Sunday, Xavier turned 2! The Fox's had a birthday for him. I became a human jungle gym. Climbing are Emelda, Xavier, and Ian
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Birthday at the Fox's
Sunday, Xavier turned 2! The Fox's had a birthday for him. I became a human jungle gym. Climbing are Emelda, Xavier, and Ian
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Sunday School Children
Say "Hello" to the Punta Gorda Baptist Church Sunday school class! Children range in age from 3 years to 13! Yes, they are all in one class. I am assisting Mr. Chun (picture to follow). Mr. Chun has started teaching the children's lesson and I assist with the memory verse and a craft. It is our hope and prayer that more leaders will want to work with the young and eager to learn group!
Temash Photos
These pics are from my jungle walk several weekends ago. As you can see in the first picture, there is a wheelbarrel with meat. Once every few weeks, a red pick up truck comes thru the village, carrying a barrel of meat. The villagers gather around and purchase what they want. Someone then delivers the meat to the villagers homes.
The second picture is a group of boys from the village of Delores. This was the village we stayed in on the first night of our hike. Boy, these guys were little rascals, trying to scare me and make me laugh! We enjoyed playing catch, tag and a walk to the river.
On Sunday, my mom and I had an opportunity to take this little girl out for lunch. She is so precious. Her name is Emelda and she is six years old. She is in Infant One at school, which is the first level (equivalent to pre-K). The peace core will be working with her to get her up to speed on her ABC's, numbers and days of the week. Emelda is such a fun loving, six year old. She loves to give hugs and get piggy back rides.
We had a sleep over on Sunday night and my mom brought bubble bath for Emelda. This was her first bubble bath ever and she stayed in for about 40 minutes. She loved trying to "bust the bubbles". After the bubble bath, I gave her a pedicure! I learned I am better at coloring than painting feet! I will keep my nursing job!
Emelda loves playing with the camera. Unfortunately, all of the pictures she took was of a wall or the floor. She is working on the eye, hand coordination!
To end the night, the town of PG was putting on a fire works display. This past weekend was the Cacoa Fest (www.toledochocolate.com), and they ended with the Garifuna drummers and a 15 mminute fireworks show. It downpoured and we had to run for cover! Bruno, a tour guide graciously offered us a ride "to the back". I live in Indianville which is behind PG town. Locals refer to Indianville as "to the back". Emelda loved the fireworks and her face was just lighting up as each one was set off.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Barranco
Here is a picture of me with one of my patients in a village I visit once a month. The village is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from town. Barranco used to be one of the largest villages in the Toledo district. It is now known as the "dying village" because many of the younger generation are moving to the city to find work. Currently, there is a little over 120 people living in Barranco.
Last week, my mom was visiting me. She arrived on Wednesday, and I kept her pretty busy meeting my patients, going on mobile clinic and getting a feel for what I am doing here. I had a wonderful visit with her and was so glad she was able to come. We had lots of laughs!
Here is a picture of me with one of my patients in a village I visit once a month. The village is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from town. Barranco used to be one of the largest villages in the Toledo district. It is now known as the "dying village" because many of the younger generation are moving to the city to find work. Currently, there is a little over 120 people living in Barranco.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Temash
My apologies for not updating you all in a few weeks. Life has been a bit hectic, but good! Last weekend, I went with Nurse Patricia to Temash. This is a village on the Guatemalan border. A driver took us to Delores, where we spent the night in a school. Four children's school tables put together, made a sufficient bed for the night. My clean pants and windbreaker rolled together was my pillow and I had a beach towel that I used for a blanket.
In Delores, we treated two people for malaria. We travelled to the first home by candlelight (yes, we both forgot our head lamps). On our way back, there was a man lying in front of the school which we were staying at. His friend was with him. I quickly obtained vitals and he was reaching 103 temp. Next, we did a blood smear which was later turned into the Ministry of Health. We gave him Chloroquine and some liquids. The next day, his friend came by and said he was doing much better.
We were all up me, Patricia and Marcos, the local health care worker) at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. We shared a few granola bars, and then greeted our sherpas. There were 8 total. These men came from Temash to Delores, to lead the way to the village we would be working in. The two horses carried our supply bag and personal bag. The hike was hard and mountainous, but amazing. I was in total awe of God's awesome creation. We hiked for nearly 2 hours, at times thru the jungle and then others thru the valley. As we went over some of the mountains, we could hear the horse and cows greeting us! The last 30 minutes of the hike was the hardest...all uphill and no shade!
We arrived in Temash around 10:45am and started seeing patients shortly after. I think we saw 57 total for the day. My role was to triage the patients and translate. Most of the patients spoke only Katchi, a Mayan language, so I would communicate with a local who spoke spanish and he would translate into Katchi to the patient and then back to Spanish for me. I have no doubt that some things got lost in translation, but there was lots of clarifying! I was pleasantly surprised with the illnessness patients were coming in with. Mostly, back and shoulder pain due to the strenuous work these men and women do daily. There were no scabies or lice cases!!! We have to find out what they are doing and implement it in the Toledo district!
At 7:30pm the Alcaldo(village chief) came and told us we had to finish up because the community was preparing a service for us. I have to admit, I was pretty psyched when he closed us down, because I was exhausted at this point. Thankfully too, there were only a handfull of patients that hadn't yet been seen. We did manage to see them individually before we left.
The service was so beautiful. Even though the entire service was done in Katchi, I was really touched. There were five boys/men playing the vibes. This was a handmade wooden set and the sound was amazing. The service ended at about 1045pm. Everyone was served a hot rice drink in coconut bowls!
Saturday night, I actually upgraded from tables to a hammock to sleep in!
We were up at 5am when we heard the village members walking by our area. They were announcing church was starting! YIKES!!
Hiking back wasn't too bad. A member of the village took us on dirtbike part of the way (the last part that was all up hill). This was fab, because I was so dog tired. When we got to the stream, one of the sherpa's told me to jump up on the horse because the horse was going to take me across the stream. I did as I was told and then froze. So did the horse. So I am on this horse and the guy is telling me to pull on the horse's mane. I couldn't. I was afraid if I did the horse would fly off. So, finally the sherpa tredged thru the water and grabbed the horse. Nurse Patricia said it would have been a great Kodak moment!
