Shelley Gunther, RN, MS

February 1-11, 1999

I recently returned from an exciting and productive mission trip to Chuuk, one of the Federated States of Micronesia, with a team of ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialists. The team was headed by surgeon Jim Reese, M.D., and included his wife, Donna, audiologist; Jim Sadoyama, M.D., surgeon; Bob Wood, M.D., anesthesiologist, and his wife, Phyllis, RN, clinic; Stephen "Buk" Manson, surgical scrub technician; Helen Lowenberg, RN, circulating nurse; and myself, Shelley Gunther, R.N., M.S., the team coordinator.

We left California on January 28, 1999, with 26 boxes of medical supplies and equipment, most of it donated, rented, or loaned to us.

Several members of this team worked with Canvasback two years ago in Kosrae and Pohnpei, two other states in the FSM. Based on their prior experience, we anticipated seeing approximately 200 patients. We far exceeded that number by the last afternoon of our clinics when we had seen 528 patients! This did not include post-op. exams on the 45 people who had received surgery (we did 52 surgical procedures on those patients). Donna performed 93 audiograms--a diagnostic hearing test--and we gave out 229 prescription medications.

One young man had a severe hearing loss and an osteoma (hard, bony growth) in his middle ear. Dr. Reese performed a tympanomastoidectomy on him and then, prior to his leaving the operating room, tested his hearing with a tuning fork. A big smile crept across the young man's face as he realized he was able to hear the tuning fork! His hearing should improve over the next several months.

One young outer-island woman had a growth on her thyroid gland and was scheduled to be admitted to the hospital the day prior to her surgery. When we called for her to be brought to the O.R., we were dismayed to learn that she had not been admitted. So Dr. Kino Ruben, the local medical officer who had pre-screened patients for us, got on the radio and asked for her to return to the hospital. She heard the message and returned to have her surgery the next day. We also did the same surgery on her sister the following day.

This wasn't the only instance when the radio summoned patients for us. By the end of our second week the surgery schedule was full, but we had a waiting list of patients who were instructed not to eat anything after midnight and then listen to the radio the next day to see if we had a cancellation and called their name. We were able to do five additional cases this way.

We were fortunate to have received a donation from Dr. Victor Ryckman to purchase Chuukese-language Bibles to be distributed by our team while we were in Chuuk. We gave out all 57 Bibles and could easily have handed out several hundred more. When given a Bible in their own language, the people would often cradle it in their arms and thank us profusely for the treasured gift.

As always, there is never enough time to serve all the needs of the people. This team, as well as others I have had the privilege to lead, would love to go back.

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