Day 6- May 23, 2013 Mothers and Babies Day

Today was the mother's and babies day, and it certainly was just that! It seemed like everywhere I looked I saw a mom breastfeeding or children playing! It was a big day for women and children to come get seen at the clinic, and we had educational materials we taught.  Another group (I don't know the organization) stopped by and gave an educational speech... I think it was on clean water, but I didn't really get to check them out too much because I was working.  I worked in the registration area outside for most of the day.  It was hotter today, which was strange because the temperature has been so lovely, even chilly.  It was nice to have the warm sun though.  We had a failure to thrive baby today.  She looked so sick and pitiful.  This case has been a harder pill for me to swallow, because I felt helpless.  Every time I looked at her, I thought about what would be done if she was in a children's hospital in the states, and how we didn't have that option now.  She was just so tiny and didn't cry at all. We did oral rehydration therapy but for some reason I was terrified she wouldn't make it.  She did though. At least for today, but I won't ever know how things pan out for her.  It makes my heart hurt. But I realize you just have to do the best with what you have now. The rest is up to God I suppose.

On the bright side, an 88 year old woman came in today, and she was the happiest and sweetest soul I have ever met! I asked her what her secret was, and she told me to respect God and treat everyone as equals.  She said she was a Christian, and I replied I was too.  She reached out and touched my shoulder and said, "We are sisters in Christ then."  I was really taken back by her.  She was so kind.  And I thought here this lady was, calling me her sister, and we couldn't be more opposite.  We spoke different languages, wore different clothes, came from different cultures, had different views of the world, had decades between us in age, she was short and I seemed tall next to her... so on. But she called me her sister after talking to her for five minutes.  It was heartwarming and a real human moment. I won't ever forget her face or spirit.

During lunch I joined Beth and Grace out on the grass.  We talked and watched the kids playing.  It was nice and relaxing. The food was amazing, and I don't even know what it was! It was like these soft bread things wrapped in what I think might have been corn stalk, and rice and a veggie soup.  Grace went back to the clinic, and a little girl decided to take her spot.  Beth, true to her nature, offers her some of her food.  I followed suit, and the little girl ate it all.  Once Beth finished, I asked her to ask the little girl if she was still hungry.  The child said she wasn't, and Beth headed back to the clinic.  I continued to eat my food, because I was so hungry, but the little girl kept watching me.  I offered her my food again and she denied it.  I persisted, just one last time, and she finally accepted.  I have never seen someone eat so fast in my life! It was like I blinked and the whole bowl was licked clean! It made me feel just like my dad, because he would always cook so much food and make us plates even when we said we were not hungry... but we always ate everything he gave to us because it was so good.  She was a such a cute little kid. I wish I could just give her food all the time!

Tonight we all played cards, and then this game called Mafia.  Matt and I were the mafia, and we won! He said both mafia never make it to the end and win the game, so I guess we did a good job!  It was so much fun hanging out and playing games with everyone.  It makes me wish we never had phones, computers, or tv... that way we would be forced to entertain ourselves and each other! I feel really close with the people here, and being someone that keeps a lot to myself, that was shocking for me.  I know how to be nice and friendly to people, but I actually feel connected with the group! A real, genuine, human connection.  I didn't realize how much we are lacking this in the states because of all of our technological distractions.  But here, in Guatemala, we need each other. I feel so happy and have so much support from the group.  I am so blessed to be with such amazing people! And it is interesting to get to know all these things about people I thought I knew! I realize that I didn't actually know anyone (except for Kelsey and probably Tyler) prior to this trip.  I love them all very much and thankful for them all!

All in all, a great day with even better people.  I love this place, and the thought of leaving makes my heart ache. 

Until next time,
Bethany B.

May 21, 2013: Clinic Day 2

May 21, 2013
By: Grace

Today was the 2nd day the clinic at Los Robles was open for patients. Half of our team went to an outreach clinic while half of us stayed. I stayed at the home clinic with one of our NP. The dentist was still here today to pull teeth and fill cavities. Our team was able to provide many of his patients with pain medicine and antibiotics. We saw a total of about 35 patients (almost all women and children/babies) with a lot of the same conditions as yesterday. Apparently GERD is a huge problem down here, so we give out a lot of famotidine. Many of the women have chronic headaches and shoulder pain. We contribute that to the hard labor they do carrying their babies in slings on one shoulder and the water pitcher on their heads up and down the hills. Many of the children have lice, which means we have to treat the whole family or everyone who sleeps in the same bed. One family we had to give 8 bottles of lice treatment. We also saw a baby with scabies. His legs, belly, and cheeks were badly infested. One of the women who came in was 5 months pregnant and was concerned that the baby was moving less. I was able to doppler her baby's heart rate and we reassured her everything sounded great! (below are some pictures of precious faces)

Saturday May 18th - Travel Day

Saturday May 18th
Travel Day
Allison Hortman

I barely slept at all the night before we left. I woke up at 2:30 am to be at the airport by 4. I was the first one there and I was so nervous and excited. As the group started to arrive it became more real to me, we were really going to Guatemala...today! I didn't really know what to expect but I couldn't wait.

