Thursday, July 29, 2010
It’s late Thursday night, my last night here in Chicacao. It’s strange that it is actually almost over. I gave my host mom Angelica a sunflower plate set and my host grandpa, Papa Pedro, an OU shirt. He looked so cute in it! He said someday he’s gonna come to the U.S., wearing his shirt, and ask people where OU is, so he can find me. :)
Today was my last day to go out to the mobile clinics. I went with Dr. David Lux to his mobile clinics all week, and I got to see a lot! I saw patients with a thyroid nodule, a rectal hemorrhoid, an incisional hernia, “caspa” (dandruff), conjunctivitis of the eye, a diabetic ulcer on a leg, sinusitis, a prolapsed uterus, and warts. I saw a preemie baby with “ictericia” (jaundice). There were lots of little kids with scabies (from playing in dirt and dirty things), and lots of adult women with urinary tract infections (from not drinking enough water).
I got to palpate a woman’s abdomen and feel a huge mass in her uterus! I also got to palpate an alcoholic woman who had cirrhosis of the liver… her liver felt huge and hard! I got to measure the belly of a pregnant woman with my hands and a tape measurer and tell her how far along she was… so neat! I learned to look for specific symptoms to distinguish parasites from a bacterial infection from amoebas. I saw a woman with yellowish eyes because of hepatitis. I met a man with one brown eye and one beautifully blue eye. However, his one eye had turned blue because of super high pressure behind the eyeball, and he had lost vision in that eye.
A woman came in with “pica.” I had heard about this disorder before, but didn’t believe it was real. Pica is an intense craving for non-edible objects, such as dirt, paint chips, ice, etc. It occurs mostly in pregnant women, and the cause is unknown. This woman said that she craved ice and salt a lot. She fit the description because she had recently had a spontaneous abortion and was anemic.
The saddest thing I saw today was a 6-month old baby girl named Ama, who had been born with spina bifida. She weighed only 9 pounds (17 pounds underweight!), and the lower half of her body was completely limp. She had an operation in Guatemala City soon after she was born, where they had put in a shunt underneath her skin from her brain to her stomach, to drain excess fluid that accumulated on the brain. I know her mom was doing everything she could for little Ama, but I just wanted to take her back with me to the U.S. and get her all the help she needed.
One woman came in, saying she hadn’t had any of her labs done because she didn’t have money for it. She said she didn’t have the 10 quetzales (US $1.25) for the consult. I looked at her and what she was wearing, and I was skeptical. She needed even more labs done, the doctor said, but she said she didn’t have money to get them done. When she left, I told Dr. Lux, “I think she was lying.” Rather than agreeing with me, Dr. Lux told me, “Maybe she was lying, but that’s not for us to decide. It’s our job to help and treat people with a GOOD HEART. That is what God wants from us… nothing else.” That really hit me, and I was grateful that Dr. Lux corrected me.
Today, our last patient was a house visit. A 40-year-old woman was lying in bed, complaining of painful menorrhea (excessive vaginal bleeding). Dr. Lux felt around on her stomach and decided to do a pregnancy test on her. Her other 7 kids nervously tried to peer into the bedroom to see their mommy. The test was positive for pregnancy. In other words, the excessive bleeding and positive pregnancy test meant that she was having “un aborto en curso.” She didn’t even know she was pregnant, but currently she was having a spontaneous abortion of her baby. It was shocking to watch Dr. Lux deliver that news to her.
In our down time, I watched “telenovelas” (soap operas) with the neighbor kids. I learned how to make balloon animals - tigers, dogs, cats - and even an umbrella! My host brother Manuel, who works out at the mobile clinics too, taught me. The little kids absolutely loved the balloons we made them!
The neatest thing though, was that after each consult, we got to pray for each patient. Only a couple said ‘no thanks,’ but the most patients were grateful as we put our hands on their shoulders and bowed to pray over them. Guatemalans always pray out loud while we are praying out loud for them. It always sound like we’re interrupting each other, but it was also neat to hear both prayers being sent to God at the same time. Some people were very touched and cried with us, and several gave me a kiss on the cheek saying, “Gracias, Doctora.”
Tomorrow is my last day to work at the clinic. After work, Macie and I head to Guatemala City, where we will spend the night, so that we can catch our early morning flight home on Saturday. Thanks so much for your continued prayers, and I look forward to being home SOON!
Guatemala
My home for the next 6 weeks!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Blog Catch-Up: Ophth Week and My Last Week Here
Catching up on blogging... here are the last three blogs:
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Last night, every time I closed my eyes, I saw the replay of a cataract eye surgery … it was strange! I guess I had just watched a ton of them!
Yesterday, I got to help Dr. Don Loconte with pre-op and post-op consults. I had the best time! I think I want to be a type of doctor that gets to sit down one on one with her patients in an office. I got to translate between the doctor and the patient. I got to tell the patients where to position their hands, feet, chin, and forehead, in order to look into the eye piece machine for Dr. Don. This was quite difficult. And trying to get the patients to look straight ahead and not look around… wow, tough. I probably said, “Mire recto,” “No mueva la cabeza,” and “Mire la luz” over a hundred times. I would say, “Look at the light,” and some people would look all around. One person even closed their eyes tight! Oh my gosh. Yes, it was frustrating, especially for the doctor, because we couldn’t get good readings on their eyes, but I was getting SO tickled with each patient! I loved to just sit and talk to them before and after the consult. So many interesting personalities!
I got to instruct the patients on how to use the big black spoon to cover one eye and read from the visual acuity chart. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people do! They cover one eye with the spoon. Then, we say, “Now cover the other eye,” and they use their hand to cover the other eye ALSO! And then they say, “I can’t see anything.” Haha!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
So, we had an amazing week at the clinic with our eye surgery team. There were 29 of us, and if you weren’t helping out medically, you were painting the patients’ nails, braiding their hair, or praying with them. It was neat to watch everyone participate.
