Life with the Elim Students at Roca Blanca

Nurse Vernessa, daughter-in-law, hermana Carmelita and student Sheila at home visit

Impingement of Sciatic nerve, probably...

Well it has been a wild week for me. Mostly I spent it on my back in severe pain. Never, I say never, will I try to transfer a non-weightbearing patient again. I have spent the last week on my back in bed or on the floor, or pacing trying to get some relief from the worse most persistent pain I have ever experienced.

It started with a precious woman who I had the joy to care for. She was homebound so we were visiting her to make sure she was taking her meds and tracking the healing of a bedsore she had developed.

I have really been happy to see that my little training in wound care has served us well with her wound. However the other day when I went to check on her she wasn't in her bed so I went to help her transfer herself to a position where I could examine her. She had been able to support herself before but suddenly I found her in my arms dead weight! Rather that put her back I moved her to the bed. I thought "I may pay for this later".

Two days passed, I was fine. I took a "me day" in Puerto. I took a micro into Puerto Escondido, had Pan Frances at Cafecito. I walked the beach while talking to friends and family on the phone. What a wonderful day that was. That night I noticed a little tug in my back. The next morning it started hurting more, and it all went downhill from there.

Laura informed me that we had a great chiropractor in Puerto Escondido and I was grateful to make his acquaintance Wednesday morning. But the spasms had gone too far, and the inflammation and pain was so severe that one visit wasn't enough. The muscle relaxants and anti-inflammants I was taking wasn't making any difference.

I finally tried a strong pain reliever called tramadol. That only made me extremely nauseous. Thursday night found Laura loading me into the car with my pillow, my water bottle, and my barf bag in hand as I was crying in pain. I felt like a laboring woman going to the hospital to deliver a baby.

Quite an embarrassing sight as I think of it now. We RN's often say, "every patient deserves a nurse" and the Lord blessed me to have Laura.

Off we drove down the winding road to Puerto at around 9:30 PM, in a light rain. She had to drive slowly because of the rain, and a convoy of 5 white semi-tractor trailers in front of us on the road.

The appointment at the chiropractor's was quick and culminated with me utilizing my barf bag violently. I was sent home with some directions to lay on the floor, elevate my legs on a chair and apply ice. And so, after a hard night, the pain began to lessen.

Friday around 5 PM I rose from my bed reluctantly and walked across the campus. I ate a little white rice, took a little ice tea then went up to the top floor of the guest house and enjoyed the cool breezes courtesy of the earlier rains.

Well, that was probably too much information. But suffice it to say, I am recovering, wearing a support belt and being very quick to "lay on the floor and apply ice" at the slightest suggestion of pain.

Elim Students

Dr. Mary Kay showing Bethany how to test for the Babinski reflex on Rosie

Our life here these days has been a combination of student lectures by Drs. Dave and Mary Kay, plus clinical days with patients who come to the clinic. The students sit in on the consults and discuss with the doctors the ailments and finer points of diagnoses.

Sheila using an opthalmascope

I am enjoying the lectures when I can sit in. I interpret for Dr. Dave when he sees patients. Actually, Dr. Dave's Spanish has improved so much, I usually just sit in to help him out with understanding the patients, but this week he was using more English so the students could understand what he was saying.

Me interpreting for Dr. Dave, Kaie and Vernesa

I would like to recommend that you check out Drs. Dave and Mary Kay's blog. There are some good stories to add that I can't write here. There is a pretty graphic picture of a wound that I helped the students dress, with a pretty sad story. But a good warning to take diabetes seriously. When you are done reading this, go to http://www.nessblog.com/roca/ You may have to type it in the address.

Feliz Cupleaños Saul
Saul and his sister Lore, who is a nursing student and has been with our clinic for years

This last week we have also enjoyed a birthday party. Saul, one of our clinic staff turned 30!
We had tacos, iguana tamales, jamaica and chocolate birthday cake.

we had a great feast!

And to add to our celebrations, Dr. Eder who has been serving at the Corban Clinic for, I believe, 3 years, as our resident doctor. Has received his "titulo" which endows him with all the rights and privileges of a physician. We are so very proud and happy for him.

Dr. Eder, Paulina and Nelly

I suspect that if you look back through the archives you should find the pictures of Dr. Eder and Paulina's wedding. Last year they added a precious little jewel to our clinic family, Nelly! She is such a happy baby, complete with her daddy's dimple.



So, goodbye for now. Less than 3 weeks until I return home to my honey in Mount Vernon. I can't wait...but still there are many days of clinic, and classes and patients and an outreach up to El Mosco. We leave Fridays morning. Please pray for my back!

I'll close for now, I have to get the medication shopping list ready for tomorrow's trip to Puerto.

