Pablo's story – through the eyes of a patient…
Pablo Montahuano lives in Quito and has suffered from the effects of dysplastic hips for years. I met him in the preoperative area just before his surgery. His wife and mother were also with him and it was a delight to get to know them. Pablo speaks English and I learned a few more words of Spanish from him that afternoon before his surgery. Below is his story — told in his words and not amended. The original Spanish is below.
On the left is Albert Tardif, Rotarian and member of CAMTA with Pablo, his wife and his mother.
Hello friends from the 2008 CAMTA mission,
My name is Pablo Enrique Montahuano Sosa. I am from Quito and am 47 years old. I had surgery on February 14th, Valentine’s Day.
I had a total hip replacement on my right hip. I have had bilateral dysplasia from birth, but the right side has been hurting for about 2 years.
Thanks to this wonderful team of Canadian doctors who through the Tierra Nueva Foundation can perform this kind of surgery. Thanks to the moral and spiritual support of my family. I had this very delicate surgery on February 14th 2008. This is a very special day, not only for being Valentine’s Day, but because it marks the beginning of a new life for me. It was a very tense day for me, my wife Mikky and my mother Finita who were with me. Little by little, we calmed down since we were treated very kindly and professionally by the Canadian nurses, especially Carol who prepared me for the operation.
Time was going by slowly and finally my time came. In the pre-op room I met other doctors. There was John who took photos of me. After, I went to the OR. I sat on the operating table, spoke with the doctors, received anesthesia, and I remember nothing after that.
I woke up at 17:30 and was brought up to my room. Everything was finished but my new life had begun. Slowly, I regained consciousness and met the rest of the specialists that would continue to help me with my recuperation. Far away, I heard laughter. I asked myself, “Who will that person be?” My wife Mikky and my mother Finita, already feeling calmer, returned to the house where my father Alfonso and my 9 year old daughter Emilia were waiting anxiously for news of my operation. The night was calm, but the little pain that I had was tolerable thanks to the medicine administered to me.
The next day, on the 15th, I woke up and a very curious thing happened, the laughter came back. I was determined to find out who it belonged to. The nurses began to do their rounds and were very caring: Carol, Bethany, Doctor Gail, and many more (I beg your pardon, I don’t remember your names, but you are always in my heart).
It was ten in the morning, approximately 17 hours after the surgery, when the laughter arrived at my room. And with the laughter, Rachel, the physiotherapist, asked me to get up and walk. It took all the courage, optimism and confidence that Rachel gave, and with her instructions, I took my first steps with the help of a walker. Edgar, my brother-in-law who was visiting, was a witness to my first steps and was in awe. How important was the confidence that Rachel gave us, with her personality and the way that she expresses it.
In the afternoon, when my mother, father and daughter came to visit me, John took the photograph that is in the blog. I was already an expert at walking with crutches and going up and down stairs, a very important step before being discharged from the hospital.
The next day, Saturday the 19th, the time came for me to go home, but not without being checked thoroughly by the doctors and the nurses. Afterwards, Bet (Bethany) gave me my final instructions and my medication. I went home.
First, I want to thank God for the opportunity of a new life. To the doctors, nurses, social workers and administration of the Tierra Nueva Foundation, and to the doctors, nurses, administration, and everybody else who is a part of CAMTA 2008, thank-you for everything that you have done for me. Words cannot express thanks for all the good that you do. May God bless you and give you strength and wisdom to continue with this wonderful mission to do good for others.
I also thank my wife, daughter, parents, sister, brother-in-law, nephews, my sister-in-law Colo, and the rest of the family who were concerned about me.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU…..GOD BLESSES YOU!!!!!
WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN IN 2009.
Rachel Oates, Physiotherapist helps Pablo ambulate the day after his surgery. That's his mother in the background.
Hola amigos de CAMTA MISSION 2008, soy PABLO ENRIQUE MONTAHUANO SOSA, quiteño, de 47 años de edad y fui operado el 14 de febrero del 2008, día de San Valentín.