Last Tuesday, I got my MCAT score back… and I improved and got what I wanted! I was so excited and relieved! The group was so kind and congratulated me and celebrated with me!
I loved translating for the patients all week too. Especially in the OR, where it was critical that I communicate the correct things to the patients. It was my job to relay messages from the doctor to the patient such as, “Please keep still,” “You’re doing a good job,” “It’s almost over,” “Can you see the doctor’s fingers now?” etc. Also, when the patients would muffle something from underneath the tarp, I would have to try to understand what they were saying and translate it for the doctor.
On Thursday, we only had one patient, so afterward, we went out for an excursion. I went to a coffee farm in the middle of the jungle. I saw crazy-looking fruits and a huge tree, which took 55 steps to walk around! Late Thursday night, we played an ultimate Frisbee tournament in the soccer field next to the clinic. It had poured rain all day, so it was super muddy -- we were slipping all over the place and covered in mud by the end of it! It was my first time to play ultimate, and we played past midnight… so fun!
Friday, Macie and I got to travel with the group to Antigua, before they flew out on Saturday. We went with a group zip-lining through the jungle right outside Antigua! We flew over coffee farms and saw the city of La Antigua from above. I got to fly upside down above the trees -- a great time! Our hotel in Antigua was an absolutely gorgeous resort. We had a black infinity pool right outside our hotel room! We went downtown after dinner for a concert in the park, and then came back to hang out around the pool and talk. It was so relaxing and fun!
Saturday morning, we dropped the group off at the airport and said goodbye. :( Dany drove us back to Chicacao. On our way back, we stopped off at a restaurant on the side of the highway for lunch. There were ostriches in a pin right next to the restaurant. We tried to order ostrich burgers from the menu, but they were out!
Today was our last Sunday here! We went to the market and church. I saw my first baptism in the Church of Christ. The baptistery is downstairs below the church, next to the pastor’s kitchen. My “dad,” Papa Pedro, baptized the man, and we got to congratulate him afterwards. Now, I’m waiting for the rain to let up a little, so that I can walk back to my house from Macie’s house.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Today is my last Monday in Guatemala. I am spending this entire week going out with Dr. David Lux to mobile clinics. (I first met him when I was throwing up my first week here.) Today, we went to "Las Margaritas" mobile clinic. I got to talk to Holly on the phone for the first time in a long time... I miss her!
Well, we saw a total of 27 patients at Las Margaritas, which isn't very many. I decided to write down some of the things I saw today, just so that I can remember later...
An older man came in complaining of painful urination. He handed us his lab reports, which said he had an enlarged prostate. Eek. I saw a baby boy with Staphylococcus infection all over his skin. I saw a 5-year-old boy, whose mom had brought him in because of problems with his eyes. I could tell something wasn't right, and Dr. Lux told me the boy had a nervous tick. We sent him off to have a psychoanalysis workup to see if it was a type of neurosis or some other cerebral problem. I got to palpate two people's enlarged spleens... the spleens were huge! You didn't have to be a doctor to know that something wasn't right with a massive bulge in their left side! I listened to Dr. Lux consult a diabetic woman about how to eat. He told her only 5 portions of sugar every day; with sugar including potatoes, rice, tortillas, soda, fruit juice, papaya, bread, cookies, etc. She was shocked that she could only have 3 tortillas at each meal! We also saw a man who came in with a torn cornea. It looked like something had sliced his eye, but he didn't remember ever having been hit with anything. I saw a 3-year-old little boy who had "syndactyly." He only had 4 fingers on his right hand and two of them were fused together. Dr. Lux told me that all embryos start out with their fingers fused together. Then, the cells in between each finger die so the fingers can separate. The little boy is going to have an x-ray to see what bones in his hand he has, to see if plastic surgery is an option. Our last 3 patients were crying babies. Dr. Lux did nothing to them, yet right when they entered the room, they started screaming and grabbing on to their moms. I love little kids and have often thought I would be a pediatrician, but if the very sight of me sends little kids screaming, I don't think I want to do it. It was difficult to hear their lungs and look in their ears. I don't know how pediatricians can make accurate diagnoses without eing about to properly examine the patients! We had some extra time afterward, so I talked with a neighbor girl and got to pet a rooster.
Now, I'm back at Macie's house, drinking coffee while in pours rain outside, waiting for church to start at 6.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Last night, every time I closed my eyes, I saw the replay of a cataract eye surgery … it was strange! I guess I had just watched a ton of them!
Yesterday, I got to help Dr. Don Loconte with pre-op and post-op consults. I had the best time! I think I want to be a type of doctor that gets to sit down one on one with her patients in an office. I got to translate between the doctor and the patient. I got to tell the patients where to position their hands, feet, chin, and forehead, in order to look into the eye piece machine for Dr. Don. This was quite difficult. And trying to get the patients to look straight ahead and not look around… wow, tough. I probably said, “Mire recto,” “No mueva la cabeza,” and “Mire la luz” over a hundred times. I would say, “Look at the light,” and some people would look all around. One person even closed their eyes tight! Oh my gosh. Yes, it was frustrating, especially for the doctor, because we couldn’t get good readings on their eyes, but I was getting SO tickled with each patient! I loved to just sit and talk to them before and after the consult. So many interesting personalities!
I got to instruct the patients on how to use the big black spoon to cover one eye and read from the visual acuity chart. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people do! They cover one eye with the spoon. Then, we say, “Now cover the other eye,” and they use their hand to cover the other eye ALSO! And then they say, “I can’t see anything.” Haha!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
So, we had an amazing week at the clinic with our eye surgery team. There were 29 of us, and if you weren’t helping out medically, you were painting the patients’ nails, braiding their hair, or praying with them. It was neat to watch everyone participate.
