May 28, 2008
Ah, there was a wonderful breeze last night that cooled things down a lot. I didn't even have to sleep with the fan blowing on me. But I had to still turn the fan on low just because I'm so used to the noise!
Today was another disappointing attempt to have a meeting with the lay midwives. I got a ride over to the centro de salud and it was empty. The doctor that is there sometimes was sitting out front chatting with someone. Neither of the nurses were there, so everything was cancelled. He said one lay midwife showed up earlier in the morning but they told her the general monthly meeting was cancelled because there were no nurses, so she left. He said they may try to contact them for a meeting next week, but I doubt if that will happen. They would have to send people off into the mountains to track them all down! We'll see if that happens or not. Hopefully the meeting tomorrow in Rio Esteban will go better...or at least go! :)
My little 7 mo baby with bilateral club feet came in today for a checkup after his surgery. He is doing well. When we were coming back from Balfate after the nonexistent meeting I saw the family going down the road on a donkey, holding an umbrella over the baby to keep the sun off his face. It hit me that they will be traveling like that for the next 3-4 hours to get home! Incredible! And you guys think its a long ways to drive into Denver!!!
One of my patients from the Cayos Cochinos came in today and she said the ocean was really rough this morning because of the wind and she almost didn't come. But she didn't want to miss her appointment, so she came anyway but she was feeling really seasick because of the rough ride. Poor thing! She was really excited to hear that we plan to come out there to see patients starting in July. She told me to let her know when I was coming and she would cook me some fish!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sad
Some patients really make you want to cry. A little girl broke her arm "falling out of a tree" two
months ago, had a cast placed, but never came back to check or change the cast. She came in today after her Mom had taken the cast off that morning. The girl was in a lot of pain and her hand was scrunched up like it had been squished in a deformed cast for too long. There was a lot of skin breakdown on her palm and fingers and there was obvious deformity of her forearm that I didn't remember being so bad after the initial fracture. When I saw the new xrays, I sighed with despair. The girl had re-broken her arm, this time much worse, with significant displacement that would require surgery. The Mom was immediately terrified at the prospect of coming back again. She had to sneak out of the house just to bring her daughter in today. Apparently the father is a real jerk and won't let them come to the doctor and gets mad when they spend money on anything. It is a terrible family situation. Now, because this little girl was not allowed to come in for follow up and appropriate care with the new fracture, she is in a much worse medical situation. What a tragedy that this father does not care enough about his daughter's health or future to let her come to the doctor. We will use our indigent fund to help this girl and help the Mom bring her in at times when she and the daughter will not "get in trouble" with the dad. So sad!
months ago, had a cast placed, but never came back to check or change the cast. She came in today after her Mom had taken the cast off that morning. The girl was in a lot of pain and her hand was scrunched up like it had been squished in a deformed cast for too long. There was a lot of skin breakdown on her palm and fingers and there was obvious deformity of her forearm that I didn't remember being so bad after the initial fracture. When I saw the new xrays, I sighed with despair. The girl had re-broken her arm, this time much worse, with significant displacement that would require surgery. The Mom was immediately terrified at the prospect of coming back again. She had to sneak out of the house just to bring her daughter in today. Apparently the father is a real jerk and won't let them come to the doctor and gets mad when they spend money on anything. It is a terrible family situation. Now, because this little girl was not allowed to come in for follow up and appropriate care with the new fracture, she is in a much worse medical situation. What a tragedy that this father does not care enough about his daughter's health or future to let her come to the doctor. We will use our indigent fund to help this girl and help the Mom bring her in at times when she and the daughter will not "get in trouble" with the dad. So sad!
Dona's foot
Dona is a wonderful lady from the Cayos Cochinos, tiny islands just off the coast where many Garifuna people live. Dona grew up there and works as a cook at the one restuarant on the big island and she works with the nurse, Jan, as her translator, cook, and right hand woman for three months out of every year when Jan comes to serve the Garifuna people. Dona is diabetic and her father died a few months ago, so she has not taken very good care of herself. She noted a small foot wound, took antibiotics, but then did not mention that her foot was worsening until the ulcer had grown quite large. Fortunately, the nurse Jan had just arrived and gave her antibiotics and used good old fashioned maggots to eat away the dead skin and infection.
