Which is not to say we are going to make the newspaper, but, you know, it was lively enough 🙂
Most of the week was routine, in all honesty, which was fine. Wednesday was a national holiday--though not everywhere . Apparently, different parts of Ecuador celebrate Independence Day at different times.
Anyway, Tuesday was pretty slow in the clinic. But on Wednesday, people took advantage of the day off, if they had it, and we were crazy busy. Felt like home...
My Case of the Week: a 25 yo man with partial congenital cataracts, bilaterally--nearly blind on the left. He is trying to work in a nearby city doing computer programming, but his vision is really beginning to bother him, and glasses are not helping. Never had an eye exam before, just bought glasses. Fortunately the eye doctors come in January...
Today we went to the village of San Carlos de las Minas, named after the gold mines nearby, for a "jornada" (colloquialism for "working day"). We saw 80 people over 6 hours. Many came just for "desaparasitar" -- to get treatment for parasites. Some came just for glasses: the clinic buys glasses at various strengths in bulk and we do basic eye exams and acuity checks using different size fonts for different refractions, and then we let them try different lens. Simple, but it works. Many had what I now see as local pandemic concerns--gastritis and degenerative arthritis. Kids, old folks, and entire families. Pretty fun.
Tonight Austrian dentist Andreas (Andi) is making dinner, as the sisters take the weekend off...My turn is tomorrow night. I bought achiote paste in Zamora on Thursday. We will see. Tonight, it seems the town will have music from 10 pm to 2 am. Just my style😉
Marc
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
Grace
Our trip yesterday was about 7.5 miles round-trip, starting along the valley floor and then up, up, up through the rainforest to a waterfall. Mud. Vines. Lots of local flora, including bananas, guava, cacoa plants, yucca, maracuya, and many others I cannot spell.
Our local hosts, Jose and Mercedes and family were gracious. Kids were terrific, especially our guides--Patricio, 19, Jinson 14, and Jonder 11-- who joined us with the dad on the hike and kept us from falling and slipping with their encouragement and a gentle hand when needed. Our medical colleagues, Austrian dentist Andreas and German dental student Oliver, were much more fit as we plodded along.
The waterfall was reached, finally, by rappelling down a short vegetation-filled embankment--maybe 25 feet--to the base of the fall, which was itself maybe 30 feet high.
A meal of empanadas and papachinas (some sort of local potato variant) and horchata tea (made from local flowers and herbs--not Mexican horchata) was waiting for us from Mercedes on our return., before we walked back home along the river.
GRACE in the water of the fall and the water from the sky. Grace in the warm and lovely people we have met. Grace for simply being here.
-Marc
Our local hosts, Jose and Mercedes and family were gracious. Kids were terrific, especially our guides--Patricio, 19, Jinson 14, and Jonder 11-- who joined us with the dad on the hike and kept us from falling and slipping with their encouragement and a gentle hand when needed. Our medical colleagues, Austrian dentist Andreas and German dental student Oliver, were much more fit as we plodded along.
The waterfall was reached, finally, by rappelling down a short vegetation-filled embankment--maybe 25 feet--to the base of the fall, which was itself maybe 30 feet high.
A meal of empanadas and papachinas (some sort of local potato variant) and horchata tea (made from local flowers and herbs--not Mexican horchata) was waiting for us from Mercedes on our return., before we walked back home along the river.
GRACE in the water of the fall and the water from the sky. Grace in the warm and lovely people we have met. Grace for simply being here.
-Marc
Our Days
We only arrived less than a week ago, but a routine has already set in. Everyone is welcoming.
Our days are spent at the clinic, which is not as busy right now. We are seeing babies, children, and a full range of adults. Many have intestinal complaints--some more likely reflux disease and gastritis, but many likely due to recurrent amebiasis or giardia. There is no lab here; everyone is treated empirically. Elderly folks with chronic joint pain, likely due to the physical nature of their everyday lives. The clinic has a supply of basic medications which we are using regularly. We are doing some pre-op evaluations for in advance of a group of Austrian plastic surgeons coming in November: scars, burns, one very large cleft palate so far. Just trying to help wherever we can.
