June 26th:
Today John and I went to "Olympic Day" for Brendas high school. First we marched in the school parade through the streets to the park where the events were held. Each grade then separated into two teams, and boys and girls played separately. The events were soccer, volleyball, basketball and chess. We watched Brenda play volleyball and basketball. John desperately wanted to play basketball with the boys, but settled on coaching the girls team. We spent the entire day there watching and occasionally playing (John during time outs). But we forgot our sunscreen and burnt out faces!! No clinic today, but a good cultural experience.
Friday, June 29, 2012
June 22-24:
La Merced. The Jungle. It was actually warm,we stayed at a beautiful hotel! A group of about 25 of us went, our group from Arizona, another group from U of I and a group of Med Students from New York Medical College. The first day we dropped our bags at the hotel and went for a six hour hike through the jungle. As we hiked we were told about many deadly snakes and plants that can kill you within 45 minutes...we were also showed the plants that could cure a sting or a bite by these plants. We were also shown the plant that penicillin comes from! We hiked up about 5 waterfalls, sometimes using a rope and sometimes just relying on the rocks! After hour hike we came back to the hotel and roasted marshmellows by a campfire with everyone.
The next day we visited a native tribe called Pampa Michi. They dressed us all up like natives and we danced around to drums in a circle. We then took a walk through their agricultural fields of potatoes, oranges, and yuca. John and I ate an orange off a tree and it was delicious. We passed by a river on our walk back to the river, and rested on the mini-beach. We went back to the hotel after this and played two games of pool volleyball for two bottles of rum, our team won! John played sports the rest of the afternoon as I finished off the last of the hunger games. Later that night we went out to a discoteca which was pretty cool. It was right on the river, had two levels and it served food! We tired quickly though after the long day.
Sunday we traveled to a few more waterfalls, not for climbing, just for swimming. (These are the pics on facebaook.) And we traveled back to Hunacayo later in the evening. On the way back our bus driver stopped at about 11pm in the middle of nowhere for a "bathroom break". Aside from the bushes as toilets, the sky was beautiful! The most stars, and open sky I have ever seen!
La Merced. The Jungle. It was actually warm,we stayed at a beautiful hotel! A group of about 25 of us went, our group from Arizona, another group from U of I and a group of Med Students from New York Medical College. The first day we dropped our bags at the hotel and went for a six hour hike through the jungle. As we hiked we were told about many deadly snakes and plants that can kill you within 45 minutes...we were also showed the plants that could cure a sting or a bite by these plants. We were also shown the plant that penicillin comes from! We hiked up about 5 waterfalls, sometimes using a rope and sometimes just relying on the rocks! After hour hike we came back to the hotel and roasted marshmellows by a campfire with everyone.
The next day we visited a native tribe called Pampa Michi. They dressed us all up like natives and we danced around to drums in a circle. We then took a walk through their agricultural fields of potatoes, oranges, and yuca. John and I ate an orange off a tree and it was delicious. We passed by a river on our walk back to the river, and rested on the mini-beach. We went back to the hotel after this and played two games of pool volleyball for two bottles of rum, our team won! John played sports the rest of the afternoon as I finished off the last of the hunger games. Later that night we went out to a discoteca which was pretty cool. It was right on the river, had two levels and it served food! We tired quickly though after the long day.
Sunday we traveled to a few more waterfalls, not for climbing, just for swimming. (These are the pics on facebaook.) And we traveled back to Hunacayo later in the evening. On the way back our bus driver stopped at about 11pm in the middle of nowhere for a "bathroom break". Aside from the bushes as toilets, the sky was beautiful! The most stars, and open sky I have ever seen!