She was improving until one day her middle toe suddenly turned black. She was put on a boat and brought to our hospital for care. When I saw her, she had a large ulcer over the top of her foot and her middle toe was indeed black and dead. We admitted her for IV antibiotics and diabetes control. Over the next several weeks we struggled with her sugars being too high and too low and going through several different antibiotics as her foot worsened. Her middle toe was removed, the infection kept spreading down the bottom of her foot, and we were afraid that she would lose the rest of her foot. Unfortunately, around here it is not uncommon for diabetics to lose their feet, but I felt so awful about Dona. She is a leader in her communty and does so much to help her own people. It would be tragic for her to lose her foot! So, after being stressed out for several weeks, praying against the curse she believed had been put on her, searching through our warehouse for stronger antibiotics (praise the Lord for a Vancomycin donation!), and watching in fascination as Dr. Jeff invented a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for her foot...we finally saw improvement. Dona was here with us for six weeks and she left the hospital last week with her foot intact! What a blessing! She came in to see me yesterday, walking a little and with a much healthier looking foot. There is still risk of re-infection, but she is definitely on the road to recovery. She was so grateful and told us that if she had gone to any other hospital in Honduras, they would have amputated her foot immediately. She thanked us for all our hard work and patience and prayers. She said, " I know that God moves in this place and he heals what no one thinks can be healed!". On the gate in front of the Hospital it says, "Dios obra aqui" which means, "God is working here". So very true!!!
She was improving until one day her middle toe suddenly turned black. She was put on a boat and brought to our hospital for care. When I saw her, she had a large ulcer over the top of her foot and her middle toe was indeed black and dead. We admitted her for IV antibiotics and diabetes control. Over the next several weeks we struggled with her sugars being too high and too low and going through several different antibiotics as her foot worsened. Her middle toe was removed, the infection kept spreading down the bottom of her foot, and we were afraid that she would lose the rest of her foot. Unfortunately, around here it is not uncommon for diabetics to lose their feet, but I felt so awful about Dona. She is a leader in her communty and does so much to help her own people. It would be tragic for her to lose her foot! So, after being stressed out for several weeks, praying against the curse she believed had been put on her, searching through our warehouse for stronger antibiotics (praise the Lord for a Vancomycin donation!), and watching in fascination as Dr. Jeff invented a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for her foot...we finally saw improvement. Dona was here with us for six weeks and she left the hospital last week with her foot intact! What a blessing! She came in to see me yesterday, walking a little and with a much healthier looking foot. There is still risk of re-infection, but she is definitely on the road to recovery. She was so grateful and told us that if she had gone to any other hospital in Honduras, they would have amputated her foot immediately. She thanked us for all our hard work and patience and prayers. She said, " I know that God moves in this place and he heals what no one thinks can be healed!". On the gate in front of the Hospital it says, "Dios obra aqui" which means, "God is working here". So very true!!!
Making connections...
In many ways it is great to be getting to know the local people. When I walk or am getting a ride down the street, I see lotsa people I know and wave and smile. I'm always making new connections. Oh, that lady with the baby must be so and so's daughter or niece...aha!
Unfortunately, getting to know the people has its down side, sometimes there are some very sad connections. Just this last week that has happened twice. A little girl was not allowed by her father to come to clinic for follow up on her arm fracture and now there are several complications. We started talking to the Mom and trying to find out who the dad is. While talking with another missionary we realize that he must be the guard that was working for so and so who shot that other guy in "self-defense" on the road last fall. NOT a nice man. Very sad realization to make.
Another connection was the man who sent his mentally delayed wife to get the baby they had given up. She reported that they were “moving to the city”. They had signed a one year contract that this foster family would care for the baby because he was dying in that home due to parental negligence. I wondered why the father himself hadn't come. I was reminded that he couldn't come back to these parts because he's the one who nearly killed a man with a machete. He tried to strike a man in the head and ended up cutting off two of his fingers and breaking the rest. That victim was here with us after surgery for a week or more and I remember him well. Strange connections!
