Felipe Gutierrez, the Village Director for Faith in Practice, says that he always has a problem sleeping the night before a group leaves for the village. For me it is anticipation the night before our first clinic day, that gives me fitful sleep. Being present in the moment means not to get ahead of yourself, we learned during our morning reflection. In the Maya-Quiche belief system, being too rushed stresses cosmic balance. This is a great reminder for a busy clinician.
Clinic opened on time after a community prayer time attended by our team and the Faith in Practice Staff and network volunteers. The Covid protocols of seeing fewer patients gave everyone time to be present with each of their patients today. In internal medicine a host of patients needing orthopedic surgery, cholecystectomies, and hernia operations were seen. We also saw patients with previous work-ups who had their treatment plans interrupted by Covid. Dr. Robert Wright, an ER physician in College Station was able to do ultrasound exams; in pediatrics, Dr. Anita Belinoski was very busy with children in the morning. Our dermatologist, Dr. Jordan Buckley, did skin procedures, diagnosed scabies in several families, and also pitched in to see adults and children. Dr. Debra Caspers, a family physician, is enjoying her work with the women patients in gynecology.
While we were all fully present with the patients today, our listening skills were severely tested with face masks, Plexiglas, face shields and the usual soft Spanish tones of the people of Guatemala. It forced us to pay more attention, especially when the rainy season afternoon deluge pounded loudly on our metal roofed Gym/Clinic building.
Covid has affected all of us in so many ways. Delays in care, barriers to communication, isolation and fear. Our time in Guatemala this week, where vaccines are not readily available to the vast majority of the population, is taking us back in time to the days of increasing Covid case rates in the U.S. last summer.
