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
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Coca Leaves
I just got my fortune read by way of coca leaves... apparently I will be making a trip from New Mexico to Washington state soon and to California (Jacob and I have talked about going to Disneyland for our last spring break). I have a weak point in my health/body which was surprisingly not my hip but rather my lungs so I was told to drink hot drinks and stay away from dusty places. Oh, and I am supposed to eat yellow prickly pears. I will be neither rich nor poor, I'm not supposed to buy lottery tickets, and I won't travel anywhere out of the US ever again unless its Mexico or Nicaragua. I think that's all... it was really interesting to see this ancient tradition of coca leave readings and the man was doing the ceremony in Quechua. Have a nice night all! I am going to go make myself some mate de coca! Yay for warm liquids!
-Caity
-Caity
Machu Picchu
Oh man! There is so much to say because I have done so much this weekend and I don’t even know where to begin. I spent over 50 hours in a small van, round trip and I would have to say that seeing that sunrise at Machu Picchu was well worth the sore butt. When I decided to go in this trip, I knew that I was not going to be able to go because of how long the trip takes and from the mere fact that we only had two days off for travel and the trip would have taken five to six days, but it was Independence Day this week so all the placements were closed Monday thru Wednesday so I jumped on the opportunity.
We left on Friday and stayed for a night in Nasca before heading out to Cusco the next morning. Cusco is a huge tourist city, with lots of small side streets and when you think you see a small shop on the street it ends up being a tunnel leading to rather large markets. It was like a never ending maze of treasures and just plain fun, mostly because all of us enjoyed the guilty pleasure of being a tourist. We also spent an hour in this HUGE market in the Sacred Valley. It was so big I think that I maybe went through ¼ of the place and I just walked around without much stopping. The jewelry was so beautiful at this market because it was all made of silver and precious stones, and I have to say I am the bargainer of all bargainers. It is almost not fun shopping here sometimes because the women follow you around calling you madam and trying t guilt you into buying just anything from their stand.
After the market we went to feed and pet llamas! My roommate Alice ended up naming most of them and we learned that they are more than willing to get in your face so that they can take the food from your hands haha. I also tried Alpaca that day, it tastes a lot like a really rough gamey steak and some people were comparing it to venison. They gave us free Pisco Sours at the restaurant and they are really good, its really hard to describe how they taste I will have to make them for you all when I get home. I even tried chicha, which is a fermented corn beer that is traditional to Peru. It was very sweet, which is common to a lot of the food and drink here. Ketchup is sweet here and even pizzas taste a little on the sweet side.
We spent one night in Cusco before heading up to Agua Caliente (get it? I stayed in Hot Water hahaha), which is the small town were you can take a bus to get to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is absolutely amazing! We woke up at 5:30 in the morning so we could beat the crowds (even though it is always kind of crowded) and we were hoping that we would get to climb up the giant peak that lies behind the ruins but there was already a line of about 400 people waiting so we had to scratch that off the list. Instead, we decided to walk part of the Inca trail so that we could still see an aerial view. The rocks were so slippery from three days of rain before so the hike was a little tricky, but I can’t begin to describe how beautiful it was. Machu Picchu lies just above the mist in the mountains, everything is so green, and the colors of the ruins shine almost gold when the sun first hits these massive rocks that are carved to fit so tightly together that a piece of paper couldn’t fit through the cracks. The ruins are so extensive that you don’t feel crowded or cramped by the other tourists if you go early and there are all kinds of interesting rooms, each with their own special significance to the Incans that lived there.
