Feb 2, Wednesday
Words cannot begin to express what it's been like to work here at MCF and provide medical care. It's so sad to know that we are not able to provide long term relief and medical care for these people. We have no blood pressure medications and certainly nothing for long-term. We can treat malaria, typhoid, and intestinal worms ... but, we can't provide homes with mosquito nets, safe drinking water and food ... so, they will most likely get sick again. They will feel better for a few weeks and for this, they are so grateful. In 3 weeks, another medical team from Canada will be coming in ... I think most of the community depends on the medical mission trips for their primary care and to provide relief of their illnesses, even if it is short-term.
We started the day about 8am. We shut down for 1/2 an hour at lunch -- many of us would have skipped lunch because of the long lines waiting in the sun -- but, we had no interpreters during this time. We finished the day about 7pm.
Again, many had walked for hours and then it was all day at the clinic - waiting to be seen, waiting for labs / blood tests, waiting for pharmacy and medications and finally, discharge. By afternoon, the wait to have bloodwork done was about 4 hours. There is just one lab tech in a small room - he would draw the blood, have the patient collect any urine or stool specimens and then process it for results. At one point, we noted a slide sitting in the sun to have the blood dry faster.
A lot of typhoid, malaria ... so many complaints of headaches, fever, night sweats, pain in the back and abdomen, joint pain, high blood pressure. One lady told me that she had given birth to a baby last week that was not alive. A few days prior to this, she had gone to the hospital because her water broke. The baby was OK and they sent her home with an oral antibiotic. Two days later, she went into labor and the baby was stillborn. So heartbreaking.
We just heard that there is a big blizzard / snow storm back home. I am so glad that I'm missing that and here in the warm, sunny weather. I do miss Matt and my girls - I'm looking at their picture right now. I miss Caitlin and Mackenzie's voices and their laughter.
SARAH's JOURNAL
Wednesday
I'm ready to fall into bed - we started at 8am and closed the clinic at 715pm. It feels so good to help so many people today. The word is spreading in the community and we expect more patients tomorrow and Friday. My mind is so tired, I cannot even think of what to write. It occurred to me last night (or should I say that it hasn't!) thought about work even once. A week from tomorrow and I'll be back ... right now, it feels a world away and I will try to keep work completely out of my mind for the next 7 days. Good night =)
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