Lunch and dinner are promptly at 12 noon and 6pm with the Sisters during the week. They are gracious and very friendly with a great sense of humor. Four sisters reside here, 3 originally from Colombia and 1 native Ecuadorean. The clinic is on a "compound" that includes the Sisters and priests residences, our house for visiting medical staff, the parish church, and an expanding retreat center that is used for both spiritual and secular gatherings. The grounds are lovely, with fountains and colorful flowers scattered among the verdant natural vegetation.
The peacefulness of the valley is present daily, invisible birds chirping at times softly and at time loudly in the trees. And today we have had the continuous pitter patter of the rain, a fairly constant phenomenon here in the Ecuadorean rainforest where temperature (highs of 75-80, lows 60-65) and daylight (sunrise and sunset both 6-6:30) are the same all year long. Clouds have been every present, drifting up and down among the hills and mountains. Music emanates from various houses in downtown Guadalupe, across the river. Lots of happy people here, it seems.
The pueblo itself is small and welcoming. Friday night, we watched 2 local futsal teams (indoor soccer) playing in the town center on a covered, cement basketball court. Lots of families on the sidelines cheering, just like home!
Already we feel the presence of Christ in the people here and their willingness to share their culture and food.
Yesterday we had the good fortune to spend time with a local farmer, Jose, his wife, Mercedes, and their family.
Mass today in the parish church was typical, we are told. Lots of lively music and both old and young singing and visiting.
Back to work tomorrow.
-Danielle
Our days are spent at the clinic, which is not as busy right now. We are seeing babies, children, and a full range of adults. Many have intestinal complaints--some more likely reflux disease and gastritis, but many likely due to recurrent amebiasis or giardia. There is no lab here; everyone is treated empirically. Elderly folks with chronic joint pain, likely due to the physical nature of their everyday lives. The clinic has a supply of basic medications which we are using regularly. We are doing some pre-op evaluations for in advance of a group of Austrian plastic surgeons coming in November: scars, burns, one very large cleft palate so far. Just trying to help wherever we can.
Lunch and dinner are promptly at 12 noon and 6pm with the Sisters during the week. They are gracious and very friendly with a great sense of humor. Four sisters reside here, 3 originally from Colombia and 1 native Ecuadorean. The clinic is on a "compound" that includes the Sisters and priests residences, our house for visiting medical staff, the parish church, and an expanding retreat center that is used for both spiritual and secular gatherings. The grounds are lovely, with fountains and colorful flowers scattered among the verdant natural vegetation.
The peacefulness of the valley is present daily, invisible birds chirping at times softly and at time loudly in the trees. And today we have had the continuous pitter patter of the rain, a fairly constant phenomenon here in the Ecuadorean rainforest where temperature (highs of 75-80, lows 60-65) and daylight (sunrise and sunset both 6-6:30) are the same all year long. Clouds have been every present, drifting up and down among the hills and mountains. Music emanates from various houses in downtown Guadalupe, across the river. Lots of happy people here, it seems.
The pueblo itself is small and welcoming. Friday night, we watched 2 local futsal teams (indoor soccer) playing in the town center on a covered, cement basketball court. Lots of families on the sidelines cheering, just like home!
Already we feel the presence of Christ in the people here and their willingness to share their culture and food.
Yesterday we had the good fortune to spend time with a local farmer, Jose, his wife, Mercedes, and their family.
Mass today in the parish church was typical, we are told. Lots of lively music and both old and young singing and visiting.
Back to work tomorrow.
-Danielle
Monday, August 1, 2016
We made it!
Then we got here and started right in.
Between us, 14 pts with a multitude of problems, some acute and
some chronic (hypertension, diabetes, GERD, mono) , old and young (5
months to 80+ years).
Some very straightforward; some a little challenging to
understand--and I don't mean language, exactly, but trying to figure out
the difference between what they are saying and what they really mean
to say. All of them very nice and happy to see us. One man came on a
bus-14 hours away; his daughter lives nearby.
We even have an EMR. Ugh.
The sisters seem like a lively group. Curious and friendly. Clearly trying to fatten us up.
Nurse Amanda is terrific:)
Hasta ...
Danielle and Marc
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