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Our Trip to BelizeJune 29 Gina - Project completedOn Monday, Jaclyn, Amanada and I cooked an "american" meal for the whole family. It turned out really well and the family enjoyed it. We made pork chops, cesar salad, baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. I worked at Loma Luz Monday and Tuesday, mostly just hanging ou, helping clean and tidy (no patients again) and watching more futball. I found myself a parasite somewhere along the way, so had to take some medications that made me ill so I went home early on my last day at the hospital. I joined the Georgeville nurse for another mobile clinic on Wednesday. It was truly a MOBILE clinic, as we made many stops along the way, sometimes wieghing, measuring and vaccinating kids out of the back of the truck! I got to help do some measurements and some injections and had a lot of fun, despite the newest ailment, a head cold. After the mobile, i went home and slept along with Jaclyn and Yani, who also caught a cold/flu that seems to be going around lately. Amanda's parents came Wednesday afternoon and had supper with us. They're super nice and we had a nicesupper and evening hanging out with them.
Today (thursday) I worked at the San Ignacio hospital in the morning and quite enjoyed myself doing injections, dressing changes and suture removal. My afternoon will b e spent doing some odds and ends finishing up with ProBelize and booking a tour for Chris, Lacie, her mom and sister and I on Sunday. I can't believe I will be packing up and leaving my new home on Saturday morning! I'll be going on a church airport shuttle that's conveniently going to the airport Saturday, to meet Chris and take the bus back here with him. I'm sad that my project is over, but vacationing for 10 days sounds like a good idea.
I'm going to miss everything about Belize,well,except for maybe the bugs (I'm starting to look like i have the chicken pox!). I'm definately going to miss the family and things like "Pops" coming in every evening and yelling "G!!" his own nickname for me, or Ruben Jr. saying "Giner" everytime he sees me. I'll miss the kids immensly and all of their own quirks and personalities: Briannie's attitude and spunk, Kaili's continues contagious smile and giggles, and Alaina's serious disposition and little grins. I might even miss the rooster with laryngitis next door, he's quite the character.The house I've called home for 2 months is always so alive, so full of color and always a flurry of activity. In fact, Amanada made the best analysis when she called us "Spanish 7th Heaven" (for those of you who have seen the TV show, it's pretty close!). The Leiva's have been so generous to us and have welcomed us into their home with open arms. Having volunteers is not a source of income for them, it's what they do best, love and care for others. I'm going to be very sad to leave them, but "you have to say good-bye to meet again".
I had a really great experience,with it's occasional gliches, but overall am very happy about the past 8 weeks and so excited that my dream to travel with my nursing career has taken flight. I'm already looking into flights to Africa (just kidding mom!)...haha! Hope this finds you all happy and healthy and see you all soon! June 23 Gina - Week 7Hmmm...I could have sworn my last entry was written yesterday, but another week has flown by, faster than the one before it. I guess I'm just settling in to life here and weeks are starting to just pass on by! Although I am starting to be sad about leaving Cayo, I think I'm ready to go spend some time on the beach and head back "up over" (the new term for Canada in our house of rivalry...). I actually kind of miss Canada, especially that it's coming into boating season. I also miss washing machines, hot showers, Tim Hortons, and Louie.
This week was very uneventful. Mon-Wed I worked in the hospital and we had 1 patient that entire time. So I read a couple of novels, rolled cotton balls, folded gauze, and hung outwith the other SIX volunteers. Not only is June a slow month at the hospital, but we have seven people cramming into any area that might pose an interesting situation. We had one emergency this week, a little boy got ran over by a truck in San Antonio. Because we didn't have a surgeon (he was bleeding internally and required a splenectomy[spleen removal]) they could only stitch up his face and wait for an ambulance to take him to Belmopan. I was so surprised when he didn't go into shock or crash in that hour, but was thankful that he made it. He's recovering, but had a close call that could have been prevented with better resources. I also think it had to do with money,the man's insurance wouldn't cover a private hospital's services. Sad situation. We don't have a surgeon because the doctor turnover rate is crazy -they get paid more in a government hospital.
Had an interesting morning at the San Ignacio hospital with the nurses there about public vs. private (namely, La Loma Luz). It's incredible the different perspective they have on health care in Belize. They provide a service, very similar to private hospitals, yet every time something bad happens, it's all over the radio. Lacie talked about some things that happened at the public hospital that could very easily have happened in a private. In fear of someone reading the blog, I haven't really elaborated, but I'll leave it at that people think they are getting better care because they're paying an arm and a leg for it, but it's the same baseline service, just in a nicer building. This coversation was after I had assisted with the morning routine there of vitals, dressings,suture-removal and injections. I had a lot of fun there this morning, and the scary nurse wasn't very scary today, so i was lucky..haha.