June 21:
John and I went to Chupaca in the afternoon (to avoid the crowd of volunteers that are usually at the hospitals/clinics). It turned out to be the best day in the clinic yet! We both gave our first shots, and we helped deliver a baby (it was only the nurse and us!) First we saw the technician stitch up a few men, and also clean up an infected stomach wound. After we had watched her give several shots/vaccines we asked if we could have a try. John went first, and he gave his first shot to a woman in the butt. He told her after that it was her first shot, and she said it didnt hurt at all. Then surprisingly a 19 yr girl went into labor, and John and I were the only ones there to help the nurse and technician deliver the baby. At first we were just standing watching, but as the baby was crowning the nurse shouted to us and asked why we didnt have gloves on! John was so frazzled he ripped his gloves...but he regained his composure enough to grab the baby from the nurse and hold it on the mothers stomach just after it was born! We then took the baby the the heating table where John suctioned the spit from the babys mouth and I rubbed it to keep the baby warm. After the nurse was able to remove the placenta she came over and prepared a vaccination, which she let me inject into the babys thigh! (My first shot!) It was a baby girl, and regrettably the mother did not want the baby and the father of the child was not in the picture. John accompanied the nurse to the hallway with the baby, where the 19 year girls parents were waiting for their grandchild. John says they were ecstatic by the birth of the baby. After all this John and I decided to call it a day...we didnt think it could get any better!
John and I went to Chupaca in the afternoon (to avoid the crowd of volunteers that are usually at the hospitals/clinics). It turned out to be the best day in the clinic yet! We both gave our first shots, and we helped deliver a baby (it was only the nurse and us!) First we saw the technician stitch up a few men, and also clean up an infected stomach wound. After we had watched her give several shots/vaccines we asked if we could have a try. John went first, and he gave his first shot to a woman in the butt. He told her after that it was her first shot, and she said it didnt hurt at all. Then surprisingly a 19 yr girl went into labor, and John and I were the only ones there to help the nurse and technician deliver the baby. At first we were just standing watching, but as the baby was crowning the nurse shouted to us and asked why we didnt have gloves on! John was so frazzled he ripped his gloves...but he regained his composure enough to grab the baby from the nurse and hold it on the mothers stomach just after it was born! We then took the baby the the heating table where John suctioned the spit from the babys mouth and I rubbed it to keep the baby warm. After the nurse was able to remove the placenta she came over and prepared a vaccination, which she let me inject into the babys thigh! (My first shot!) It was a baby girl, and regrettably the mother did not want the baby and the father of the child was not in the picture. John accompanied the nurse to the hallway with the baby, where the 19 year girls parents were waiting for their grandchild. John says they were ecstatic by the birth of the baby. After all this John and I decided to call it a day...we didnt think it could get any better!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
June 16th:
Today we went on a glacier hike!! IT WAS AWESOME! We woke up around 7am and took an hour long bus ride to base camp. I was wearing all of the shirts that I own, my pajama pants (thanks mom) under my jeans, along with a pair of borrowed snow pants. We began climbing the mountain at around 9/9:30. Huancayo is already 10K above sea level, and the peak of the glacier was another 5K--needless to say the altitude on the way up the mountain was killer. We had to take many breaks because our lungs wouldn't take in the oxygen we needed. It was a 3 hour hike to the base of the glacier. Once we got to the glacier we spent about two hours climbing up and sliding down. Our coordinator decided it would be a good idea to explore the crevasse with one of the other volunteers and they nearly fell in....maybe they didn't know those things are dangerous..
I have many many pictures of the glacier and the hike to it. The view was possibly the most beautiful I have ever seen. The hike back took much shorter time, since our lungs had adjusted and we were on the decent. We were all hungry, exhausted and cold. John said it was "most definitely the hardest thing he has ever done!" but this was before he told me he was so tired he might cry. (I was embarrassed, but trekked on :P).
When we finally got back to the base (prob about an 1.5 hike from the glacier) we were fed trout and potatoes. We loaded our bus and all passed out on the ride home. We were too exhausted to do much more with our day.
Today we went on a glacier hike!! IT WAS AWESOME! We woke up around 7am and took an hour long bus ride to base camp. I was wearing all of the shirts that I own, my pajama pants (thanks mom) under my jeans, along with a pair of borrowed snow pants. We began climbing the mountain at around 9/9:30. Huancayo is already 10K above sea level, and the peak of the glacier was another 5K--needless to say the altitude on the way up the mountain was killer. We had to take many breaks because our lungs wouldn't take in the oxygen we needed. It was a 3 hour hike to the base of the glacier. Once we got to the glacier we spent about two hours climbing up and sliding down. Our coordinator decided it would be a good idea to explore the crevasse with one of the other volunteers and they nearly fell in....maybe they didn't know those things are dangerous..