I also wanted to tell you guys this funny story from last week, I felt bad I only wrote really sad stuff last week that I completely forgot to tell you guys. Anyways, this woman in the obstetricians office hands me this half blown up yellow (the second smallest) exercise ball and this box with this Oliva Newton John looking lady on it with exercises and signaled for me to go upstairs to teach these two really pregnant girls some exercises. People that pregnant really shouldn’t be rolling around on a flat exercise balls but I did what I could because it’s their custom and I didn’t want to offend. So, I get up there and one girl speaks only Spanish and the other only speaks Quetuchan (I know I bombed the spelling on that) which is the language of the Peruvians ancestors. Needless to say we were quite the group, me rolling around on this flat ball showing them exercises, and all of us trying to use these hand gestures to communicate! I think it was the most fun time I have had at the clinic so far! Haha! Well I wrote a lot… sorry… I will let you all go! Miss you and talk to you soon!
-Caity
We left on Friday and stayed for a night in Nasca before heading out to Cusco the next morning. Cusco is a huge tourist city, with lots of small side streets and when you think you see a small shop on the street it ends up being a tunnel leading to rather large markets. It was like a never ending maze of treasures and just plain fun, mostly because all of us enjoyed the guilty pleasure of being a tourist. We also spent an hour in this HUGE market in the Sacred Valley. It was so big I think that I maybe went through ¼ of the place and I just walked around without much stopping. The jewelry was so beautiful at this market because it was all made of silver and precious stones, and I have to say I am the bargainer of all bargainers. It is almost not fun shopping here sometimes because the women follow you around calling you madam and trying t guilt you into buying just anything from their stand.
After the market we went to feed and pet llamas! My roommate Alice ended up naming most of them and we learned that they are more than willing to get in your face so that they can take the food from your hands haha. I also tried Alpaca that day, it tastes a lot like a really rough gamey steak and some people were comparing it to venison. They gave us free Pisco Sours at the restaurant and they are really good, its really hard to describe how they taste I will have to make them for you all when I get home. I even tried chicha, which is a fermented corn beer that is traditional to Peru. It was very sweet, which is common to a lot of the food and drink here. Ketchup is sweet here and even pizzas taste a little on the sweet side.
We spent one night in Cusco before heading up to Agua Caliente (get it? I stayed in Hot Water hahaha), which is the small town were you can take a bus to get to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is absolutely amazing! We woke up at 5:30 in the morning so we could beat the crowds (even though it is always kind of crowded) and we were hoping that we would get to climb up the giant peak that lies behind the ruins but there was already a line of about 400 people waiting so we had to scratch that off the list. Instead, we decided to walk part of the Inca trail so that we could still see an aerial view. The rocks were so slippery from three days of rain before so the hike was a little tricky, but I can’t begin to describe how beautiful it was. Machu Picchu lies just above the mist in the mountains, everything is so green, and the colors of the ruins shine almost gold when the sun first hits these massive rocks that are carved to fit so tightly together that a piece of paper couldn’t fit through the cracks. The ruins are so extensive that you don’t feel crowded or cramped by the other tourists if you go early and there are all kinds of interesting rooms, each with their own special significance to the Incans that lived there.
I also wanted to tell you guys this funny story from last week, I felt bad I only wrote really sad stuff last week that I completely forgot to tell you guys. Anyways, this woman in the obstetricians office hands me this half blown up yellow (the second smallest) exercise ball and this box with this Oliva Newton John looking lady on it with exercises and signaled for me to go upstairs to teach these two really pregnant girls some exercises. People that pregnant really shouldn’t be rolling around on a flat exercise balls but I did what I could because it’s their custom and I didn’t want to offend. So, I get up there and one girl speaks only Spanish and the other only speaks Quetuchan (I know I bombed the spelling on that) which is the language of the Peruvians ancestors. Needless to say we were quite the group, me rolling around on this flat ball showing them exercises, and all of us trying to use these hand gestures to communicate! I think it was the most fun time I have had at the clinic so far! Haha! Well I wrote a lot… sorry… I will let you all go! Miss you and talk to you soon!
-Caity
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ok, Let's do this...
