The group has arrived at Copan! They will be going to the Mayan village tomorrow to see patients.
Meanwhile, the students are ecstatic because the hotel has hot water and a pool!
More to come...
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
On the Bus
Dr. Clements called today from the bus! They are all doing well... it's a long bus ride to Copan today. The highlight of the short phone conversation was his comment, "We're on pavement for the first time in a week!"
Although the group has been living in a remote area of Honduras for the past week, they have been getting their dose of college basketball news! They knew Kentucky won the title this year in men's b-ball, and that Baylor defeated Notre Dame yesterday in women's b-ball.
At the hotel in Copan tonight, they expect to have internet access. If so, Dr. Clements will post some blogs tonight and tomorrow. Keep this page bookmarked for updates (and maybe pictures)!
Although the group has been living in a remote area of Honduras for the past week, they have been getting their dose of college basketball news! They knew Kentucky won the title this year in men's b-ball, and that Baylor defeated Notre Dame yesterday in women's b-ball.
At the hotel in Copan tonight, they expect to have internet access. If so, Dr. Clements will post some blogs tonight and tomorrow. Keep this page bookmarked for updates (and maybe pictures)!
Rewind to Day 1 of Clinic: The students weigh in!
Friday, March 30, 2012: Hello from Las Mercedes, Honduras! Today was our first day of clinic! We woke up at 0600 and started the clinic at 0800 after a little setting up. We were divided into groups, one in the pharmacy and four groups divided into examination rooms. Patients usually don’t come alone and come with friends or family.
Today was a slow day at the clinic which proved to be beneficial as we were able to get familiar with our resources and the flow of the clinic. I was in the pharmacy with Trusha and Rosa! We filled prescriptions and educated the families on how to use the medications. By the way, the 8 of our 21 bags of medications and Ray’s bag have not yet made it… still waiting!
We ended clinic around 1600 and had a wonderful dinner of beans, sausage, plantains and rice! It began raining during dinner and has not stopped. We took our cold showers in the rain which was a unique experiencewith the dusky, cloudy sky – the shower has no roof.
Tonight, the electricity went out and we are now sitting in the room we eat in playing cards, boggle and other games with our headlamps for light! I’m excited about the next few days of clinic as they are expected to be busier!
I’d like to say hello and send my love to Kenneth, Dad, Mom, Spence, and the rest of my family!
-Brenna
Random Thoughts of the Day:
1) The food here is absolutely delicious and we overeat like it is our job. I’m pretty sure they are surprised that a group of all ladies can eat so much
2) Achievement of the day: CR and I finally worked up the courage to shower in the unheated outdoor shower and survived (only with Brenna’s moral support of course).
3) Ray reads American Bee Keeper magazine with a really serious face. It’s quite a site to see.
4) “El Jefe” seems to be pretty at peace with directing everybody from his hall chair.
5) Wendy and Sally are actually ophthalmologists even prior to their training.
6) Caitlin has an endless supply of chocolates and snacks that she’s hoarding. Unfortunately for her, we’ve figured out her secret.
7) Lesson of the day: don’t open the shower curtain if you hear water running. Seriously though.
-Trusha
Penny would like to give a shout out to Touche and Rosa to Igor and her girls.
Wendy says hi and miss you guys to Mike and Olive (she also says she’s been feeding the dogs Olive’s treats which they absolutely love!)
Saturday Morning:
We woke up to a beautiful clear and temperate day outside. It looks like the rain cleared away with the clouds. Breakfast was delicious with fresh eggs, fried tortillas, strawberries, and pound cake (Iknow, it’s probably hard to believe we’re in a rural community in the highlands of Honduras). Everyone is getting fast with the morning routine. It’s been quite the convenience to sleep, eat, bathe, go to the bathroom and work in the same building.
Funny story from last night was Sally pulling her sleeping bag, air mattress, from the little room she shares with Wendy, Kaitlin R, and Ariella to sleep in an empty room away from the girls’ snoring! It sounded like a “freight train going through the clinic” as she dragged everything out, lol! But great news is that everyone slept well last night J Ok, back to getting ready for the clinic day to begin! We’re anticipating a much busier day. Stay tuned! More to come…
April 1, 2012
Today was day 3 of clinic. It was also Palm Sunday. So, we opened up the clinic at 8 as usual, but then took a break at 9 to attend the Church service (the church is right across the path from our clinic). It was wonderful to see the community in a different setting. Although we clearly stuck out as sore thumbs, they welcomed us and made more room on the benches for us so we could sit amongst them. We saw about 130 patients today despite the break, so it was a successful day overall. We also had a pretty great variety of skin conditions and interesting physical exam findings throughout the day. Most of us are getting much more comfortable with the way the clinic is running. Even those of us who didn’t know any Spanish seem to be leading interviews and managing the patients really well (shout out to Sally whose almost fluent on day 3 of her mission to go from 0 to fluent).
The food has been delicious. They cook bananas, plantains and tortillas everyday with a variety of other things. I think everyone eats well with yummy desserts and also tons of snacks that everyone seems to procure from their bags- Caitlin with candy and Sally with random treats.
