Today was the big day, I was on my way home. Timing was perfect, I would make it just in time to celebrate the 4th with my family. I was really looking forward to the cookouts and fun....except I woke up in my hostal with nausea. I am rarely sick, but I recognized this feeling from earlier in my trip when I had altitude sickness. Except this time the nausea came with vomiting. I woke from my sleep and tried to run to the bathroom, but I didn't make it. I found myself in the door way of my room throwing up last night's dinner. Gross! I'm not sure what made me sick, it could have been the tomatoes I ate because I was sure they were okay because they were peeled. It could have been my icy drink that I assumed was made using filtered water....whatever happened I was so sick.
I dragged around getting ready and tried to make my flight. I made it to the airport, but as soon as I walked through the door I had to sit down in the middle of the floor and wait for someone to come and help me. Finally the doctor came and gave me a pill and told me I had to eat. Was she crazy? I didn't want to put anything in my mouth! The last time I put something in my mouth, namely my tooth brush, I just threw up again. Still, I tried to have crackers and water. I preceded to the gate in a wheel chair and hoped that as time passed I would get better, but I only got worse. I tried to board the plane, but I had to get off because the airport doctor said that if I couldn't eat I couldn't fly. At this point, I didn't even care if I missed my flight, I just wanted a bed. So I was escorted off of the plane and questioned and searched by the police (????) before I was rolled off to the taxi to take me back to the hostal where I stayed last night. I considered going to the hospital, but I thought that if I could just lay down I would be better.
Wow...what a way to end my trip in Ecuador! As bad as it was to be sick and miss my flight, I know that God was with me. Here are some ways I know:
1) My parents, friends, and church family was praying for me. When I realized I was sick I messaged a couple of friends who got our church to pray for me. It was so great to have that support and love. Even though I was physically alone I knew God was with me because of their prayers.
2) The hostal (which only costs $7.00 per night) took care of me, beyond what they had to do. It was like they were angels in the right place at the right time to help me get through this. The first employee at the hostal cleaned my vomit from the floor! What? I didn't think that anyone cleaned vomit, except parents and school janitors. But this man without hesitation cleaned up my vomit and would not let me help. I was sure that I would have to do that myself, but he extended that grace toward me. The 2nd employee who was at the hostal offered to get me medicine from the pharmacy and when I returned to the hostal from the airport he made room for me in the hostal even though it was technically all booked. They both carried my bags without question and helped me find an atm when I needed cash. Getting through this day would have been so much more difficult had it not been for these angels who took care of me.
3) The man who rolled me around in the wheel chair at the airport was also like an angel. While I was sick at the airport and trying to make it onto my flight I really needed help. The doctor came, but she left. But this man stayed with me. He rolled me around, carried my bag, took me to the bathroom when I needed to go, and told the flight attendants that I was not doing well. I was really grateful for his presence.
5) My parents took care of my travel arrangements. When I returned to the hostal, I really needed to just lay down, but I also really needed get my travel plans in order since I had missed my flight and I had another flight waiting on my in NY to NC. My parents took care of all of this. They called the airlines, made the plans, bought the tickets, made plans to meet me in Maryland because they could not find a flight to NC, and bought a hotel room for the night. Not to mention that my fee for changing my flight from Quito went from $500 to $84 $0.
4)I did not feel better exactly when I wanted to, but I felt better eventually. I did not have to be this way. I could have gotten sicker and sicker, but instead I got better and better and am able to go home.
Ahhhh now I am in the airport waiting for my flight and excited that I can go home!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Day 21: En Quito con Grace
Today, I head home! My first stop is Quito since my flight home leaves from here.
My friend Grace and I headed to Quito together to explore the city for one day before we both left. When we arrived at our hostal "La Posada Colonial" we were pleasantly surprised to see that a place that was so cheap ($7.00 per night) was also very nice (clean and safe) and had a great staff. Once we got settled we headed out to do the four hour walking tour that was outlined in the Lonely Planet Travel Book. The first stop we made was at Cafe Frutilla to have lunch. This was a very fancy place that sold all types of foods in addition to desserts that looked so delicious. We both had empanadas and fresh juice. After we left the cafe we continued on the path that took us to different churches and through different parks. Walking around Quito I noticed that it was like a city built in a mountain. We had to climb some very steep heels to get where we were going. I didn't know if I would be able to do it, because even though I had been in Ecuador for three weeks I could still tell that the altitude affected me when I exerted myself. I was able to make it up the heels with plenty of breaks. Once we reached the top of the peak, we found an excellent artisan store where I was able to buy some great souvenirs and we also saw a church so huge that it couldn't even fit into one picture frame. As we continued on our journey we came to the Quito Observatory and toured the museum of scientific tools used to view the stars for a price of $2.00. We climbed to the very top of the observatory and from the balcony had an amazing view of the city. From the observatory we headed to the New Town (Quito is divided into Old Town and New Town). We stopped at a salon so that I could get a mani pedi for $7.00, but it didn't work out because they were closed, so we continued down the street that's considered the most modern street in Quito, and eventually caught a cab to "El Pobre Diablo" , a restaurant that lonely planet recommended for good food and live music. There was no live music on Friday, but the food was great. Afterward he went back to our hostal and prepared to head to our respective homes the next day.