I have many many pictures of the glacier and the hike to it. The view was possibly the most beautiful I have ever seen. The hike back took much shorter time, since our lungs had adjusted and we were on the decent. We were all hungry, exhausted and cold. John said it was "most definitely the hardest thing he has ever done!" but this was before he told me he was so tired he might cry. (I was embarrassed, but trekked on :P).
When we finally got back to the base (prob about an 1.5 hike from the glacier) we were fed trout and potatoes. We loaded our bus and all passed out on the ride home. We were too exhausted to do much more with our day.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
June 13:
Volunteered at the clinic in Azapampa again today. John joined me in the CRED, but nothing interesting happened today. We watched as the nurses measure height and head sized, weighed and checked for proper development. We also got to watch as the nurses checked for all the normal reflexes of babies including: stroking the babies feet to make sure their toes curled, suckling reflex, walking reflex when their feet are placed on a surface, and grabbing reflex. We left the clinic at noon, because Eli and Neto were taking our whole group out to lunch for Pachamanca. This is where the Peruvians dig a hole in the ground, place hot stones on the bottom of the hole, and then fill the hole with food. The food cooks while underground. I ordered Pachamanca de Cuy...I ate Guinea Pig!! It was alright, tasted like chicken. There wasn't much meat, but a lot of thick skin. John ordered Pachamanca de Pollo, but he tried a bite of my Cuy.
June 11th:
First day at the clinic in Azapampa!! John and I were placed at the clinic, and most of the other volunteers were placed at either the hospital or the other clinic in Chupaca. For the first time John and I took what is called a "Combie"-- essentially a large van for the public that costs S/ .90 to ride. When we got to the clinic John was placed with a cranky doctor named Juan, who apparently lectured young couples on birth control (which is severely lacking in Peru). I was placed in "CRED" which is kind of like a general check-up for newborns to 3 years old. Here the nurses gave children vaccines, checked for proper mental development and checked babies for reflexes.
Some of the mothers that came in had no idea how to care for a baby or a child. Most all of the mothers carry their children on their backs swaddled in blankets. It is easy to decipher those children who live in the markets/streets with their parents and those who come from well-kept homes. Many times the children from the market women do not have any diapers, and just pee/poop into the blankets that they are swaddled in-the mothers laughed it off like it was no big deal. Many times the nurses had to coach the mothers on how to breastfeed their babies because they often did it incorrectly or not often enough. About half of the children that were seen had the risk of malnutrition because they were either not eating properly, or not as often as they should. One mother had been feeding her baby (of less than a year) little breast milk and mostly soup-- which the nurses quickly told her was not okay. Many of the children had not developed the ability to speak, but were able to recognize objects when they were placed in front of them. The nurses wrote of list of suggestions for the mothers to practice with their children to help them develop the facial muscles to speak. This often included whistling and making other silly noises.
Near the end of my shift the nurses allowed me to use a stethoscope to listen to the children's lungs, they allowed me to measure the height of the children as well as weigh them. This allowed me to practice my numbers in Spanish. I really enjoyed this day in the clinic!
June 10th:
Today we went on the Valley Tour by horseback! John was feeling ill the day before, but got better just in time. We woke up early and drove with Neto to our destination. We climbed a few foothills where we were able to see incredible sights! We were also about to see the "burned bones" ruins. After this we traveled to the stable where we got on our horse! John was the first to climb on a horse, and we were all a little nervous for him. Apparently the last time he mounted a horse he cried. No tears this time! We rode through the valley for about an hour, until we arrived at another foothill. This time we were lead through the rock formations and caves by a young guide, who had obviously been on the trail many times. We were ducking through trees, climbing under and over rocks, and near the end of the trail we ascended a nearly vertical part of the hill. One girl sprained her ankle, but she is always the one to get hurt. It's a miracle we all made it to the top! We hiked right back to our horses, and rode the hour back to the stable. We were all exhausted and starving. The view was beautiful though, much prettier than where we are stationed in Huancayo. Our houses are in the middle of a small dirty city, with every breath you can feel your lungs blackening. Our trek through the valley was much different: tons of open space, farmland, just green and natural. Nearly untouched.
