Los Charcos del Capa

  On our way to today's barrio, we stopped at the local market to do a walk through and experience the culture of a Dominican market.  Comparable to America's Walmart, right? These citizens put in a lot of time and hard work peeling at beans and rice (two of their largest industries).  The second picture below was a meat vender.  The spine and tail of a pig is hanging in the middle.

  Today's clinic was set up much like yesterday's but in a different barrio a little bit further a way.  We were able to use another school house, this time with a few more rooms.  The majority of the children that attended had on light blue uniform-type shirts that were part of a mission to attend school there.  The patients could come and go through intake with their chief complaints and history, get assessed and vital signs taken, see the doctors, and then wait at the pharmacy to get their medication filled if needed.  Again most everyone we see gets vitamins and common over the counter medications as well as anything specific treatable complaint.  Today we saw a few eye infections, fungal infections to nails, parasites, dog bites, and a patient with the highest blood pressure I have ever seen in my five years of nursing, a systolic pressure of 280.  Whenever there is a diagnosis that can not be treated by the clinic doctors, a referral slip is made and help is given to attempt to get that patient the help they need. (ie: an 8 year old needing a large hernia repair) The common child-bearing age in the Dominican is approx. 14 years of age.  Many of the parents to the small children appear young themselves.  I wasn't able to take many pictures today except when someone else had my camera.  I have enjoyed being one of the licensed personnel in the pharmacy, along with the other registered nurses.  It is fast paced and great knowing even if we don't have a specific medication in our kit, we have been able to substitute for others and determining safe drug interactions for the citizens of all ages. We could not do what we do without our lovely translators.  Education regarding proper use of medications and basic understanding of ways to prevent or help current and future symptoms are a main focus.  These were some of our first patients to come through the pharmacy today.  The small girl to my right side of photo below was very friendly and throughout the day I would catch her trying to get our attention through the windows.

 
   Sometimes they just want to talk, even though you don't have a clue what they are saying besides responses to "Como se llama?" and "Quantos anos tienes?"

   
   And the ONU nurses with the kids as we wrapped up for the day...

 

   We passed two separate boy and girl orphanages on our way home as well as got to see a typical cemetery of the DR and the country dump.  After dinner, a tailor, named Herman came to the guesthouse with a variety of cloth swatches.  He makes anything and everything you could want.  If you have a picture, he sews it up this week.  So, I went through a book he had and picked our this dress below.  Then, he takes your measurements and later in the week drops the items off for sizing and makes adjustments if needed.  He had pictures of anything from purses, dresses, skirts, to blazers.  He looked really talented in his craft.  So later this week we will see what this looks like in person tailored to me!

  Tonight was a free night where we had a meeting regarding our health fair we are holding at a different barrio.  Some of the traditional ONU students will be assisting in each of our individual projects of health promotion that we have prepared.  Time to put almost 200 first aid and umbilical cord care kits to use! Education...Education...Education.....because well, knowledge is power!

Good night!