Last Tuesday, I got my MCAT score back… and I improved and got what I wanted! I was so excited and relieved! The group was so kind and congratulated me and celebrated with me!
I loved translating for the patients all week too. Especially in the OR, where it was critical that I communicate the correct things to the patients. It was my job to relay messages from the doctor to the patient such as, “Please keep still,” “You’re doing a good job,” “It’s almost over,” “Can you see the doctor’s fingers now?” etc. Also, when the patients would muffle something from underneath the tarp, I would have to try to understand what they were saying and translate it for the doctor.
On Thursday, we only had one patient, so afterward, we went out for an excursion. I went to a coffee farm in the middle of the jungle. I saw crazy-looking fruits and a huge tree, which took 55 steps to walk around! Late Thursday night, we played an ultimate Frisbee tournament in the soccer field next to the clinic. It had poured rain all day, so it was super muddy -- we were slipping all over the place and covered in mud by the end of it! It was my first time to play ultimate, and we played past midnight… so fun!
Friday, Macie and I got to travel with the group to Antigua, before they flew out on Saturday. We went with a group zip-lining through the jungle right outside Antigua! We flew over coffee farms and saw the city of La Antigua from above. I got to fly upside down above the trees -- a great time! Our hotel in Antigua was an absolutely gorgeous resort. We had a black infinity pool right outside our hotel room! We went downtown after dinner for a concert in the park, and then came back to hang out around the pool and talk. It was so relaxing and fun!
Saturday morning, we dropped the group off at the airport and said goodbye. :( Dany drove us back to Chicacao. On our way back, we stopped off at a restaurant on the side of the highway for lunch. There were ostriches in a pin right next to the restaurant. We tried to order ostrich burgers from the menu, but they were out!
Today was our last Sunday here! We went to the market and church. I saw my first baptism in the Church of Christ. The baptistery is downstairs below the church, next to the pastor’s kitchen. My “dad,” Papa Pedro, baptized the man, and we got to congratulate him afterwards. Now, I’m waiting for the rain to let up a little, so that I can walk back to my house from Macie’s house.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Today is my last Monday in Guatemala. I am spending this entire week going out with Dr. David Lux to mobile clinics. (I first met him when I was throwing up my first week here.) Today, we went to "Las Margaritas" mobile clinic. I got to talk to Holly on the phone for the first time in a long time... I miss her!
Well, we saw a total of 27 patients at Las Margaritas, which isn't very many. I decided to write down some of the things I saw today, just so that I can remember later...
An older man came in complaining of painful urination. He handed us his lab reports, which said he had an enlarged prostate. Eek. I saw a baby boy with Staphylococcus infection all over his skin. I saw a 5-year-old boy, whose mom had brought him in because of problems with his eyes. I could tell something wasn't right, and Dr. Lux told me the boy had a nervous tick. We sent him off to have a psychoanalysis workup to see if it was a type of neurosis or some other cerebral problem. I got to palpate two people's enlarged spleens... the spleens were huge! You didn't have to be a doctor to know that something wasn't right with a massive bulge in their left side! I listened to Dr. Lux consult a diabetic woman about how to eat. He told her only 5 portions of sugar every day; with sugar including potatoes, rice, tortillas, soda, fruit juice, papaya, bread, cookies, etc. She was shocked that she could only have 3 tortillas at each meal! We also saw a man who came in with a torn cornea. It looked like something had sliced his eye, but he didn't remember ever having been hit with anything. I saw a 3-year-old little boy who had "syndactyly." He only had 4 fingers on his right hand and two of them were fused together. Dr. Lux told me that all embryos start out with their fingers fused together. Then, the cells in between each finger die so the fingers can separate. The little boy is going to have an x-ray to see what bones in his hand he has, to see if plastic surgery is an option. Our last 3 patients were crying babies. Dr. Lux did nothing to them, yet right when they entered the room, they started screaming and grabbing on to their moms. I love little kids and have often thought I would be a pediatrician, but if the very sight of me sends little kids screaming, I don't think I want to do it. It was difficult to hear their lungs and look in their ears. I don't know how pediatricians can make accurate diagnoses without eing about to properly examine the patients! We had some extra time afterward, so I talked with a neighbor girl and got to pet a rooster.
Now, I'm back at Macie's house, drinking coffee while in pours rain outside, waiting for church to start at 6.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Ophthamology Surgery Team
Monday, July 19, 2010
This morning, I got to walk patients to Dr. Don, an optometrist, for a check-up and then back to their beds. I enjoyed leading the practically blind little women back and forth, trying to get them to position their foreheads correctly in the eye machine, and constantly repeating “No se mueva. Por favor, no mueva los ojos.” Haha, some just couldn’t sit still.
In the afternoon, I got to shadow in the OR. We had an amazing patient named Cesar. He was a Guatemalan, living in the U.S. He flew here on a hope and a prayer that he would be a surgery candidate. He was 47 and already had bad cataracts in both eyes. He was a recent believer, after he entered a church and told the people, “I don’t need food. I need God.” He could hardly see. He spoke English well, and jovially carried on with the doctor while the operation was going on. When the doctor finished, he sat Cesar up in bed, removed the drape, and asked Cesar to look ahead. He looked at Lauren and said, “You’re so beautiful!” and looked at Cal and said, “And you’re so handsome!” It was an amazing miracle to witness this once blind man, seeing for the first time in a long time! When Cesar commented on how handsome Cal was, the doctor joking said, “Oh no! I must have put the wrong lens in!” It was one of the best surgeries to be a part of.
Soon afterward though, we had a patient that was a very difficult case. She was very anxious. She seemed claustrophobic underneath the drape and would not stop moving around. While the doctor’s scapel was in her eye, she squirmed and reached her hand up to her face! We pleaded with her to sit still, but she moaned and loudly complained about the pain, even though the doctor gave her three times the normal amount of local anesthesia. She was so squirmy, we had to have two people hold her arms down, one hold her legs down, and one hold her head down. And even then, the doctor had to pull out early, without inserting the implant. He removed the cataract, but couldn’t replace the lens because she would have jumped off the table in pain. It was a very tense case, and we were all glad when it was over.
