We went to the church where we set up the clinic. We are developing a better system of getting the women through and keeping all their tests straight. It can be easy to get test results mixed up, so we came up with a numbering system that will hopefully make all of our lives easier.
My mom and Megan setting up
We were able to see about half of the women today and will finish up the others tomorrow. Then I think the plan is to open it up to the church families who are in need of medical care. Basically that means that we have absolutely no idea how many patients we will see. The doctor had to send another pregnant woman to the hospital today because she had an infection that needed a specialized medication. Without treatment, she was at serious risk of her baby dying in the womb. It really has made me much more aware of how easily a pregnancy can end without good medical care. Other than that, we mostly saw a few high blood pressures, but nothing too serious.
After the conference meetings were over (around 2:30) we took a school bus to the shopping area to take pictures of the ladies picking out clothes. Unfortunately, there is no mall in this city and the market wasn't very safe for Gringo's. I was not allowed to get my camera out because it was just too dangerous. Drat. I was chafing at the lack of freedom but I prefer not to be dead, so I decided to do as I was told.
It was so fun to watch the ladies pick out their dresses and shoes! They wear very high heels with lots of sparkly things on them. My feet ache just looking at them--but they look very cool. They got their shopping done incredibly fast. In less than two hours, 22 women had new shoes and dresses. (We had been told that 35 were coming but not all of them showed up.)
The wheels on the bus go round and round.... There are some kids here with their mommy's for the conference. This little girl spent the morning giving me the stink eye, but she likes all of us now.
Around the biggest potholes you have ever seen.
There was no way to avoid them soooo...off-roading we went. It was quite fun except for the fact that I was trying to take pictures out the bus window, which is quite difficult when you are on your knees and bouncing up and down like a fishing bobber.
Our hotel...oh my word. When I pulled back the shower curtain this morning, I just burst out laughing.
Can someone please enlighten me as to why there is an outlet directly under the shower head? Electrocution anyone? But no worries. The outlet is painted over for your protection.
Aside from the obvious gross-ness, do you notice a lack of anything?
Hint: it gives you hot and cold water.
Yep...there is only ONE faucet handle, rather than two.
Weird, I thought.
But no.
Actually, it's just common sense.
There is only one temperature, so to put hot and cold faucet handles there would just be superfluous.
And that one available temperature is, of course....cold.
Not freezing cold...but cold nonetheless.
And the water pressure...well that is non-existent. There are two skinny streams coming out which do a very poor job of rinsing soap out of one's hair.
But hey...at least it's indoors.
Some random photos from the day:
This dad was hanging out while his wife was at the conference.
Not sure he liked the camera but the stickers from Nina were pretty great.
I would add more pictures but it's late and I have to get up early to start taking portraits of the 22 women in the morning. I have to take and get them edited by mid-afternoon. Ack! They have to get printed and framed by tomorrow night.