Also, the other eight bags arrived today. WOOHOO! Rey’s bag also finally arrived…but he has yet to change into fresh clothes. Luckily for us he doesn’t smell too much. We also ran out of toothbrushes yesterday and our big bag of toothbrushes also came. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Hasta luego!
Today was a slow day at the clinic which proved to be beneficial as we were able to get familiar with our resources and the flow of the clinic. I was in the pharmacy with Trusha and Rosa! We filled prescriptions and educated the families on how to use the medications. By the way, the 8 of our 21 bags of medications and Ray’s bag have not yet made it… still waiting!
We ended clinic around 1600 and had a wonderful dinner of beans, sausage, plantains and rice! It began raining during dinner and has not stopped. We took our cold showers in the rain which was a unique experiencewith the dusky, cloudy sky – the shower has no roof.
Tonight, the electricity went out and we are now sitting in the room we eat in playing cards, boggle and other games with our headlamps for light! I’m excited about the next few days of clinic as they are expected to be busier!
I’d like to say hello and send my love to Kenneth, Dad, Mom, Spence, and the rest of my family!
-Brenna
Random Thoughts of the Day:
1) The food here is absolutely delicious and we overeat like it is our job. I’m pretty sure they are surprised that a group of all ladies can eat so much
2) Achievement of the day: CR and I finally worked up the courage to shower in the unheated outdoor shower and survived (only with Brenna’s moral support of course).
3) Ray reads American Bee Keeper magazine with a really serious face. It’s quite a site to see.
4) “El Jefe” seems to be pretty at peace with directing everybody from his hall chair.
5) Wendy and Sally are actually ophthalmologists even prior to their training.
6) Caitlin has an endless supply of chocolates and snacks that she’s hoarding. Unfortunately for her, we’ve figured out her secret.
7) Lesson of the day: don’t open the shower curtain if you hear water running. Seriously though.
-Trusha
Penny would like to give a shout out to Touche and Rosa to Igor and her girls.
Wendy says hi and miss you guys to Mike and Olive (she also says she’s been feeding the dogs Olive’s treats which they absolutely love!)
Saturday Morning:
We woke up to a beautiful clear and temperate day outside. It looks like the rain cleared away with the clouds. Breakfast was delicious with fresh eggs, fried tortillas, strawberries, and pound cake (Iknow, it’s probably hard to believe we’re in a rural community in the highlands of Honduras). Everyone is getting fast with the morning routine. It’s been quite the convenience to sleep, eat, bathe, go to the bathroom and work in the same building.
Funny story from last night was Sally pulling her sleeping bag, air mattress, from the little room she shares with Wendy, Kaitlin R, and Ariella to sleep in an empty room away from the girls’ snoring! It sounded like a “freight train going through the clinic” as she dragged everything out, lol! But great news is that everyone slept well last night J Ok, back to getting ready for the clinic day to begin! We’re anticipating a much busier day. Stay tuned! More to come…
April 1, 2012
Today was day 3 of clinic. It was also Palm Sunday. So, we opened up the clinic at 8 as usual, but then took a break at 9 to attend the Church service (the church is right across the path from our clinic). It was wonderful to see the community in a different setting. Although we clearly stuck out as sore thumbs, they welcomed us and made more room on the benches for us so we could sit amongst them. We saw about 130 patients today despite the break, so it was a successful day overall. We also had a pretty great variety of skin conditions and interesting physical exam findings throughout the day. Most of us are getting much more comfortable with the way the clinic is running. Even those of us who didn’t know any Spanish seem to be leading interviews and managing the patients really well (shout out to Sally whose almost fluent on day 3 of her mission to go from 0 to fluent).
The food has been delicious. They cook bananas, plantains and tortillas everyday with a variety of other things. I think everyone eats well with yummy desserts and also tons of snacks that everyone seems to procure from their bags- Caitlin with candy and Sally with random treats.
Also, the other eight bags arrived today. WOOHOO! Rey’s bag also finally arrived…but he has yet to change into fresh clothes. Luckily for us he doesn’t smell too much. We also ran out of toothbrushes yesterday and our big bag of toothbrushes also came. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Hasta luego!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Farewell, Las Mercedes
The group is about to have a closing ceremony in Las Mercedes - complete with local dignitaries including religious leaders and the mayor! The Minister of Health also visited the clinic this week.
Today, the students saw about 30 more patients before starting to pack up their tools and belongings. They will be dropping off extra toothbrushes, toothpaste and medicines - including vitamins, pain medicines and anti-parasitic drugs - in two local communities. They will also be leaving antibiotics at La Esperanza hospital.
Bright and early at 7am tomorrow morning, the group is headed for Copan. It's a 7-8 hour trip by bus. If he can connect, Dr. Clements plans to blog and upload pictures of their travels tomorrow.
So, it's farewell to Las Mercedes... but hello to magnificent ancient Mayan ruins!
Stay tuned for updates...
