The trip to Leon on March 22 - 29 was fabulous! Together, the team evaluated 300 patients, 80 of them were pediatric patients. There are now 60 patients on the list for surgery. I can't name everyone on the team so this blog will only cover me and the students who went with me this time. As always, all of your support is greatly appreciated. We received many donations for the students and a big thank you goes out to Saving Little Hearts of Nicaragua for covering the cost of the airline tickets. Matt and Robin will thank all of the individual donors who helped cover the remaining cost of the trip. 
The cardiovascular examinations that we do for the patients in Nicaragua are only a small part of this event and the effect spreads to many other avenues. The American echo students, medical students, sonographers, nurses and physicians benefit so much as well. We come back with a greater sense of purpose and meaning in our lives and also a greater appreciation for all the wealth that we have. I don't think I speak only for myself when I say, it only makes me want to do more. There is so much we can do to help others we the gifts God gave us and sharing that gift is a gift in itself.
Enjoy the pictures and the posts from the students. Feel free to share your comments or e-mail your comments to echowendy@aol.com and I will post them for you.
Thanks again for all of your support.
From Matt:
I just wanted to say that our trip was one of the most enlightening, educational, and fun things I've done. I know that I learned more about being a good scanner in that one week than I had in an entire semester here in the states. Working one on one with cardiologists and other veteran sonographers helped to change the way I approach echocardiography. I also changed my mind about doing peds. Now I'm pretty sure that I want to work in peds one day. I enjoy the challenge of having to learning something new all the time, so it might be perfect for me. And in general, it was fascinating to see all of the different pathologies concentrated in one small country. I know that I could work in the U.S. for years and never see that many mitral stenosis cases/ pulmonic stenosis cases/ vsd's etc. etc... Aside from the learning part, it leaves you with a good feeling at the end of the day. You feel like you actually help out in a very real way. All of the patients are so grateful that it makes you think twice about coming back to the U.S. health system...jk! (sort of) There are plenty of days where I don't get a single thanks from American patients. But the people in the (Leon) clinic want to shake your hand and hug you after you get finished. Amazing. I hope to go back again sometime to lend my help where it's needed. It's an experience worth reliving multiple times. Now I see why everyone who goes down there usually comes back. Teamwork, good people, and grateful patients. Oh, and all the Victoria and Tona you can drink! :)And can you thank the rotary club for helping us out with the tickets? I wouldn't have been able to take part in this great experience without generous donations from the rotary club and many of my friends and family members. Thanks again, for everything,Matt Goodwyn
From Robin:
I would like to take the time to say Thank you for committing to assist me in my mission trip to Nicaragua. It truly was one of those once in a life-time experiences. On the medical side, the clinic we were involved in saw hundreds of patients each day, through various groups. Our cardiac clinic saw 40-55 patients each day. I worked closely with doctor’s, nurses, specialists, and medical students from the United States and Nicaragua. I was allowed to help educate and work as a member of a team. The amount of scanning time and the degree of pathology that I was allowed to work with is unmatchable in the U.S., from a students perspective. The thing that impressed me the most was the level of ethics of the doctors and the medical team. Constant consideration was given for the standard of care and determining possible surgical prospects.
On the humanistic side, I got to see people who have so much less than we do, but live life as best they can. The majority of Nicaraguans are not weighed down by the pressures of technology. Fast food and junk food are not the easy way out. While they may have less to eat, what they do eat is much better for you, the main diet is rice, beans, and fruits....lots of fruit! Our patients did not have Coronary Artery Disease like we have in the US, instead they had malformation issues and diseases that are caused by chemical exposures, untreated strep infections, or insect bites.
Again, Thank you for supporting me in my trip to Leon, Nicaragua; I could not have done it without you!!!
Robin
The cardiovascular examinations that we do for the patients in Nicaragua are only a small part of this event and the effect spreads to many other avenues. The American echo students, medical students, sonographers, nurses and physicians benefit so much as well. We come back with a greater sense of purpose and meaning in our lives and also a greater appreciation for all the wealth that we have. I don't think I speak only for myself when I say, it only makes me want to do more. There is so much we can do to help others we the gifts God gave us and sharing that gift is a gift in itself.
Enjoy the pictures and the posts from the students. Feel free to share your comments or e-mail your comments to echowendy@aol.com and I will post them for you.
Thanks again for all of your support.
From Matt:
I just wanted to say that our trip was one of the most enlightening, educational, and fun things I've done. I know that I learned more about being a good scanner in that one week than I had in an entire semester here in the states. Working one on one with cardiologists and other veteran sonographers helped to change the way I approach echocardiography. I also changed my mind about doing peds. Now I'm pretty sure that I want to work in peds one day. I enjoy the challenge of having to learning something new all the time, so it might be perfect for me. And in general, it was fascinating to see all of the different pathologies concentrated in one small country. I know that I could work in the U.S. for years and never see that many mitral stenosis cases/ pulmonic stenosis cases/ vsd's etc. etc... Aside from the learning part, it leaves you with a good feeling at the end of the day. You feel like you actually help out in a very real way. All of the patients are so grateful that it makes you think twice about coming back to the U.S. health system...jk! (sort of) There are plenty of days where I don't get a single thanks from American patients. But the people in the (Leon) clinic want to shake your hand and hug you after you get finished. Amazing. I hope to go back again sometime to lend my help where it's needed. It's an experience worth reliving multiple times. Now I see why everyone who goes down there usually comes back. Teamwork, good people, and grateful patients. Oh, and all the Victoria and Tona you can drink! :)And can you thank the rotary club for helping us out with the tickets? I wouldn't have been able to take part in this great experience without generous donations from the rotary club and many of my friends and family members. Thanks again, for everything,Matt Goodwyn
From Robin:
I would like to take the time to say Thank you for committing to assist me in my mission trip to Nicaragua. It truly was one of those once in a life-time experiences. On the medical side, the clinic we were involved in saw hundreds of patients each day, through various groups. Our cardiac clinic saw 40-55 patients each day. I worked closely with doctor’s, nurses, specialists, and medical students from the United States and Nicaragua. I was allowed to help educate and work as a member of a team. The amount of scanning time and the degree of pathology that I was allowed to work with is unmatchable in the U.S., from a students perspective. The thing that impressed me the most was the level of ethics of the doctors and the medical team. Constant consideration was given for the standard of care and determining possible surgical prospects.
On the humanistic side, I got to see people who have so much less than we do, but live life as best they can. The majority of Nicaraguans are not weighed down by the pressures of technology. Fast food and junk food are not the easy way out. While they may have less to eat, what they do eat is much better for you, the main diet is rice, beans, and fruits....lots of fruit! Our patients did not have Coronary Artery Disease like we have in the US, instead they had malformation issues and diseases that are caused by chemical exposures, untreated strep infections, or insect bites.
Again, Thank you for supporting me in my trip to Leon, Nicaragua; I could not have done it without you!!!
Robin
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