Tetepelcingo

Last weekend’s outreach to Tetepelcingo started with inventory of the mobile pharmacy and a trip to Similares where we get our meds. By Wednesday suero oral (rehydration fluid) was made and the vitamins were all counted, bagged and labeled. Thursday the rest of the mobile clinic was collected and packed. On Friday the air-mattresses were tested, the sleeping bags were counted and almost everything was loaded into Dr. Dave’s truck.

Angela, who looks remarkably like my daughter-in-law Amanda, labeling vitamins

Bethany counting vitamins to bag for the outreach

Susan bagging Suero Oral, that is concentrate for dehydration fluid

Saturday bright and early we were ready to go. Hurray! We were served pancakes and bananas and off we went. Four vehicles and 28 people headed for the Mixtec town of Tetepelcingo. We were 8 Elim students, Dr. and Peggy Smith (a dentist and nurse from Klamath Falls, OR), 3 of the language school students plus the regular staff, including our two lady dentists and their husbands.

Peggy Smith R.N. triaging patients

We arrived around noon and had soon set up the dental area, three consulting rooms, a room for prayer (all made with sheets, cord and clothes pins) and, of course, the pharmacy. We added a triage space for Peggy to help with the patient load, and a couple chairs where students took vitals and weighed patients.

Laura and Pastor Pedro giving meds and instructions to a patient

Tetepelcingo is a good sized town, with the usual concrete and brick house, and a good number of the stick homes we see here in Cacalote. The people of the town differ a bit from the people of El Mosco in the Ixtayutla region in that they speak more Spanish and appear much more prosperous and healthy. They have a more educated presentation as well. We saw very few in the traditional costumes of the coastal Mixtec. They also seemed to be more used to having outsiders in their midst, we were certainly noticed and watched, but generally we felt safe and accepted.

Joann and Correen, the kids and balloon relays

On this outreach we had the Roca Blanca Language School students plus two of their teachers with us. The students provided a program of the children who accompanied their parents to the clinic. There were exciting games and relays, crafts, dramas and Bible stories.

Bible stories in English and Mixteco

The language students are still learning the language so they had their teacher Ruben to interpret for them. Ruben, whose wife is one of our dentists, is a well-educated Mixteco who lived a few years in the U.S.A. He was able to interpret English to Mixtec without going through a Spanish interpretation. Anyone who has worked with us in the Mixteco villages know how very cool that is!

the children were great, cooperative and responsive, here is Ruben interpreting

I worked in the pharmacy as well as an interpreter for Dr. Dave. We had some interesting cases. The one that stands out most in my mind is the 33 year old woman who suffered from seizure disorder and had taken Dilantin since childhood. She had been married, or perhaps juntada(lived with a man as his wife) and had three teenage daughters. Her husband had left her for another woman, and she longed to be able to go out and work like other people.

We explained that her medication could control her seizures, but she said that no one would hire her for fear that she would have a seizure in their presence. She also seemed to be having trouble controlling the seizures and an increase of Dilantin had side effects she couldn’t live with. She pressed and pressed for Dr. Dave to do something for her. She reminded me of the woman in the parable in the Bible who would not rest until the judge gave her justice.

It is difficult to change a person’s seizure medications when you cannot be there to observe on a routine basis. But as she was so persistent we added another anti-seizure drug to her regimen which was to be increased a little each week. We hope that she will come here to Clinica Corban for Dr. Dave to review her response to the new medication in 4 weeks. And we pray that she get the control of her life and seizures that she so greatly desires.

Rosie cleaning teeth and Bethany assisting

The Elim students worked taking vitals, in the pharmacy and with the dentists, as well as shadowing the doctors. They had just had a week with Dr. Alex Smith learning all about dental care.

Sheila helping Dr. Adriana pull a tooth by holding the light, Susan R.N. looks on

We stayed in several homes, and many of us stayed in tents. We were fed royally at the pastor's home. As usual an army of ladies came together to make soup and tortillas, mole and many other tasty dishes. I had my first hot Mexican chocolate made with water and I loved it!

I found these pots everywhere in the village, they were hand built. I was very inspired!

After clinic on Sunday we held a joyous and lively worship service in the street. I was very aware of the neighbors that stood around and listened. I took me back to the time when I as a child would listen to the people in the church across the street sing and wonder about what their faith was like.

I went forward to give a testimony and next thing I knew I was being asked to give an invitation. It embarrassed me a bit, but it was wonderful to pray for those who came forward in response to the wonderful message about God's love.

Spanish student Tim helps with worship

As I prepare to close, I have to mention that I am in an internet cafe as I cannot get sufficient internet service at the base, at least not enough to post a blog. Please forgive the many errors you encounter in this blog. I won't have time to proof read it too well.

I am surround here by the voices of the Elim students talking to their parents and families on Skype. It is delightful. I am enjoying their company so much.
Today is Saturday, Sunday we are going to give a birthday party for one of the clinic staff. We have shopping to do so I will close!