My friend Grace and I headed to Quito together to explore the city for one day before we both left. When we arrived at our hostal "La Posada Colonial" we were pleasantly surprised to see that a place that was so cheap ($7.00 per night) was also very nice (clean and safe) and had a great staff. Once we got settled we headed out to do the four hour walking tour that was outlined in the Lonely Planet Travel Book. The first stop we made was at Cafe Frutilla to have lunch. This was a very fancy place that sold all types of foods in addition to desserts that looked so delicious. We both had empanadas and fresh juice. After we left the cafe we continued on the path that took us to different churches and through different parks. Walking around Quito I noticed that it was like a city built in a mountain. We had to climb some very steep heels to get where we were going. I didn't know if I would be able to do it, because even though I had been in Ecuador for three weeks I could still tell that the altitude affected me when I exerted myself. I was able to make it up the heels with plenty of breaks. Once we reached the top of the peak, we found an excellent artisan store where I was able to buy some great souvenirs and we also saw a church so huge that it couldn't even fit into one picture frame. As we continued on our journey we came to the Quito Observatory and toured the museum of scientific tools used to view the stars for a price of $2.00. We climbed to the very top of the observatory and from the balcony had an amazing view of the city. From the observatory we headed to the New Town (Quito is divided into Old Town and New Town). We stopped at a salon so that I could get a mani pedi for $7.00, but it didn't work out because they were closed, so we continued down the street that's considered the most modern street in Quito, and eventually caught a cab to "El Pobre Diablo" , a restaurant that lonely planet recommended for good food and live music. There was no live music on Friday, but the food was great. Afterward he went back to our hostal and prepared to head to our respective homes the next day.
Days 19 and 20: En Cacha pt. 2
Day 19 in Cacha was arguably my favorite day in Ecuador! Why? Because of the kiddies. Most of the clinics in Cacha are located next to schools, so when we arrived at the clinic this morning I saw a whole bunch of kids being led to school by their teacher. I secretly wanted to leave the clinic and just go to the school to play with the kids, but I didn't even have to do that because all of the kids came over to the clinic for a checkup. We examined about 27 children that day.
The younger kids were sooooo cute. When we went outside to visit them before they all came over to the clinic a few of them attempted to climb the tall fence just to see us. I told them the best way I knew how in Spanish to be careful and get off of the fence. When they came over to the clinic, the doctor pulled out all of their charts and began to record weight and heights as the medical students measured them. However cute these kids are, they were also very dirty and smelly too. When they removed their shoes there was dirt all over their feet. There was snot and spit all over their shirts, and they put everything, including my ink pen in their mouths. When we started to examine them, the doctor let us do all the work. For each child I looked at their scalp, examined their throats, and listened to their hearts and lungs. It was a great chance for me to practice my physical exam in Spanish, which I would be tested on later in the week. One of my favorite kids was the "tongue depressor collector". This boy picked up every tongue depressor that he found in the clinic and carried it around, sometimes even putting it in his mouth...eewww. But, the really sweet thing was that when I told him to give me the tongue depressors he did it without question. Another thing I won't forget about these little children is that when clinic was over and we were leaving, I heard the sounds of children's voices yelling "Doctorita, Doctorita". Doctorita is what many people call female doctors in Ecuador. These children were trying to get my attention, in fact they were climbing all over the fences just to get my attention.It was at that point that I realized that they had probably been climbing those fences way before I even stepped foot in Ecuador, so I shouldn't fret about their safety. Instead I just walked over, after taking photos of the sheep that were roaming around outside, and said good bye to the children.
There was also another group of children who came into the clinic. These were the older kids and they all seemed to have a cough and soar throat. I was amazed that 10 children could all come in with the same symptoms, and also kind of skeptical. I wondered if they were really sick, or if they all just wanted to come into the clinic. Nevertheless we examined them all and the doctor gave them medication. At first these kids were really shy, but then they opened up to me. Once girl asked my name, and then proceeded to ask me the names of all of my family members. These children also wanted to know how to pronounce their names in English. They were so excited to hear their name in another language.
I left clinic that day happy that I had the chance to interact with children and practice my physical exam and language skills at the same time.
