Two Weeks with the Team

I figure that although I have a couple pre-written things and there's still so much I haven't told you, you'd probably rather hear about what I'm doing now, right?

For the last two weeks, we've had a medical team with us on the ship from AK. Included with them were two doctors, two nurses, a preacher, and a 16 year old. Because there were so many and they were used to doing labs, I moved from my normal position doing triage (which is basically just taking temps and blood pressures on everyone who comes in and then sitting, smiling and making the patients laugh with my lack of Khmer and my attempts to learn it while they wait to see the doctor) to the lab. I counted 21,000 amoxicillin as I waited for them to send me people. We have a really small lab here (I'll put a couple pictures up when I get back to the US), and limited things, which is fine since I can run precious little anyway--and all I can run is thanks to my work at Ferry Road (Deb, if you're reading, thank you!). I ran urine dipsticks, glucose tests, and hematocrits. Because I could never get enough blood for a crit on people from a fingerstick (and if I could, I'd be afraid it would clot), I learned how to take venous blood on humans, and by the end, I even did pretty well with kids (they have veins that are so hard to see!). It made me happy anyway.

With the team here, we saw 1000 patients a week. In the first village, every morning we were able to give numbers out to almost everyone in line every morning, which was so exciting for me. In the last village, there were still 100 people left, even though we gave 200 numbers, and others not in line grabbing my arm and begging for a number. I had to keep my eyes on the doctor and not look at how many were left, or else I don't know if I'd have been able to walk away. It really did break my heart. But we were able to help so many. It was amazing and exciting. There were of course sad cases, such as a woman with squamous cell carcinoma that had taken up half her face, but who was 83 and turned down the referral to have it removed. Even in the US, even if she did go, the odds of the cancer taking over her face before something else took her were minimal. Still.... It really though felt like such a privilege and blessing to be a part of something so big and something that maybe did make a difference. Though then again, I am reminded of what Maria keeps telling me, and what Bill, the preacher again told me, and what I talked about in my speech--just drop the pebble, plant the seed. There are always ripples. Do what you can, and God will take care of the rest.

Anyway, we're in a new village now. Yesterday, I went with Bill and Marie-Claire to see a giant Buddha that was a speedboat ride and 2km walk from here, which was fun. We're right in front of Sokun's house--he's the night guard and the one with whom I talk almost every night and therefore teach English to. It's neat, and I can see how happy it makes him to be here. The kids here are like kids everywhere--they love to laugh and have fun. They especially love when the crew and the barang (foreigners) play with them :)

Stay well and God bless, and please do let me know how you all are doing! Thanks for listening! :)