In one day, I experienced the blessings AND the hardships that a surgeon goes through each day.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Last night, every time I closed my eyes, I saw the replay of a cataract eye surgery … it was strange! I guess I had just watched a ton of them!
Yesterday, I got to help Dr. Don Loconte with pre-op and post-op consults. I had the best time! I think I want to be a type of doctor that gets to sit down one on one with her patients in an office. I got to translate between the doctor and the patient. I got to tell the patients where to position their hands, feet, chin, and forehead, in order to look into the eye piece machine for Dr. Don. This was quite difficult. And trying to get the patients to look straight ahead and not look around… wow, tough. I probably said, “Mire recto,” “No mueva la cabeza,” and “Mire la luz” over a hundred times. I would say, “Look at the light,” and some people would look all around. One person even closed their eyes tight! Oh my gosh. Yes, it was frustrating, especially for the doctor, because we couldn’t get good readings on their eyes, but I was getting SO tickled with each patient! I loved to just sit and talk to them before and after the consult. So many interesting personalities!
I got to instruct the patients on how to use the big black spoon to cover one eye and read from the visual acuity chart. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people do! They cover one eye with the spoon. Then, we say, “Now cover the other eye,” and they use their hand to cover the other eye ALSO! And then they say, “I can’t see anything.” Haha!
This morning, I got to walk patients to Dr. Don, an optometrist, for a check-up and then back to their beds. I enjoyed leading the practically blind little women back and forth, trying to get them to position their foreheads correctly in the eye machine, and constantly repeating “No se mueva. Por favor, no mueva los ojos.” Haha, some just couldn’t sit still.
In the afternoon, I got to shadow in the OR. We had an amazing patient named Cesar. He was a Guatemalan, living in the U.S. He flew here on a hope and a prayer that he would be a surgery candidate. He was 47 and already had bad cataracts in both eyes. He was a recent believer, after he entered a church and told the people, “I don’t need food. I need God.” He could hardly see. He spoke English well, and jovially carried on with the doctor while the operation was going on. When the doctor finished, he sat Cesar up in bed, removed the drape, and asked Cesar to look ahead. He looked at Lauren and said, “You’re so beautiful!” and looked at Cal and said, “And you’re so handsome!” It was an amazing miracle to witness this once blind man, seeing for the first time in a long time! When Cesar commented on how handsome Cal was, the doctor joking said, “Oh no! I must have put the wrong lens in!” It was one of the best surgeries to be a part of.
Soon afterward though, we had a patient that was a very difficult case. She was very anxious. She seemed claustrophobic underneath the drape and would not stop moving around. While the doctor’s scapel was in her eye, she squirmed and reached her hand up to her face! We pleaded with her to sit still, but she moaned and loudly complained about the pain, even though the doctor gave her three times the normal amount of local anesthesia. She was so squirmy, we had to have two people hold her arms down, one hold her legs down, and one hold her head down. And even then, the doctor had to pull out early, without inserting the implant. He removed the cataract, but couldn’t replace the lens because she would have jumped off the table in pain. It was a very tense case, and we were all glad when it was over.
In one day, I experienced the blessings AND the hardships that a surgeon goes through each day.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Last night, every time I closed my eyes, I saw the replay of a cataract eye surgery … it was strange! I guess I had just watched a ton of them!
Yesterday, I got to help Dr. Don Loconte with pre-op and post-op consults. I had the best time! I think I want to be a type of doctor that gets to sit down one on one with her patients in an office. I got to translate between the doctor and the patient. I got to tell the patients where to position their hands, feet, chin, and forehead, in order to look into the eye piece machine for Dr. Don. This was quite difficult. And trying to get the patients to look straight ahead and not look around… wow, tough. I probably said, “Mire recto,” “No mueva la cabeza,” and “Mire la luz” over a hundred times. I would say, “Look at the light,” and some people would look all around. One person even closed their eyes tight! Oh my gosh. Yes, it was frustrating, especially for the doctor, because we couldn’t get good readings on their eyes, but I was getting SO tickled with each patient! I loved to just sit and talk to them before and after the consult. So many interesting personalities!
I got to instruct the patients on how to use the big black spoon to cover one eye and read from the visual acuity chart. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people do! They cover one eye with the spoon. Then, we say, “Now cover the other eye,” and they use their hand to cover the other eye ALSO! And then they say, “I can’t see anything.” Haha!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Weekend Fun and Eye Surgery Team
This past weekend, Macie and I caught a ride to Guatemala City, two hours away from where we live. My suitemate for next semester, Jessica Castro, actually lives in Guatemala City! We didn’t really know each other; we had just met once. She graciously invited us to stay at her house and show us around the city. Her family was very welcoming to us and even gave US presents… We had a fabulous time with Jessica! We walked to a nearby mall - it was huge with 5 stories, many restaurants, a movie theater, and a carousel inside. We thoroughly enjoyed shopping around, and then we ended up at an aquarium restaurant. There were fish underneath our feet under the floor, and we got to go inside the huge aquarium with a shark, eel, puffer fish, and a scuba diver! Afterward, we grabbed some authentic Guatemalan coffee and went to the theater to watch “Eclipse.” It was in English with Spanish subtitles… so good! :)
The next day, we took a taxi to the airport to meet the American eye surgery group that was flying in. We rode with them in a bus back to the clinic. Three hours later, we arrived at the clinic in Montellano, and immediately we began eye consults. I helped with the visual acuity chart tests. I instructed the patients to stand behind the line, cover one eye with the spoon, and read me the chart, if they could. We couldn’t use the typical E chart, with all the alphabet letters, because many are illiterate, so we just used a chart with all E’s. The patients had to tell me whether the E was facing right, left, up, or down. I got so tickled watching the patients try to mimic the way the E was facing with their bodies, rather than simply telling me the direction. The consults lasted until 10 p.m. Macie and I decided to stay at the clinic hotel with the group this week, instead of with our host families, because finding a ride from Chicacao to Montellano was such a hassle every day.