Unfortunately, getting to know the people has its down side, sometimes there are some very sad connections. Just this last week that has happened twice. A little girl was not allowed by her father to come to clinic for follow up on her arm fracture and now there are several complications. We started talking to the Mom and trying to find out who the dad is. While talking with another missionary we realize that he must be the guard that was working for so and so who shot that other guy in "self-defense" on the road last fall. NOT a nice man. Very sad realization to make.
Another connection was the man who sent his mentally delayed wife to get the baby they had given up. She reported that they were “moving to the city”. They had signed a one year contract that this foster family would care for the baby because he was dying in that home due to parental negligence. I wondered why the father himself hadn't come. I was reminded that he couldn't come back to these parts because he's the one who nearly killed a man with a machete. He tried to strike a man in the head and ended up cutting off two of his fingers and breaking the rest. That victim was here with us after surgery for a week or more and I remember him well. Strange connections!
Melting
May 22, 2008
We are absolutely melting here. We were absolutely dripping with sweat tonight at the missionary fellowship. They say it is unseasonably warm for this time of year. That is an understatement!
I had today off but no one was going to town so I couldn't get a ride. I just couldn't face the bus in this heat! I can't wait till I have my own vehicle! I took Jasmine for a walk up the hill and into
the jungle. Coming back she collapsed in the shade, spread out, laid her head down and refused to move. I let her rest a few minutes and gave her water, but she still wouldn't get up. I tried pulling on her leash and I just drug her down the path!!! She is so pitiful. Finally I had to pick her up and carry her a ways. Then she was OK. She didn't mind her bath at all when we got back!There is a visiting doctor from Canada here so I won't be the only one in clinic tomorrow. Praise the Lord!
I may go fishing with the boys this weekend. The motor still isn't fixed from the last time when we nearly sank the boat. I guess they'll be rowing out there! They say they are leaving really early, so we'll see how I feel about getting up early on Saturday.
I said goodbye to my friend Cara tonight. She is going back to the States tomorrow. It was very sad and I couldn't stop crying all through the prayer time. I thought that maybe no one would notice the tears with the sweat dripping down my face but I guess the red eyes and nose gave it away. I'm really going to miss her!Don't grab the needle!
May 16, 2008
Work was OK today considering I was the only doc. A kid fell off a wall and split his forehead open, so that was fun to sew up. I gave him medicine to make him really sleepy but he woke up in the middle of it and was thrashing around and I was trying to keep him from grabbing the needle!!! We gave him more drugs and all was well! :)
I'm over at the hospital again for another "non-emergency" that came in this afternoon. This place is hopping. I hope it calms down tonight! A guy drank some "te del monte" which means literally tea of the mountain. So, the crazy herbs made him puke his guts out all afternoon and then he came to us. I so badly wanted to say, "well, you shouldn't take herbs when you don't know what they are", but being a smart-alec down here doesn't go over so well!
At our missionary fellowship this week, Guildy (the little girl who hit her head and almost died a couple weeks ago) was dancing around and clapping her hands and giving everyone hugs. It was so beautiful to see her acting like herself again. What a blessing that she is still with us and seems to be doing well!
Work was OK today considering I was the only doc. A kid fell off a wall and split his forehead open, so that was fun to sew up. I gave him medicine to make him really sleepy but he woke up in the middle of it and was thrashing around and I was trying to keep him from grabbing the needle!!! We gave him more drugs and all was well! :)
I'm over at the hospital again for another "non-emergency" that came in this afternoon. This place is hopping. I hope it calms down tonight! A guy drank some "te del monte" which means literally tea of the mountain. So, the crazy herbs made him puke his guts out all afternoon and then he came to us. I so badly wanted to say, "well, you shouldn't take herbs when you don't know what they are", but being a smart-alec down here doesn't go over so well!
At our missionary fellowship this week, Guildy (the little girl who hit her head and almost died a couple weeks ago) was dancing around and clapping her hands and giving everyone hugs. It was so beautiful to see her acting like herself again. What a blessing that she is still with us and seems to be doing well!
