We worked a half day today, then shut down the clinic to do inventory for the November team. We saw over 2500 patients and hopefully made a difference to a few of them.
This is frustrating in SO many ways. High blood pressure and diabetes is rampant down here. We give them medication, but some don't understand that you have to take something every single day to fend off real illness. Some live so far away, it's a 3 day walk just to get here - if they miss a clinic, they don't get their meds. It's the same way for the 13 babies we put on a special diet during this clinic because of failure to thrive - some mothers will follow the program, some won't. Even with all the frustration, I keep thinking that maybe one baby we help will grow up to do something to mend this broken country.
Then there are the patients that we can't do anything for. They have to suffer here, but in their illnesses in the States would be easily treatable.
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| Dr. Trainor |
The boy with the broken femur never returned.
But, we saw our sponsored child, Danielson, and even got him to smile. (He's a very serious young man.) We saw some friend's sponsored kids too, and I'm happy to report that all of them are healthy, happy and doing well in school.
So now, we've said good-bye to all our interpreters, swam one more time at the beach, had our last beer at San-San's and played our last hands of eukre. I will be glad to get home, but now I know why John loves it here so much. I can't put my finger on it, but there is something about this place that really gets to you and pulls you in. I can't wait to come back.
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| This is why we do what we do!! |
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| John, working crowd control |
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| Kathy and I, finding patient files |
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| Me and Danielson |
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