Adventures in San Manuel

The view from 6600 ft. San Sebastian, outside of San Manuel

I spent the last two weeks in probably the most peaceful, quaint village that I have spent time in thus far, San Manuel, Colohete. My trusty bodyguard, Richard, and I drove the 2.5 hours there and stayed so that I could work in their women's clinic, and learn about all of the other aspects of their health system. I DID miss hot water, and actually drinking water since there didn't seem to be much for sale there, and I ate enough corn tortillas to fill me up for the next two months, but other than that it was an incredible experience. The weather is BEAUTIFUL, and even though we got shamelessly stared at every minute of every day, the people were very friendly. (They were definitely not used to seeing gringos.) I'm pretty sure we know the majority of the population of San Manuel, and some of the surrounding villages as well. 

San Manuel is basically the headquarters of the "health community" of that area. There are 4 "municipalities" and 15 health communities, which means there are 15 villages whose clinics are supervised by the doctors and licensiadas (registered nurses) that I was working with. Some have "cesar" clinics and others have "cesamo" clinics. Cesars, I learned, are attended solely by a nurse and are in very small villages, while cesamos are attended by physicians as well. San Manuel is the only village in that area with a labor and delivery/women's clinic. 

Auditing Honduran charts with Licensiadas Gloria (right) and Katherine (middle)

I learned a LOT in those two weeks, and was able to work in so many different areas. Everyone was so very friendly and SO patient with my Spanish (which, I believe, got a lot better during those two weeks)! I went with the other two licensiadas to audit charts and supervise, I worked in the clinics doing exams on pregnant women and gave consults when it was needed, we drove emergencies to the hospital, I worked in the labor and delivery, and I went with them to two of their brigade/health fairs that they hold once a year in each community... You name it, pretty much I was able to do it. They were so accommodating and wonderful, I learned a lot, and loved almost every minute of those two weeks.

I've REALLY learned to never say never. God must have been having quite a laugh when I said things like, "I will NEVER do labor and delivery. Gross," or, "I will never do pediatrics. I don't like children that much." I wonder what God was thinking when I was trying to give away my patients in my labor and delivery clinicals during nursing school.. Those things make up at least 80% of what I'm doing now. I learn something every day, and I really am enjoying doing a little bit of everything. I must say, though, that labor and delivery is still not my favorite area of nursing. 

Auxiliary nurse, Lorvi, Licensiadas Gloria and Katherine, on our way out to the Cesar in Corante to do some supervising.

El Porvenir

Cristina working on some paperwork. The folders are the charts.

This week I worked in the clinic in a village called El Porvenir with the auxiliary nurse (like an LPN in the US), Pati, and the nursing student, Cristina. 

There are no doctors at this clinic, so when Pati comes across something she is unsure of or when a consult with a doctor is necessary, she writes a referral to a clinic in another village. In El Porvenir she can give away things like Tylenol, vitamins, parasite medications, and antibiotics. She can do breathing treatments when she has the medications, which is not all of the time. 

Pati checking her first blood sugar.

I really enjoyed spending the week there. Pati and I shared a lot of knowledge. She taught me how to do stitches, and I taught her how to take blood sugars with the glucometers we donated. She taught me about how they do pre-natal care, and I taught her some "basic" information that we learned in nursing school. 

I'm pretty sure we took everyone in the entire village's blood sugar. We did a LOT of teaching about Diabetes, and I also was able to teach Pati some pretty handy facts that she didn't know. We also talked a lot about family planning. 

Next week: "camping out" in San Manuel... Hope Richard the bodyguard and I can communicate with everyone:)

Cindy

A year ago, Phil and Donna met a little girl named Cindy Mendez. She lives with her siblings in Choluteca, and has never been very mobile. She was born with clubbed feet, and had "corrective surgery" when she was very young. Phil began visiting the 11 yr old Cindy to evaluate her case.

Cindy's ankles had wounds that were so open and deep that you could see clear to the bone. She spent most of her time sitting in the house watching and playing with her nephews. It was arranged for Cindy to go to Shriner's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, with the Waldrons. Within minutes during her first consultation, the physician told her she had osteomyelitis and both of her legs needed to be amputated, or the infection would eventually kill her.

It's been a year now since her surgery. She has been in the U.S. living with a family in Tampa for her recovery process. She was able to go to school there, and now speaks English just like a little gringa. Cindy is about to be 13 years old, and is one of the happiest, funniest, most light-hearted little girls I've ever met. She has such an incredible attitude, and is a good reminder that I have nothing to complain about!

Last week, Phil and Donna returned to Tampa to bring Cindy home. Laura and I met them in San Pedro Sula to take her home with them. I was able to do some teaching with Cindy's family about self-catheterization, her prostheses, etc., and we were able to discuss her education with the director of the school there. She is great with the prostheses, and is going to be able to keep up with the other kids for the first time in her life!

Donna, Cindy, and the lion.

She was SO excited to go home and see her family! It was such a happy day for everyone. Although, it seemed like it was going to take her a day or two to get used to being without air conditioning again!