Today, I got to observe in the operating room. I saw Dr. Jerry Swale from Illinois remove a cataract from an 80-year-old woman. I was the “translator” in the operating room. I got to forewarn the patient what the doctor was about to do, monitor her pain throughout the surgery, and keep her informed post-op. She was so brave. The doctor had to zoom in and focus his microscope manually because we lacked some equipment that we have in the States. Also, we didn’t have an anesthesiologist, so our patients just received local anesthesia. They were completely conscious and their eyeballs were moving around looking at us, while the doctor cut into their eyeballs… it was creepy! I would have definitely required some anxiety medicine! I saw the doctor slip the cataract out and lay it on the patient’s chest. I got to feel it between my fingers… it felt like a hard booger. Then, Dr. Swale inserted the new lens implant, and that was it. Right after he slipped the new one in, he asked the patient to open her eyes. She was able to tell him how many fingers he was holding up. Before surgery, she could only detect up-close hand movement. Crazy cool.
I’ll be working with this ophthalmology team here at Clinica Ezell through Thursday of this week. It’s already so fascinating, and the people are so kind! Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray that the surgeries will run smoothly and that we will be able to help the patients, despite lack of certain instruments and machines. Dios te bendiga!!
The next day, we took a taxi to the airport to meet the American eye surgery group that was flying in. We rode with them in a bus back to the clinic. Three hours later, we arrived at the clinic in Montellano, and immediately we began eye consults. I helped with the visual acuity chart tests. I instructed the patients to stand behind the line, cover one eye with the spoon, and read me the chart, if they could. We couldn’t use the typical E chart, with all the alphabet letters, because many are illiterate, so we just used a chart with all E’s. The patients had to tell me whether the E was facing right, left, up, or down. I got so tickled watching the patients try to mimic the way the E was facing with their bodies, rather than simply telling me the direction. The consults lasted until 10 p.m. Macie and I decided to stay at the clinic hotel with the group this week, instead of with our host families, because finding a ride from Chicacao to Montellano was such a hassle every day.
Today, I got to observe in the operating room. I saw Dr. Jerry Swale from Illinois remove a cataract from an 80-year-old woman. I was the “translator” in the operating room. I got to forewarn the patient what the doctor was about to do, monitor her pain throughout the surgery, and keep her informed post-op. She was so brave. The doctor had to zoom in and focus his microscope manually because we lacked some equipment that we have in the States. Also, we didn’t have an anesthesiologist, so our patients just received local anesthesia. They were completely conscious and their eyeballs were moving around looking at us, while the doctor cut into their eyeballs… it was creepy! I would have definitely required some anxiety medicine! I saw the doctor slip the cataract out and lay it on the patient’s chest. I got to feel it between my fingers… it felt like a hard booger. Then, Dr. Swale inserted the new lens implant, and that was it. Right after he slipped the new one in, he asked the patient to open her eyes. She was able to tell him how many fingers he was holding up. Before surgery, she could only detect up-close hand movement. Crazy cool.
I’ll be working with this ophthalmology team here at Clinica Ezell through Thursday of this week. It’s already so fascinating, and the people are so kind! Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray that the surgeries will run smoothly and that we will be able to help the patients, despite lack of certain instruments and machines. Dios te bendiga!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Looking for the Beautiful and Unexpected in the Day
I called my mom this morning, and we got to pray together over the phone. She prayed that God would show me something interesting or special today. I appreciated that a lot, and God DID give me something amazing today!!
I went to a mobile clinic today that is an HOUR away, and is basically a jungle and waterfalls. It's very picturesque, and I have been begging my co-workers to bring me up to the waterfall. They said it would be too tiresome, so I figured it was a no.
Then, a little boy, 2 years old, came in the clinic. All the workers knew him and immediately welcomed him. His head was wrapped in a white bandana, and I could tell he was a little developmentally delayed. Soon, I found out that "Domingo" or "Mingo" had had surgery 2 months ago in the U.S. Apparently, he was born with "meningocele," a form of spina bifida, where he had a large bulge on his forehead and back, where a part of his brain and his spinal cord were protruding. Today was just a checkup to see how the scars were healing and to make sure that there was no infection. He was the skirmiest little kid, wanting to grab and touch everything. He had the biggest grin and was just a downright happy kid. I thought, "This is the neat thing God brought into my life today, for sure."
Then, Valentin, the guy I have been working with all week, asked the doctor if he could take me to go see the waterfalls, because I had been asking all day. It was really slow anyways, and so we got to go! We drove halfway up the mountain, which was crazy. I thought we weren’t gonna make it up some of those rocky, steep hills! Then we got out and hiked the rest of the way up. I got right up close to the pounding waterfall, and the mist was spraying us like crazy! I got some pictures, and then we sat down and ate our lunch up there. It was so neat! I was sad that Macie didn't get to go though. :( Just the mist in my face and the roaring of the waterfall was amazing. I thought, "This for sure is my special thing for the day from God!"
I love it when God answers specific prayers! Thanks for your prayers as well, and God bless you for praying for me!
I went to a mobile clinic today that is an HOUR away, and is basically a jungle and waterfalls. It's very picturesque, and I have been begging my co-workers to bring me up to the waterfall. They said it would be too tiresome, so I figured it was a no.