We arrived back to PG around 330pm Sunday afternoon. Exhausted, but energized from the weekend, I had showered, had some dinner with a few friends and CRASHED!
In Delores, we treated two people for malaria. We travelled to the first home by candlelight (yes, we both forgot our head lamps). On our way back, there was a man lying in front of the school which we were staying at. His friend was with him. I quickly obtained vitals and he was reaching 103 temp. Next, we did a blood smear which was later turned into the Ministry of Health. We gave him Chloroquine and some liquids. The next day, his friend came by and said he was doing much better.
We were all up me, Patricia and Marcos, the local health care worker) at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. We shared a few granola bars, and then greeted our sherpas. There were 8 total. These men came from Temash to Delores, to lead the way to the village we would be working in. The two horses carried our supply bag and personal bag. The hike was hard and mountainous, but amazing. I was in total awe of God's awesome creation. We hiked for nearly 2 hours, at times thru the jungle and then others thru the valley. As we went over some of the mountains, we could hear the horse and cows greeting us! The last 30 minutes of the hike was the hardest...all uphill and no shade!
We arrived in Temash around 10:45am and started seeing patients shortly after. I think we saw 57 total for the day. My role was to triage the patients and translate. Most of the patients spoke only Katchi, a Mayan language, so I would communicate with a local who spoke spanish and he would translate into Katchi to the patient and then back to Spanish for me. I have no doubt that some things got lost in translation, but there was lots of clarifying! I was pleasantly surprised with the illnessness patients were coming in with. Mostly, back and shoulder pain due to the strenuous work these men and women do daily. There were no scabies or lice cases!!! We have to find out what they are doing and implement it in the Toledo district!
At 7:30pm the Alcaldo(village chief) came and told us we had to finish up because the community was preparing a service for us. I have to admit, I was pretty psyched when he closed us down, because I was exhausted at this point. Thankfully too, there were only a handfull of patients that hadn't yet been seen. We did manage to see them individually before we left.
The service was so beautiful. Even though the entire service was done in Katchi, I was really touched. There were five boys/men playing the vibes. This was a handmade wooden set and the sound was amazing. The service ended at about 1045pm. Everyone was served a hot rice drink in coconut bowls!
Saturday night, I actually upgraded from tables to a hammock to sleep in!
We were up at 5am when we heard the village members walking by our area. They were announcing church was starting! YIKES!!
Hiking back wasn't too bad. A member of the village took us on dirtbike part of the way (the last part that was all up hill). This was fab, because I was so dog tired. When we got to the stream, one of the sherpa's told me to jump up on the horse because the horse was going to take me across the stream. I did as I was told and then froze. So did the horse. So I am on this horse and the guy is telling me to pull on the horse's mane. I couldn't. I was afraid if I did the horse would fly off. So, finally the sherpa tredged thru the water and grabbed the horse. Nurse Patricia said it would have been a great Kodak moment!
We arrived back to PG around 330pm Sunday afternoon. Exhausted, but energized from the weekend, I had showered, had some dinner with a few friends and CRASHED!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Dinner with the Fox's
Today was a blast. I picked up A.M., a five year old who is being raised by an 83 year old woman. When I arrived at A.M.’s house, she was just finishing washing her laundry and sweeping the floor. How many of you reading this entry have your five year old washing their own laundry (by hand) and cleaning the house? I was greeted with a loud cry “Heder”, followed by two tiny arms not quite reaching around my waist, but holding on with such a grip. Yesterday, I brought A.M. a new bottle of shampoo with conditioner. The last bottle was emptied in just one shower. I just assumed she would know how to use it or would get some guidance on how to use it. So, yesterday, when I dropped off the new bottle, I explained to A.M. how beautiful the shampoo will make her hair look. I explained the per usage amount and she then outlined the palm of her hand to show me how much she was going to use. When I finished explaining how to use the shampoo to her, she held the bottle in her arms like it was her baby and said, “I am going to take good care of this”.
After the long hug, A.M. looked up at me and said “I took a shower and took good care of the shampoo”. I could see her hair was shining a bit and was so proud. She showed me how much was left in the bottle!
We took off to the market to buy “ripe banana’s” for A.M.’s mom. Then we tried on some clothes at one of the buses, that brings clothes to townshe to sell. It’s quite a scene looking at the school bus with clothes hanging out of every window. Neither myself or A.M. bought anything, but we had fun trying things on! Me and A.M. were pretty hot and dehydrated after our shopping spree, so we stopped at a shop to grab some juice. A.M. loves comparing who has more, so with each sip, she would size up our drinks.
We headed back to the house, had some good Kraft Mac and Cheese and then both crashed on the sofa’s in my living room. I awoke around 130pm and had to wake A.M. because I needed to be on the other side of town by 2 to help a family prepare a bedroom for a patient who was to be released from the hospital.
Had 8 people over for dinner tonight. Tessy, our new long term volunteer came in from Canada. She will be staying at the house as well.
It was a pretty simple spread. Well, if I were preparing in the states it would be simple. Here, you buy whatever you can get. Luckily today, there was spaghetti sauce. Yesterday, the store was out of spaghetti, but thankfully there was a restock today. No angel hair though. Called my aunt to get a meatball recipe. I tried my mom, but I think she was still in transit from Florida.
My pots and pans are something to be desired. Ivory, another long term volunteer, brought some forks so we didn’t have to take shifts. Ivy brought some delicious garlic bread and Jeff, Ivory and the kids brought dessert. Don’t know the name, but it was good. Graham cracker, banana, jellies. The watermelon was also a nice touch. Patricia brought flowers from the convent. I think they are lilies. Very fragrant and a beautiful arrangement. All in all, dinner was pretty darn good! A little improvising here and there and it all works out!
My eyes are like glue tonight. They have been since this afternoon. I took my contacts out mid day, but still, my eyes are giving me trouble. It was pretty hot today and the dust picked up a bit this afternoon. I will use a cool compress tonight. Let’s see if that helps.