When we made it back to the stable, Eli and Neto joined us and took us to a nearby restaurant. The restaurant was called "El Encanto". The restaurant was surrounded by the greenery, many small waterfalls and tree houses. The seating was outside, and during our meal we had two Peruvian men sing to us. After the meal we went to some artisan shops. The first was an elderly woman, around 65 who had been making silver jewelry since she was 18 years old. First she showed us a bit about how she makes the jewelry. She used a stone slab and a blow torch (for which she powered the gas by pressing on a pedal with her foot). After she showed us how she made the jewelry she invited us into her home and let us look at her work. Many of the girls bought necklaces and earrings. I bartered for a necklace and was able to buy it for S/. 10 cheaper than the original.
After this we went to another artisan shop where we were able to see how women made alpaca and wool sweaters. First they showed us how they made blankets. John and I tried it out, he was much better than I. We then looked around the shop at the many sweaters, blankets, and bags made from alpaca, wool or both. Alcapa is generally much more soft than wool, however it sheds much more easily making it more likely that item will lose "body". The women at the shop told us that it was much more beneficial to buy a half alpaca, half wool sweater/blanket because it lasts longer. John and I didn't buy anything here.
After this long day we finally returned home at around 6:30pm.
Volunteered at the clinic in Azapampa again today. John joined me in the CRED, but nothing interesting happened today. We watched as the nurses measure height and head sized, weighed and checked for proper development. We also got to watch as the nurses checked for all the normal reflexes of babies including: stroking the babies feet to make sure their toes curled, suckling reflex, walking reflex when their feet are placed on a surface, and grabbing reflex. We left the clinic at noon, because Eli and Neto were taking our whole group out to lunch for Pachamanca. This is where the Peruvians dig a hole in the ground, place hot stones on the bottom of the hole, and then fill the hole with food. The food cooks while underground. I ordered Pachamanca de Cuy...I ate Guinea Pig!! It was alright, tasted like chicken. There wasn't much meat, but a lot of thick skin. John ordered Pachamanca de Pollo, but he tried a bite of my Cuy.
June 11th:
First day at the clinic in Azapampa!! John and I were placed at the clinic, and most of the other volunteers were placed at either the hospital or the other clinic in Chupaca. For the first time John and I took what is called a "Combie"-- essentially a large van for the public that costs S/ .90 to ride. When we got to the clinic John was placed with a cranky doctor named Juan, who apparently lectured young couples on birth control (which is severely lacking in Peru). I was placed in "CRED" which is kind of like a general check-up for newborns to 3 years old. Here the nurses gave children vaccines, checked for proper mental development and checked babies for reflexes.
Some of the mothers that came in had no idea how to care for a baby or a child. Most all of the mothers carry their children on their backs swaddled in blankets. It is easy to decipher those children who live in the markets/streets with their parents and those who come from well-kept homes. Many times the children from the market women do not have any diapers, and just pee/poop into the blankets that they are swaddled in-the mothers laughed it off like it was no big deal. Many times the nurses had to coach the mothers on how to breastfeed their babies because they often did it incorrectly or not often enough. About half of the children that were seen had the risk of malnutrition because they were either not eating properly, or not as often as they should. One mother had been feeding her baby (of less than a year) little breast milk and mostly soup-- which the nurses quickly told her was not okay. Many of the children had not developed the ability to speak, but were able to recognize objects when they were placed in front of them. The nurses wrote of list of suggestions for the mothers to practice with their children to help them develop the facial muscles to speak. This often included whistling and making other silly noises.
Near the end of my shift the nurses allowed me to use a stethoscope to listen to the children's lungs, they allowed me to measure the height of the children as well as weigh them. This allowed me to practice my numbers in Spanish. I really enjoyed this day in the clinic!