Strike
Letter on May 14, 2008
Just a quick note to ask you to pray that Dr. Ted will get here tonight so that he can do his clinic tomorrow and I can have a day off and go to town!
There is a strike all over the country and they have closed down all the bridges, so Ted and the Rumbaugh family are all trapped in San Pedro Sula. Some glycine was supposed to be delivered this am so the urology team could do some more surgeries but they won't be able to get here. I am trying to discharge a patient but the daughter can't get here in her car because the bridge is blocked. Then a couple hours ago a pipe broke in the hospital and two rooms are flooded. One was full of cardboard boxes of eyeglasses that were just donated. I just walked into the pharmacy and saw Mike, our head of maintenance, under the sink looking very wet. I just said, "Oh, no. Here too?" and he commented, "when it rains it pours!".
So, please pray that the disgruntled people who are striking today (no one really knows who it is) get tired early and go home so that Ted and the Rumbaugh's can get home tonight!
Just a quick note to ask you to pray that Dr. Ted will get here tonight so that he can do his clinic tomorrow and I can have a day off and go to town!
There is a strike all over the country and they have closed down all the bridges, so Ted and the Rumbaugh family are all trapped in San Pedro Sula. Some glycine was supposed to be delivered this am so the urology team could do some more surgeries but they won't be able to get here. I am trying to discharge a patient but the daughter can't get here in her car because the bridge is blocked. Then a couple hours ago a pipe broke in the hospital and two rooms are flooded. One was full of cardboard boxes of eyeglasses that were just donated. I just walked into the pharmacy and saw Mike, our head of maintenance, under the sink looking very wet. I just said, "Oh, no. Here too?" and he commented, "when it rains it pours!".
So, please pray that the disgruntled people who are striking today (no one really knows who it is) get tired early and go home so that Ted and the Rumbaugh's can get home tonight!
Ashley
May 14, 2008
This is a difficult month of goodbyes. The Larson's have left, my good friend Ashley is leaving this Friday, my friend Cara is leaving next week, the Brownings are leaving this month, the Yount's have left for 4 months....yikes!
Ashley is a college student who has been working at the bilingual school and living next door. We eat together and hang out all the time and she has become a dear friend. I will really miss having
someone to talk to at the end of the day and eat dinner with and go to the beach with and have discussions about life and God and love and the future.... The next few weeks after she leaves are going to be lonely!
Work at the hospital has been very stressful, especially last week when all the docs were in Tegus and I was the only one here Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. I was suddenly covering everyone's hospital patients and the clinic by myself. I'm not used
to that! But God was gracious and did not send anything I couldn't handle. I sure missed having Jeff around to ask questions of. ( I hate it when our surgeon is gone!) I was the only doc in clinic on Monday and again tomorrow. Then again on Friday and every Friday through June. I guess I'll have to get used to working solo for a while. I can't wait till our short-term visiting docs start coming to help out!
I am very thankful for my sweet puppy, Jasmine, who keeps me
company and gives great hugs!!! Though she's not so cute when she wakes me up in the middle of the night or poops on the porch! That is getting better though.
This is a difficult month of goodbyes. The Larson's have left, my good friend Ashley is leaving this Friday, my friend Cara is leaving next week, the Brownings are leaving this month, the Yount's have left for 4 months....yikes!
