Clinic day 4

Hundreds of people have been lining up for our medical clinics. We have been seeing roughly 250 a day and unfortunately have had to turn hundreds away. The patients receive vitamins and deworming medicines, have vitals taken, see a medical provider and get much needed medicines from our top notch traveling pharmacy. Those who need it get to see a family planning nurse or get reading glasses or sunglasses. Reading glasses are like a miracle for a 60 yr old who hasn't been able to read for decades. We have an enthusiastic team of PT's and OT's who are doing incredible things with much creativity using what we have to help disabled people. I have been blown away with their creativity in making braces, wheel chairs, walkers and special shoes. Today one of them even made a spacer for a little girl I saw who needed an inhaler. Another one made a pessary. They fit leg braces on a little girl and her mom was able to watch her walk for the first time.

In the provider world we have been seeing things I had only read about in text books. Leprosy, schistosomiasis. elephantiasis, malaria, typhoid... The list goes on. It's kind of fun to be around medical people who geek out about this stuff. It makes me feel like I'm not a weirdo.

We moved around to different towns the first two days. Its funny how we have seen different things in the different regions. In the middle of the sugar cane fields tons of kids had huge cavities, their teeth looked like hollowed out eggshells. And by the lake, lots of schistosomiasis. Today I felt 3 of the biggest spleens, I have ever felt. (I know, geeking out)

The last two days were spent in this beautiful village near the game park. We fed monkeys bananas from the vans on the way. This country is beautiful and I am falling more in love with it. The people are incredible! So happy to see us. They are welcoming and loving and sassy.

Yes, mom, that is a guard with an AK-47. Don't worry we have 6 of them and they are keeping us very safe.