Day 20 was not as good as day 19 for me. For the most part we sat in one of the other clinics from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at which point we went out on house visits. I had been excited to do house visits before, but I didn't know what I was in for. If I had not experienced culture shock before this day, it was about to happen to me. One other medical student and I hopped into the back of a truck and went with the dentist and the doctor to see people in their homes. When we got of the truck we were welcomed by a roaming rooster and barking dogs. Seeing the indigenous people of Cacha in their homes was amazing to me. The homes were mostly made of stone and were dirty and dusty, yet the people seemed to live comfortably. There were so many bugs. There was one lady who was about 85. She only spoke Quechua, the native language of Cacha, so it was hard for the doctors to communicate with her in Spanish. Her feet were so rough, and it looked as if she never wore shoes. Her hands were obviously swollen with arthritis, but she continued to work, preparing food for herself as we attempted to talk with her.
Doing these home visits led me to believe that practicing medicine in developing countries is not for me. Being in the clinics in Riobamba was one thing, and being in the clinics in Cacha was another. But doing those house visits really took me by surprise. The bugs and the smells made me so uncomfortable. The doctor and dentist seemed able to handle it well, but I was ready to get out of there! I always thought that seeing patients in developing countries was exactly what I wanted to do, but seeing how I reacted to this situation showed me that maybe I should consider doing something else. I don't think its a bad thing, just a great realization, that maybe I'm not built to do what I thought I was. Knowing this opens up new possibilities for me. It could also be that this was my first time experiencing medicine in this way, and I need to give it a chance. Only time will tell!
The younger kids were sooooo cute. When we went outside to visit them before they all came over to the clinic a few of them attempted to climb the tall fence just to see us. I told them the best way I knew how in Spanish to be careful and get off of the fence. When they came over to the clinic, the doctor pulled out all of their charts and began to record weight and heights as the medical students measured them. However cute these kids are, they were also very dirty and smelly too. When they removed their shoes there was dirt all over their feet. There was snot and spit all over their shirts, and they put everything, including my ink pen in their mouths. When we started to examine them, the doctor let us do all the work. For each child I looked at their scalp, examined their throats, and listened to their hearts and lungs. It was a great chance for me to practice my physical exam in Spanish, which I would be tested on later in the week. One of my favorite kids was the "tongue depressor collector". This boy picked up every tongue depressor that he found in the clinic and carried it around, sometimes even putting it in his mouth...eewww. But, the really sweet thing was that when I told him to give me the tongue depressors he did it without question. Another thing I won't forget about these little children is that when clinic was over and we were leaving, I heard the sounds of children's voices yelling "Doctorita, Doctorita". Doctorita is what many people call female doctors in Ecuador. These children were trying to get my attention, in fact they were climbing all over the fences just to get my attention.It was at that point that I realized that they had probably been climbing those fences way before I even stepped foot in Ecuador, so I shouldn't fret about their safety. Instead I just walked over, after taking photos of the sheep that were roaming around outside, and said good bye to the children.
There was also another group of children who came into the clinic. These were the older kids and they all seemed to have a cough and soar throat. I was amazed that 10 children could all come in with the same symptoms, and also kind of skeptical. I wondered if they were really sick, or if they all just wanted to come into the clinic. Nevertheless we examined them all and the doctor gave them medication. At first these kids were really shy, but then they opened up to me. Once girl asked my name, and then proceeded to ask me the names of all of my family members. These children also wanted to know how to pronounce their names in English. They were so excited to hear their name in another language.
I left clinic that day happy that I had the chance to interact with children and practice my physical exam and language skills at the same time.
Day 20 was not as good as day 19 for me. For the most part we sat in one of the other clinics from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at which point we went out on house visits. I had been excited to do house visits before, but I didn't know what I was in for. If I had not experienced culture shock before this day, it was about to happen to me. One other medical student and I hopped into the back of a truck and went with the dentist and the doctor to see people in their homes. When we got of the truck we were welcomed by a roaming rooster and barking dogs. Seeing the indigenous people of Cacha in their homes was amazing to me. The homes were mostly made of stone and were dirty and dusty, yet the people seemed to live comfortably. There were so many bugs. There was one lady who was about 85. She only spoke Quechua, the native language of Cacha, so it was hard for the doctors to communicate with her in Spanish. Her feet were so rough, and it looked as if she never wore shoes. Her hands were obviously swollen with arthritis, but she continued to work, preparing food for herself as we attempted to talk with her.
