First Day at Work!!

So today was my first official day at work!!

Techniqually yesterday I worked too, we went to go tour the clinic where Chelcy will be working most of the time and we ended up staying and going to Pantanal, not sure on spelling, which is a squatter town on the outskirts of Granada. There are about 2,000 families that live in this community and I believe they only have around 8 latrines for the whole community! They live in very basic basic conditions, most of the families do not have any electricity or running water. Around the community they have a few big water tanks for the people to get water but that is about it. It is a very emotional experience walking around and seeing the conditions that these people live in. The houses are basically sheets of aluminum held up with wood posts, and most are only one room for an entire family. And imagine living in an aluminum box when it is around 90 degrees out everyday! It is really amazes to me how people can get by in these conditions. It really makes you realize how much we take for granted on a daily basis. I'm still not accostume to all of the children I see waking around alone on the streets. It seems as if they have no choice but to grow up very fast around here, it's very sad for me to think that they don't get to experience a childhood that most children in the states get to experience.

Last year the Rotary Club built a clinic in Pantanal, and the doctor from Granada usually goes to the clinic every Monday to see patients, mostly pregnant women. Yesterday we went with the doctor and helped examine the pregnant women. It is not uncommon to see 14 and 15 year old girls pregnant!

Something that was also very interesting that I experienced yesterday was when we were walking around this community and we walked by a church and they were talking or shouting in spanish tounges! It was really cool!

So today was quite the day!!

I left my house at 6.30 and jumped on the bus from Granada to Masaya. The way you know that you are getting on the right bus is because a man hangs from the side of the bus and yells "Masaya, Masaya!!!" at the top of his lungs...so it's very clear where the bus is going! I get off the bus at the side of the highway call Capulin. So then i have to get on a mototaxi, which I'll try to get a picture of tomorrow! So today my mototaxi driver looked to be about 15 yrs old and tried to drive as fast as he could!! We are talking about dirt roads with HUGE potholes, so I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride! lol...On the way to the clinic we almost hit 2 horses, and a herd of cows that were wondering the streets!!

Once I got to the clinic we got right to work with our patients! Something that is very common over here, is people getting fungus I havn't quite figured out why it is so common but I think it has to do with people sweating alot and not cleaning themselves properly. We had an array of cases today from ear infections to pregnancy check ups!

The most entertaining case was a woman who had a huge callus on her hand from washing clothes, since they do it all by hand here. It was propably only a little bit smaller than a golf bal. So the doctor took his time and starting cutting if off with a razor blade. At this point it was SOOO hot, and no AC, I didn't eat much for breakfast and I wasn't drinking water...so what does that mean, yes...I did indeed pass out on my first day at work!!! So the nurse saw me start going down and rushed over and took my blood pressure, whihc was 70/30 and a pulse of 40! So they moved the lady that was getting her callus cut off and I was now the patient in the bed!! Of course, I felt better after I laid down for awhile and ate/drank...but that was a little embarrassing! They told me that I'm too skinny and delicate and of course made fun of me for the rest of the day! lol

So it was a very eventful day, to say the least! The doctor I am working with is absolutely amazing! He has taught me so much in one day, even with a slight language barrier! I'm so excited about working with him and tommorow he told me that I will be in charge of this one lady who comes in everyday to get her dressings changed on a large fungal infection on her foot. Most people wouldn't be that excited about this but I really am!!

Chelcy and I are starting to work on our campaigne, which is focusing on Women's health and the importance of getting pap smears. In a couple weeks we are going to be doing a lecture for these women and then the following week we wil be doing pap smears. And I'm getting the impression that we wil be doing them by ourselves because the women do not feel comfortable with the male doctor doing those types of procedures! So it's going to be all on us!

We are about to meet up with the other interns to go to a lecture on the history of Nicaragua!!