Greetings From Bolivia!!!

It has been a busy couple weeks at Centro Medico, capped off with seeing 40 patients yesterday!  We are all starting to get comfortable with our roles in the clinic.  There have been some interesting patients--ranging from diagnosing a new-found stenotic valve in one of our patients to draining a nasty bacterial abscess in another.  Most of the patients are coming for follow-up management of chronic problems (lots of diabetes/high blood pressure/high cholesterol...etc), but we also deal with some more complicated problems such as hypothyroid disease and seizure disorders.  Kara has been seeing a couple patients everyday, although it can be difficult to decide who can really benefit from Physical Therapy as almost every patient complains of some form of chronic pain.  She has also been doing home visits most days to Fanny--the woman in Palacios who broke her hip while pregnant.  Fanny has been making wonderful progress.  When Kara started she could hardly sit up in bed.  Now she is able to stand up and balance on her good leg and even walk with crutches!  We are excited because she is meeting soon with her surgeon to plan her next surgery.  Hopefully it will be soon, so that Kara will be able to assist with her post-surgical rehabilitation.

 

 Rebecca and I getting ready for our first patient.  Nice morning hair. 

Kara with Fanny: Hard at work building up strength!

Walking with crutches for the 1st time!

On other important fronts, I shaved off my bigote/mustache...which I know must upset most of our readers.  I'm biding my time to give the beard another go.  More updates to follow.  

 

 In the mean time, one for the memories...

In Santa Cruz, we have been going to our local park where there are basketball hoops--but of course everybody plays soccer on the court!  We had a bit of a scare last weekend.  After shooting around for a half-hour Kara and I were about to leave.  That is when Kara saw a group of tree trunks lined up together--begging to be skipped across.  Needless to say, the first trunk was not as sturdily planted to the ground as one would have imagined.  Kara never made it to the second trunk as her leg came out from under her and her thigh crashed into trunk.  It was one of those terrible moments where you have to stop yourself from chuckling as you realize that your companion may be seriously injured.  She turned pale white and was even on the verge of vomiting.  After resting for 15-20 minutes, she was able to make the walk back to the house.  She recovered well and was walking with a minimal limp the days after the fall.  As the picture shows, she is currently holding the honors for most impressive bruise in Bolivia.  Im not sure if she even told her parents yet, so Marty and Vicki, you don't need to worry she is doing fine. 

 Yikes.  Glad you are okay Kara

Life at the clinic is surprisingly busy.  We often go for runs in the morning, to avoid the heat and humidity.  Then we drive to Palacios to pick up Mumi (the woman who looks after the clinic and cooks meals for the staff), Vicky (one of the health promoters who is our active nurse because Guinda is pregnant), and Chaobella (one of the laboratory technicians).  Patients show up anytime in the morning, but the clinic starts at 9 o clock.  Vicky checks patients in and takes their vitals.  Usually the physician (either Dr. Vargas or Dr. Guerero) doesn’t show up until 10ish.  Rebecca (the other med student coordinator) and I start seeing patients a little after 9 so that we will have a patient or two to staff with the physician when they arrive.  Clinic lasts anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on how many patients show up.  After clinic, we try and get some studying done—Spanish, medicine, physical therapy, etc.  But we always make some time for a game of futbol or futbol-tenis with Don Pepe (the man who stays with us at the clinic during the week, Mumis esposo) and Alec (the pharmacist at the clinic and Mumi and Pepe’s hijo).  As coordinators we are in charge of cooking dinner for whoever is staying out there at the clinic.  I must say last week’s menu was pretty impressive: Chicken fajitas with guacamole, baked potatos with chorizo, and a baked pasta with vegetables.  I even whipped up the semi-famous Schuler-Murray Curry Chicken recipe last week.  Knocked our Bolivian hosts calcitines (socks) off!  Muy Rico…

 Reigning Champs of Futbol Tenis--mostly due to Don Pepe's fine work from the back line

 Padre-Hijo header battle at the net. 

 DJ--the clinic perro, taking it easy

 Grace with Mathew, one of Mumi and Pepe's grandchildren. 

 Look out Palacios, K O'Malley getting comfy with the stick shift

 Fanny's beautiful family

 La Cena is on the way...

We celebrated a couple birthdays at the end of August.  Mumi and Chaobella were our August birthdays and we had a little party after finishing clinic.  We sang in Spanish and then English—all the coordinators still need to work on the lyrics in Spanish I’m afraid.  As Bolivian tradition dictates, Mumi and Chaobella both had their faces shoved into their pieces of cake.  We now know to be cautious on our own cumpleanos…

 

 Cumpleanos Feliz!

Sunset in Palacios

We are currently back in Santa Cruz.  Sunday is our day off as nothing is open in the city.  This is the first week of the NFL, and I am dismayed to find that despite out 72 channel cable, I can’t find the Bears game.  Kara and Grace are going into the city for frozen yogurt and said that they would look for a bar with some football on.  We will be cheering for Andy Murray tomorrow, but I’m not getting my hopes up.  Followed the Skers game online to a tough loss—of course Alabama wins easily.  It looks like it could be a difficult year for me rooting for our mediocre Cornhuskers while Kara gets to cheer on the Tide as they roll over their opponents.  Oh well.  

We hope all is well with all of our friends and family in Chicago, Mobile, Omaha, and elsewhere.  Already looking forward to our visit in December/January.