Today was the best day of volunteering though I'm thinking my folks are going to quarantine me when I get back to the US cause I'm not stopping working at the TB place...
Got to Rodolfo today, knowing I'd have to feed the crazy again. So, I did, and so this is how it goes, she just sits there looking around, mumbling shit I can't understand, looking at me crazy, I ask her if she wants eggs and no matter if she says yes or no or something, I feed them to her, same with tomalitos and beans...sometimes she points at the bread and she can handle that herself. There's this drink they call atol, which I think is just a liquid form of corn, cause everything is corn here. I thought everything would be beans here, but no, corn. Anyway, so the nurse comes up and it's time for the ladies pill, the atol is too hot so I have to wait for that to cool off until I try to force her to eat her pill. She lays down, shit, she has to eat this pill. So I just stand there and start like, swaying back and forth saying that she needs to eat her pill, smiling, and she SMILES. This lady doesnt freaking smile, she's the scary crazy lady that the nurses put on me cause they don't want to deal with her! She smiled, I fucking loved that, it was great. I suppose just cause she looks crazy, can't feed herself, and doesn't talk real sentences, she can still understand what I'm saying...and she has eyes that work. It felt great, I felt bad for her later cause I figured all the other nurses just sit there and spoon feed her and don't say anything to her, I got bored with that so I just basically talk to a wall, my name is Kira, I'm here for 6 months, I'll be volunteering here for 5 more weeks every wednesday and thursday morning...blah blah blah. I hope she appreciates me. SO that was a great start to the morning. After feeding time I was bored. Oh but another great thing was that right when I got there the other cooke saw me and came up to me and hugged me and rattled off stuff smiling with her eyes closed. That was nice. Then I saw that they were preparing the injections so I went into the room and asked if she could teach me, so she did, 10ml agua in the antibiotics, easy, 2ml of vitamin in another needle (aguja), then we went to give them out, she did one, then I did the next 3! It wasn't that cool cause you just stick the needle into a tube that goes into their veins, so it doesn't hurt them, but maybe I'll get to do injections into the butt eventually. So, did some injections, then I saw the nurses wheel this lady somewhere so I got the idea that they were taking her to do a procedure, and they were, so I just walked in, one knock and walked in...never would fly in the US, they had a camera tube this time in her nose, going into her lungs taking samples out of there! The whole time she was gagging and making horrible noises, it was pretty awful to watch her be miserable, but whatev. What next...so on the way to the hospital I bought some paper, paint, and paintbrushes for an activity! There is nothing to do there, these ladies hang around day in and out walking around doing nothing, bored out of their minds. I was excited to paint, got 7 of them to paint, others said they couldn't, that they didn't know how, which I didn't really understand cause it wasn't like I was grading them or anything. I think they've just never done such a thing, painting is probably something only people with money enjoy, definatley not in the rural areas. They painted trees, flowers, their houses, mountains and farms...pretty much the only things they know. I painted a million hearts then a pirate ship with pink sails and green fish underwater. It was nice, they really enjoyed it I think. Tomorrow I'm going to bring my camera and take a pic of them and me with their pics so you all can see the ladies and their paintings. Then went home happy for lunch, no one talked to me and I didn't care to talk to them, took a mini nap, shower, had class for 3 hours, now going home for dinner, then off to La Parranda where a salsa band is playing...last night in town for a while, should be a good one. TOMORROW JILL AND I LEAVE FOR BELIZE, SO EXCITED. THIS IS MY LAST BLOG UNTIL SUNDAY THE 21ST, IF WE GET BACK THEN. I'll have my phone so if something is urgent, call me, it should work, if at least until this coming sunday. Ok, have a great next week and a half, love you all and miss you all! xoxoxo!
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5 comments:
Kira that is amazing. What an awesome experience. That is exactly the type of stuff I hoped you would get into. I'm proud of you for getting the patients to paint and putting a smile on the crazy lady's face.
I would feel a whole lot better about you working there if you had done at least a little research on TB, been vaccinated, and been steadfast on always wearing a mask while you are there. If any of you do any research at all, you will see that it is scarey stuff. All it takes is inhaling 1 little bacteria amongst millions. It can kill you. You take it far too lightly. And yes, after you return to the US, if you have it, it could take 8 to 10 weeks to show up on tests. Imagine all the family and friends you can infect in that time. What do you plan to do about that?
Have a safe trip.
Love and hugs and kisses.
I can't imagine how bad it would be to be sick like that and how great it would be to have you there smiling at me and teaching me to paint. Maybe you can paint my picture and tell them that is your dad! The advanced feature is having the worm crawling down my nose. The worm has a dimple and a flea in the dimple with wrinkle on the fleas forehead.
Dad
PS: Enjoy Belize and please be careful - I love you and I need you healthy and happy.
PPS: How come you dont' say anything about boys - at 23 aren't boys a big deal?
PPS: Don't let any boys kiss you because they will stick their tongue down your throut - discusting!
Kira,
Can you get a TB vaccination shot so you dont' get it?
When you give the injection, tell the patient to take a deep breath and right when they start to inhale, stab them. Seriously, the best shot I ever got was a lady tricking me like that. Also if its a subtaneous injection, go for the fat and squeeze a huge piece:) How exciting. I can't wait until you get to do it in the butt and actually hurt someone:)
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