Sorry about earlier, it was an extremely emotional night and I needed to find a good way to put it. I have been working in the clinic for two weeks now, which doesn't seem like a lot becuase its gone by so fast, and it has been an unreal experience. The hospitals here are nothing like North American hospitals. The hospitals are filty, crowded, have stray dogs walking through the halls, and supplies are limited. Earlier this week I saw a man who had almost lost his thumb because a rock had fallen on it. The only thing that they could do for the poor man was rinse the wound off with alcohol and wrap it with gauze. There were no shots to dull the pain, just pure alcohol and hopefully they were able to prescribe him some antibiotics (and hopefully he could afford them).
The doctor I shadowed last night and I got into a deep talk about the status of heathcare in Peru and how things work around here. The most shocking thing for me was that they have no blood stores. None. Peruvians are scared of giving blood and many of them don't donate for religious reasons. While working last night, I witnessed a few women who had come in due to severe pain and were profusely bleeding because of miscarriages. They had the women hooked up to saline but were not given any blood to refresh their bodies from how much they had lost. If blood is in dire need only family members will offer to donate as much as 1 liter, which is not nearly as much as most women lose. Blood transfusions are not an option here. Most of the Ayacucho is O positive in blood type so it would be easy to store blood because everyones is the same.
Dr. Paul, the head gyno, also told me that he wants to get his Masters in America, particularly Florida ( he wants to take his three kids to see Mickey and Minne at Disneyworld :p ). Med school in Peru is about five years at the University from what I could understand when we were talking, which doesn't seem like much by North American standards. He was asking about the kind of technology that they have in the US, and he said that it must be easier to be a doctor in the US which I would have to agree. They have to work with what they got which isn't much and the poor condition of the clinics is really taking a toll on me.
Right now its a good month in Ayacucho because there are some American doctors here offering free check ups, surguries, and mental health evaluations to any one that needs/wants it. There are long lines waiting as early as five in the morning for the help of these professionals. Well, thats all I have for now. Hopefully I will give you guys a happier story after this weekend! I am headed to Macchu Picchu and we are leaving early so that we will get to see the sunrise at the ruins. It will be a nice mental break. I love you all and miss you! Please write your names on the end your comments! I love getting them and I am curious as to who is following me! Ciao!
-Caity
The doctor I shadowed last night and I got into a deep talk about the status of heathcare in Peru and how things work around here. The most shocking thing for me was that they have no blood stores. None. Peruvians are scared of giving blood and many of them don't donate for religious reasons. While working last night, I witnessed a few women who had come in due to severe pain and were profusely bleeding because of miscarriages. They had the women hooked up to saline but were not given any blood to refresh their bodies from how much they had lost. If blood is in dire need only family members will offer to donate as much as 1 liter, which is not nearly as much as most women lose. Blood transfusions are not an option here. Most of the Ayacucho is O positive in blood type so it would be easy to store blood because everyones is the same.
Dr. Paul, the head gyno, also told me that he wants to get his Masters in America, particularly Florida ( he wants to take his three kids to see Mickey and Minne at Disneyworld :p ). Med school in Peru is about five years at the University from what I could understand when we were talking, which doesn't seem like much by North American standards. He was asking about the kind of technology that they have in the US, and he said that it must be easier to be a doctor in the US which I would have to agree. They have to work with what they got which isn't much and the poor condition of the clinics is really taking a toll on me.
Right now its a good month in Ayacucho because there are some American doctors here offering free check ups, surguries, and mental health evaluations to any one that needs/wants it. There are long lines waiting as early as five in the morning for the help of these professionals. Well, thats all I have for now. Hopefully I will give you guys a happier story after this weekend! I am headed to Macchu Picchu and we are leaving early so that we will get to see the sunrise at the ruins. It will be a nice mental break. I love you all and miss you! Please write your names on the end your comments! I love getting them and I am curious as to who is following me! Ciao!
