's nothing else we can do. We don't even have equipment to help her if her heart stops. We need a miracle!" He answered that prayer! Her BP went from 70/60 to 135/60 and stayed there!! Praise You, Lord! We were able to wean off all the IV medications and she was able to walk out of the hospital within the hour! We serve a God that STILL works miracles. I was a witness, and I am honored to have been part of this miracle! Thank you Jesus!!

Observing in eye surgery.