The Market in Santiago Atitlan
Typical Dress in Santiago Atitlan
Sunday, I went with two other volunteers to a town on the lake called San Marcos. It was incredibly beautiful and a haven for yoga-vegetarian-tree-hugging gringos.Needless to say, I am attracted to this :) We watched some kids jumping off a cliff into the Lago Atitlan and hiked around along the shore of the lake. I also made a friend: a dog named Scott who led/followed us on our 1-2 hour walk. I didn't even feed him!
Call yesterday/today at the hospital featured several babies with 'la falta de respiracion' (difficulty breathing) and a 70 year old man who fell 15 feet from the tree he was climbing. I don't think I have ever been around such profuse bleeding. Besides deep and extensive wounds on his head, multiple ribs were broken and he had bled into his thorax. So, after sewing him up and putting in a chest tube (I was retracting/blotting/cutting sutures/holding the oxygen mask on), he went by ambulance to Guatemala City (3 hours). I know he made it that far, but I don't know what happened from there. He was completely with it and even was asking what time it was. Besides learning some about trauma patients (what we would do in the US vs. what we did) and pneumonia/fever in kids, I have established (>99%) that emergency medicine is not the place for me.
So, who is watching the debate tonight (or is it tomorrow)? Is there anyone who hasn't already decided who they are going to vote for? I have to admit that I still have not figured out how to get mail (which is why I haven't emailed out a street address). So, does anyone want to come down and bring my ballot? Oh, one thing that I am kind of excited about is that my task at the Hospitalito is to organize their books. This is difficult due to the Spanish/English Doctor/Nurse divides and the large collection of Ancient Texts. But, don't worry, I will figure out some arrangement that will promptly revert to chaos :) I think that the force of entropy is stronger here in Guatemala than I have ever before witnessed. That must be why this blog post has gone stream-of-consciousness. Well, let me reiterate that I miss you all and I love to read your comments!!
3 comments:
Hi Rebecca,
How about letting me vote for you.
It looks like you are going to learn alot about a different type of medical and social culture. Your "medical bag of tricks" is certainly going to stretch. Observing the minutest details and trains of thought of the resident doctors is goiing to be a most enlightening and fascinating experience. Should be some neat time tested tricks to pick up on. The diagnosis is fascinating to me. Also the treatments. With the number of cultures that are coming into the USA, this info will prove valuable. (For example not too much open "demon blame"; but with the increase of Eastern Europe, Mediteranean, African, and Carribean/South Americans coming here this stuff will be more commonplace.
Sounds like you are having a great time. Good!
By the way, I'm voting for the "hot chick with the gun."
Love ya,
Gary
Rebecca,
Your blog is great! I was having technical difficulties early on, but now I've found it. Now that I know what's going on with you, I can tell you that the weather here today is in the high 80's and UNC lost power for two hours this afternoon. It didn't matter much to be because I went home sick today. Otherwise I've been hiking a lot with the dogs. You make we want to visit Guatemala, except for your difficulties with meat. You're a trooper. I wouldn't want to make a scene, but I'm not sure I could eat chicken. I talked to my brother last night and he's an undecided voter. How crazy is that? He's had about a year to think about it, which should be enough.
I promise I'll be a regular contributor to your blog from now on.
Erin
PS. Mickey's been keeping an eye on Christian and he's doing okay.
Rebecca! Are you getting one of those cool outfits?
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