Salud, Paro and Mantequilla de Mani

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Well the week continues in its usual manner. Monday was slow at work due to the strikes. Yesterday and today have picked up nicely however. There was a traveling health fair in one of the plazas a few blocks away from our house. Basically it was a large group of doctors from Lima who travel from city to city in Peru giving the people free health care. They do everything from pediatrics to surgey and dental. Marisole, our savior, talked to the people in charge and some how got us in there to help. We spent long hours taking blood pressures and histories and taking the patients to the appropriate doctor. There were mass crowds of people because of the clinic strikes. Everyone needed something. It was chaos for most of the time and most of the Ayacuchans didn´t understand that we are only students so we would be constantly stopped and asked questions we couldn´t answer. I don´t think I will ever forget the phrase, I´m sorry but I´m not a doctor I am a student. Or the phrase please wait outside. Neither of which people ever seemed to understand.

Today I hung out in the dermatology tent for a while with a doctor from seattle who is living at the other house. We saw some really interesting things. One man came in with a severe case of gout. His elbows had large swollen masses filled with uric acid that would ooze out when he bent them. It was one of the grossest and coolest things I have seen so far. It is hard to witness however because most of the things we have been seeing would be easily treated in the US but they just don´t have the funding here. What they can do though is amazing.

I have been spending a lot of time in the lab at the clinic in the mornings. On monday a man came in and was tested for TB so they collected a sample and let me prepared the slide. Unfortunatly I don´t know if he showed positive or not because we had to leave before the slide was dry enough to be analysed under the microscope and I haven´t been back since. Tomorrow I will ask to see the slide, they showed me a TB slide my first day so hopefully I will be able to tell for myself if he is positive. I think they keep TB slides around to scare the new interns but I´m still going to be get tested when I get home.

The strike continues and there have been rumors of another Paro this week. Every morning I wake up and listen to see if I hear cars. We have been lucky so far. I saw a sign on a church today that said paro 48 hours, and there has been a lot of talk on the streets. I just hope its going to be over by friday so we can drive to the coast. Our jungle trip was cancled because of some riots in the town we were going to visit. There seems to be strikes popping up all over Peru. There were more riots today in another city and last friday marchers in Ayacucho broke the windows of a hotel causing the police to use tear gas. We stay safe and people are still friendly to us. It will be nice to go to the coast however where gringos are common and tourism is expected. I´m excited to see the Nazca Lines! I didn´t think I would be able to.

So life continues here in Peru. We are waiting for the weather to brighten and for the rain to stop. My spanish is slowly improving. I ordered sprite with no icecream the other day but the mistakes are becoming less frequent as long as I am not tired. I´m starting to miss western novelties like coffee to go and food that doesn´t take 2 hours to prepare at resaurants, but not enough to want to come home yet. :o) My only real complaint is there there seems to be a peanut butter shortage in the entire city. We can´t find it anywhere, all of the super markets are sold out and they don´t know when they will have more. What I would give for a peanut butter and banana sandwich, or peanut butter and apples, or just a spoonful of it. Hopefuly soon. love to all.

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Comments

[Mom]

PB&J Sandwich
I sure wish I could make you a peanut butter sandwich - creamy style! Your pictures and your journals are great - I know you're having an unbelievable summer. Just stay safe and healthy and have fun. Love, mom