Well everyone, I have just one day more before I begin my long two day journey back home. Yesterday I went to the Mental Health Clinic, which is more like a home that they use for therapy purposes. The mission is to help stimulate the minds and bodies of the mentally handicapped. I went with Allie, who left yesterday, which makes me the last person here from the group I came in with. Hooray for being the second oldest volunteer here! The power is invigorating, although short lived haha. Anyways, the people I worked with yesterday were around my age or even a little bit older. The older people only come on Thursday; it is usually only infants and toddlers. With the infants and toddlers, they do a lot of massage (to work the muscles) and play lots of games and puzzles. Because the people I was working with were older, we did a lot of mind puzzles, having them write their names, and drawing with the lines. It was a lot of fun and it really made me appreciate what I have even more, because these people are so close to my own age.
It was sad leaving the clinic today. I have gotten to know all of the doctors and nurses that work there (even though I can’t pronounce their names right). It has been amazing seeing how the health care system works here, and how they deal with less than ideal conditions. I left a little early to make lunch for the staff. Some of the girls and I decided to make them teriyaki chicken because they had never heard of it. I think it turned out pretty good, at least I hope it did. The girls at the house loved it but they didn’t get to eat it, haha.
The old volunteers joined me on the roof last night for smores, and it’s funny watching them try and make them. The graham crackers here are already covered in chocolate so making them should be that much easier, but I guess they don’t make smores in England. Hanna keeps putting the cracker on the stick and we have to catch her before she puts it in the fire. It’s really kind of funny. They also don’t have Halloween in England, so I have decided I need to put some spider webs in a box for them for Halloween because that just isn’t right. Well I better finish packing and what not! Ten hour bus ride to Lima, and then the Red Eye to Houston! Yay! Good night everyone! I miss you and love you and will see you soon!
-Caity
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Two More Days...
Things are starting to wind down here for me in Peru, I only have two more days of placement and then it's off to Lima by bus on Saturday. I am planning on going with one of my friends, Allison, to the Mental Health Clinic tomorrow, and then back to my own placement (Santa Elena Health Clinic) on Friday. I can't believe that it has already been six weeks! I have been going back and reading some of my old blog and journal entries, and I honestly can't believe how much I have done. I have seen some amazing things, even somethings that not even American doctors get to see. I have met some wonderful people, people who are going to change the world, and do great things for their respective countries. I, myself, have learned so much and have fallen in love with the country, its culture, and the people that live here.
I am pretty excited for Friday, I am going to cook lunch for the kitchen staff, give them a little taste of my culture. I am planning on making teriyaki chicken (they have never heard of it and I know... more chicken) and some of the girls in the house are going to give me a hand! We were going to do Mac and Cheese with hot dogs, but decided to go for something a little more complex, and they actually have all the ingredients I need here, so it should be fun! Well I better go! I love you all and I miss you, I feel like I should have some catchy sign off by now haha. I will let you know how the mental health clinic goes tomorrow! Bye!
-Caity
I am pretty excited for Friday, I am going to cook lunch for the kitchen staff, give them a little taste of my culture. I am planning on making teriyaki chicken (they have never heard of it and I know... more chicken) and some of the girls in the house are going to give me a hand! We were going to do Mac and Cheese with hot dogs, but decided to go for something a little more complex, and they actually have all the ingredients I need here, so it should be fun! Well I better go! I love you all and I miss you, I feel like I should have some catchy sign off by now haha. I will let you know how the mental health clinic goes tomorrow! Bye!
-Caity
Friday, August 14, 2009
Folsom Prison Blues
Hello!
I had quite the adventure yesterday! Instead of going to Santa Elena Health Clinic like I normally do, I decided to go with my friend Jamie to the local prison. For those of you who don’t know, this last semester I participated in a project where I helped educate men in Spokane’s maximum security prison about a disease called Rhabdomyolysis and how they could be prevented from getting this disease through safer, and smarter, exercise practices. We also taught them a little on how to organize their own personal routine to fit their own goals, as far as exercise went. Anyways, the men their had their uniforms, a white t-shirt with jeans, and it was very institutionalized in a sense that you knew you were in a prison. The walls were white, there was barbwire surrounding us, and huge electrically padlocked gates. Peru is COMPLETELY different.