Today, the students saw about 30 more patients before starting to pack up their tools and belongings. They will be dropping off extra toothbrushes, toothpaste and medicines - including vitamins, pain medicines and anti-parasitic drugs - in two local communities. They will also be leaving antibiotics at La Esperanza hospital.
Bright and early at 7am tomorrow morning, the group is headed for Copan. It's a 7-8 hour trip by bus. If he can connect, Dr. Clements plans to blog and upload pictures of their travels tomorrow.
So, it's farewell to Las Mercedes... but hello to magnificent ancient Mayan ruins!
Stay tuned for updates...
Monday, April 2, 2012
Hundreds of Patients Come to Clinic!
Today is a special day because we received two updates from Honduras!
Dr. Clements says so far, his students have seen 430 patients at the clinic, pretty impressive. He reiterates that the students are doing great. Some of them were barely speaking Spanish at the beginning of the trip, and are now speaking more easily with their patients.
The group is living in four back rooms of the clinic, which is completely up and running - a major feat. There’s a nurse there full time and a doctor is on duty there several times a month. The clinic is complete with solar electricity and running water.
Seeing patients is the most important part of the trip, but there are some special perks to being in this rural Honduran community. Dr. Clements says they are getting afternoon rain showers, which is nice because it cools things off. The mornings are clear. The Honduran people are gracious. The food is fantastic - lots of vegetables, nothing artificial and everything is cooked fresh from the fields.
He said, "it's probably the best eating we’ve done in our lives for our short stay."
More great news - no one in the group has gotten sick. Clements says the biggest complaint he's gotten so far is his snoring... and Reynaldo's snoring. :)
"We couldn’t ask for anything better," Clements said.
Dr. Clements says so far, his students have seen 430 patients at the clinic, pretty impressive. He reiterates that the students are doing great. Some of them were barely speaking Spanish at the beginning of the trip, and are now speaking more easily with their patients.
The group is living in four back rooms of the clinic, which is completely up and running - a major feat. There’s a nurse there full time and a doctor is on duty there several times a month. The clinic is complete with solar electricity and running water.
Seeing patients is the most important part of the trip, but there are some special perks to being in this rural Honduran community. Dr. Clements says they are getting afternoon rain showers, which is nice because it cools things off. The mornings are clear. The Honduran people are gracious. The food is fantastic - lots of vegetables, nothing artificial and everything is cooked fresh from the fields.
He said, "it's probably the best eating we’ve done in our lives for our short stay."
More great news - no one in the group has gotten sick. Clements says the biggest complaint he's gotten so far is his snoring... and Reynaldo's snoring. :)
"We couldn’t ask for anything better," Clements said.
Students Learn to Serve
Dr. Clements says the students are doing a great job serving dozens and dozens of patients who come to the Las Mercedes clinic each day by foot or by bus. Without this clinic, this population would have more difficulty accessing health care services since they are in a remote area where health facilities are few and far between. Each day, the Duke students are seeing villagers who face a variety of health issues, helping them to learn a lot about the community's health priorities and how best to address them in a resource-limited setting like this.
It is defining international clinical experiences like these that students say go by too fast! Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be the last day of clinic before they head off to Copan by bus on Wednesday. Let's keep our fingers crossed that there is enough bandwidth so the group can upload a few pictures throughout their travels. Beautiful Mayan ruins await them in Copan.
Stay tuned...!
p.s. All the missing bags finally arrived late Saturday night from the airport.
It is defining international clinical experiences like these that students say go by too fast! Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be the last day of clinic before they head off to Copan by bus on Wednesday. Let's keep our fingers crossed that there is enough bandwidth so the group can upload a few pictures throughout their travels. Beautiful Mayan ruins await them in Copan.
Stay tuned...!
p.s. All the missing bags finally arrived late Saturday night from the airport.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Hola Las Mercedes
The group made it to Las Mercedes today! They are busy unpacking and getting settled in today, and are super excited to start clinic tomorrow. Dr. Clements says they have still not received 8 pieces of luggage that got lost on the flight from North Carolina.
We'll have more details tomorrow once the students begin meeting with Honduran families who arrive at the clinic literally in busloads who live in Las Mercedes and surrounding areas.
In the meantime, learn more about Dr. Clements 10-year journey to get this clinic up and running in rural Honduras and hear from former Exploring Medicine students whose experiences working at the clinic were invaluable and life-changing. Here are two links to learn more...
1) New Year Brings New Clinic to Remote Area of Honduras
2) Building a Clinic for the People of Las Mercedes, Honduras
Keep this blog bookmarked and visit us again tomorrow for a roundup of day one of clinic!
We'll have more details tomorrow once the students begin meeting with Honduran families who arrive at the clinic literally in busloads who live in Las Mercedes and surrounding areas.
In the meantime, learn more about Dr. Clements 10-year journey to get this clinic up and running in rural Honduras and hear from former Exploring Medicine students whose experiences working at the clinic were invaluable and life-changing. Here are two links to learn more...
1) New Year Brings New Clinic to Remote Area of Honduras
2) Building a Clinic for the People of Las Mercedes, Honduras
Keep this blog bookmarked and visit us again tomorrow for a roundup of day one of clinic!
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