Then, a little boy, 2 years old, came in the clinic. All the workers knew him and immediately welcomed him. His head was wrapped in a white bandana, and I could tell he was a little developmentally delayed. Soon, I found out that "Domingo" or "Mingo" had had surgery 2 months ago in the U.S. Apparently, he was born with "meningocele," a form of spina bifida, where he had a large bulge on his forehead and back, where a part of his brain and his spinal cord were protruding. Today was just a checkup to see how the scars were healing and to make sure that there was no infection. He was the skirmiest little kid, wanting to grab and touch everything. He had the biggest grin and was just a downright happy kid. I thought, "This is the neat thing God brought into my life today, for sure."
Then, Valentin, the guy I have been working with all week, asked the doctor if he could take me to go see the waterfalls, because I had been asking all day. It was really slow anyways, and so we got to go! We drove halfway up the mountain, which was crazy. I thought we weren’t gonna make it up some of those rocky, steep hills! Then we got out and hiked the rest of the way up. I got right up close to the pounding waterfall, and the mist was spraying us like crazy! I got some pictures, and then we sat down and ate our lunch up there. It was so neat! I was sad that Macie didn't get to go though. :( Just the mist in my face and the roaring of the waterfall was amazing. I thought, "This for sure is my special thing for the day from God!"
I love it when God answers specific prayers! Thanks for your prayers as well, and God bless you for praying for me!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Randomness
So, we’re back in Chicacao! It’s strange, but I actually felt like I was coming “home”! So, I just have some random stuff to blog. I have learned lately to be careful with my accents and pronunciations, because it makes a big difference. For instance, “vejiga” means “bladder” but it also means “balloon,” like the ones your blow up for birthday parties. “Catarata” means “cataract,” like the clouding of the eye, but it also means “waterfall.” “Año” means “year,” like Happy Birthday (Feliz Cumpleaños), but “ano” without the mark above the n means “anus.” Be careful when you’re asking someone how many years they have. :) “Mamá” with an accent means “mother,” but “mama” without a tilde means “breast.” “Papá” with an accent mark means “father,” but “papa” means “potato.”
Also random, but this made me laugh. The letter ‘x’ in the Quiche language makes the “sh” sound. So, I had a patient named “Xirle,” which is pronounced “Shirley.” How weird!
Also, I found this verse that I really like. I’m trying to apply it to how I live each day:
“He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.” Job 33:28
Also random, but this made me laugh. The letter ‘x’ in the Quiche language makes the “sh” sound. So, I had a patient named “Xirle,” which is pronounced “Shirley.” How weird!
Also, I found this verse that I really like. I’m trying to apply it to how I live each day:
“He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.” Job 33:28
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Last Clinic Day in Chichi
I worked with Melinda the physician assistant today. I was nervous because she was used to having Paco as a translator, and I’m no Paco. Well, I spilt my water bottle all over my pants before we even got going, so I got to ride in the truck bed on the way to the clinic to air out - so fun! My camera got wet and started acting funny though. “Paxtul 2” clinic was really beautiful with an amazing view from the rooftop of hundreds of avocado trees. Guatemalan Dr. Josephina Lux saw 46 ABC patients (sponsored children), and Sherry and Melinda split all the “sick” patients.
One of our first patients was a 6-year-old boy named Manuel whose mom had brought him in because he was so fearful, he couldn’t sleep at night. Every time it rained, he cried because he was afraid of another hurricane or mudslide. I got to translate for Matt Swale, our prayer leader, as Matt told little Manuel about God and how God is big and takes care of us. Then, a man from the village came and we all laid hands on him. As we did, little Manuel knelt to the floor - it was so precious. We all prayed over him out loud in different languages. It was moving, and I could feel the Spirit’s presence. So cool. I learned many new words today, and Melinda was a hoot to work with. She tried to talk me into going the physician assistant route, and she was pretty convincing. We’ll see; I get my latest MCAT results in 20 days.
Rick told us that we do get to stay with the group tomorrow, and we will ride back to Chicacao early Monday morning. That means we get to shop tomorrow at the Chichi market, the LARGEST market in Central America! Then we will drive to Guatemala City with the group and stay in a hotel Sunday night. Dr. Walter Sierra will pick us up on his way to work at the Clinic Ezell Monday morning.
I am feeling much better! Thank you for the prayers! I told some American nurses here my complaints about low blood pressure and lightheadedness, and they said it sounds like a “vasovagal response.” They told me some things to help, and I can already tell a difference. Such a difference!
One of our first patients was a 6-year-old boy named Manuel whose mom had brought him in because he was so fearful, he couldn’t sleep at night. Every time it rained, he cried because he was afraid of another hurricane or mudslide. I got to translate for Matt Swale, our prayer leader, as Matt told little Manuel about God and how God is big and takes care of us. Then, a man from the village came and we all laid hands on him. As we did, little Manuel knelt to the floor - it was so precious. We all prayed over him out loud in different languages. It was moving, and I could feel the Spirit’s presence. So cool. I learned many new words today, and Melinda was a hoot to work with. She tried to talk me into going the physician assistant route, and she was pretty convincing. We’ll see; I get my latest MCAT results in 20 days.
Rick told us that we do get to stay with the group tomorrow, and we will ride back to Chicacao early Monday morning. That means we get to shop tomorrow at the Chichi market, the LARGEST market in Central America! Then we will drive to Guatemala City with the group and stay in a hotel Sunday night. Dr. Walter Sierra will pick us up on his way to work at the Clinic Ezell Monday morning.
I am feeling much better! Thank you for the prayers! I told some American nurses here my complaints about low blood pressure and lightheadedness, and they said it sounds like a “vasovagal response.” They told me some things to help, and I can already tell a difference. Such a difference!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Translating in the Highlands
Today was my first day to translate alone in the clinic... it was so exciting!! We arrived in Chichicastenango ("Chichi") Wednesday night. The hotel here is gorgeous and I have a huge room with a balcony overlooking the misty Guatemalan mountains. Pretty sweet. We are also here with 50+ other Americans, which has been such a nice change! Speaking English and hanging around this American medical group has made me a whole lot less homesick. I am working with some really neat people from all over the States.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we go out and do mobile clinics. Yesterday, I observed the American and Guatemalan doctors, and they were very helpful, teaching me things. But today, it was just the patient, the American doctor, a Quiche translator, and me. The Quiche translator would translate the patient's complaint from Quiche to Spanish. Then I would translate it from Spanish to English for the American doctor. Then he would tell me what to ask her and the process in reverse would occur. It took a while, but it was SOO neat to be the intermediate. The doctor waited on me to hear what was wrong.