Bought speakers for my laptop today. However, the internal speakers are louder than this set. What did I expect for $15 belize?
Gotta get some sleep. Goodnight~
After the long hug, A.M. looked up at me and said “I took a shower and took good care of the shampoo”. I could see her hair was shining a bit and was so proud. She showed me how much was left in the bottle!
We took off to the market to buy “ripe banana’s” for A.M.’s mom. Then we tried on some clothes at one of the buses, that brings clothes to townshe to sell. It’s quite a scene looking at the school bus with clothes hanging out of every window. Neither myself or A.M. bought anything, but we had fun trying things on! Me and A.M. were pretty hot and dehydrated after our shopping spree, so we stopped at a shop to grab some juice. A.M. loves comparing who has more, so with each sip, she would size up our drinks.
We headed back to the house, had some good Kraft Mac and Cheese and then both crashed on the sofa’s in my living room. I awoke around 130pm and had to wake A.M. because I needed to be on the other side of town by 2 to help a family prepare a bedroom for a patient who was to be released from the hospital.
Had 8 people over for dinner tonight. Tessy, our new long term volunteer came in from Canada. She will be staying at the house as well.
It was a pretty simple spread. Well, if I were preparing in the states it would be simple. Here, you buy whatever you can get. Luckily today, there was spaghetti sauce. Yesterday, the store was out of spaghetti, but thankfully there was a restock today. No angel hair though. Called my aunt to get a meatball recipe. I tried my mom, but I think she was still in transit from Florida.
My pots and pans are something to be desired. Ivory, another long term volunteer, brought some forks so we didn’t have to take shifts. Ivy brought some delicious garlic bread and Jeff, Ivory and the kids brought dessert. Don’t know the name, but it was good. Graham cracker, banana, jellies. The watermelon was also a nice touch. Patricia brought flowers from the convent. I think they are lilies. Very fragrant and a beautiful arrangement. All in all, dinner was pretty darn good! A little improvising here and there and it all works out!
My eyes are like glue tonight. They have been since this afternoon. I took my contacts out mid day, but still, my eyes are giving me trouble. It was pretty hot today and the dust picked up a bit this afternoon. I will use a cool compress tonight. Let’s see if that helps.
Bought speakers for my laptop today. However, the internal speakers are louder than this set. What did I expect for $15 belize?
Gotta get some sleep. Goodnight~
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Easter Sunday and the Burial
On Easter Sunday a patient I recently started seeing, died. He was 48 years old and had been ailing for about 5 years (CVA x2). While I was sad for the family members who lost their loved one, I was reflecting on the day we were celebrating (Easter), and began to think to myself, "if I had to choose a day to die, Easter would be the perfect day". Ok, don't get me wrong, I am not wishing death on me, my family or any of my friends, but Easter is such a significant day, that [if] we knew our last day, I think Easter would be the day I would want. Think about all the pain and suffering Christ endured on the cross for me and you and then how He was mocked. But He told the crowd "in three days I will arise from the grave". As soon as He died, the very ones that were mocking him and torturing Him, knew He was the Lord. When He ever did rise on that third day, He fulfilled His promise! And to think of my patient who died on the Resurrection Day, how he will be pain free, no more suffering, because of the Risen Lord! It just amazed me.
Anyway, the family couldn't afford the mortician to prepare the body, so they asked me to help. So, Tuesday afternoon me and Ivy, the OT, went to the morgue and got the body. We had to bathe and shave him and then clothe him. While I am familiar with post mortem care, I wasn't really sure on pre burial care. It took about 45 minutes to prepare the body and the entire time, the family members were standing outside the door. They had a wooden coffin in the back of a borrowed pick up truck. When the body was prepared, I called two of the son in laws in to help get the body into the casket and they just looked at me and Ivy. So, Ivy and I did it ourselves. Because the man had been sick for some time, he had advanced wasting and weighed maybe 75 pounds. Me and Ivy were able to transfer the man to the casket by ourselves. We then had to travel in the back of the truck with the coffin, sons and sons in law, back to the house set up the coffin for the wake.
Sadly, when we got back to the house there were other family members there, ready to start conflict. The deceased wife laid her son to rest 3 weeks ago after he was stabbed to death in Belize City I couldn't get over how strong this lady was. She had taken care of her husband for 5 years. Not one area of skin breakdown on his body. He was clean and well cared for. Her home was neat as a pin. No electricity, and a wooden house on stilts. When I heard of all this woman had been through in such a short amount of time, I thought of the life of Job in the bible.
The whole thing was quite an experience I will surely not forget anytime soon.
I saw the wife at a friends house today and she has a lot of support and is feeling the love and encouragement from the local community.
Anyway, the family couldn't afford the mortician to prepare the body, so they asked me to help. So, Tuesday afternoon me and Ivy, the OT, went to the morgue and got the body. We had to bathe and shave him and then clothe him. While I am familiar with post mortem care, I wasn't really sure on pre burial care. It took about 45 minutes to prepare the body and the entire time, the family members were standing outside the door. They had a wooden coffin in the back of a borrowed pick up truck. When the body was prepared, I called two of the son in laws in to help get the body into the casket and they just looked at me and Ivy. So, Ivy and I did it ourselves. Because the man had been sick for some time, he had advanced wasting and weighed maybe 75 pounds. Me and Ivy were able to transfer the man to the casket by ourselves. We then had to travel in the back of the truck with the coffin, sons and sons in law, back to the house set up the coffin for the wake.
Sadly, when we got back to the house there were other family members there, ready to start conflict. The deceased wife laid her son to rest 3 weeks ago after he was stabbed to death in Belize City I couldn't get over how strong this lady was. She had taken care of her husband for 5 years. Not one area of skin breakdown on his body. He was clean and well cared for. Her home was neat as a pin. No electricity, and a wooden house on stilts. When I heard of all this woman had been through in such a short amount of time, I thought of the life of Job in the bible.
The whole thing was quite an experience I will surely not forget anytime soon.