Doing these home visits led me to believe that practicing medicine in developing countries is not for me. Being in the clinics in Riobamba was one thing, and being in the clinics in Cacha was another. But doing those house visits really took me by surprise. The bugs and the smells made me so uncomfortable. The doctor and dentist seemed able to handle it well, but I was ready to get out of there! I always thought that seeing patients in developing countries was exactly what I wanted to do, but seeing how I reacted to this situation showed me that maybe I should consider doing something else. I don't think its a bad thing, just a great realization, that maybe I'm not built to do what I thought I was. Knowing this opens up new possibilities for me. It could also be that this was my first time experiencing medicine in this way, and I need to give it a chance. Only time will tell!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Me in the log Cabin in Cacha during the festival of Inti Raymi. I have a head light on, because I was reading a book called When God Winks at You. This book is about the how God uses the coincidences of every day life to speak to us. This day I just "happened" to read about God sending encouragement to a girl who was studying abroad in France. I could really identify with the this girls story. And I was encouraged by the fact that I randomly selected to read a story that was about God sending encouragement while traveling. Coincidence? I think not!
The museum in Cacha
The museum again
And again
And again
One of the beautiful views in Cacha
And again...
And again
The back view of the cabin where I slept
It was like we were standing in the clouds!
It was so clear that day, we could see the top of Chimborazo, a mountain in Ecuador.
More mountains
Teri, Karen, Collen, and Adrienne
Adrienne the guy, Adriane the girl, Peters, and Karen
My first sighting of a llama and and indigenous woman together.
More llamas
And more
And more
Ok I'm pretty excited about these llamas
Look , they're 3 different colors
There's a baby one getting milk
This is Patricia, a girl who lives in Cacha and also has the same name as my mother!
My favorite llama
Family Dinner: Korean style
Hilda and Rodrigo
Another intern, who helped me out in the clinics.
The main lobby of Hospital IEES
The main entrance at Hospital IESS
The outside of Hospital IESS
A little girl I saw in the street after work. I was fascinated in Ecuador to see so many little children without adults immediately nearby. What I learned was that their parents were often nearby, but just not holding their hands. This little girl had just got through trying to move a wooden carton. It was so cute to see her try to move this piece of wood that was almost just as big as her.
Me with the one of the medical interns at Hospital IEES and one of the doctors.
There was a parade outside my window...notice the pig in the background.
The parade...
One of our rooms in Cuenca
Laughing as we usually do!
The hostal
Dinner in Cuenca
Meet Dan, Lieng, Karen, Owen, Peters, Adriane, Caroline, and Grace
It was the festival of Corpus Cristy in Cuenca...which meant lots and lots of sweets
More sweets
Fire works in Cuenca
More pics from Corpus Christy
Headed to Ingapirca
Another festival of intiraymi
Great dancers
Starting the tour
Incan Ruins
More ruins
The drug tree...the flowers make a drug similar to chloroform
More ruins in Ingapirca
A replica of an Incan house
Restaurant where we ate in Ingapirca
More mountains
Another clear day to see Chimborazo
A clinic in Cacha
Karen, Peter, Peter, and Natalie heading off to our day of tourism with Segundo
Animals in Cacha
More landscaping in Cacha
A cow!
Some pigs!
A church in Cacha
Segundo!
A closer picture of the church
Quinoa...a staple grain in Cacha
More quinoa
And more...
Quinoa close up
And closer
A snap shot of some indigenous women doing their normal routine
Some of the typical houses in Cacha
A pond in Cacha
The Colta Lagun
The oldest church in Ecuador built by the Spanish
A pretty flower :)
The clinic in Cacha
The clinic
The kiddies at their school
one of the little boys
The kids climbing the fence
The clinic before the kids came
before...
Peter weighing the kids
The kids...the little boy is the tongue depressor collector
More little kids
Doctor Sandra and the children
his "What are you looking at face"
They were shy at first , but eventually they enjoyed our game of peek-a-boo!
The older kids who all came in with a cough and sore throat
The kids signing the paper for the meds. No parents were present.
Cows from the window of the clinic
Sheep!
One at the top, one on his way up
He made it!
I had these miniature eggs for breakfast...3 of them in the palm of my hand! The shell was white with speckles. They taste the same as chicken eggs.
The duck that welcomed us at the house visit.
One of the houses in Cacha.
A piggy at one of the houses
Peter outside of one of the houses
Dogs outside of one of the houses
An extra room to the previous house
A cat at the house
Another house in the distance
And another
Mixed cropping...I believe its corn with alfalfa
Sleeping doggies
The pig again
The cafe in Quito
Me in front of a church in Quito
And again without the person in the background
A monument in the park
Me on one of those hills
The huge church that needed two frames
The second frame
A statue in the distance
The observatory
View from the observatory
View from the observatory again
Me at one of the parks
The golden arches in Quito
KFC in Quito
What are KFC Krushers???? Ice Cream at KFC.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)