Last mission and travels with Mom
It is coming down to it. Just bought my ticket home and I will be headed stateside for good come July 22nd. Since getting back into the action post-appendectomy, I have had another mission and a trip to Colombia to fill these remaining months. Also, I now have my replacement down here, so we'll be spending some solid time doing site visits this months as I get ready to pass over the reigns of Partner for Surgery. I can't even begin to wonder what the adjustment will be like going home much less the process of leaving behind the country I've poured my life into for the last three years. For one thing, I know I will miss it dearly, so I will be soaking up what I have left.
Earlier this month, I finished my last medical mission. This time around, instead of having a triage mission for surgical patients, we focused on training local doctors on how to do cervical cancer screenings. We had an American OBGYN and my mom come down to train three local doctors. We spent a week doing the screenings and saw roughly 500 patients in 4 different sites. As rural Guatemala has next to no access to labs and pap smears, cervical cancer goes unnoticed and untreated until it is too late. We are teaching a technique to local docs where during a pelvic exam, they visually inspect the patient to see if there are any precancerous lesions on the cervix that could develop into cancer. Using a tank of nitrous oxide, the lesions are frozen off preventing them from developing into cancer. It is a much cruder method than anything you'd see in the States, but it gets the job done. We got a grant approved to fund the project, so the idea is to pass this training onto the local health system in Alta Verapaz. It is such a simple technique and if applied well, it could really make an impact on Alta Verapaz. It's easy to harp on the inefficiency and poor training of local docs, but after a week watching them work with Dr. Rick, I have a lot of respect for them. They learn by doing and are incredibly adept at the technique. Given the resources, they are as good as anyone else.
It was a different type of mission to run, so I did not really know what to expect. We ended up having huge turnouts and a crazy busy week. To combine it all, it was hotter than hell with it being 103 in the shade. Mom handled the pharmacy and took blood tests on anyone who got referred for surgery. She also got in on the lovely action of cleaning the speculums (anyone else feeling inspired to volunteer?). We had so many people coming through that Dr. Rick had me come in a start the pelvic exams so he could do the tests on two patients at a time. Never imagined I'd find myself that situation, but whatever, it was interesting. Overall, it was an amazing week. It was especially great to have Mom down here on a mission and to have someone from home see what it's all about.
Right after the medical mission, I took a week off and went to Colombia with Mom and Aunt Anita. We visited Dorothy and Elberto, Mom's aunt and uncle who live in Barranquilla. Short story, Colombia was great. We spend most of the time with the relatives in Barranquilla and it was relaxed. We took one trip up to Cartagena and and out to the Carribean Islands north of there. Cartagena is an amazing city and it colonial structures make Antigua look like a shanty town. Later in the week, I took a couple days and went scuba diving in a national park in Santa Marta north of Barranquilla.
Post-dive in Tayrona National Park
Swimming in Islas de Rosario off of Cartagena
Earlier this month, I finished my last medical mission. This time around, instead of having a triage mission for surgical patients, we focused on training local doctors on how to do cervical cancer screenings. We had an American OBGYN and my mom come down to train three local doctors. We spent a week doing the screenings and saw roughly 500 patients in 4 different sites. As rural Guatemala has next to no access to labs and pap smears, cervical cancer goes unnoticed and untreated until it is too late. We are teaching a technique to local docs where during a pelvic exam, they visually inspect the patient to see if there are any precancerous lesions on the cervix that could develop into cancer. Using a tank of nitrous oxide, the lesions are frozen off preventing them from developing into cancer. It is a much cruder method than anything you'd see in the States, but it gets the job done. We got a grant approved to fund the project, so the idea is to pass this training onto the local health system in Alta Verapaz. It is such a simple technique and if applied well, it could really make an impact on Alta Verapaz. It's easy to harp on the inefficiency and poor training of local docs, but after a week watching them work with Dr. Rick, I have a lot of respect for them. They learn by doing and are incredibly adept at the technique. Given the resources, they are as good as anyone else.
It was a different type of mission to run, so I did not really know what to expect. We ended up having huge turnouts and a crazy busy week. To combine it all, it was hotter than hell with it being 103 in the shade. Mom handled the pharmacy and took blood tests on anyone who got referred for surgery. She also got in on the lovely action of cleaning the speculums (anyone else feeling inspired to volunteer?). We had so many people coming through that Dr. Rick had me come in a start the pelvic exams so he could do the tests on two patients at a time. Never imagined I'd find myself that situation, but whatever, it was interesting. Overall, it was an amazing week. It was especially great to have Mom down here on a mission and to have someone from home see what it's all about.
Right after the medical mission, I took a week off and went to Colombia with Mom and Aunt Anita. We visited Dorothy and Elberto, Mom's aunt and uncle who live in Barranquilla. Short story, Colombia was great. We spend most of the time with the relatives in Barranquilla and it was relaxed. We took one trip up to Cartagena and and out to the Carribean Islands north of there. Cartagena is an amazing city and it colonial structures make Antigua look like a shanty town. Later in the week, I took a couple days and went scuba diving in a national park in Santa Marta north of Barranquilla.
The Colombia Connection
Post-dive in Tayrona National Park
Swimming in Islas de Rosario off of Cartagena