-Caity
My First Night Shift
Well I just got back from my first double shift day, I went for four hours in the morning and 10 hours last night at the emergency obstetricians office (from 8 pm to 630 this morning). I am extremely tired and a little queasy. I saw my first emergency medical procedure last night and it has to be the most, I don't even know how to describe it, I thought most of the night how I would put it and I still have nothing. I think all I can say now is that it was very upsetting for me and it was not what I had thought and what it would be like or look like. I think I might feel better talking about it later, I just dunno. I am going to try and get some sleep now... I love you all and I miss you.
-Caity
-Caity
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
P.S!
P.S- I ate guinea pig today, it tastes like greasy chicken and there isn't a lot of meat on it. I was looking out the window later that day and I saw where they "raise" them in their little cage... I felt guilty. Sorry Jacob... it had to be done.
Long Time No Blog!
Sorry it has been such a long time since I have written, there has been so much going on here that I haven’t had a chance to even to write in my own journal! To start off, a 24-hour flu had hit the house (we call it the Gringo Plague), and I was the second person to get it, so Wednesday and Thursday were absolutely miserable. I couldn’t go to placement on either day even if I felt a little nauseous, because Peruvians already think all of the gringos have Swine flu, and if I did get sick at the health clinic they wouldn’t let anyone from the program go anywhere in Ayacucho in fear that we were going to contaminate the whole city. I think that 24 people were ill on Friday, which turned the house into complete chaos! You see, we had about twenty of us leaving for the Peruvian coast this weekend and so a good portion of the people couldn't go because they were stuck in bed.
Luckily I was better by then, so after placement on Friday I hopped onto the bus for an 8 hour drive to Ica, Peru. The drive was gorgeous! Large rolling mountains, whispy white trees that reminded me of the Aspens in Colorado and at home in New Mexico, vineyards, wild llamas, and a crisp clear blue sky filled the windows, it was like a piece of art that stretched for miles and miles. And the sky! I never thought that such a deep black exsisted. There were no lights along the road so I swear I could see the cloudlike belt of the Milkyway as we drove along. We slept in Ica that night and continued our journey to the sand dunes and the winery the next day.
We got to see how it is they make wine in Peru and went to a museum where the owners kept all of the things that people would trade their wine for in the past. I bought champagne at the second winery we visited but the high altitude and the heat of the bus made the corks pop on the champagne everyone bought. All of the wine tastes a lot sweeter here than what I have had in the US. I also tried a sip of Pisco, its kind of the national hard alcohol, its very strong and is supposed to have a flavor much like that of brandy. After the wineries, we went in a dune buggy all around these giant sand dunes! They took us to these huge sand hills where we took sand boards and rode down the dunes on our bellies like penguins. I don’t think I have screamed that loud in my life or done anything that terrifyingly crazy!
The next day we went up in a tiny plane to see the famous Nasca (or Nazca) lines and the pilot was moving the plane back and forth, side to side, oh man lots of people lost their breakfast that day. After the awful plane ride, we drove to the coast and had dinner and our warm flat champagne by the ocean. There was a black out during dinner and I have to say it was extremely scary being in a dark that deep, in a strange country, and you can barely see your hand in front of your face.
Our last day we took a boat trip out to the Paracas Islands to see the Peruvian penguins and the sea lions in their natural habitat! It was awesome and the penguins are so cute. The boat ride was freezing so it was nice to be back on the bus in the warmth, even though we had a long drive back home. All in all it was a great trip and it was so nice to not be sick. I got a great look at a different part of the landscape in Peru.
Well have a great night everyone! Thanks for listening! Miss you all! Love you!
- Caity
Luckily I was better by then, so after placement on Friday I hopped onto the bus for an 8 hour drive to Ica, Peru. The drive was gorgeous! Large rolling mountains, whispy white trees that reminded me of the Aspens in Colorado and at home in New Mexico, vineyards, wild llamas, and a crisp clear blue sky filled the windows, it was like a piece of art that stretched for miles and miles. And the sky! I never thought that such a deep black exsisted. There were no lights along the road so I swear I could see the cloudlike belt of the Milkyway as we drove along. We slept in Ica that night and continued our journey to the sand dunes and the winery the next day.