Firstly, you knock on this little door and the guard slides back his window (much like the doorman in the Wizard of Oz) to see who you are and if you look trustworthy enough to pass. You check you bags like you would at any other prison, and get patted down by the female security guard running the desk who then puts a stamp on your arm allowing you to pass to the next checkpoint, where you get yet another stamp before you can walk through these black barred gates. You have to walk through the men’s side of the prison in order to get to the women's, and it was weird to see them just walking around in plain clothes, so no uniforms, hanging out by the gates to get from one area to another. The basketball court on the men’s side is used only for making the fabric for the women to embroider on, and it didn’t seem like it had been used in a very long time to actually play. Finally, you pass through two more gates to enter the women's yard.
There is a little concession store selling lots of junk food as you enter, which I think contributes the most to the poor dental health of the kids that live there, and then you see a court yard about as big as maybe a quarter of a soccer field filled with women working. They have to work to stay in the prison, if they choose not to embroider, make jewelry, or make the fabric they are sent out to do manual labor, so most choose to do the latter and stay within the courtyard. The women, like the men are all in plain clothes, and their children stay with them inside the prison until the age of five, at which point they are sent off to another family member and to public school. Out of 156 women in this prison only 12 are in for something other than drug trafficking, which is huge! That means that about 93% of the women in there have some kind of connection to drugs!
Well I have to go and get ready for placement today, I am headed back to Santa Elena! So, I better go get some breakfast, apparently we are have fresh strawberry, banana, pineapple juice! I love you guys and I miss you!
-Caity
I had quite the adventure yesterday! Instead of going to Santa Elena Health Clinic like I normally do, I decided to go with my friend Jamie to the local prison. For those of you who don’t know, this last semester I participated in a project where I helped educate men in Spokane’s maximum security prison about a disease called Rhabdomyolysis and how they could be prevented from getting this disease through safer, and smarter, exercise practices. We also taught them a little on how to organize their own personal routine to fit their own goals, as far as exercise went. Anyways, the men their had their uniforms, a white t-shirt with jeans, and it was very institutionalized in a sense that you knew you were in a prison. The walls were white, there was barbwire surrounding us, and huge electrically padlocked gates. Peru is COMPLETELY different.
Firstly, you knock on this little door and the guard slides back his window (much like the doorman in the Wizard of Oz) to see who you are and if you look trustworthy enough to pass. You check you bags like you would at any other prison, and get patted down by the female security guard running the desk who then puts a stamp on your arm allowing you to pass to the next checkpoint, where you get yet another stamp before you can walk through these black barred gates. You have to walk through the men’s side of the prison in order to get to the women's, and it was weird to see them just walking around in plain clothes, so no uniforms, hanging out by the gates to get from one area to another. The basketball court on the men’s side is used only for making the fabric for the women to embroider on, and it didn’t seem like it had been used in a very long time to actually play. Finally, you pass through two more gates to enter the women's yard.
There is a little concession store selling lots of junk food as you enter, which I think contributes the most to the poor dental health of the kids that live there, and then you see a court yard about as big as maybe a quarter of a soccer field filled with women working. They have to work to stay in the prison, if they choose not to embroider, make jewelry, or make the fabric they are sent out to do manual labor, so most choose to do the latter and stay within the courtyard. The women, like the men are all in plain clothes, and their children stay with them inside the prison until the age of five, at which point they are sent off to another family member and to public school. Out of 156 women in this prison only 12 are in for something other than drug trafficking, which is huge! That means that about 93% of the women in there have some kind of connection to drugs!
Well I have to go and get ready for placement today, I am headed back to Santa Elena! So, I better go get some breakfast, apparently we are have fresh strawberry, banana, pineapple juice! I love you guys and I miss you!