June 10th:
Today we went on the Valley Tour by horseback! John was feeling ill the day before, but got better just in time. We woke up early and drove with Neto to our destination. We climbed a few foothills where we were able to see incredible sights! We were also about to see the "burned bones" ruins. After this we traveled to the stable where we got on our horse! John was the first to climb on a horse, and we were all a little nervous for him. Apparently the last time he mounted a horse he cried. No tears this time! We rode through the valley for about an hour, until we arrived at another foothill. This time we were lead through the rock formations and caves by a young guide, who had obviously been on the trail many times. We were ducking through trees, climbing under and over rocks, and near the end of the trail we ascended a nearly vertical part of the hill. One girl sprained her ankle, but she is always the one to get hurt. It's a miracle we all made it to the top! We hiked right back to our horses, and rode the hour back to the stable. We were all exhausted and starving. The view was beautiful though, much prettier than where we are stationed in Huancayo. Our houses are in the middle of a small dirty city, with every breath you can feel your lungs blackening. Our trek through the valley was much different: tons of open space, farmland, just green and natural. Nearly untouched.
When we made it back to the stable, Eli and Neto joined us and took us to a nearby restaurant. The restaurant was called "El Encanto". The restaurant was surrounded by the greenery, many small waterfalls and tree houses. The seating was outside, and during our meal we had two Peruvian men sing to us. After the meal we went to some artisan shops. The first was an elderly woman, around 65 who had been making silver jewelry since she was 18 years old. First she showed us a bit about how she makes the jewelry. She used a stone slab and a blow torch (for which she powered the gas by pressing on a pedal with her foot). After she showed us how she made the jewelry she invited us into her home and let us look at her work. Many of the girls bought necklaces and earrings. I bartered for a necklace and was able to buy it for S/. 10 cheaper than the original.
After this we went to another artisan shop where we were able to see how women made alpaca and wool sweaters. First they showed us how they made blankets. John and I tried it out, he was much better than I. We then looked around the shop at the many sweaters, blankets, and bags made from alpaca, wool or both. Alcapa is generally much more soft than wool, however it sheds much more easily making it more likely that item will lose "body". The women at the shop told us that it was much more beneficial to buy a half alpaca, half wool sweater/blanket because it lasts longer. John and I didn't buy anything here.
After this long day we finally returned home at around 6:30pm.
Monday, June 11, 2012
June 7th:
Finally feeling better, John and I head to the hospital around 7:30am. There were about 6 of us volunteers total and today was our lucky day! The hospital was scheduled to deliver three babies today, and the midwives and nurses said it would be alright if we watched! John, another volunteer Jamie and I were allowed in the first delivery. Dressed in my scrubs, booties, hairnet and face mask, I stood about a foot away from the mother. One thing that was immediately different from the United States is the lack of care that the nurses and doctors had for the health of the mother. The delivery room was still dirty from the last birth that had taken place and there were multiple delivery beds in the same room. The mother was supported by only an IV of saline. Her husband was not in the delivery room, and there was not a single nurse to comfort her through the delivery. The nurses first forced the mother to empty her bowels in a garbage can, and crudely stuck a catheter up her urethra to empty her bladder. Any cries of pain from the mother were ignored. The baby began crowning, but the head was too big to fit through the vaginal opening. The doctors gave the mother shot to numb the area before making a 2 inch cut - allowing the babies head to emerge. The doctor then grabbed the babies head, twisted it's shoulders and pulled the rest of the baby from the mother. They tossed the baby on the mothers stomach to focus on the removal of the placenta. The baby was removed to a table where it was cleaned and given clothing. Once the placenta was removed the doctors checked it to be sure that every part had been removed, to not leave the mother with infection. The doctors spent the next hour or so stitching the new mother from all cuts and tears.
