Making a Difference?

Last Tuesday was World AIDS Day. A holiday of sorts, yes, but nothing I have ever "celebrated" (remembered would probably be the best word) in the US. I think Marist had the AIDS quilt one year, but I never did have time to stop by and look at it in between classes, clubs, work, and the nine million other things I kept my hands in. I suppose there is no place more appropriate to spend your first World AIDS Day than in an HIV clinic in one of the most affected regions in the world. The morning was clinic as usual. No matter the day--Wednesday, Monday, World AIDS Day or Christmas Eve, there are still patients to see, medicines to be dispensed, blood to be drawn. Because most of the clinic staff was scurrying about making preparations for an afternoon of rapid testing on the Promenade, I was left to do half of the clerk's job (filing and making appointments), and to take all the bloods, plus my "normal" job of spreading the word about SAS. It was the afternoon that made it special, however. After finding the lab on the hill and delivering the rapid test reagents to the team, I decided to stay on the Promenade, handing out numbers for testing and talking to people about HIV and why being tested is important. Later, I also got a chance to do some post-test counseling, which I loved. It gave me a chance to sit down with individuals, and talk to them. Everyone has a different approach to being tested. Some just do it, and expect to be negative, but one woman was nearly in tears when I told her she was ok. When some young boys, maybe 16 (age is impossible to determine here; everyone looks 10 years younger than they are once they hit 30) or 17 came for results, I decided to ask them what they knew about HIV. I taught one how you get it (primarily from unprotected sex), and how you don't (kissing, sharing cups, shaking hands, etc)--and I felt like he really listened. I think I freaked another out a bit telling him how one can never be 100% sure of one's partner's status--but maybe now he'll be careful. I was flying for the rest of the week. I think, just maybe, I made a little bit of a difference that day.

Every day, working in the clinic energizes me. I get to talk to people, take bloods, hear stories, and just converse. I meet such a variety of people, too, and I have been here long enough to start recognizing faces when they return. One little girl today, about six and absolutely beautiful, kept me company for the better part of an hour this morning. I'd met her my first Tuesday here and discussed Winnie-the-Pooh stickers with her, and today she traced a drawing for me and told me to put it up on my wall, which I will when I come home. I love it because I feel useful. I feel like I am helping the staff and the doctors. And I hope I am helping the people too. I am certainly learning a lot, medically and personally.

A couple things to make you laugh. I am looking at a book on HIV from 2006, and taking notes on antiretroviral medications so I can learn (I feel like I know nothing about them)--their mechanisms of action, their names, everything. Clearly, I miss being in class :) (though I am enjoying the lack of homework that comes with this study!). And today, a woman was throwing up, and though I didn't watch, I didn't freak out either--which for those who know me, is a huge step for me. (ha!)

Love to you all! Thanks for listening :)