I saw the wife at a friends house today and she has a lot of support and is feeling the love and encouragement from the local community.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Current Needs
Hello Everyone,
Many of you have emailed or written to ask what supplies are needed here at the clinic. If any of you are interested in sending some of the following supplies down, here is what were are in need of. We may be able to connect you with someone coming from the states and you can ship to them. Will save on shipping costs. Thank you for all who are interested and that you for your support! This is not a complete list, so if you have something you would like to send down, let me know!
Over the Counter:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) meltaways 60mg
Acetaminophen meltaways (Tylenol) 180mg
Calcium carbonate 500mg (TUMS)
Chewable MVI for children
Prenatal vitamins
Aspirin 81mg
Iron Tabs
Neosporin/Bacitracin cream
Fiber Suplements (tabs or powder)
Supplies:
Glucometer test strips for Medisense Precision Xtra glucometer
Glucometer test strips for One Touch and Acucheck
Alcohol swabs
Large BP cuff
Pill boxes (weekly, monthly)
Ace Bandages
Dressings supplies (gauze, tape...)
Bandaids
Prescription Pharmacy Needs: Average Usage Per Month
Glyburide 5mg 3000 pills/month
HCTZ 25mg 2000 pills/month
Permethrin cream or ivermectin oral 100 treatments/month
Simvastatin 80mg 1000 pills/month
Carbamazepine 200mg 50 pills/month
Enalapril 10mg 2000 pills/month
Losartan 50mg 500 pills/month
Cephalexin liquid 250mg/5mL 5 bottles/month
Simvastatin 40mg 1000 pills/month
Losartan 100mg 500 pills per month
Albuterol Nebs
Many of you have emailed or written to ask what supplies are needed here at the clinic. If any of you are interested in sending some of the following supplies down, here is what were are in need of. We may be able to connect you with someone coming from the states and you can ship to them. Will save on shipping costs. Thank you for all who are interested and that you for your support! This is not a complete list, so if you have something you would like to send down, let me know!
Over the Counter:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) meltaways 60mg
Acetaminophen meltaways (Tylenol) 180mg
Calcium carbonate 500mg (TUMS)
Chewable MVI for children
Prenatal vitamins
Aspirin 81mg
Iron Tabs
Neosporin/Bacitracin cream
Fiber Suplements (tabs or powder)
Supplies:
Glucometer test strips for Medisense Precision Xtra glucometer
Glucometer test strips for One Touch and Acucheck
Alcohol swabs
Large BP cuff
Pill boxes (weekly, monthly)
Ace Bandages
Dressings supplies (gauze, tape...)
Bandaids
Prescription Pharmacy Needs: Average Usage Per Month
Glyburide 5mg 3000 pills/month
HCTZ 25mg 2000 pills/month
Permethrin cream or ivermectin oral 100 treatments/month
Simvastatin 80mg 1000 pills/month
Carbamazepine 200mg 50 pills/month
Enalapril 10mg 2000 pills/month
Losartan 50mg 500 pills/month
Cephalexin liquid 250mg/5mL 5 bottles/month
Simvastatin 40mg 1000 pills/month
Losartan 100mg 500 pills per month
Albuterol Nebs
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Placencia Weekend: March 14-16
This weekend, myself, two of the pediatricians (Sarah far left and Jackie, back) and two PA students (Kristin, middle, Rachel, far right front), took a bus to Independence and then the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi to Placencia.
We had a great time of rest and relaxation. Saturday, Sara and I went snorkeling at Laughing Bird Caye. Mark, our tour guide, caught a HUGE lobster. I would say it was probably about 6-7 pounds. Mark swam around with it for about 20 minutes and then let him go. I think he wanted to take it home for his birthday dinner, but realized the Ranger was keeping close tabs on people. It is not lobster season for one and secondly, nothing is to be taken off the Caye. Some of the other sightings was of a nurse shark, sting ray, barracuda, conch and many colorful, tropical fish.On our water taxi ride back to Placencia, we encountered a group of dolphins swimming. There were about 10 in all. I think if the motor on the boat was a bit quieter, we may have been able to watch them for a while longer.
I shared my tin of almonds with a guy I was sitting next to on our bus ride back to PG. In the beginning of the trip, he was trying to sell me a jaguar tooth. While it was very interesting, I politely declined. As we were nearing the end of the trip, he pulled out a jaguar tooth and handed it to me. If anyone wants to send some almonds, I may be able to use them in future bartering techniques!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Dr. Kirk's Farewell Party: March 13
Dr. Kirk spent 6 months at Hillside Clinic. Here we are at his farewell party
Dr. Kirk holding the conch lamp, a traditional Hillside farewell gift for long term volunteers
Jeff with a goodbye charge to Dr. Kirk. Patricia, NP to the left.
Ian, is 8 years old and has had a bit too much partying tonight! He is the son of Jeff and Ivory.
Some of the Hillside staff: Back: Alberto; Assistant to Executive Director,Far left: Amelia; Housekeeping, Orlan: CNA Sofia: Translator, Far right: Ernesto, Night Watchman
Dr. Kirk holding the conch lamp, a traditional Hillside farewell gift for long term volunteers
Jeff with a goodbye charge to Dr. Kirk. Patricia, NP to the left.
Ian, is 8 years old and has had a bit too much partying tonight! He is the son of Jeff and Ivory.
Some of the Hillside staff: Back: Alberto; Assistant to Executive Director,Far left: Amelia; Housekeeping, Orlan: CNA Sofia: Translator, Far right: Ernesto, Night Watchman
Big Falls: March 13th
Thursday, I spent working at the clinic in Big Falls. This is run by the Ministry of Health, and every Thursday Hillside volunteers help out. This week, the trend was influenza. Children, mothers and young babies were coming in with fevers (one boy 103.1), cough, headache, and malaise.
Mixed between influenza patients, I saw a lady who had her thumb bitten off by her sister in law. Apparently, there was a land dispute going on between the families and the sister in law attacked the patient while she was bathing in the river. The “accident” happened on Feb 23rd and the stitches were still in the finger. Removing the stitches was an experience. The remaining thumb was filled with infection and the stitches were embedded. I had to remind the lady to breathe as I was trying to carefully remove the stitches.