Ashley is a college student who has been working at the bilingual school and living next door. We eat together and hang out all the time and she has become a dear friend. I will really miss having
someone to talk to at the end of the day and eat dinner with and go to the beach with and have discussions about life and God and love and the future.... The next few weeks after she leaves are going to be lonely!Work at the hospital has been very stressful, especially last week when all the docs were in Tegus and I was the only one here Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. I was suddenly covering everyone's hospital patients and the clinic by myself. I'm not used
to that! But God was gracious and did not send anything I couldn't handle. I sure missed having Jeff around to ask questions of. ( I hate it when our surgeon is gone!) I was the only doc in clinic on Monday and again tomorrow. Then again on Friday and every Friday through June. I guess I'll have to get used to working solo for a while. I can't wait till our short-term visiting docs start coming to help out!I am very thankful for my sweet puppy, Jasmine, who keeps me
company and gives great hugs!!! Though she's not so cute when she wakes me up in the middle of the night or poops on the porch! That is getting better though.Living History Day
Letter on April 28, 2008
Our weekend was very busy with Living History Day. The missionary kids have been working on it for weeks. It covered the 1800s so there were cowboys and Indians, 49ers, Mexican American war, remember the Alamo, Civil war, post war reconstruction, industrialism, slavery issues, all the way up to Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Canal. Whew, lotsa history. Each student had a booth and a presentation of their topic. Then they had a test or a game or activity of some sort. I hung out most at the wild west one where we got to shoot the gun at buffalo and win candy! It took a couple hours to get around to them all and it was fun to see everyone all dressed up, especially all the southern belles! (lots of missionaries here are from the south, so they did the southern thing really well!) It was like a huge science fair, but with history. I took Jasmine up there and she was in heaven! She played for two hours straight. She rolled in the grass and chased the other dog and played with anybody who would play with her. She was very popular!!!
After the booths, we went down to the worship center above the hospital and had a square dance. Soooo funny! Then we had a chuckwagon meal (baked beans and BBQ beef). They had a program including multiple skits and songs that lasted over 2 hrs! It was really good though. They drug me into a part, very reluctantly. All the kids memorized tons of lines and had all different costumes and different accents...very impressive! During intermission we had apple pie and ice cream! Yummy!
Afterward they had some music that sounded like Polka so one of the MKs in a big hoop skirt and I did the polka all around the room. That was fun! Then a few of us hung out to clean up and then we had fake sword fights between the confederate and union generals. I think that was even funnier than the plays!
Oh, I don't think I told you about taking Jasmine to the beach last week.
It was hilarious! She was rolling in the sand and digging it up and hopping all over in excitement. Then she would shove her face into the sand then pull it out sneezing and shaking her head and then do it again! So silly! However, when we approached the water she put on the brakes! I forced her to stand in the shallow water and she was scared every time a little wave lapped at her feet. Then I picked her up and took her out in the water and slowly lowered her in. At first she just sat there, then she started pawing with one foot. Then I let her down lower and she started pawing with both front legs and 
voilah! she was swimming. She headed straight for shore! After doing this several times she wasn't as scared. Finally she started playing a little with the tiny waves and pawing at them. She walked out a little deeper up to her chest and then a swell came and lifted her off her feet. She freaked out and started swimming madly for shore! She ran back up to the soft sand, dug a hole and plopped down, staring at the ocean. I'm sure she'll love it eventually. Afterall she is part Lab!
After the booths, we went down to the worship center above the hospital and had a square dance. Soooo funny! Then we had a chuckwagon meal (baked beans and BBQ beef). They had a program including multiple skits and songs that lasted over 2 hrs! It was really good though. They drug me into a part, very reluctantly. All the kids memorized tons of lines and had all different costumes and different accents...very impressive! During intermission we had apple pie and ice cream! Yummy!
Afterward they had some music that sounded like Polka so one of the MKs in a big hoop skirt and I did the polka all around the room. That was fun! Then a few of us hung out to clean up and then we had fake sword fights between the confederate and union generals. I think that was even funnier than the plays!
Oh, I don't think I told you about taking Jasmine to the beach last week.
It was hilarious! She was rolling in the sand and digging it up and hopping all over in excitement. Then she would shove her face into the sand then pull it out sneezing and shaking her head and then do it again! So silly! However, when we approached the water she put on the brakes! I forced her to stand in the shallow water and she was scared every time a little wave lapped at her feet. Then I picked her up and took her out in the water and slowly lowered her in. At first she just sat there, then she started pawing with one foot. Then I let her down lower and she started pawing with both front legs and 
voilah! she was swimming. She headed straight for shore! After doing this several times she wasn't as scared. Finally she started playing a little with the tiny waves and pawing at them. She walked out a little deeper up to her chest and then a swell came and lifted her off her feet. She freaked out and started swimming madly for shore! She ran back up to the soft sand, dug a hole and plopped down, staring at the ocean. I'm sure she'll love it eventually. Afterall she is part Lab!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
