April 18, 2010: Week 2
Today was an awesome day. Everyone bailed on me this morning for running so I ran alone. I started running with a stick which probably makes me look like a weirdo but its worth it since I have been attacked by the same freakin dog about 4 times now. The clinic had some interesting cases today. I saw a boy who had Pica. His neighbor brought him in and explained that she saw him eating dirt and mixing it with sugar to make dirt shakes because his mom works all day and does not feed him till night and expects her to take care of him all day. This was all in spanish so thats what I got from it at least. He was 8 and had not started kindergarden yet. Socially the boy was developmentally delayed and Dr. Sarah explained to me that Pica causes anemia because of iron deficiency (and vitamin deficiency) as well as gripe (flu). She prescribed the boy with vitamins and parasite antibiotics for the worms he most likely had. The boy looked very sick and pale when he came in and didn't answer any of my questions. I tried to do a follow-up to check up on the boy after a few days to make sure the parents use the resources I gave them but they do not have a phone, or internet. A lot of mothers on the main land are single moms employed by temporary jobs such as cruise ships. The are no alternative jobs so the mothers end up leaving the children with neighbors or family members that don't take very good care of the children. There are only 2 day cares on the island that only the rich people can afford. I am learning so much about the culture and how the honduran health system works. There is a substantial gap between the rich and the poor on the island, like many other developing countries, which leaves very few resources for the poor. I am looking into the day cares on the island and hoping they can set up a program for low-income families, or hopefully there is one already available that can be improved on to refer the families to. Its hard to see these kind of things and do nothing.
In the clinic I am working with Raul, Dr. Sarah (born in Iran, lived in Honduras for 11 years, moved to USA for middle school, high school, college and Med school, then moved back to Honduras to work. She speaks 3 languages excluding English and is very cute and Witty). I also work with Dr. Gross who is a 72 year old american attending who lives in San Diego and travels around the world to help as a doctor in third world countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Haiti, India, etc. He said he has seen the worst things in Northern India, and if I wanted to come see them with him at some point that I was welcome. I am beginning to absorb and process everything I am seeing and hearing to make some sense of it all.
Now its around 3pm and I am headed to the beach to do some thai chi, then look into coaching soccer at this place down the street. My life has no order, changing every 3 months, but I am starting to get used to it. Not sure if thats good or not but i'm adapting.