.JPG)
Mixed between influenza patients, I saw a lady who had her thumb bitten off by her sister in law. Apparently, there was a land dispute going on between the families and the sister in law attacked the patient while she was bathing in the river. The “accident” happened on Feb 23rd and the stitches were still in the finger. Removing the stitches was an experience. The remaining thumb was filled with infection and the stitches were embedded. I had to remind the lady to breathe as I was trying to carefully remove the stitches.
.JPG)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Attempted Break In: March 11th
Phew, I am glad last week is over and Monday is almost here to start fresh. As many of you know, me and my housemates experienced an attempted break in on Tuesday night.
Thankfully, no one was hurt and nothing was stolen. I had just been dropped off from another volunteer when I heard loud banging inside my house. I stepped away from my door and then saw the guy coming from behind my house. I yelled to him, he looked at me and then fled to the back of the house and jumped the barb wired fence. Unfortunately it was getting dark and I didn't get a good enough description (other than dark skin, 5'6", petite build...that doesn't narrow it down to much here).
I live on one side of a duplex and on the other side are short term volunteers.
The police were notified and came to investigate . Fingerprints were taken off the sliding glass door.
We had a burglar bar that was ripped out of the frame. On the other side of the duplex, the door handle was broken right off. Who ever it was, was very determined to get in. The ironic thing is, is we are all volunteers. We don't have a TV, phone, or any electronics. No money either. So, who knows what they were going for. Maybe just the fact that they knew we were non Belizean was enough to make us a target.
The two other volunteers are staying at the convent. I am staying with another long term volunteer family. I must say, it is a bit nicer since it's right on the water.
I am asking for your prayers as the board decides how they are going to proceed with things. (i.e. housing).
Please know that I am safe and the neighborhood is irate about this. They know the house I live in is for the "Hillside Volunteers". We are well known in the community.
Thankfully, no one was hurt and nothing was stolen. I had just been dropped off from another volunteer when I heard loud banging inside my house. I stepped away from my door and then saw the guy coming from behind my house. I yelled to him, he looked at me and then fled to the back of the house and jumped the barb wired fence. Unfortunately it was getting dark and I didn't get a good enough description (other than dark skin, 5'6", petite build...that doesn't narrow it down to much here).
I live on one side of a duplex and on the other side are short term volunteers.
The police were notified and came to investigate . Fingerprints were taken off the sliding glass door.
We had a burglar bar that was ripped out of the frame. On the other side of the duplex, the door handle was broken right off. Who ever it was, was very determined to get in. The ironic thing is, is we are all volunteers. We don't have a TV, phone, or any electronics. No money either. So, who knows what they were going for. Maybe just the fact that they knew we were non Belizean was enough to make us a target.
The two other volunteers are staying at the convent. I am staying with another long term volunteer family. I must say, it is a bit nicer since it's right on the water.
I am asking for your prayers as the board decides how they are going to proceed with things. (i.e. housing).
Please know that I am safe and the neighborhood is irate about this. They know the house I live in is for the "Hillside Volunteers". We are well known in the community.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
San Antonio
Yesterday, I went on a tour to San Antonio to see the Cacao farm. The cacao is grown in Belize and then sold to Black and Greens, a fair trade ($2.50/pound) in the UK. Eventually, the chocolate ends up in stores in the US. Below you will see a few pictures of the fermenting process. Once the beans are dried, they are bagged and taken to the local fair trade area at which point the beans get turned over and the cacao owners get a check.
The Cacao tree
Junior getting ready to bust open a cacao seed
First stage of fermentation process
Drying the cacao beans
The Cacao tree
Junior getting ready to bust open a cacao seed
First stage of fermentation process
Drying the cacao beans
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Charlotte
Ok, I found this as I was moving some books from the shelf on the veranda. Now, I can't find it. I don't know who was more scared, me or the spider. Since our little "meeting", I have been doing nightly sweeps of my floor. Thank goodness the coast is clear. However, I am looking to name this spider in the event I should ever encounter it again. Any ideas?
33 years with this foot
I met this lady when I was checking out Belize and the organization back in January. Now, she is my patient. She doesn't have any pain, but it is quite the eyesore to look at. 2-3 MD's have recommended the leg be amputated, but the patient see's no need since she is still able to function with it. Initially, she was treated for Leishmaniasis and the most recent dx is mycetoma. A US MD will be down next month to biopsy and take back to the states. The patient and her husband are praying for a miracle. I am too, but I also have to be realistic. It's a fine line to balance.
March 5th Journal Entry
I am not able to get to blog as much as I would like, so I have been saving word documents and bringing my laptop to the internet shop. This is a bit dated, but you may be interested.
Yesterday, I had a PA student working with me for the day. I am making my way thru my list of patients. I think I’ve seen 20 of the 30 now. Even though I had never met these patients and had to try to figure out where they live (this could be challenging since they don’t use street numbers and not all streets are marked), we managed to squeeze in 6 home visits.
PJ is 72 year old man, In 2000, he suffered a stroke which left him with right sided weakness and slurred speech. He was sitting on the porch when we arrived and began to cry while we were talking with him and his son. A lot of education needs to be done with families surrounding their family members who have suffered a stroke. I try to paint a picture for the family members and have them try to imagine one day being completely independent and the next, having to rely on someone for total care. Even though these patients may not be able to verbally express how they feel, they are aware of their circumstances.
I was sitting in church on Sunday and a little Mayan girl came and sat by me. She was about 6 years old and said “I love to look at your hair”. You see here in Belize, all these children are brown hair and brown eyes, so I really stand out in the crowd with my blond streaks and blue eyes! I guess I should stop complaining so much about my hair and “bad hair days”.
Yesterday, I had a PA student working with me for the day. I am making my way thru my list of patients. I think I’ve seen 20 of the 30 now. Even though I had never met these patients and had to try to figure out where they live (this could be challenging since they don’t use street numbers and not all streets are marked), we managed to squeeze in 6 home visits.
