Day 2.

Again up at 5:30am today.  The second day of the mission is usually pretty crazy and this definitely lived up to that!  Word got out that we were here.  We had visits from the governor, had cameras taping us for a Manila TV news station, had the Filipino army come to greet us and show support, along with the sea of patients to see.  

It rained all day off and on.  Muggy.  I am grateful for an AC unit in our examining room- it barely runs, but at least circulates air.  I found that it’s actually cooler outside our room than inside so we started propping the door open and it’s much better!

Whole families would come in together to be evaluated.  Complaints are varied- URIs, dizziness, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, chest pain, pain with breathing, abdominal pain, gall stones, ovary cysts, diarrhea.... similar to what I see in the U.S.  We triage these patients if needed .

Here’s the difference:  these simple, sweet people can’t afford to see a doctor for even the simplest reasons.  They have no money for medications.  They have no money to travel to see a doctor.  Many came in barefoot, teeth rotten, embarrassed that I was looking in their mouths; symptoms usually present for years.  We have less that 100 different medications, including prescriptions and OTCs, however, getting any type of medication from an ‘American doctor’ means more than we will ever know.  Lots of patients with severe hypertension knew about their high BP readings but could not afford to continue taking their medications so stopped or took them irregularly to make the Rx last longer.  

Joel was pulled into the Eye glasses clinic, along with some of the other non-medical members of the team.  They screened vision and gave away reading glasses if they found a pair that improved their vision.  I think there were more patients lined up here to have screening done by the big, handsome American man!  Who cares if there was really a vision problem or not!

Today, I felt dizzy.  I saw so many patients that I literally had to stand up and walk away at one point.  I decided that I need to take a break every couple of hours to drink some water, find a bathroom, and get some air.  I wouldn’t dare complain outloud though-  this is mild discomfort compared to what these folks live with on a day to day basis at times.  

We did get to meet a kalabaw (water buffalo) that was tied to a clump of grass just behind the hospital.  We named him ‘Gus’.  I don’t think he spoke English.

Grand totals: 9 hours; 430 patients seen; 1 complicated vaginal hysterectomy; 1 other gyne surgery; 3 cleft palate/lip repair; 3 inguinal hernia repairs; 26 or more tumor/mass excision; 70 pairs of glasses provided; hundreds and hundreds of medications dispensed.

Good day.