Everyday life at Diospi Suyana
Dr. Martina John writes: “A 96 year-old Quechua woman came to the ER with severe abdominal pain. For years she had an umbilical hernia, but now the pain had intensified. The patient had regularly been treated for heart failure and pulmonary fibrosis, so she was well known in the hospital. She is hard of hearing and a little headstrong, yet there was no alternative. She had to undergo surgery. Dr. Hagen, who is now here volunteering for the 7th time at the hospital, freed the jammed omentum and closed the abdominal wall hernia.
The patient told him on the 3rd day after the operation that she wanted to go home immediately. However, it wasn’t yet safe to return home so Dr. Hagen had to play his charm. He explained that he wanted to continue caring for her in the upcoming years and for her health, she needed to stay a little longer. Only after telling her he wanted to dance with her on her 100th birthday was she persuaded to stay one more day in the hospital.”
Our student Victoria was also amazed when looking at the chart of another patient. The date of birth read “1914.” However, this was only an estimate. All the family members agreed that their great-grandmother was well over 100 years old.