PJ is 72 year old man, In 2000, he suffered a stroke which left him with right sided weakness and slurred speech. He was sitting on the porch when we arrived and began to cry while we were talking with him and his son. A lot of education needs to be done with families surrounding their family members who have suffered a stroke. I try to paint a picture for the family members and have them try to imagine one day being completely independent and the next, having to rely on someone for total care. Even though these patients may not be able to verbally express how they feel, they are aware of their circumstances.
I was sitting in church on Sunday and a little Mayan girl came and sat by me. She was about 6 years old and said “I love to look at your hair”. You see here in Belize, all these children are brown hair and brown eyes, so I really stand out in the crowd with my blond streaks and blue eyes! I guess I should stop complaining so much about my hair and “bad hair days”.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday
Today has been a busy day. I arrived at the clinic at 8am to get my scripts ready to distribute to my home visits. Our clinc pharmacy is located on the second floor of the clinic. It is small and narrow. Every inch of space is used! The long term MD volunteer has worked hard to bring order to the pharmacy. She has also created an inventory. Hopefully, this inventory will help us monitor par levels and give us adequate time to order meds.
I left the clinic with Patricia around 8:30am. Shortly down the road, is a family of 9, waiting in the rain for a bus. We stop, pile them in. Not a peep heard from the kids. Some of them were sick, others had mouth sores. We dropped them off at the hospital.
Our first stop was to a 41 year old female who has had more loss and suffering than I could even imagine. Last year, she was pregnant and her daughter, husband and mother in law died in a tragic car accident on the way to Belize City. She wanted to go with them on the trip, but due to complications with the pregnancy, she stayed home. Several weeks after losing her husband, daughter and mother in law, she miscarried. Shortly after that, she became completely blind in both eyes.
Today, when we arrived at her home and she greeted us with a warm smile and hug. She had a friend visiting her. Her spirits were good and so was her fasting blood glucose. Patricia was pleased. We added an afternoon dose of Metformin, prayed together and then left.
Stopped by my patient home with PVD (Peripheral Vascular Disease)to let her and her daughter know we would be picking her up at 1230pm for a trip to the hospital. I saw her two days ago and she just cried out in pain. No position was making her comfortable. She wasn't eating. Toes: black. Little to no trace of pulses. From the knee down, her leg was cold. Two weeks ago, her second toe toenail fell off. He foot was dying. She had her left leg amputated a bit over a year ago. Six years ago, a stroke left her paralyzed in the right arm. She knows that the only thing that will help alleviate the pain is to have to right leg amputated as well. She agreed to the hospital visit. I asked the daughter to give her two tylenol at 12pm.
Our 82 year old CHF patient was next. She had an CHF exacerbation last week. Edema down, breathing better. There were two young boys outside working in the yard. As we entered into the home, the two boys looked and then slowly walked behind us and waited in the doorway. They didn't say anything, just watched. Moments later, one of the construction workers from across the street, became curious and stood in the doorway for a few moments. Once he saw Patricia taking her patient's blood pressure, a dialog in spanish began between the patient and the worker. The worker wanted his pressure checked as well. It was a bit high and I provided some patient education regarding his diet.
Next, we went across town towards Indianville (that's the community I live in). My patient with COPD was waiting for us on his front porch. As I entered, I could hear his labored breathing. I did vitals and a quick assessment on him. When I asked him if he has been using his nebulizer, he sent me in to talk with his wife. She returned to me with the nebulizer still in the box. "We haven't used it since the last visit" "We were not quite sure how it worked". I walked -the patient thru the setup process and gave him a neb treatment. His O2 went from 85-86%RA up to 93% after the treatment. I encouraged the patient and wife to leave the nebulizer out of the box. I will return tomorrow and have them show me the set up process.
It's 12:10pm, we have 20 minutes for lunch. Marian's it is for some Conch soup. Tried coconut water and I don't like it. It's suppose to be really healthy for you. Exactly why I don't like it!!! The taste reminded me of colonoscopy prep. Nasty!
1:01 pm. "Patricia, we"re late", I exclaimed. We both took one last sip of our Folger's instant coffee, paid and left.
Our patient was ready to go to the hospital. We lifted her into the trooper. Her daughter came with us. Our little patient cried the whole way. "First the arm, then this leg (pointing to her left leg) and now this one. Three gone". The MD took one look and said "this is not good". He will meet with the specialist in the morning. Blood work was done and she was admitted. I think she is alone tonight and she is heavy on my mind. Will she get pain meds? Will the MOH pay for her transportation to Belize City to have the procedue? Tommorrow seems like such a long way off. I'm sure for my patient it seems like an eternity. I pray there is pain medication to keep her comfortable for the night.
My last two patients of the day were new patients to me. Patricia introduced me to each of them and she was able to see her patients while I was assessing. One diabetic and one 95 y.o. HTN, s/p CVA. Both were females and so precious.
4:15pm. I leave my last patient and remind myself to drop off vitamins I promised to a pt. yesterday. "I didn't forget about you" "I know", she replied, "I've seen you going back and forth and knew you would be by".
4:25pm Met Patricia at the internet. We both checked our email. Left at 5pm and outside, a patient's granddaughter was waiting for us. "Granny isn't doing too well today. She feels a bit shaky. She's being treated for parasites and is probably dehydrated. We pass by the clinic to see if we can get some oral rehydration solution. The pharmacist won't give it to use with out a order. WHAT?!?!?!!! This comes free to the MOH. We leave and stop at a local store. We get gatorade and a few other groceries and bring it back to our patient. Vitals are stable. Blood glucose high at 247. She's a diabetic and only eating 2x/day. Most patient's don't have money to buy foods to have a well balanced diet. More education and follow up.
535pm, Patricia and I head back toward my house "what about our friend who had the recent stroke", I asked". We both looked at each other and simultaneously said "first thing tomorrow morning".
PG has had heavy rain since yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, we had a vehicle to get around today. I love my new bike, but was thankful I didn't have to bike in the rain today.
