The group is in Siguatepeque today, where they are happy to have internet access again. The student blog entry below was written Sunday night from Kerone:
"Hola from Las Mercedes. We’ve had three interesting days of clinic so far. By far the most common complaints or cough/cold and pain. We’ve also seen quite a few cases of scabies(!) and one case of cleft lip/palate. It was a big adjustment the first day, but I think we’ve really gotten into the flow of things. For me personally the biggest issue was understanding the accent! Once I got adjusted to that I became more comfortable with speaking to the patients. Apparently we have seen over 500 patients already which is more than normal. Awesome. It really feels like we are providing an important service to the local communities. We’ve also introduced them to the concept of physical therapy. They were pretty amused by our foreign exercises but hopefully they will utilize them and find that it improves their pain.
It hasn’t been all work here though! Before and after clinic we’ve taken the time to enjoy our surroundings. The mountains are beautiful and it’s a scenic walk/run along the road. I blame it on the high elevation and low 02 that I pretty much walk all the way. It’s better than Dairon’s granny shuffle that he calls a run! We usually end our walk at a nearby river…. Beautiful! There are those among us who have also chosen to pass the evening doing exercises lead by the PTs. Again I maintain the low 02 prevents me from participating.
We pass our evenings relaxing reading, writing, playing cards. We’ve also gotten to purchase some scarves, ponchos, and bags from Theresa, a resident of Las Mercedes who is working towards her nursing degree and weaves in order to pay for school. This evening we sat down with a few women from the community who spoke to us a about their daily lives. They talked about some of the improvements that they have seen over the years since the community decided to unite for the common good. Among the improvements are in better housing and education. It used to be that children were only schooled up until 3rd grade but now it is typically to the 6th grade. Beyond that the family has to be capable of paying for further schooling. They expressed hope that these changes were only that beginning and that further improvements in the standard of living, particularly concerning healthcare, were forthcoming.
Of course, I could not write this blog without mentioning Duke Basketball! We were not able to watch the final four game of course, but Dr. Clemens called home to get updates and the excitement rose as the game got closer to the end. Rumor has it that we will be able to listen to the final game on the radio tomorrow! Exciting. Too bad we wont be home to celebrate Duke 2010 NCAA Champions! That’s right I’m predicting a Duke victory :)