Although slow and slightly boring at times, I enjoyed my week. I had a little bit of an issue with where my money was going for donations, but I've just accepted the situation and tried to make the best of it. I still have some money to donate where I want, and I'm looking into doing something with mental health. Octavia Waight (elder care facility) is putting a new roof on their building so the residents will be in TENTS for two weeks, so I might buy them some food too...just some tof the things to figure out in the next week. This weekend I'm going shopping with Michelle in Belize City, and maybe to Orange Walk with the family on Sunday for a wedding. I'll be wrapping things up at Loma Luz the beginning of next week, going on a mobile clinic with the Georgeville nurse again on Wednesday, then maybe finish the week at the S.I. hospital...actually working!
I'm lookin forward to seeing what my last week of my project will bring. I will try to write before Saturday, when Chris is coming. I'll be meeting him in Belize City and we'll be hanging out in Cayo for a while. I want to show him around the city I've called home for 2 months, have him meet my family, and I'm going to need a couple of days to say goodbye to everyone and everything!
See you all soon! July 10th is creeping up fast! June 17 Gina - Week 6 continuedWell, not much has happend this week, and so much has! Thursday, Amanda came to La Loma Luz hospital with me for the day. She's in her second year of nursing school and works as an ER tech but was placed at a school, which was writing exams this week,so she came to hang out and see what goes on up on the hill. The morning was pretty busy, so we took over the admissions and vitals room for the morning. In the afternoon, we watched some futball,then watched the hospital during the nurses meeting. Cleaned some rooms, made some beds, fed babies,discharged one patient...actually had a productive day. It probably went fast too because I had someone to visit with all day.
Jaclyn, Amanada and I met Michelle at Cocopele's that night and went dancing at the Stork club again. We were home by 1am, which is early for Belize because they don't start dancing until 1230! We were all tired tho, so threw in the towel early.
I had Friday off, so I did laundry...all of ours (3 girls). The girls had joked about me doing theirs cuz i was going to be doing mine, so I did...mostly because I'm just that nice...and more because I am determined to convince them that Canadians ARE nicer. They're the only ones that just don't see it (wonder why...haha).
Friday evening we met at the ProBelize office at 6 and went out to Bullet Tree, a town nearby, and went to an outdoor bar/rundown resort type place where we camped out that night. Ronnie had his friends put on a concert for us, which was really awesome, I'm starting to get hooked on Belizean music. Hopefully i'll get the chance to copy some of ronnie's cds before I leave.
Speaking of leaving, where did last week go?? Seems like yesterday I was writing that it had been 5 weeks and now it's suddenly 6! Two more weeks at the hospital will be enough, as we are getting THREE more volunteers (three total was too many) which makes 7 of us. Hopefully i'll be the only one in the hospital side. I'll be assisting with a health fair/clinic in San Ignacio on Friday,so that will be good.
Today (Saurday) I was sick this morning...ED finally caught up to me. I was attacked by some pretty intense stomach pains this morning that had to miss the tour of Xunantunich (mayan ruins) and go home. I'm feeling better now, but still have a sore stomach though. I sucked it up and went to a wedding with my family today because i really wanted to go to a Spanish wedding. It was really neat, and surprisingly very similar to our traditional weddings. The main differences I noticed was there were 9 bridesmaid/groomsman pairs and they formed a tunnel with wand stick things, which was really cool. They also, before "you may kiss the bride" put a rope around the two of them to symbolize the union. Turns out the bride was the granddaughter of Rosa (the R in J&R's guest house we stayed at our very first weekend). This really is a small town. During the wedding Radai was pointing out ppl and saying "she's ronnie's ex(bride), and he's Ruby's ex (groomsman)..." The huge potholes and rough roads aren't the only thing that remind me of Saskatchewan...haha, just jokes. Oh, and it was in Spanish...obviously. The reception was at a resort place not too far out of town, and it was similar, band playing, people making toasts, and eating lots of food(rice and beans of course). You know, I've really come to love the food here. I've already be discussing when my cooking lessons will comence with Aisela! On days that we don't have beans (Stewed or refriend kidney or black beans) I actually crave them. Wierd.
In fact, there are a million things I will miss,so I plan on soaking as much in for the next two weeks as I can. When I think of two weeks from now, I get this really excited feeling because I'll be meeting Chris at the airport for a 10 day vacation, but it's soon followed with a horrible sinking feeling of having to leave my family. Talk about mixed emotions! Haha, I try not to think about it too much, just trying to take in each day at a time,and lovin every minute of it.
Hope you're all happy and healthy...Happy Father's Day dads. Talk to you again soon!