As I reflect on today, I am thankful for my experience here in PG. After seeing some of the patient's today, and listen to their stories and see how they truly live day to day, relying on God's provision, I ask myself "Am I really trusting in Him with my whole heart?"
I left the clinic with Patricia around 8:30am. Shortly down the road, is a family of 9, waiting in the rain for a bus. We stop, pile them in. Not a peep heard from the kids. Some of them were sick, others had mouth sores. We dropped them off at the hospital.
Our first stop was to a 41 year old female who has had more loss and suffering than I could even imagine. Last year, she was pregnant and her daughter, husband and mother in law died in a tragic car accident on the way to Belize City. She wanted to go with them on the trip, but due to complications with the pregnancy, she stayed home. Several weeks after losing her husband, daughter and mother in law, she miscarried. Shortly after that, she became completely blind in both eyes.
Today, when we arrived at her home and she greeted us with a warm smile and hug. She had a friend visiting her. Her spirits were good and so was her fasting blood glucose. Patricia was pleased. We added an afternoon dose of Metformin, prayed together and then left.
Stopped by my patient home with PVD (Peripheral Vascular Disease)to let her and her daughter know we would be picking her up at 1230pm for a trip to the hospital. I saw her two days ago and she just cried out in pain. No position was making her comfortable. She wasn't eating. Toes: black. Little to no trace of pulses. From the knee down, her leg was cold. Two weeks ago, her second toe toenail fell off. He foot was dying. She had her left leg amputated a bit over a year ago. Six years ago, a stroke left her paralyzed in the right arm. She knows that the only thing that will help alleviate the pain is to have to right leg amputated as well. She agreed to the hospital visit. I asked the daughter to give her two tylenol at 12pm.
Our 82 year old CHF patient was next. She had an CHF exacerbation last week. Edema down, breathing better. There were two young boys outside working in the yard. As we entered into the home, the two boys looked and then slowly walked behind us and waited in the doorway. They didn't say anything, just watched. Moments later, one of the construction workers from across the street, became curious and stood in the doorway for a few moments. Once he saw Patricia taking her patient's blood pressure, a dialog in spanish began between the patient and the worker. The worker wanted his pressure checked as well. It was a bit high and I provided some patient education regarding his diet.
Next, we went across town towards Indianville (that's the community I live in). My patient with COPD was waiting for us on his front porch. As I entered, I could hear his labored breathing. I did vitals and a quick assessment on him. When I asked him if he has been using his nebulizer, he sent me in to talk with his wife. She returned to me with the nebulizer still in the box. "We haven't used it since the last visit" "We were not quite sure how it worked". I walked -the patient thru the setup process and gave him a neb treatment. His O2 went from 85-86%RA up to 93% after the treatment. I encouraged the patient and wife to leave the nebulizer out of the box. I will return tomorrow and have them show me the set up process.
It's 12:10pm, we have 20 minutes for lunch. Marian's it is for some Conch soup. Tried coconut water and I don't like it. It's suppose to be really healthy for you. Exactly why I don't like it!!! The taste reminded me of colonoscopy prep. Nasty!
1:01 pm. "Patricia, we"re late", I exclaimed. We both took one last sip of our Folger's instant coffee, paid and left.
Our patient was ready to go to the hospital. We lifted her into the trooper. Her daughter came with us. Our little patient cried the whole way. "First the arm, then this leg (pointing to her left leg) and now this one. Three gone". The MD took one look and said "this is not good". He will meet with the specialist in the morning. Blood work was done and she was admitted. I think she is alone tonight and she is heavy on my mind. Will she get pain meds? Will the MOH pay for her transportation to Belize City to have the procedue? Tommorrow seems like such a long way off. I'm sure for my patient it seems like an eternity. I pray there is pain medication to keep her comfortable for the night.
My last two patients of the day were new patients to me. Patricia introduced me to each of them and she was able to see her patients while I was assessing. One diabetic and one 95 y.o. HTN, s/p CVA. Both were females and so precious.
4:15pm. I leave my last patient and remind myself to drop off vitamins I promised to a pt. yesterday. "I didn't forget about you" "I know", she replied, "I've seen you going back and forth and knew you would be by".
4:25pm Met Patricia at the internet. We both checked our email. Left at 5pm and outside, a patient's granddaughter was waiting for us. "Granny isn't doing too well today. She feels a bit shaky. She's being treated for parasites and is probably dehydrated. We pass by the clinic to see if we can get some oral rehydration solution. The pharmacist won't give it to use with out a order. WHAT?!?!?!!! This comes free to the MOH. We leave and stop at a local store. We get gatorade and a few other groceries and bring it back to our patient. Vitals are stable. Blood glucose high at 247. She's a diabetic and only eating 2x/day. Most patient's don't have money to buy foods to have a well balanced diet. More education and follow up.
535pm, Patricia and I head back toward my house "what about our friend who had the recent stroke", I asked". We both looked at each other and simultaneously said "first thing tomorrow morning".
PG has had heavy rain since yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, we had a vehicle to get around today. I love my new bike, but was thankful I didn't have to bike in the rain today.
As I reflect on today, I am thankful for my experience here in PG. After seeing some of the patient's today, and listen to their stories and see how they truly live day to day, relying on God's provision, I ask myself "Am I really trusting in Him with my whole heart?"
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Week One
My first week went well. It was a bit slow, but I know things are going to pick up. I will have a caseload of about 30 patients. Most of the patients I will be seeing are elderly and can't get around town. Once every three months, they get invited to Hope. This is an afternoon at the Red Cross. They get there blood pressure checked, have a guest speaker, are served a healthy snack and then end the afternoon in a game with prizes for the winners. A handicap van (that was donated by a group that came down) picks them up for the event.
I worked at the Polyclinic on Thursday and saw a bunch of kids ranging in illness from a cut foot (children don't wear shoes here) to Malaria. Two children tested positive for Malaria and had fevers of 102+. Scary, because they are very young.