We got to see how it is they make wine in Peru and went to a museum where the owners kept all of the things that people would trade their wine for in the past. I bought champagne at the second winery we visited but the high altitude and the heat of the bus made the corks pop on the champagne everyone bought. All of the wine tastes a lot sweeter here than what I have had in the US. I also tried a sip of Pisco, its kind of the national hard alcohol, its very strong and is supposed to have a flavor much like that of brandy. After the wineries, we went in a dune buggy all around these giant sand dunes! They took us to these huge sand hills where we took sand boards and rode down the dunes on our bellies like penguins. I don’t think I have screamed that loud in my life or done anything that terrifyingly crazy!
The next day we went up in a tiny plane to see the famous Nasca (or Nazca) lines and the pilot was moving the plane back and forth, side to side, oh man lots of people lost their breakfast that day. After the awful plane ride, we drove to the coast and had dinner and our warm flat champagne by the ocean. There was a black out during dinner and I have to say it was extremely scary being in a dark that deep, in a strange country, and you can barely see your hand in front of your face.
Our last day we took a boat trip out to the Paracas Islands to see the Peruvian penguins and the sea lions in their natural habitat! It was awesome and the penguins are so cute. The boat ride was freezing so it was nice to be back on the bus in the warmth, even though we had a long drive back home. All in all it was a great trip and it was so nice to not be sick. I got a great look at a different part of the landscape in Peru.
Well have a great night everyone! Thanks for listening! Miss you all! Love you!
- Caity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
First day of placement!
Internet was down in the city last night so I am posting today!
7-14-09
Today was my first day at my placement! You hear a lot from the older volunteers about how most of it is just sitting and observing but the girl I am with at Santa Elena (she is also an intern with CCS) and I actually did quite a lot today! I took blood pressures of all of the patients that came through today and its weird how low their blood pressures are. The doctor at the clinic actually left us to do most of the work ourselves. Stray dogs walk around the hospital in the halls which give you an idea of how clean the conditions are at the clinic. We get to wear these awesome white lab coats and name tags,.
Kasey ( the other girl at my placement) and I have a great system going for us. She takes weight or pela I think its called in Spanish and I take blood pressure, then we take turns doing heart rate. She is helping me with my Spanish and I am teaching her how to use the BP cuff. Oh and the reason why the BP’s are so low is mostly due to the altitude and the weather right now because it is their winter. They are about 100/80 ish… muy bajo. Sorry about some of the Spanish, I am trying to absorb as much as I can because it is easier to do more if you can talk to the doctors. It’s all about taking initiative and the more Spanish I can learn the more I can hope to do. Kasey has been very patient with me and so have the doctors. I might get to give shots soon! One guy even asked today if I was Japanese… which was weird. I have never been asked in my life what my ethnicity is, but I guess since we are like unicorns in a herd of horses my “asian” features stick out a lot more than if I was in Europe or another American city,
I might go to the obstetrician’s office on Thursday because some of the girls also working in a clinic in their first half hour saw a birth. I also learned today that some of the guys actually saw an abortion today. Now, Ayacucho is a very religious city, they have 33 Catholic churches, one for every year of Jesus life, so abortions are not common. Recently though, the death rate of pregnant women has doubled from its normal value so I feel that abortions are going to be more common.
I had a really nice walk with some of the girls today, we went to the “Gringo Plaza”, that’s what the Ayacuchan people call it anyway. We went and had coffee and a snack . It’s been so long since I have hung out with just girls that it’s very refreshing! Well I better go! So may people so few devices f communication!
Love and miss you all!
