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!