Today was the team’s second to last day here in Gitwe, and it proved to be a long but successful one, with seven more surgeries being completed over the course of a thirteen hour day at the hospital. The morning began with our largest and most complex goiter yet, a surgery that took Drs. Dhingra and Sebelik nearly the entire morning. More post op patients had also been making excellent progress and most were discharged from the hospital this afternoon. Tomorrow will be even more busy, with seven more patients on the agenda along with the added task of packing up our equipment from the hospital in preparation for traveling back to the United States on Friday.
The time here in Rwanda has gone by unbelievably quickly, it is difficult to step back and appreciate the work we have completed thus far. However, with twenty seven surgeries completed (nearly a record number for at this point in the trip), it is clear that the group this year is a special one. Despite the long days, starting the preparations to go home has a bittersweet air to it. Until that begins, however, another day of work awaits us tomorrow.
Inside the operating room 
Sunset outside the hospital
The last goiter removal of the day