Caity (Robbie)
7-14-09
Today was my first day at my placement! You hear a lot from the older volunteers about how most of it is just sitting and observing but the girl I am with at Santa Elena (she is also an intern with CCS) and I actually did quite a lot today! I took blood pressures of all of the patients that came through today and its weird how low their blood pressures are. The doctor at the clinic actually left us to do most of the work ourselves. Stray dogs walk around the hospital in the halls which give you an idea of how clean the conditions are at the clinic. We get to wear these awesome white lab coats and name tags,.
Kasey ( the other girl at my placement) and I have a great system going for us. She takes weight or pela I think its called in Spanish and I take blood pressure, then we take turns doing heart rate. She is helping me with my Spanish and I am teaching her how to use the BP cuff. Oh and the reason why the BP’s are so low is mostly due to the altitude and the weather right now because it is their winter. They are about 100/80 ish… muy bajo. Sorry about some of the Spanish, I am trying to absorb as much as I can because it is easier to do more if you can talk to the doctors. It’s all about taking initiative and the more Spanish I can learn the more I can hope to do. Kasey has been very patient with me and so have the doctors. I might get to give shots soon! One guy even asked today if I was Japanese… which was weird. I have never been asked in my life what my ethnicity is, but I guess since we are like unicorns in a herd of horses my “asian” features stick out a lot more than if I was in Europe or another American city,
I might go to the obstetrician’s office on Thursday because some of the girls also working in a clinic in their first half hour saw a birth. I also learned today that some of the guys actually saw an abortion today. Now, Ayacucho is a very religious city, they have 33 Catholic churches, one for every year of Jesus life, so abortions are not common. Recently though, the death rate of pregnant women has doubled from its normal value so I feel that abortions are going to be more common.
I had a really nice walk with some of the girls today, we went to the “Gringo Plaza”, that’s what the Ayacuchan people call it anyway. We went and had coffee and a snack . It’s been so long since I have hung out with just girls that it’s very refreshing! Well I better go! So may people so few devices f communication!
Love and miss you all!
Caity (Robbie)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hola!
Sorry I can't always get on the computer so i am typing them on days and pasting them when i get the chance!
07-12-09
Mi es muy cansado…..
I have been up for over 40 hours now and have gotten 4 hours of sleep total. Ayacucho is a beautiful, but still sad from what I have seen so far. The first thing they give you when you head off the plane is a nice little pamphlet on Swine Flu, and all the workers in the airport wear surgical masks which made everyone a little nervous and it made it harder for me to understand what it was they were trying to communicate (not that my Spanish is that good to begin with). The stewardesses all wear these bright colored matching outfits that look like they had come from the sixties, and they speak over the intercom so fast that it just seems like one really long word.
Home base is extremely nice and I am sharing a room with three other girls. We have our own bathroom and shower, along with no hot water.... going to be very difficult for the next six weeks. We are sharing one phone and two internet hookups with 45 other people, so keeping in contact is going to be a definite challenge. As the weeks go on though, and we get closer to the end of summer, I am guessing that the number of people incoming will decrease as well as the number of those leaving.
The plaza is really the only partially developed part of town, as most of the city and streets are very old and worn. This makes the sky so beautiful at night, because of the lack of bright city lights. Thousands of stars that I may never have seen before are now clear. It’s wonderful. The marketplace is packed with all different kinds of knick-nacks and what not! And the fresh fruit looks so good that it is so hard to keep from eating it, along with all of the breads, cheeses, and pastries that the rest of the vendors sell. There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE!
The older volunteers bought us a fireworks display made from bamboo. I am really sad that I forgot to bring my camera because it would be so much easier to explain what it looked like! The man whom they had bought it from started off by firing the small fireworks into the air (the ones that don’t bloom but rather just pop) and then he lit this awesome contraption that he had been working on all day. It had all kinds of bottle rockets and fountain fireworks that would spin in circles as they let off streams of sparks. The finale was the best part, he had put a wheel on the top rigged with fireworks that when it finally lit soared into the sky spinning casting off massive amounts of sparks! It was amazing! Again sorry for not bringing the camera but we are hoping to do it again sometime soon, or even for some new incoming volunteers.
