Yesterday we had clinic in Paxot II with Marcos and Martina. One patient came to the clinic with a truckload of family members.....literally. She could barely walk, very weak and obviously very ill. We saw her right away and she was as jaundice as she could be. Someone in her community told her over a month ago that she had hepatitis but had not followed up with another consult and has continued to become sicker. We talked for awhile and then the family took her to the hospital in Santa Cruz.
Today we had clinic in Mactzul V with 10 patients. It was a bright and sunny day.........pure Carolina Blue!! This is the view from where the clinic is.
Jose, helped me translate today from K'iche'. Now, I have told you about the Guatemalan look and this is it......all grins and smiles and then when they ask for a photo.......it becomes a very serious time.
This lady brought her children because they have a cough.....they are all part of the ABC program so their medications are covered. Look at that sky!!
Her son wanted his own photo.....so he got it.
The men from the church served us lunch and then we were on the road to return to Santa Cruz. I told Juan and Gaspar I wanted to visit the patient yesterday from Paxot II and visitation is only one hour a day. They wanted to go..........so off we went.We arrived right at 2pm and found the family in the parking lot. We all entered together and went to see Petronila. She is 48 years old, is a widow and has 5 children. She is a Christian but her children are not. We talk to her and her family for a few minutes and they tell us that she needs an exam but do not know what it is.
I have always been treated well at the hospital and want to keep it that way. I try to be very respectful, not pushy and not ask a lot of questions of the staff.......because as they can tell, I am not family :) So I find a nurse who looks friendly and I start talking to her. She tells me that Petronila needs an ultrasound but because it is Sunday, most of them are closed. She is very nice and tells us if we can find one open, we can take Petronila and bring her back to the hospital........so Gaspar, Juan, one of her sons and I drive around Santa Cruz looking for an open ultrasound office.
We find an ultrasound that is open but when we return to get Petronila, the nurse tells us she has eaten lunch so she will have to wait until Monday to get it done. We have 5 more minutes of visitation left and some of the local church members have also come to visit. We join around her bed and pray for her and her family as the visitation time ends.
We load up the truck and Gaspar remembers another ultrasound place so we go and check it out........it is open on Sundays!! So, tomorrow morning, Juan and I will meet the family at the hospital and take Petronila for her exam. Please pray for her and her family..........and I will keep you posted.
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