There are a lot of parasites and gastritis here. I'm constantly learning new medical words and keeping my dictionary handy. Today, I got to tell a 42-year-old woman that her stomach pain was because she was pregnant! Crazy that I got to deliver the news! I learned how to put a stethoscope on someone's chest and scratch around on the person in order to locate the outline of the liver!
I am enjoying American company and hearing them voice things I have been thinking about being here. Very refreshing. Thank you for all your prayers. They are heavily appreciated and please keep them coming!
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we go out and do mobile clinics. Yesterday, I observed the American and Guatemalan doctors, and they were very helpful, teaching me things. But today, it was just the patient, the American doctor, a Quiche translator, and me. The Quiche translator would translate the patient's complaint from Quiche to Spanish. Then I would translate it from Spanish to English for the American doctor. Then he would tell me what to ask her and the process in reverse would occur. It took a while, but it was SOO neat to be the intermediate. The doctor waited on me to hear what was wrong.
There are a lot of parasites and gastritis here. I'm constantly learning new medical words and keeping my dictionary handy. Today, I got to tell a 42-year-old woman that her stomach pain was because she was pregnant! Crazy that I got to deliver the news! I learned how to put a stethoscope on someone's chest and scratch around on the person in order to locate the outline of the liver!
I am enjoying American company and hearing them voice things I have been thinking about being here. Very refreshing. Thank you for all your prayers. They are heavily appreciated and please keep them coming!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Clinic with Dr. Lux and Heading to Chichi
Below is my journal from yesterday. Tomorrow I leave for Chichicastenango to work with a American surgeon team in translating!:
Monday, July 05, 2010
Today I got to shadow Dr. David Lux. He was really good about teaching me during the whole appointment, as he was diagnosing the patient and after the patient had left. He is genuinely concerned with each of his patients. He touches them on the shoulder and offers to pray for them at the end of their appointment. Granted, getting through our 33 patients today took more time, but it was more rewarding.
I got to see an older woman whose uterus had prolapsed and whose bladder had fallen and was coming out her vagina. Eek. I saw several little kids with staph infection on their skin. I saw one man who was complaining of problems inside his ear. After looking in his ears, Dr. Lux told him that a tiny spider was living in there! We didn’t see the spider but there were small webs with tiny yellow eggs in his ear! We saw one lady who brought in lots of paperwork and rambled on and on for nearly half an hour about her problem. It was obvious that she was disputing Dr. Lux’s opinion. I got lost near the beginning and had to force myself to appear attentive. I guess she had been told by one doctor that she had cancer and it was a difficult case. Anyways, I was ready to move on, but Dr. Lux offered to pray for her at the end of the consult. She teared up and it was apparent that her defenses came down. She cried as we prayed over her for peace and no fear for the future and for trust in God and not what man says. I guess you never know what’s really going on inside a person.
I have concluded that several problems are very common in Guatemala: diabetes Type II, kidney problems, and malnutrition in kids. I asked Dr. Lux about these epidemics, and he told me that diabetes Type II occurs a lot because of lack of exercise and poor eating habits. I’ve noticed that no one here exercises, and Dr. Lux said it’s because many workers don’t have time to exercise. They use any spare time to tend to their kids or work some more. Also, even though a person might have severe diabetes and high blood sugar, I have noticed that they still eat their 4-5 tortillas with each meal. Can’t break a habit, I guess. Also, very few Guatemalans drink “agua pura” regularly. Most Guatemalans prefer to drink frescos (sugary fruit drinks), atol (a corn-based drink), or soda. This lack of water intake is the primary cause of renal problems. My “sister” Veli, whom I live with here, is 29 years old and has kidney problems. She has already had a kidney transplant, and her mother died of kidney problems. Also, many kids here are skinny. It’s not that they don’t eat. It’s that they don’t eat good foods. They will eat tortillas, rice, bread, and cookies, but don’t want to eat their beans, eggs, and meat. Their stomachs get full off of food that doesn’t provide lasting nutritional benefits. But all adults here are NOT skinny. I guess that kind of eating since childhood and the complete absence of exercise catch up with you.
I learned a lot today, including how to make balloon animals, in our spare time. Tomorrow, I will shadow Dr. Lux again at a clinic where we will see ABC kids. ABC is a government program similar to World Vision, where kids are sponsored through patrons’ support. We will measure their height, weight, and nutrition level to see if they are on track for their age.
If you could, please pray that I will feel my best while I’m at the clinics, so that I can put all my energy into absorbing information and helping the patients. Today, I think just because of the “stress” of the unknown and a new situation, I was light-headed all morning. The afternoon was much better, but I don’t like feeling crumby during all my mornings in a new environment. I sincerely appreciate your thoughts and prayers!
Monday, July 05, 2010
Today I got to shadow Dr. David Lux. He was really good about teaching me during the whole appointment, as he was diagnosing the patient and after the patient had left. He is genuinely concerned with each of his patients. He touches them on the shoulder and offers to pray for them at the end of their appointment. Granted, getting through our 33 patients today took more time, but it was more rewarding.
