Got water but then the power went out...
We got running water today! This is great. I took a real shower a few minutes ago. Before that we cleaned and washed almost everything as it had actually been more like 3.5 weeks that there hadn't been water. It will be nice to actually cook our own food, flush toilets and wash hands! We found a market yesterday to buy some things and have so far been eating PB&J sandwiches for lunch and dinner out. Well now that I think about it, we have no power since this afternoon so guess we have to wait for that to cook.
Our roommates are both from Germany. They have been very sweet and invited us to go with them this weekend to a beach on the east coast. Most things are closed for the season because it is the low season (aka the rainy season). We will stay at Teddy's Place. The pictures look amazing. I can't wait!
So far I haven't gotten but one mosquito bite. We are sleeping under mosquito nets though. Definitely don't need any covers as we only have a ceiling fan. It is quite comfortable though. Our room is really spacious and we have even set up a little sitting area. We are trying to do board studying for at least an hour a day. See how long that lasts!
The hospital has been interesting. We have been two days so far. The first day we rounded on the "cot ward" for children under three. Mostly they had been admitted for respiratory issues (pneumonia, bronchiolitis) and others with UTIs, neonatal sepsis, diarrhea and seizures. One kid today was likely infected with TB. I definitely didn't have my N-95 mask. Sure there are likely others with TB. Everyone gets a blood smear for malaria and treated for malaria if they have a fever. We also walk on rounds with a open container with paracetamol (Tylenol) and hand them out to the mothers to crush and feed to their child. There is also an isolated ward for those with measles. We didn't see them but I think there are about three patients in there currently. I would like to see them before I leave as we are likely to never see this in the US. This morning when we arrived, we saw a kitten sleeping on the shelf right next to the injectable antibiotics that they leave sitting out on an open shelf in the hallway. All the families are required to go and buy the medication the doctor orders so it can be given.
After rounds today, we were told to go to cardiac clinic. This took place on a porch outside. The doctor we were told to work with we come to find out is a GP who is doing his intern year and has only been in pediatrics for two weeks. We listened to a ton of murmurs and thrills too. I am weak in cards stuff and thought this was pretty neat. A lot of the children haven't had surgery and those that have, went to Israel. The doctors we worked with didn't even listen to or examine the patients. As a matter of fact, he didn't even have a stethoscope.
That is all for now!
3 comments:
wow, some primitive conditions huh? Sounds interesting and exciting, almost like my medical school experience in Brooklyn, haha! Keep the stories coming Gwin, we in Kiron's family are very excited to read what you write!! :-)
craziness! sounds awesome gwin! what great exposure to how most of the world lives! dont get malaria though. have fun, stay safe :) c
Glad to hear things are going well! The doc there sounds like the Nicaraguan physicians we worked with who basically sat around and hung out while we tried to work through a couple of hundred patients a day in the rural clinics. Medicine outside the US can be a very eye-opening experience.
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