Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Diabetic Class in Lemoa

Today, the guys and I had Diabetic Class III in Lemoa. We had a good response with 16 patients.
We set up the tarps before class began. Without the tarps, they are unable to see the photos due to the light. It was a dark, gloomy morning with the threat of rain but the tarps help a lot.

One of our regular patients jumped up on the ladder and helped the guys.

Manuel completes the final touches.

Since this was the third class, we discussed medications and exercise. We encourage a lot of questions. Repetition is very important for different reasons. Most people can not read and many do not speak Spanish, only K'iche'. Some have gone to different clinics, received information on the streets or from their neighbors. They have a lot of questions and want clarification. In most of the classes, there is a lot of participation. Ruben is good at asking questions and keeping the conversation going. I want the class to be able to answer Ruben's questions.

Many were not able to attend the second class, so they wanted to review the diet sheet. When we finished today's material, we reviewed parts of the information from last month.

Manuel translated today. The guys are really enjoying the classes and the information. As you have heard me say, they will one day be presenting the classes. They will know the information and be able to share it within their community.

After we cleaned up everything, we went inside to count and prepare bags of vitamins. We each found our spot in the pharmacy and got to work. No one was talking, we were focused and finished as much as we could. It is interesting how work can be enjoyable when you are accomplishing what needs to be done and enjoying your time together.

Tomorrow, the guys and I will head to Las Cuevas and La Hacienda.

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