This last month, I decided to move to a hospital and try to see if this medicine thing is right or not. At first, I had grand illusions of shadowing a doctor friend of my parents the whole time. A fellow PCV had become an impromptu scrub nurse, and I thought “That should get me used to blood!” The doctor, however, was not interested in another scrub nurse and was combating an area typhoid epidemic, so the best thing I could do was to stay out of the way. Some German med. Students (all of 21 years old, impossibly thin, and in their final year) could not conceal a slight repulsion toward my lack of usefulness and my misdirected life. I don’t blame them-- I had no idea what I was going to do with my life at 10 yrs old.
Three hours later, I found myself scared to ask the nurse’s aide; what is a normal blood pressure reading? Boredom ensued-- you can only make so much of reading patient charts all day and trying (unsuccessfully) to look intelligent as you follow a stick thin med. student around.
I came home to a fellow pcv’s house (for whom I am puppy and cat sitting……….) and thought, a whole month of this? Good enough it was a Friday. That evening, I met some nuns nearby. A short conversation about the typhoid epidemic and they wanted me to speak in church on Sunday. I quickly put some local language teaching materials together then talked with nearly 100 people. I was then asked to return for women’s groups on Tuesday -- where I met about 80 women. The parish development coordinator found me and asked if I had free time (you bet I did!!!) and if I could climb into some mountain villages to talk there-- again a resounding YES! The next day, mountains, and then the next, a catechists’ meeting (with representatives from each village). Now I have speaking engagements sufficient to fill the next three weeks, training community groups, from savings associations, to agricultural trainings, to churches, to prevent typhoid. The material is basic-- water sterilization, water protection, basic hygiene, signs/ symptoms and treatment, but it is not yet widely known. I had to say a little prayer, thank you, God for your Church!. Of course I’m not doing anything special like taking blood pressure but, hey, I’m happy.
