Journal 2
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, y pies.
Ojos, orejas, boca, y nariz.
You could hear the cheer in the children's voices while they sang along with Phoebe and I.
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes.
Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
We started in Spanish and would repeat in English. The community where we held clinic today was in Corinto Meambar. We were blessed with almost 300 people to provide care to in the medical clinic.
La cabeza: Each child under 5 year old must get weighed and have their height and head circumference measured. Many infants don't enjoy this, Phyllicia worked well with Kristi, both student nurses, to get these important measurements for our two doctors and our five nurses.
Las rodillas: Sarah had a wonderful family today with three children: two boys, 7 and 8 years old, and a girl, 5 years old. The little girl is being seen through the Extended Care Program for a heart condition, but today her mom was concerned about a cough and congestion. Sarah treated her appropriately but there was something more. The little girl kept standing herself in front of Sarah and putting her hands on Sarah's lap. They shared such a beautiful connection.
La boca: The dental clinic had a busy day. Student nurses Miguel, Kailyn, and Phoebe helped Dr. Arita with 44 dental patients for a total of 47 tooth extractions. The student nurses agreed that the children were often more stoic than the adults when it came to extractions. Nothing can keep a smile off of their faces.
La nariz: In such a dusty environment comes a lot of nose irritation. Our medical team often recommends a saline nasal spray to help with the symptoms that occur due to such environments. And always, drink agua. Mucho agua.
-Erika Alexander