I am going to go sit up on the roof now and roast some marshmallows by the fire pit! I love you all!
07-12-09
Mi es muy cansado…..
I have been up for over 40 hours now and have gotten 4 hours of sleep total. Ayacucho is a beautiful, but still sad from what I have seen so far. The first thing they give you when you head off the plane is a nice little pamphlet on Swine Flu, and all the workers in the airport wear surgical masks which made everyone a little nervous and it made it harder for me to understand what it was they were trying to communicate (not that my Spanish is that good to begin with). The stewardesses all wear these bright colored matching outfits that look like they had come from the sixties, and they speak over the intercom so fast that it just seems like one really long word.
Home base is extremely nice and I am sharing a room with three other girls. We have our own bathroom and shower, along with no hot water.... going to be very difficult for the next six weeks. We are sharing one phone and two internet hookups with 45 other people, so keeping in contact is going to be a definite challenge. As the weeks go on though, and we get closer to the end of summer, I am guessing that the number of people incoming will decrease as well as the number of those leaving.
The plaza is really the only partially developed part of town, as most of the city and streets are very old and worn. This makes the sky so beautiful at night, because of the lack of bright city lights. Thousands of stars that I may never have seen before are now clear. It’s wonderful. The marketplace is packed with all different kinds of knick-nacks and what not! And the fresh fruit looks so good that it is so hard to keep from eating it, along with all of the breads, cheeses, and pastries that the rest of the vendors sell. There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE!
The older volunteers bought us a fireworks display made from bamboo. I am really sad that I forgot to bring my camera because it would be so much easier to explain what it looked like! The man whom they had bought it from started off by firing the small fireworks into the air (the ones that don’t bloom but rather just pop) and then he lit this awesome contraption that he had been working on all day. It had all kinds of bottle rockets and fountain fireworks that would spin in circles as they let off streams of sparks. The finale was the best part, he had put a wheel on the top rigged with fireworks that when it finally lit soared into the sky spinning casting off massive amounts of sparks! It was amazing! Again sorry for not bringing the camera but we are hoping to do it again sometime soon, or even for some new incoming volunteers.
I am going to go sit up on the roof now and roast some marshmallows by the fire pit! I love you all!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Holy Cow!
Well, I leave tomorrow and I have to say I am extremely nervous but very much excited for the journey ahead of me. Long trip and an early day tomorrow and I am pretty sure I have everything I need for a safe trip (at least I hope I do). I hope my blog isn't too boring, haha, it's my first stab at it and I hope I leave you all with more exciting posts and pictures in the future.
I will be shadowing doctors at Santa Elena Health Clinic in Ayacucho for the next six weeks and some of my tasks will include: weighing and measuring babies, taking patient vitals, taking patient histories, and I will get to join some of the doctors on house calls. Along with all this, I am going to be participating in an extensive immersion into the Peruvian culture by taking Spanish lessons, dance classes, and trips across the country to get a feel for how the people of Peru live.
From this experience I am hoping to use the knowledge that I gain to learn how to work in less than ideal conditions so that I may help people in the US while I continue my schooling. I hope this hasn't been too essay like, I hope to talk to you all soon! Bye!
I will be shadowing doctors at Santa Elena Health Clinic in Ayacucho for the next six weeks and some of my tasks will include: weighing and measuring babies, taking patient vitals, taking patient histories, and I will get to join some of the doctors on house calls. Along with all this, I am going to be participating in an extensive immersion into the Peruvian culture by taking Spanish lessons, dance classes, and trips across the country to get a feel for how the people of Peru live.
From this experience I am hoping to use the knowledge that I gain to learn how to work in less than ideal conditions so that I may help people in the US while I continue my schooling. I hope this hasn't been too essay like, I hope to talk to you all soon! Bye!
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