Me realizaron un reemplazo total de cadera en el lado derecho porque tenía una displacia bilateral de cadera de nacimiento, pero la derecha me venía molestando desde hace unos 2 años atrás.
Gracias a este equipo maravilloso de médicos canadienses que por intermedio de la Fundación Tierra Nueva realizan estas cirugías, al soporte moral y espiritual de mi familia y de Dios, fui sometido a esta delicada operación el 14 de febrero 2008, fecha especial no solo por ser San Valentín sino por la expectativa de que una nueva vida empezaría para mi. Día de mucha tensión y ansias para mi y mi familia en especial para mi esposa Mikky y mi madre Finita que me acompañaban pero que poco a poco fue distensionandose por el trato tan amable y profesional de las enfermeras canadienses en especial Carol que me preparaban para la operación.
Las horas pasaban más lento que nunca pero llegaron las 14:30 y fui bajado a sala de preparación, mi turno había llegado. Ya en la sala de preparación conocí a otros médicos que seguían con su labor. Allí estuvo John para hacerme unas fotos. Luego pase a la sala de operaciones, la hora cero llegó. Me senté en la mesa de operaciones, converse con los médicos, me anestesiaron y hasta allí recuerdo.
Me desperté como a las 17:30 y fui subido a mi habitación, todo había terminado pero para mi una nueva vida había comenzado. Poco a poco seguí tomando conciencia y conociendo al resto de especialistas que seguirían mi proceso de recuperación. A lo lejos escuchaba risas, “me preguntaba quién será esa persona?” Mi esposa Mikky y mi madre Finita ya más tranquilas retornaron a casa donde también angustiados por noticias esperaban mi padre Alfonso y mi pequeña de 9 años Emilia. La noche fue tranquila para mí con un poco de dolor pero soportable gracias a los medicamentos suministrados.
Al día siguiente el 15, desperté y cosa curiosa las risas habían regresado, me propuse averiguar a quien pertenecían. Comenzaron los chequeos con las enfermeras que fueron muy cariñosas, Carol, Bethany, las médicas Gail y varias más que les ruego me perdonen por no recordar sus nombres pero sepan que están en mi corazón. Eran las 10:00 horas, aproximadamente 17 horas luego de mi operación y las risas llegaron a mi habitación y con ellas Rachel, era la fisioterapista, que me pedía que me levante y camine. Así que armado de valor y del optimismo y seguridad que Rachel transmite y luego de unas indicaciones realice mis primeros pasos con la ayuda de un caminador. Edgar el esposo de mi hermana que en esos momentos me visitaba fue el testigo asombrado de los mismos. Que importante es la seguridad que Raquel nos da con su personalidad y manera de ser para hacerlo.
Para la tarde cuando llegaron mi madre, padre e hija a visitarme y John me tomó la fotografía que esta en el blog era ya un experto en andar con muletas y en subir y bajar gradas, paso importante antes de poder recibir el alta y poder abandonar el hospital. Al siguiente día, sábado 19, llegó la hora de partir a casa no sin antes ser revisado minuciosamente por los médicos y enfermeras y luego de que Bet (Bethany) me de mis últimas recomendaciones y me entregue mis medicamentos, partí a casa. Quiero agradecer en primer lugar a Dios por la oportunidad de una nueva vida, a la Fundación Tierra Nueva, a sus médicos, enfermeras, trabajadoras sociales, personal administrativo, personal de servicio, a CAMTA 2008, médicos, enfermeras, personal administrativo y a todos los que componen esta maravillosa misión, por todo lo que por mi han hecho. Las palabras son cortas para agradecer el bien que ustedes realizan, que Dios los bendiga y les de más fuerza y sabiduría para que continúen adelante en esta maravillosa misión y sigan haciendo el bien a más personas.
Agradezco también a mi esposa, hija, padres, hermana y esposo, sobrinos, a mi cuñada Colo y demás familiares que por mi se preocuparon.