It was two hours to Miami, then a 3 hour layover, and another 3 hour flight. It seemed to drag by because I was so ready to be there. When we finally landed at the Guatemala City airport it was SO HOT.

We took bathroom breaks and went through CUSTOMS, which turned out to be a much more painless process than I had expected. The first thing that struck me as very different from the United States was the cops! They wore all black and looked more like soldiers than police officers.

That's just a picture I found on Google, but its pretty accurate! They were very intimidating to say they least.

As soon as we walked out of the airport we were swarmed by people trying to sell us things. It would have been even more overwhelming but we immediately ran into Katie, from Humanitize Expeditions, and she led us away from the crowds to 2 buses waiting to drive us to Los Robles. We quickly introduced ourselves to our interpreters: Diana, Taylor, Matt, and Adam from Utah. Then we loaded up for another long ride... 3 more hours. But this time it was much more exciting.

Guatemala City was scary. The drivers were impatient and lots of horns were honking. We saw an overturned car within 10 minutes of leaving the airport. It was interesting too though. We saw a lot of American-ized things. Burger King, Shell stations, WalMart.

 

The ride was bumpy and the road was full of potholes but it was exciting because the countryside was beautiful. When we finally got to Casa De Sion where we would be staying all week it really sunk in. It was wonderful. There was the building we would be staying in, an outside/inside eating area with a kitchen attached, and the clinic.

 

 

We met Dominga, who would cook all our meals for us at Casa De Sion. Our first meal was sweet cornbread, rice, beans, and eggs. It was delicious.

 

Then we learned how to wash our dishes outside with a special blue soap that can also be used to wash your clothes!

 

After that I went to put my stuff away in a room I would share with Mysti and Kelly. I was greeted by a HUGE spider! I'm terrified or spiders so I jumped and the bed and yelled for someone to come kill it. Luckily one of our interpreters, Adam, saved the day. I wish now I had gotten a picture of it!Tyler shook out all our blankets for us and before long it was time for bed. Between excitement of what would come the next day and fear of another huge spider, I didn't sleep that much that night either!

Wednesday, May 22

Clinic Day 3
Journal Written by Beth Schaller

Today I was scheduled to stay at the home clinic at Casa de Sion.  However, two of the student nurses were not feeling well and needed to stay where they could rest if needed.  So I switched and traveled with the away team to Ojo del Agua or “Eye of the Water.”  To the best of my memory, the team members were Susan, Grace, Mysti, Kelsey, Amy, Emily, and Beth with translators Adam, Diana, and Matt.  Our wonderful driver, Mario, took us in the van.  As usual, we left at about 8 am, climbed up the mountain from Los Robles and drove through Godinez.  We made a quick stop, for what I don’t know, but I was glad for the opportunity to buy 7-Up for myself and three others.  Thankfully, the bubbles settled the slight queasiness I had for the rest of the day.  Susan also bought her so-called nutrition for the day – Coca Cola.  The directions from there?  Well, your guess is as good as mine. 

 

Eventually, maybe twenty or thirty minutes later, we turned off the bumpy main road onto a mountainside drive paved with bricks.  It almost looked like an elegant entrance to a private estate.  After passing under a few overhanging trees, the road was bordered by crops on either side.  Though I did not recognize them, I was told that the bushes were coffee beans.  We traveled nearly a mile and came to a few seemingly deserted buildings on the left and an overlook on the right.  Mario stopped quickly to ask where the clinic was to be opened.  We continued up the hill for a while longer and came to an intersection.  A narrower road, like an alley, led up the hill to the left.  A natural footpath continued ahead.  Both appeared to lead to houses.  The road curved sharply to the right, in front of a new, white, two-story building undergoing construction.  Then the road curved to the left, destination unknown.  Throughout the day, we saw horses, men with farming supplies, and women carrying water buckets on their heads on each of these paths.