-Caity
Monday, August 10, 2009
A List of Foods That One Might Crave if in Peru for Six Weeks
1. Dion's Pizza (sorry Kelc) with Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions, and of course Green Chile and you have to have it with Dion's Ranch Dressing
2.Egg Salad Sandwich on an Einstein's Plain Bagel
3. Ruffles with French Onion Dip
4. Green Chile Cheese Fries from Spectator's Bar
5. A real American Breakfast/Brunch with bacon, hashbrowns, over easy eggs, and whole wheat toast, or biscuits and gravy, or Sloppy Papas from Wecks
6. Green Chile Stew from Frontier/ Golden Pride with a fresh made tortilla
7. Sushi- anything not covered in cheese, yes I am talking to you Jacob...
8. A Lotaburger, a double, with cheese, and green chile and their icy/grainy strawberry shake
9. A Caesar Salad or any salad with lettuce in it
10. Spaghetti with beef meatballs (I eat a ton of chicken here, like I think that I have had at least 20 whole chickens worth of chicken, maybe more. I think a chicken coop gets emptied of its contents everyday to feed just the CCS volunteers. It's a wonder there are that many chickens in this world. Then again, there can't be as many chickens as there are rocks in this world because that would just be chaos, but who knows.)
11. A Guiness... because that's a meal in itself
12. Fish... any kind of fish... tuna, salmon, tilapia take your pick
13. And finally, a glass of iced tap water...
I think that is all for now... So mom and dad, when you have this giant fiesta with everyone I know on this planet metting me at the door... I expect a grand feast of everything on this list or I will be rather dissapointed. This was probably the worst idea for a blog because now I am extremely hungry and dinner isn't for another 15 minutes and I might have to eat one of the guinea pigs from across the street.
Well, eat well tonight and think of me... Think beef... well, not you Dad, I think you have eaten the equivalence of my chicken but in cow for the last few weeks, so you can think Sushi, Guiness, and/or Egg Salad... Love you guys! I miss you all!
-Caity
2.Egg Salad Sandwich on an Einstein's Plain Bagel
3. Ruffles with French Onion Dip
4. Green Chile Cheese Fries from Spectator's Bar
5. A real American Breakfast/Brunch with bacon, hashbrowns, over easy eggs, and whole wheat toast, or biscuits and gravy, or Sloppy Papas from Wecks
6. Green Chile Stew from Frontier/ Golden Pride with a fresh made tortilla
7. Sushi- anything not covered in cheese, yes I am talking to you Jacob...
8. A Lotaburger, a double, with cheese, and green chile and their icy/grainy strawberry shake
9. A Caesar Salad or any salad with lettuce in it
10. Spaghetti with beef meatballs (I eat a ton of chicken here, like I think that I have had at least 20 whole chickens worth of chicken, maybe more. I think a chicken coop gets emptied of its contents everyday to feed just the CCS volunteers. It's a wonder there are that many chickens in this world. Then again, there can't be as many chickens as there are rocks in this world because that would just be chaos, but who knows.)
11. A Guiness... because that's a meal in itself
12. Fish... any kind of fish... tuna, salmon, tilapia take your pick
13. And finally, a glass of iced tap water...
I think that is all for now... So mom and dad, when you have this giant fiesta with everyone I know on this planet metting me at the door... I expect a grand feast of everything on this list or I will be rather dissapointed. This was probably the worst idea for a blog because now I am extremely hungry and dinner isn't for another 15 minutes and I might have to eat one of the guinea pigs from across the street.
Well, eat well tonight and think of me... Think beef... well, not you Dad, I think you have eaten the equivalence of my chicken but in cow for the last few weeks, so you can think Sushi, Guiness, and/or Egg Salad... Love you guys! I miss you all!
-Caity
Sunday, August 9, 2009
It's a Pain in the Neck....
Man, what a week it has been! We got a new batch of volunteers in this week and it is so nice to see new faces, all bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready for battle. There is an endocrinologist here for two weeks and he has been assigned my hospital to work at, so I have felt a little more useful this past week. It is also nice to talk to a health care professional in English, rather than in my very broken Spanish. I have learned so much about the thyroid and diabetes, and he is so patient with me and the millions of questions that I have for him. I do have to say, that when he talks about testing for a bolus (in the thyroid) and the differences in each testing procedure, and he says, in a very serious tone, "It can be a pain in the neck", it is getting harder and harder to hold back a giggle. Get it? Hahahaha!