I got to see an older woman whose uterus had prolapsed and whose bladder had fallen and was coming out her vagina. Eek. I saw several little kids with staph infection on their skin. I saw one man who was complaining of problems inside his ear. After looking in his ears, Dr. Lux told him that a tiny spider was living in there! We didn’t see the spider but there were small webs with tiny yellow eggs in his ear! We saw one lady who brought in lots of paperwork and rambled on and on for nearly half an hour about her problem. It was obvious that she was disputing Dr. Lux’s opinion. I got lost near the beginning and had to force myself to appear attentive. I guess she had been told by one doctor that she had cancer and it was a difficult case. Anyways, I was ready to move on, but Dr. Lux offered to pray for her at the end of the consult. She teared up and it was apparent that her defenses came down. She cried as we prayed over her for peace and no fear for the future and for trust in God and not what man says. I guess you never know what’s really going on inside a person.
I have concluded that several problems are very common in Guatemala: diabetes Type II, kidney problems, and malnutrition in kids. I asked Dr. Lux about these epidemics, and he told me that diabetes Type II occurs a lot because of lack of exercise and poor eating habits. I’ve noticed that no one here exercises, and Dr. Lux said it’s because many workers don’t have time to exercise. They use any spare time to tend to their kids or work some more. Also, even though a person might have severe diabetes and high blood sugar, I have noticed that they still eat their 4-5 tortillas with each meal. Can’t break a habit, I guess. Also, very few Guatemalans drink “agua pura” regularly. Most Guatemalans prefer to drink frescos (sugary fruit drinks), atol (a corn-based drink), or soda. This lack of water intake is the primary cause of renal problems. My “sister” Veli, whom I live with here, is 29 years old and has kidney problems. She has already had a kidney transplant, and her mother died of kidney problems. Also, many kids here are skinny. It’s not that they don’t eat. It’s that they don’t eat good foods. They will eat tortillas, rice, bread, and cookies, but don’t want to eat their beans, eggs, and meat. Their stomachs get full off of food that doesn’t provide lasting nutritional benefits. But all adults here are NOT skinny. I guess that kind of eating since childhood and the complete absence of exercise catch up with you.
I learned a lot today, including how to make balloon animals, in our spare time. Tomorrow, I will shadow Dr. Lux again at a clinic where we will see ABC kids. ABC is a government program similar to World Vision, where kids are sponsored through patrons’ support. We will measure their height, weight, and nutrition level to see if they are on track for their age.
If you could, please pray that I will feel my best while I’m at the clinics, so that I can put all my energy into absorbing information and helping the patients. Today, I think just because of the “stress” of the unknown and a new situation, I was light-headed all morning. The afternoon was much better, but I don’t like feeling crumby during all my mornings in a new environment. I sincerely appreciate your thoughts and prayers!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Feeling Better and Heading to Chichi
I just wanted to update my blog, because last time I wrote, I was sick, but I'm feeling much better now! The doctor prescribed me Cipro and that took care of things. This weekend, I also started taking Effortil and iron supplements for my low blood pressure. Hopefully they will help while I’m in the clinical setting and working. We had a 3-day weekend because of a holiday here, so I'm ready to go back to the clinic tomorrow!
I miss home and lots of things about the States, but I was able to buy a phone this weekend that actually has reception, so I can communicate with my parents. Much better. Even with the phone, it's been rough, and I don't know why. I asked my dad today why being here is so much more difficult than other places I've gone. He said either it's forcing me way out of my comfort zone, it’s different than my expectations, or Satan wants me to be discouraged since God has something big planned for me very soon. I know for sure that the first two are true, and I like to hope God does have something big in store for me soon. He wouldn't substantially provide for me to come here and then leave me alone. I'm clinging to that promise right now.
Today was 4th of July and I went to Macie's host family's house. They made us hamburguesas con queso (cheeseburgers) and papas fritas (French fries)… they were SO delicious!! Then Macie and I made chocolate chip cookies for our families. Finding all the ingredients was a big ordeal. We ended using World Cup chocolate soccer balls as chocolate chips!
Tomorrow I shadow a different doctor at the clinic, Dr. David Lux. He is about 30 years old and was the one who came to check on me when I was sick in bed last week. Then Wednesday, I leave for the Highlands about three hours away, where I will be helping as a translator. The people there in Chichicastenango (called “Chichi”) speak Quiche. Someone will translate the patient’s Quiche to Spanish, and then I will be translating Spanish to English for the American doctor team. I’m not sure I’m qualified for that, but I’m excited about the possibility of interpreting. I will be staying in a hotel in Chichi, Wednesday through the following Monday.
I still covet your prayers and knowing that you are praying gives me immense strength. Thank you!
I miss home and lots of things about the States, but I was able to buy a phone this weekend that actually has reception, so I can communicate with my parents. Much better. Even with the phone, it's been rough, and I don't know why. I asked my dad today why being here is so much more difficult than other places I've gone. He said either it's forcing me way out of my comfort zone, it’s different than my expectations, or Satan wants me to be discouraged since God has something big planned for me very soon. I know for sure that the first two are true, and I like to hope God does have something big in store for me soon. He wouldn't substantially provide for me to come here and then leave me alone. I'm clinging to that promise right now.
Today was 4th of July and I went to Macie's host family's house. They made us hamburguesas con queso (cheeseburgers) and papas fritas (French fries)… they were SO delicious!! Then Macie and I made chocolate chip cookies for our families. Finding all the ingredients was a big ordeal. We ended using World Cup chocolate soccer balls as chocolate chips!
Tomorrow I shadow a different doctor at the clinic, Dr. David Lux. He is about 30 years old and was the one who came to check on me when I was sick in bed last week. Then Wednesday, I leave for the Highlands about three hours away, where I will be helping as a translator. The people there in Chichicastenango (called “Chichi”) speak Quiche. Someone will translate the patient’s Quiche to Spanish, and then I will be translating Spanish to English for the American doctor team. I’m not sure I’m qualified for that, but I’m excited about the possibility of interpreting. I will be staying in a hotel in Chichi, Wednesday through the following Monday.
I still covet your prayers and knowing that you are praying gives me immense strength. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)