Guatemala February 2019
Team Members
Cathy Davis, MD - Team Leader
Sarah Davis, NP
Emily Hendel, NP
Samira Rockler, RN
Michelle Sparks Tanhoff, RN
Rob Tanhoff, Pharmacy
Benjamin Lee, Pharmacy
4/5/2019
We are starting our third day of clinic today. All has gone well. Still adjusting to the electronic medical records. We have seen about 100 patients so far. We think one community has an outbreak of hepatitis. Today we are going to a village far away and hot.
-Cathy Davis, Team leader and MD
4/6/2019
The black Nike tennis shoes I brought with me––and wore for almost the entirety of the trip thus far––are no longer black. Rather, they now boast a rusted, brown coloring, conveying the notion that their age is well beyond their years. Next to them, on the dresser shelf facing my bed, is the pair of formerly white half-calf socks, more in need of a shower than my own body. If I remember anything from my day working in Tierra Santa, it will be the feeling of toffee-brown dust sifting through the pores in my Nike tennis shoes down through the fibers of my formerly white half-calf socks and settling in between my toes like the twin bed in my hotel room. I will remember how the dirt clung to the sweat on my arms as little kids whizzed around a grassless soccer field with a plastic ball––how everyone was too busy thinking about the next pass to be preoccupied with cleanliness.
I found myself amongst this clump of primary school children during a lunch break from clinic––a day which tested my language skills to an unprecedented extent. Taking a post away from the pharmacy, I now functioned as an interpreter for our patient intake and provider consults, which provided me with an invaluable learning experience that could simply not be replicated in a classroom setting. Once again, I found myself in a position of gratitude, learning from both medical professionals and professional interpreters alike.
The work day presented itself with intermittent rushes of patients, which often took us by surprise, but never failed to entirely sway and groove and swagger of our trustee trip veterans. I think we all found ourselves leaning on each other for support and trust as we continued throughout our efforts to provide the best modes of care for the people of Tierra Santa. After seeing patients well into the late hours of the afternoon, I hoped that our budding teamwork would be a recurring point of reference throughout the week.
-Ben Lee, Pharmacy
4/6/2019
Because of the downpour that made a river in Santa Teresita, which drenched the soles of my shoes and the entirety of my jacket, which are now draped on the shelf beside my bed, which is now shaking because I have been rummaging through my things for a snack because it has been a long day, I will not waste time and but to clinic in order to be brief.
Driving into clinic, I really––TRULY––honestly thought that there could not be more kids in Santa Teresita than there were the day before. But, of course, just when you think that something cannot happen, it surely does. Driving into the village, we finally stopped in the middle of what seemed to be a primary school courtyard, eventually setting up our makeshift clinic in one of the classrooms. With open, barred windows on two opposite walls, it was appropriate for one of our group members to characterize our team as “animals in a zoo.” To be perfectly clear, there were at least thirty young eyes trained on all of us at any given moment, and the loud jeering and chaos from our arrival echoed definitively throughout the room.
Despite these difficulties, it seemed as if our clinic work began in one swift, fluid motion. From there, we worked mechanically and with little interruption, viewing patients with variable conditions from diabetes to scabies to potential fractures. Towards the end of our work day, the rain finally gushed down in spite of our hopes for clear weather. Water ran through the street adjacent to our building as if it were a river taking shape. Gathering our materials and ER patients, we loaded up our vehicles cautiously, preparing for our longest and––in my opinion––most grueling drives of our trip.
Although shaken up, our dinner out to the Tolimán restaurant made up for any of our afternoon drearies. With drinks, good food, and better conversation, we rounded out are night on a positive note, for which made me ever more happy to be a part of this incredible experience.
-Ben Lee, Pharmacy
4/8/2019
Today was the day, my friends. Today was the day. We finally went up the mountain to a place with weather colder than San Lucas Tolimán. (As an aside, I really don’t tolerate heat or humidity with any grace or comfort.) Climbing up the cobblestone incline, I savored the bite of the temperate air in the back of the open pickup truck. The sounds of dogs, shifting gears, and buzzing birds accompanied the picturesque drive upwards.
Although clinic finished to an early one o’clock, our work progressed as it normally had in the past few days––Rob commanding the helm of pharmacy with utter grace, Cath, Emily, Sarah, and Rod crafting their medicinal magic in consults, and me, Carmen, Samira, and Michelle on the front lines at intake. Not to mention, we also had the continued help of local health promoters and the wisdom of long-term Mission volunteers. Despite a daring dog attempting to take a bite out of Cath’s sandwich, we were able to see a number of patients throughout the morning, including a house call that posed an intriguing double interpreting challenge between English, Spanish, and Kaqchikel.
We had become a well-oiled machine, and I was grateful for an afternoon off in order to explore the Saturday market within San Lucas Tolimán. Walking the streets of the town with other team members, I felt myself savoring the opportunity to get to know these health professionals in a setting outside of their work. In all, the afternoon––and evening––offered me a more holistic outlook on healthcare.
-Ben Lee, Pharmacy
4/21/2019
I am getting to this blog post a tad bit late due to an unforeseen illness––the likes of which I do not know the origin nor the cure. Nevertheless, I would be remiss without the opportunity to cap off our team’s journey in Guatemala this spring.
On Tuesday, we said our goodbyes and see-you-laters to all of the people at the parish and to the other friends we made while in San Lucas. In addition to the refried black beans and the bright faces at meal times, I will especially miss the two large golden retrievers that would peruse around the Tolimán for spare scraps of food––how adorable.
As we bussed off for Antigua, I feared for another enduring car ride and boy, did I ever anticipate correctly. Although traffic proved to be a doozy, both when we ventured to Antigua and then for Guatemala City, I remember arising quickly at the stirring of other group members in the van at some point mid-way through our trek. Beyond an open window, I caught a jarring landscape of bare terrain and torn infrastructure. I saw construction workers busily going about their day while others crowded around a meal set up on the tailgate of a parked truck. I soon learned that the volcanic eruption of November 2018 had inflicted this damage upon this town and many others nearby. With very little prior knowledge or conceptualization of how a volcano can truly alter the topography, I was taken aback by the scene in front of me, fighting the pit in my stomach as we kept driving by.
Entering into the heart of Antigua was like arriving in another country. The colonial and tourist-heavy nature of the city exhibited a stark cultural difference to how I had perceived San Lucas. Though, Antigua surprised me in more ways than one. As I passed through the relatively small entryways of street side edifices, I was astounded at the sheer depth that each store, restaurant, and historical site had in its architectural blueprints. Venturing further inward, one could find exquisite courtyards laced with blooming gardens and fountains. These outdoor spaces sometimes even held accessways to upper levels and hidden terraces. In addition, the modernity of some interiors posed a glaring juxtaposition with the traditional exterior. Throughout the day of strolling through the city, I became immersed with the concealed and covert workings of block after block.
A final group dinner capped off our MDP mission in a wonderful fashion, and I will always relay the good food and conversation are highlights from perspective. Following the afternoon rain spouts, we sat in an open venue on a cool and clear-skied evening, reveling in both mental and physical repose.
* * *
The next morning we set out for the airport in the capital and then onto home. I won’t delve into any detail on that front because our group had split off at multiple junctions throughout the day. I will say that although I found myself glad to be back at home, I was ever more grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this experience. Its challenges, successes, and invaluable lessons will be a personal point of return for a very long time.
Signing off,
BL
