Farmington Valley Golden Retrievers

We had a very successful week in the Dominican Republic. The mission base was located in a high mountain town called San Jose de Las Matas. Although the water supply was intermittent along with the electricity, the physical conditions were not as harsh as the desert area we were in last year, so all members of the team came back healthy. The terrain was lush and jungle like and amazingly free of bugs compared to last year. It did take a while to get used to the guards patrolling the compound with shotguns and machetes however.

The people live simply. There is no running water or electricity in most of the town. There are no mail addresses and very few street names. I saw only one working traffic light in the whole town. These people live in the present, with little hope that tomorrow will be any different from today.

The medical team travels around in a big yellow bus. Most of the roads are unpaved. There is no trash pickup and so debris and filth are everywhere. There was only one working toilet in the whole hospital, and that was also where the liquid medical waste of blood and body fluids went. Of course the toilet only flushed with gravity, by pouring water from a large garbage can into the bowl. The water came from a faucet that was locked in a closet with locks on the spigot. A special local official was in charge of the key. There was an XRay tech there that had an antiquated machine. He is paid 15 dollars per month. He has only done about 5 XRays in the last 3 years.

So the medical needs are tremendous and empty benches in the hospital are soon replaced by teaming numbers of people seeking help once they hear of our arrival.

We did about 70 surgeries in 4 days of hard work, plus one day to set up the hospital and another to pack it up again. We lost no patients this year, although one had to be transported to a big city hospital to an ICU after complications of thyroid surgery required an emergency tracheostomy. Three in country hospitals had turned her down as too risky a surgery. The surgeons with me successfully did her operation. Post-op complications occurred mainly because she hadn’t been taking her required pre-op medications and she didn’t tell anyone. Two team members stayed with her overnight for two nights as we learned from last year that the local nursing care is non existent. At the end of the week we learned she was doing well and expected to make a full recovery.

On a personal note, we did two successful emergency cesareans, and both mothers and babies did well. One delivery we completed by flashlight as the power went out in the middle of the case. The happy smiles of the new mom and dad helped me mentally balance out the lives lost on the prior mission trip.

I have a new appreciation of the fine line between life and death down there but also realize that is the way of most of the world. And any success is one that wouldn’t have happened without our presence there.

There were personal rewards everyday and most were unexpected. Like the impromtu concert my son Brian put on in the street among the squalor. The team was gathered outside a small cantina at the end of the day, and a passing school student came along with a guitar. I asked if I could rent it for a short while and she cautiously agreed. By the end of a few songs we had a gathering of children surrounding us with beautiful smiles and amazed looks. That was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for my son who came along as an interpreter and helper.

Of course we had to leave a little bit of American culture there when we left. All the children got goody bags filled with crayons, toothbrushes, and assorted small toys. The photo of these four kids says it all… God bless America!

Be sure to click on the photo above to see the smiles on these young faces.

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Now back to life here in dogville. Sorry about the digression into areas far removed from the world of golden retrievers. But if I can inspire just one person to donate some time or funds into helping another during this Thanksgiving season, then the effort required to compose this post will be worth it.

The disappointment continues here with our recent breeding attempts. Riley had an ultrasound yesterday and no puppies were seen. I will repeat the study in one week and if that does not show any life, then our attempts were unsuccessful. On a positive note, our five year old Emma just started her heat. The amazing sire from last year is available. Unfortunately her fertile time will place her needing insemination around Thanksgiving. Looks like I will be spending my holiday in the truck commuting back and forth to the Cape and the infertility vet. A small price to pay though if we can finally have a successful litter.

Tonight we did an ultrasound on our Riley. No puppies seen. All is not lost as this was about the earliest you could see them if she conceived on the first day of trying. We will repeat her scan in 9 days when I return from the mission. We will be optimistic, but her breeding was a difficult endeavor and lasted four days. She was a lady throughout her medical adventure tonight, and now is sleeping at my feet. We will be surely disappointed if she is not pregnant, but we give thanks for her good health and great companionship.

Our little slice of the world, here in New England, was full of amazing color contrasts during our early morning run today. The orange and reds were still brilliant on the trees surrounding the fields, while a crunchy frost blanketed the playing fields like a thin carpet of snow.

The physical exercise and crisp air is energizing, but even more satisfying are the happy smiles you can see on our dogs’ faces as they celebrate these priceless moments of real freedom and playtime.

Most of my thoughts and energies this week have been taken up in preparation for a return to the Dominican Republic on Saturday morning. We have assembled another team of very talented men and women to render as much Surgical, operative Gyn, and OB care as possible in one week. It is amazing to see a full surgical OR take shape in about four hours of hard work with the supplies we bring and the larger equipment that is already in the country. This year we will be going to the mountainous central part of the Dominican where poverty and no access to quality health care is just as prevalent as the desert area we visited last year. The local population has already been informed of our coming, and the lines of needy people I expect will be long and heartrending. This kind of work pushes you way outside your usual comfort zone, and the hazards of being there are real. I especially hope not to end up in the hospital again upon my return like I did last time. (See the post “Of This and That“). In the paper today, it mentioned that the entire Dominican Republic of nine million plus people, lost power yesterday as the result of an unexpected storm. When away from the self contained luxury resorts, life there is as precarious as their utilities.
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So this morning, the solitude on the fields was especially important to me, while I contemplated the upcoming hardships and joys yet to be experienced, and at the same time worried about the safety of these folks who I am responsible for, on a mission a fair number have never undertaken.

Unbelievably, at that very moment, the rising of the sun struck the dogs and fields in an unexpected brilliant glow that was almost spiritual. With such a sudden, unanticipated, beautiful moment, I had the certain thought that there is a greater being than ourselves out there, and that everything will work out.

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So this will be the last post until I return. We plan to ultrasound our Riley this Friday before I leave, and again when I return. I will try to put up a quick note about the results on Friday evening for all those waiting to hear.

A few weekends ago, we had our annual neighborhood men’s retreat at our home in Vermont. We used to play golf and fill the weekend with multiple activities. Now we all just look forward to enjoying the solitude and catching up on rest and each other’s lives. A sure sign we are getting older.

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Three years ago at one of these get away weekends we had raised our Vermont home sign with the help and input of everyone visiting. The harsh winters took their toll however, and despite the multiple coats of marine varnish, the dogs came down this past summer for a makeover. We are blessed to have had the skills of Andy Baron, friend and neighborhood artist extraordinaire. He repainted everything and then we set about adjusting the sign to withstand the frigid winds and snow that will soon be visiting that area.

That area of mountaintop has special significance to me as that is where Abby’s ashes are scattered along with the remains of our beloved Molly. It is on that mountainside and rocky slope that I conceived “Abby’s Message”, the poem that graces our website. This is a wonderful spot for quiet contemplation.

We’ve been getting some great photos from the owners of a number of Emma’s puppies from her litter last December. I thought it would be fun sharing them with everyone.

First, Ken Muccino forwarded some images of Rosie with her older buddy Holly.

Then Janet and Andy sent a photo of Logan enjoying the end of the summer and their pool.

And my cousin Ron and his Barb just forwarded a few action shots of their Maggie and Sandy at the Newfield Dam.

Three of our friends/clients were able to take advantage of Cindy Jones’ litterful of girls. It won’t be long before these young ladies are enjoying their new homes.

As for our Riley and her possible pregnancy, the wait continues. I expect to do an ultrasound at the end of next week before I leave on my mission trip. Puppies in the basket would make such a nice departure gift.