I get to go with him to the hospital tomorrow, the BIG hospital, to see patients with diabetes so that he can offer his expertise and I am very excited for it. I have been testing people for diabetes with a meter, helping with some translation, and he is teaching me how to test for bolus (or is it boli, I dunno) in the thyroid. He has found a few in people here that do have them but there isn't much that we can do about it. Many people here have the means to get the diagnosis, but not the treatment because they are so poor. I hear many different things on how the health care system actually works here so it is hard for me to say what really goes on. I will have to draw you all a picture of the "pyramid" that is the healthcare system and what kind of insurance the people have.
Well, I better get to bed because I am off to the hospital bright and early! I love and miss you all!
-Caity
PS. If you like medicine or cadavers (I know.... it's a stretch) I just finished reading this great book called "Stiff" by Mary Roach. It talks about the contribution cadavers have had on society and science... it is a great read!
I get to go with him to the hospital tomorrow, the BIG hospital, to see patients with diabetes so that he can offer his expertise and I am very excited for it. I have been testing people for diabetes with a meter, helping with some translation, and he is teaching me how to test for bolus (or is it boli, I dunno) in the thyroid. He has found a few in people here that do have them but there isn't much that we can do about it. Many people here have the means to get the diagnosis, but not the treatment because they are so poor. I hear many different things on how the health care system actually works here so it is hard for me to say what really goes on. I will have to draw you all a picture of the "pyramid" that is the healthcare system and what kind of insurance the people have.
Well, I better get to bed because I am off to the hospital bright and early! I love and miss you all!
-Caity
PS. If you like medicine or cadavers (I know.... it's a stretch) I just finished reading this great book called "Stiff" by Mary Roach. It talks about the contribution cadavers have had on society and science... it is a great read!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Lectures!
I just wanted to let you all know that it hasn’t been all fun and games here, and I have actually been going to see some guest speakers while I am here. I forgot to tell you all that the reason I got my tea leaves read was because we had a professor at the local university come and talk to us about the green and the white side of the coca leave. They harvest about 100,000 tons of excess coca leaves here in Peru, which makes about 330 tons of cocaine! That makes them the second largest supplier of cocaine in the world next to Colombia.
I have also been to a lecture on the Shining Path and I even got to hear personal experiences from the people who work in the CCS house. There was actually an attack on Sunday at a police station in the province of Ayacucho ( not in the city where I am), but the Shining Path isn’t as prevalent here in Peru anymore, but it is a very sad story that took the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent Peruvian people. The street that I live on is named the 26 of Enero, which is a day that 6 journalists were slain while trying to get a better understand the on goings of the Shining Path. It is still something that is fresh in the minds of people that live here and it’s amazing how positive the people stay.
I have also learned a lot about healthcare and insurance in Ayacucho, including common diseases, but I am sure I will talk more about it later to you all in person, or by some other form of communication. It is just very extensive and complicated, so maybe give me a day or two to figure out how to word it properly. Over half way done! I miss you guys!
-Caity
I have also been to a lecture on the Shining Path and I even got to hear personal experiences from the people who work in the CCS house. There was actually an attack on Sunday at a police station in the province of Ayacucho ( not in the city where I am), but the Shining Path isn’t as prevalent here in Peru anymore, but it is a very sad story that took the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent Peruvian people. The street that I live on is named the 26 of Enero, which is a day that 6 journalists were slain while trying to get a better understand the on goings of the Shining Path. It is still something that is fresh in the minds of people that live here and it’s amazing how positive the people stay.
I have also learned a lot about healthcare and insurance in Ayacucho, including common diseases, but I am sure I will talk more about it later to you all in person, or by some other form of communication. It is just very extensive and complicated, so maybe give me a day or two to figure out how to word it properly. Over half way done! I miss you guys!
-Caity
Howdy!
Hey Everyone!
I have had an interesting week/weekend, even though it seemed a little slow it was really rather nice. Right now, I am a little freaked out because I am sick again (surprise surprise…), but the weird creepy part about it is that I am having trouble breathing. It feels like there is mucus in my lungs, and Carlos (our tea leaf reader) told me that I would be getting sick, like bronchitis sick, very soon. So for now I am blaming Carlos for my illness.