On Friday, I was asked to visit a lady who recently had a stroke. The family is very thankful to Hillside and the help that we are going to provide to her. She has total right sided paralysis and loss of speech. She is able to understand and can answer simple yes and no questions. When I met her, her husband was in the room. I asked her "Is this your husband"? She looked at me and shook her head no as if to say "I've never me this man". She then got a smile from ear to ear. This got a little joke started between her and her husband. Come to find out, they have been married for about 40 years and have four children. I could see the toll this was taking on the man. His eyes welled up and he said "she is my first girlfriend from high school".
I was invited to a women's meeting at the Baptist Church on Friday night. There is a group of short term missionaries and they put on a wonderful evening of dinner, music, fellowship and a guest speaker. The group had a children's program so the women wouldn't be distracted during the conference. There were still quite a few women with infants, so they stayed with their moms. There were probably 150 women in total. That is impressive since most of the women don't have the opportunity to get out. They are often in the home cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. For some, it was very difficult to convince their husbands to go.
I got to hold a little 4 month old boy. He was born prematurely, at six months, but was a strong little guy. I held him for almost the entire time. His mom was so grateful, because this gave her an opportunity to participate in the event.
Today, I went to the Baptist church for worship. The church is just a small cement building with two lights. The missionaries built pews this week for the parishioners. No drums, guitar or keyboard. All songs were acapello, but the voices were beautiful. The children sat quietly (for the most part) in the front row. They kept looking back at me during worship and at times I would see then singing some of the hymns. The children are so precious.
Sorry to hear of all the snow you are all getting on the east coast. Remember, you are welcome to come down for a visit. It has been in the high 80's everyday so far.
I worked at the Polyclinic on Thursday and saw a bunch of kids ranging in illness from a cut foot (children don't wear shoes here) to Malaria. Two children tested positive for Malaria and had fevers of 102+. Scary, because they are very young.
On Friday, I was asked to visit a lady who recently had a stroke. The family is very thankful to Hillside and the help that we are going to provide to her. She has total right sided paralysis and loss of speech. She is able to understand and can answer simple yes and no questions. When I met her, her husband was in the room. I asked her "Is this your husband"? She looked at me and shook her head no as if to say "I've never me this man". She then got a smile from ear to ear. This got a little joke started between her and her husband. Come to find out, they have been married for about 40 years and have four children. I could see the toll this was taking on the man. His eyes welled up and he said "she is my first girlfriend from high school".
I was invited to a women's meeting at the Baptist Church on Friday night. There is a group of short term missionaries and they put on a wonderful evening of dinner, music, fellowship and a guest speaker. The group had a children's program so the women wouldn't be distracted during the conference. There were still quite a few women with infants, so they stayed with their moms. There were probably 150 women in total. That is impressive since most of the women don't have the opportunity to get out. They are often in the home cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. For some, it was very difficult to convince their husbands to go.
I got to hold a little 4 month old boy. He was born prematurely, at six months, but was a strong little guy. I held him for almost the entire time. His mom was so grateful, because this gave her an opportunity to participate in the event.
Today, I went to the Baptist church for worship. The church is just a small cement building with two lights. The missionaries built pews this week for the parishioners. No drums, guitar or keyboard. All songs were acapello, but the voices were beautiful. The children sat quietly (for the most part) in the front row. They kept looking back at me during worship and at times I would see then singing some of the hymns. The children are so precious.
Sorry to hear of all the snow you are all getting on the east coast. Remember, you are welcome to come down for a visit. It has been in the high 80's everyday so far.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Meet Ajohn and Steven
Ajohn and Steven are two boys who stop me everyday to chat "Miss", "Miss", they yell as I walk down the street. When I turn around and ask "are you talking to me", they giggle and start to act like typical boys, horseplaying with each other.
Introduction to Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda (aka:PG) is the southernmost town in Belize. PG is the capital of the Toledo district and home to about 6,000 people. Within PG, there are five different main ethnic groups; Mopan Maya, Kekchi Maya, Garifuna, Creoles and East Indian. The official language is English.
PG has one hospital in town. There are about 30 inpatient beds.
Market days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. This is where you will find me and everyone else in PG, shopping for most of our grocery needs. The prices are right and the people are friendly. Wednesday, I bought 8 oranges for 1 Belizean dollar ($0.50)
The Texaco station is the only gas station in town. They have an air pump, so now I know where to go to fill my bike tires.
There are several churches in town; Catholic, Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist and Pentocostal are the main ones I have seen so far. I have visited the Assembly of God church, which is primarily a spanish speaking congregation. It is located diagonal my house.
Marenco's, a local PG restaraunt is famous for their homemade icecream. Their is a group of menonites in PG that make the ice cream.
PG has one hospital in town. There are about 30 inpatient beds.
Market days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings. This is where you will find me and everyone else in PG, shopping for most of our grocery needs. The prices are right and the people are friendly. Wednesday, I bought 8 oranges for 1 Belizean dollar ($0.50)
The Texaco station is the only gas station in town. They have an air pump, so now I know where to go to fill my bike tires.
There are several churches in town; Catholic, Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist and Pentocostal are the main ones I have seen so far. I have visited the Assembly of God church, which is primarily a spanish speaking congregation. It is located diagonal my house.
Marenco's, a local PG restaraunt is famous for their homemade icecream. Their is a group of menonites in PG that make the ice cream.
Safe Arrival
Today is Saturday, February 16, 2008. I flew out of Boston on Valentine’s Day (Thursday, Feb 14th). Since I didn’t book my Tropic Air flight well enough in advance, I was unable to make the connection from Belize City to Punta Gorda. I ended up staying at the Global Venture Hotel; a clean, safe hotel, owned by a man (Kevin) and his wife from Taiwan.
I arrived in Punta Gorda on Friday, February 15, 2008. I was welcomed at the airport by Patricia, a Nurse Practioner with Hillside. I will be working with Patricia on home visits as well as a variety of other community health projects.
I arrived in Punta Gorda on Friday, February 15, 2008. I was welcomed at the airport by Patricia, a Nurse Practioner with Hillside. I will be working with Patricia on home visits as well as a variety of other community health projects.
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