PATIENCE – today’s word of the day.
To be fair, the word applies unequivocally to each day here, to patients (…) and volunteers alike. But it seemed appropriate to dedicate at least one day to the topic.
Though everyone involved is a willing and enthusiastic participant, as with anything in life there are some aspects that may not feel quite as rewarding. The volunteer team’s presence here alone is testament to the love they show their neighbors, and the patients are appreciative for the benefits they reap, however there are necessary wait times that come up coordinating this type of activity and natural frustrations that creep up on the physicians’ side as well.
What is a sight to behold is how those nuisances are put aside, even after being led to the umpteenth line up or looking around and noticing one’s medical thingamabob has been borrowed.. again. I have brought up examples of hardship and dedication, the type of stories they put in the movies, but isn’t love also the patience and understanding shown getting over the day -to-day annoyances? We have that here as well.
I start the day in Audiology and unfortunately there is some initial frustration. Olga is 42 and has had very little eyesight since birth, she is married to a pastor, they have three kids, and both are very active in their local community. On top of her sight problems, seven years ago she lost her hearing. She came in today and we (the royal we) set her up for the customary hearing test. I have affectionally named the hearing test device JaXOn (some audiology humor, for those on my same wavelength) because anything older than me deserves a name. JaXOn is the type of device that may not be as sophisticated as the newer generations but he is bulletproof, built to last. The frustration is that the initial test indicates that Olga does not have sufficient hearing for a hearing aid to be helpful. Demonstrating patience, the team decides to try the test again, however the result is negative once more. The team has done what they can, the unfortunate reality is that not everyone can be helped, but Olga surprises us, she says a prayer and asks for one more test, at which point good ol’ JaXOn comes through for us. After her prayer, in the last test, sufficient hearing is detected and we are able to fit her for a hearing aid. Olga has spent her life taking care of her family and the church community around her, despite lack of sight and hearing, not only is she incredibly deserving of our help, but now she can do all the more for those around her.
In any work environment made up of teams, cooperation is a key component to success, and general well being. However, rarely have I been able to witness a clear demonstration of its effectiveness as in the medical field I have caught glimpses on during these missions. There are countless times where a colleague is called over for a consult, to help out on a complex or difficult case. I had to make an effort to remind myself that it takes patience, because there has never been any indication by the requested parties of anything but openness and willingness to help, even when their own line up of patients seems to never end.
I mentioned sharing resources, but patience is also shown in making due with what is available here, testing sight by walking across the room and holding up a couple fingers for the patient to count.
Patience is shown by the teenager that has nothing but smiles for the photographer while she tilts her head and waits for her ear drops to do their thing, and returns to the same line up for her subsequent clinic appointment, though she has been here for hours.
Sometimes not so much patience is shown, it can be the boredom of a little girl, or the irritation of a woman dealing with a photographer buzzing around her, though she agreed to a photograph. But that’s ok as well, we can take turns being patient. Such as when the ultrasound technician then struggles to get a clear ultrasound of the woman, yeah I found her hard to read as well.
I will confess, there was one point of the day when I started to tire, but along came Pascual. Pascual is the bright spot that turned my day around when I was impatient with myself, frustrated at feeling affected by the heat and fatigue that others were not letting bring them down. I am jealous to say that many a provider that met Pascual also shared the same feeling, and would check in to find out how things were progressing with him. By looking at his infectious smile and joie de vivre you would not guess that his thigh bone is rotting from a poorly healed break after a tree fell on him in a field accident 15 years ago. You would not guess his wife has been in a wheel chair for a year (a borrowed one) and has not spoken for months. You might guess that he is accompanied today by one of his six children. Pascual has taken what life has thrown his way patiently, not only that, he finds a way to bring a smile to the faces of those around him, he is an example and a good reminder of how our demeanor can have a positive impact on the day of those around us. He is surprisingly mobile, we were able to get him a cane to replace his stick, and provide a proper sized wheelchair for his wife.
Though absolutely everyone demonstrated patience, the post on the topic of the day would be woefully incomplete without mention of Pharmacy, our last line of defense. Each and every patient that comes through visits Pharmacy before leaving, some days may be more arduous on specific clinics, due to the volumes of patients, however, Pharmacy sees every single patient that has visited every single clinic, and their work requires incredible attention to detail and painstaking accuracy. On this particular day, the last patient of the day was a complex case, so much so that all the volunteers that were not directly involved were already on the bus while the situation was still being resolved, darkness had fallen and everyone was beat. Finally, the patient is ready to get her medication and we can all call it a day. However, sure enough there is need for clarification on the dosages, and our dedicated and extremely accurate pharmacists take the time to patiently discuss with the relevant physician. I have nothing but admiration for their level of patience.
Appreciate your time,
P.S. I have intentionally described frustrating aspects to give the readers a realistic view of our experience here, I want to stress that the coordinators (both local and non) do an unbelievable amount of work to reduce any inefficiencies and we greatly appreciate them. Additionally, every team member contributes ideas and effort to course correct and help with any pain points identified each day in order to improve.
Celestina
Team Blogger
