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!