I went on a llama trek this weekend! I spent the afternoon horseback riding alongside these funny dressed llamas with bells strapped around their necks. The scenery was absolutely amazing. We were pretty high in the Andes, at about 13,000 ft, and there was snow all around us, along with hundreds of wild llamas, alpacas, and sheep. I think it was one of the best experiences that I have had here so far. It was so quiet and the land was untouched except for the small path that was used by the llamas and horses. I have never ridden a horse on non-flat land, so going down hill on these big rocks was a little scary. I was very happy that I did not fall off Atticus. I had first named my pony Vaca (which made Pancho a little confused because he thought I thought the Spanish word for horse was vaca), but seeing as he was so old, refined, and knowledgeable in the ways of the trail, calling him Cow just didn’t seem appropriate.
There is actually an American doctor, an endocrinologist to be exact, is working at the clinic with me this week so I will get to shadow a real doctor that speaks English! Yay! I showed him around a little and did the best I could with translation and introducing him to the other staff members. I learned about diabetes today and that Adam Morrison actually suffers from Type 1, apparently he is famous amongst endocrinologists because of how impressive it is that he is able to perform on such a high level with this disease. I am also actually working with patients tomorrow, and Dr. David is teaching me how to use a special Glucometer that can help give a full metabolic panel! I am so excited! I learned so much today and it really made me a lot more comfortable knowing that I would be directly helping these people.
Tomorrow I am also going with a group of my intern friends to a Wawa Wasi to teach the mama’s proper oral hygiene and how to teach the kids good brushing techniques. And in true Caity form, I even drew out a small cartoon with Senor Toothbrush saving Senor Tooth from the evil Senor Plaque. There is also a Sra. Floss who defeats Sra. Azucar (sugar) with her lasso of minty goodness.
I will let you all know how tomorrow goes! I miss you all and thanks again for reading, it really means a lot to me knowing that people are out there listening.
-Caity
I have had an interesting week/weekend, even though it seemed a little slow it was really rather nice. Right now, I am a little freaked out because I am sick again (surprise surprise…), but the weird creepy part about it is that I am having trouble breathing. It feels like there is mucus in my lungs, and Carlos (our tea leaf reader) told me that I would be getting sick, like bronchitis sick, very soon. So for now I am blaming Carlos for my illness.
I went on a llama trek this weekend! I spent the afternoon horseback riding alongside these funny dressed llamas with bells strapped around their necks. The scenery was absolutely amazing. We were pretty high in the Andes, at about 13,000 ft, and there was snow all around us, along with hundreds of wild llamas, alpacas, and sheep. I think it was one of the best experiences that I have had here so far. It was so quiet and the land was untouched except for the small path that was used by the llamas and horses. I have never ridden a horse on non-flat land, so going down hill on these big rocks was a little scary. I was very happy that I did not fall off Atticus. I had first named my pony Vaca (which made Pancho a little confused because he thought I thought the Spanish word for horse was vaca), but seeing as he was so old, refined, and knowledgeable in the ways of the trail, calling him Cow just didn’t seem appropriate.
There is actually an American doctor, an endocrinologist to be exact, is working at the clinic with me this week so I will get to shadow a real doctor that speaks English! Yay! I showed him around a little and did the best I could with translation and introducing him to the other staff members. I learned about diabetes today and that Adam Morrison actually suffers from Type 1, apparently he is famous amongst endocrinologists because of how impressive it is that he is able to perform on such a high level with this disease. I am also actually working with patients tomorrow, and Dr. David is teaching me how to use a special Glucometer that can help give a full metabolic panel! I am so excited! I learned so much today and it really made me a lot more comfortable knowing that I would be directly helping these people.
Tomorrow I am also going with a group of my intern friends to a Wawa Wasi to teach the mama’s proper oral hygiene and how to teach the kids good brushing techniques. And in true Caity form, I even drew out a small cartoon with Senor Toothbrush saving Senor Tooth from the evil Senor Plaque. There is also a Sra. Floss who defeats Sra. Azucar (sugar) with her lasso of minty goodness.
I will let you all know how tomorrow goes! I miss you all and thanks again for reading, it really means a lot to me knowing that people are out there listening.
-Caity
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