Meanwhile, John, a few other volunteers and I were able to see a second birth. Again, the nurses and doctors had no concern for the mother as they began the birth by shouting to one another that the baby that was about to be delivered had already died. This delivery was taking place in a bed right next to the woman who had just given birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. The nurses and doctors forced the baby from this elderly woman. The mother was dehydrated and in poor shape, yet the nurses continued with the delivery without tending to the mother at all. The amniotic fluids smelled of infection. The nurse pulled the head of the baby, then twisted its shoulders in a similar fashion to the first one. They then placed the dead baby on the stomach of the exhausted and saddened mother as they delivered the placenta. Once the placenta was removed they placed that on the mothers stomach to examine it. They took the baby, wrapped in towels and tossed it on the floor under the table where the living baby was resting. The doctors discovered that there was a hematoma in the placenta which was causing the baby to essentially swallow blood, thus killing it. These are often caused by trauma to the womb. Unfortunately for the mother, the baby was nearly fully developed, and it would have been her first daughter.
After these two deliveries, the rest of the volunteers and I decided to call it a day!
Finally feeling better, John and I head to the hospital around 7:30am. There were about 6 of us volunteers total and today was our lucky day! The hospital was scheduled to deliver three babies today, and the midwives and nurses said it would be alright if we watched! John, another volunteer Jamie and I were allowed in the first delivery. Dressed in my scrubs, booties, hairnet and face mask, I stood about a foot away from the mother. One thing that was immediately different from the United States is the lack of care that the nurses and doctors had for the health of the mother. The delivery room was still dirty from the last birth that had taken place and there were multiple delivery beds in the same room. The mother was supported by only an IV of saline. Her husband was not in the delivery room, and there was not a single nurse to comfort her through the delivery. The nurses first forced the mother to empty her bowels in a garbage can, and crudely stuck a catheter up her urethra to empty her bladder. Any cries of pain from the mother were ignored. The baby began crowning, but the head was too big to fit through the vaginal opening. The doctors gave the mother shot to numb the area before making a 2 inch cut - allowing the babies head to emerge. The doctor then grabbed the babies head, twisted it's shoulders and pulled the rest of the baby from the mother. They tossed the baby on the mothers stomach to focus on the removal of the placenta. The baby was removed to a table where it was cleaned and given clothing. Once the placenta was removed the doctors checked it to be sure that every part had been removed, to not leave the mother with infection. The doctors spent the next hour or so stitching the new mother from all cuts and tears.
Meanwhile, John, a few other volunteers and I were able to see a second birth. Again, the nurses and doctors had no concern for the mother as they began the birth by shouting to one another that the baby that was about to be delivered had already died. This delivery was taking place in a bed right next to the woman who had just given birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. The nurses and doctors forced the baby from this elderly woman. The mother was dehydrated and in poor shape, yet the nurses continued with the delivery without tending to the mother at all. The amniotic fluids smelled of infection. The nurse pulled the head of the baby, then twisted its shoulders in a similar fashion to the first one. They then placed the dead baby on the stomach of the exhausted and saddened mother as they delivered the placenta. Once the placenta was removed they placed that on the mothers stomach to examine it. They took the baby, wrapped in towels and tossed it on the floor under the table where the living baby was resting. The doctors discovered that there was a hematoma in the placenta which was causing the baby to essentially swallow blood, thus killing it. These are often caused by trauma to the womb. Unfortunately for the mother, the baby was nearly fully developed, and it would have been her first daughter.
After these two deliveries, the rest of the volunteers and I decided to call it a day!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
June 5-6th:
Credit must be given where credit is due. John made sure that I was getting my medicine at the appropriate time. He also made sure that I kept hydrated and fed me when I was at my weakest....okay, I could have fed myself, but I could see he really wanted to! He also kept a close relationship with our host, and made sure to always ask that she make some sort of soup for me to eat. John stayed by my side the whole time, and made sure of my absolute recovery!! :)
Credit must be given where credit is due. John made sure that I was getting my medicine at the appropriate time. He also made sure that I kept hydrated and fed me when I was at my weakest....okay, I could have fed myself, but I could see he really wanted to! He also kept a close relationship with our host, and made sure to always ask that she make some sort of soup for me to eat. John stayed by my side the whole time, and made sure of my absolute recovery!! :)
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