The single-room, concrete block building on the left would be our clinic for the day.  It reminded me of buildings at the fairground where small animals are shown – dirty, concrete floor, four walls, no windows.  To its left were 20 young boys playing soccer on a dry, dirt field complete with goals.  Behind the field were two large avocado trees and steps up to a school.  We would later discover that the outhouse was to the left of the school.  With a cement base for a toilet and three lean-to walls, the four and a half foot tall structure left privacy and cleanliness to the imagination.  Needless to say, the ill-feeling team members were wise to stay close to home!  Before we learned of this “bathroom,” several of us ventured up the footpath, where another structure was being built, and squatted in the seclusion of the sand-filled corner, not unlike cats.  Since there was yet no roof, I trust that the rain cleaned up after us.  J

Once inside the clinic, there were several tables in the corner that we allocated for triage, pharmacy, and the practitioner’s exam table.  We creatively hung privacy drapes from the rafters.  There were chairs for a waiting area.  We began by cleaning (as best as possible with baby wipes) and unpacking our equipment.  I believe the only item we forgot were large trash bags, but we managed with 5 gallon buckets and the shopping bags from the 7-Up and Coke.  The native woman who opened the doors to the clinic was incredibly friendly and eager to help.  She took the broom out of our hands and insisted on sweeping.  She shared that she works or volunteers in a local clinic and that if we needed any help throughout the day, she was willing and able.  For the first hour or two, we had very few visitors, so we asked her to spread the word that the clinic was open and free.  (Apparently there was a misunderstanding in the small town that we were charging.)  There were also several children milling around the door whom we challenged to run and tell their parents.  One of the translators, Matt, walked the town and announced what we were doing.  We later had steady visitors.  

I worked registration and enjoyed practicing my Spanish while greeting our patients and learning what health concerns they were experiencing.  Some had tooth pain, which unfortunately we could not cure, as the dentist was back at Casa de Sion for the last day.  Several women complained of right shoulder and arm pain, which Susan eventually attributed to the way that each of the women carried her babies.  Several families had the usual stomachaches, headaches, runny noses, and poor appetites.  At least one child was rehydrated in the clinic.

Mario brought lunch for us – a delicious stir fry over rice.  We took turns eating and filling the various roles.  As the pace slowed down in the afternoon, we also took turns playing with the children outside.  Emily started a game of hot potato (“papa caliente”) with a group of girls.  I then taught them tic tac toe, which we played with sticks in the dirt.  Every child wanted a toy that was being handed out, with which we bribed them to take pictures with us.  Matt, as usual, was popular with all the kids, chasing them and playing soccer. 

Unfortunately, we had to turn away a few patients at the end of the day to pack up and return to Casa de Sion.  We stopped in Godinez once again to visit the bakeries and buy a piñata (more on that later in the week).  We were disappointed that the chocolate covered fruit store continued to be closed. 

Upon returning to Casa de Sion, the home clinic was also wrapping up.  We played games with the kids outside, unpacked the traveling clinic supplies, wound down, and ate dinner – delicious as usual thanks to Dominga.  We recapped our day with the team meeting, and played a few games.  I was disappointed to miss the dance party later (past my bedtime), but I heard it was a fun time!

Day 2: Sunday, May 19, 2013 - San Andrés and unpacking/organizing the clinic

We were hoping we would have internet access while on our medical mission trip to Guatemala, but it was not to be. Several of us kept journals while there last week, and eight of us will each be posting an entry for the days we were there. I am writing about our second day, May 19, 2013.

from Amy:
On our second day in Los Robles I woke up at 5 a.m. because light was coming through the windows. A little bit later as I lay there I heard music coming from the house across the street, and then at about 7 a.m. I heard them fire up the corn grinder. It's a loud machine-like noise that we heard first thing in the morning and also early evening. I figured I might as well get up then ;). Our wonderful cook, Dominga, made more fabulous meals for us today. Her food is all so good! I love that we have a local Mayan woman cooking traditional foods for us.

I remembered something else I saw on our way here from the airport yesterday. There were a lot of people on motorcycles, zipping past all of the vehicles, and we saw one guy texting while he was driving his motorcycle. yikes!

We have a sweet dog named Russo hanging around the house, and I think he's pretty excited we're here, leaving him bits of food and playing with him. Today after breakfast we went into a bigger village called San Andrés. Sixteen of us piled in one van which was pretty comical. Mario, our awesome driver for the week, maneuvers the roads really well even though they are like a roller coaster.

We went to a farmers market in San Andrés after an attempt to go to church, only to find out the services were in the early evening. On the way back to our house in Los Robles we stopped at an overlook that provided a gorgeous view of Lake Atitlán. It was an amazing place, even if it was extremely cloudy. I could have sat there all day. So peaceful. Such simple lives these people lead.

There was a woman and her children selling handmade goods at the overlook. I think we made her day by buying a lot of her things :). We then met a man who has one lung who walked up the mountain with the help of two big sticks. I later learned that our trip leader gave him money to get to Los Robles to the clinic tomorrow. (Monday he would receive a walker from us and teaching on how to use it). What a wonderful feeling that was.

Lastly, we went back to the clinic to unpack all of our bags of supplies and organize the clinic to open tomorrow. I am so excited for all of the good we can do here, and all of the amazing people we will meet.