Welcome to Ukraine!

This is the building we are staying in. #33 on the 8th floor. It's very nice.

This is the street in front. Those are light rail wires. Drivers are crazy!

Lori's and my bedroom. It's king size which takes the sting out of sharing.

There's a little Russian Orthodox chapel in front of the hospital.

Siblings playing in the hallway.

Stairs. The ICU is on the 6th floor. The OR is on the 8th. Whew.

The ORs have a gallery we can watch the operations from. The guy tying his hat is Chris Gilbert, a Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon from Memphis. He's very kind.

1st case of the 1st day, Stella. She is the one on the table above.

Nurses working in the ICU. They are very good here.

Day 5

The Euphrates at night.

Rammla.

Sajad. 9 months.

Dr. Rao doing an Echocardiogram on my patient.

Conference room at the hospital.

Baby Hussein and momma.

Rammla. One of my favorites.

Me with Rammla. You can see that she's pretty malnourished. It's not lack of food here, but lack of education. She's 18 months, but her mother is still breastfeeding her. Her mother's milk must have run out a while ago. We have been working hard with her to make sure Rammla gets the nutrition she needs. She will probably be a little delayed because of her weight.

Sajad. I spent most of my day at his bedside. He's pretty sick, but doing better.

Day 8. Half Day!

Reading a CT scan in Iraq.

Add caption

Sajad is extubated! His mom is so happy.

Hospital from the roof.

Ruqua (pronounced Ra-kay-a) during surgery.

Nisiriyah from the hospital roof.

Nina in the OR.

Sajad sleeping. He looks so good with his breathing tube out.

Day 7 - Day off!!!

Nina (Nurse Anesthetist from Belarus) and I rocking our head scarves.

Armed guards.

Market part deux.

The guards checking out the ziggarat to make sure it's ok for us.

Souvenir shop.

Day 6

All hospitals are run by the government (the state) in Iraq.

This sign says, "Wash your hands before and after touching your patient." Seems like common sense. Here in Iraq, it is not.

Entrance to the OR. Or as the British say, "the theatre."

Osei, a doctor from Chicago, putting a central line in my patient.

Mohammed. This kid loves soccer. I can't wait to get him up and running.

I have no idea what this is.

Iraqi Food