June 14 Gina - Week 6 so farHey everybody! Well, after two days in the hospital with no patients,I was ready fora change. The only patient in the hospital yesterday was one of the doctor's wives,how DARE she have the baby during world cup! He had her moved into a room with a TV so he could watch the Brasil game...apparently one of the biggest games. So I spent Monday and Tuesday in the waiting hallway, lobby or private patient rooms watching futbal with the rest of the staff. There are two more volunteers coming next week, so that makes 6. It's going to be pretty crowded, so I was going to try and do more mobile clinicls with public health but today they say that the nurses from San Ignacio don't like volunteers,so I have to wait until June 28 to go with NUrse Lewis, the one I went with today.
Today was really great. I accompanied Jason, one of the hospital drivers to Georgeville, where we picked up Nurse Lewis and her assistant nurse and some supplies and drove to 7 Miles. The drive was beautiful, as always in Belize,through jungle, past orange farms, ranches and little villages. I took some pictures, but deleted them because they don't do it justice. And it was raining, so it was hard to get a good picture. You'll just have to use your imagination. 7 Miles has a population of around 800. The mobile clinic is held in a little concrete building by the school. Most of the people that come are children and babies for vaccinations. I helped weigh, measure , record, and hold babies occasionally for their injections, or while their brothers and sisters were getting theirs. It was pretty laid back, and a nice change of scenery. We even stopped alone the way at a couple of houses to give vaccinations. Nothin like getting your kids inoculated in the street!
We left S.I. around 9 and returned at 1. Nurse Lewis is really great, I wish I could work with her more often.She even hugged mewhen I left today, she says she loves volunteers.Maybe I'll try going out there a couplemore times before Ileave, after the upset today of not getting to go with the S.I. nurses on their mobiles.
Well, I'm hungry, so I'm going to go fill the tank and hang out with Amanda and the family this afternoon, most likely lying in the hammock, reading and listening to the rain. It's pouring today. So much for that tan, rainy season is bleaching my skin once again. I have a feeling it won't happen until I return to Canada!
Adios!
June 12 Gina's WeekendWell, I had a very uneventful weekend, but it sure was nice! On Friday I was lucky enough to be at Lacie's when Adelina suggested we head to Guatemala for some flower pots. We came back from Melchur with a few more items than Adelina's pots, such as cheap hammocks and other things for way less than they cost in Belize. The unfortunate thing was I didn't get my visa extended as far as Lacie! I only got til June 30...I should have gone through the same line as them, the one with the male immigration officer! Oh well, ya win some ya lose some.
When we returned, we had some lunch and headed to the San Ignacio hospital. Lacie said her goodbyes and gave me a quick tour. We met the Doctora from San Antonio (the girl from London, England is working with her) and chatted for a while about the corupt health care system here in Belize and what she has been doing in the small town of San Antonio. It was amazing to hear her speak about just doing what she can, and advocating for her patients as much as possible, even when the outlook seems very very bleak. I was so amazed by her committment to the people and her perserverence. Definately a great woman.
I was able to speak with a public health nurse about doing something with them and am very excited to say that I will be going on an outreach clinic with them to 7 Mile village on Wednesday! I'm looking forward to some outreach/public/community nursing and seeing more of the country. Hopefully it will lead to spending some more time with them, going on clinics on wednesdays and fridays!
Friday night, Lacie and I popped some popcorn and watched TV all night (haha, our all night is 9pm!). Saturday morning was just as lazy, we slept in, cooked some breakfast, napped in the hammock, watched some futbal (soccer), then headed to town to print a picture, eat some chocolate bananas (the greatest invention ever - frozen banana on a stick covered in chocolate), drink a smoothie, then go our seperate ways.
I went back to Santa Elena and read in the hammock, had birthday supper at Ruby's house for Ruben Jr.'s birthday, watched some more futbal and called it an early night.
Sunday was pretty much just as lazy, if not more. I spent most of the day in the hammock, reading and contemplating life. Again, watched futbal for a while. Aisela and Ruben Sr. returned from Guatemala. His surgery went well (kidney stones) but he's still feeling tired. Sunday night we went to church. I was amazed at how much Spanish I actually understand! I could follow the entire sermon, but had a killer headache after. All that translating hurts!
Monday finds me at the hospital, watching futbal AGAIN! World cup started on Thursday, and every man, woman, child and their dog are glued to the TV. It's kind of exciting, reminds me of hockey playoffs, which I am very out of touch with right now. I'm starting to get into soccer a little bit,might as well, i'll be watching it non-stop til i'm back in Canada!
Well, I guess that's about all. I hope to write at the end of this week to let you know how the outreach clinic goes. Hope all is well!
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