Shannon Costello

I’ve got only about 30 minutes before dinner, but that’s ok, because I don’t think I have too much to write. 

I just left the hospital where I was helping explain to the night nurses (locals) the orders for each patient.  Before that I assisted in a procedure to remove a piece of corn from a two-year-old’s nose.  Totally gross.  Gilbert’s face was really showing the strain….and I could feel the same expressions in my face!  Maybe the funniest bit was the way the little girl was so quiet during the procedure.  My holding her head was just in case.  The whole thing appeared to be one vast experiment.  But really….a two-year old who doesn’t mind when one adult is holding her head, another using a suction tube, and a third poking in her right nostril with a pair of wicked-looking scissory-type things…  I also peaked in the door when Wayne was repairing a deviated septum.  It didn’t look so bad from that safe distance.  But I did avoid the slight opportunity that arose for me to assist in a gall bladder surgery. 

I wasn’t feeling too well the last couple of days.  I suppose it may have been a light case of traveller’s diarrhea.  The worse part was the intermittent stomach discomfort, as if my guts were twisting.  I suppose that was part of the cause of my emotional melt down last night.  Lori was really helpful.  I have worked with her a lot the last couple of days…she is really good.  She knows so much and is so nice. 

I  guess most of my work has been with Lori this week.  We see lots of patients and Wayne joins us when he is not in surgery.  Lori is good enough to figure out lots of what is going on.  I’m getting good at some of the explanations, but I’m not sure I do any of them as well as I did the audiology ones.  Or maybe I just felt more confident.  Sometimes I freeze when a word comes up that I don’t know.  My dictionary has been a big help.  Sometimes Francis is in the room and he can help me with a word.  Only today he went blank for a moment when ’splint’ came up.  Interpreting is really interesting work.  But consultations do tend to get a bit repetitive.  I would say Lori and I saw 50 patients Monday and Tuesday.  I spent part of my time today around the recovery room.  One of the patients was particularly nice to talk to.  She and her mother enjoyed the story of my over-spiced salteñas.  The daughter was crocheting doilies, and when I asked to look at them she gave me one, which made me feel happy but guilty. 

We saw the sloth yesterday.  His back, naturally, was dry, but his head was very wet.  A woman came by to watch with us, made a few comments, and asked for a loan.  I refused but felt guilty.  Francis is more inclined to the buy food option rather than giving money. 

Last night we went to a show in the Normal (teacher training college). It was put on by the music students in the school.  We couldn’t stay for the whole night because of the late hour, so it made me feel badly when we arrived and there were special seats set up for us in front.  Fortunately the directora had spent a good chunk of her time waiting for us to see her, so she was very understanding when I explained about all the work that would be waiting for us early the next morning.  Yesterday a histerectomy got very long and complicated, so everyone was already tired.  But today went very smoothly, from what I heard. 

Anyway, it was supposed to start at 8:00.  But did it?  Of course not!  I would say things got underway at about 9.  We stayed for about an hour.  The local pastor, Carlos, mentioned that he stayed until about 1:00am, then went home, and could still hear music even in his house.  So, while I’m sorry we couldn’t have stayed, there was no way.  Bolivians, by the way, are perfectly willing to admit to their disregard for start times. 

Things are getting to the point where I pass people that I know on my way to and from the hospital.  Today I passed a little girl named Briana that we saw yesterday.  My best friend would have to be Ana Lucia.  She is about 7…perhaps I have mentioned her- her mother works in the hospital.  She is a cute little girl with a strong personality.  I asked her mother to have her come tomorrow so I can say goodbye. 

Tomorrow we will be doing some surgeries, and, like today, we will have a lighter day in terms of seeing patients.  We are supposed to get all packed up tomorrow.  Tomorrow four of our number leave to go to Santa Cruz, since their plane leaves on Friday.  The rest of us will leave on Friday to go to Santa Cruz, where we will do some sight-seeing and shopping and eating.  I might be back to my regular eating habits by then.  Diarrhea always makes me much less interested in food.  I haven’t had meat since Monday lunch, I guess.  But I am very happy the pain is gone. 

My plane leaves Saturday morning (theoretically).  Dave said his plane was delayed three hours.  I am looking forward to being back in the states.  I miss my sparkling white shower stall, our power-flush toilets that can take toilet paper, and my family.  My digestive system probably misses salads, too.  So the two of us are really looking foward to being back.  Dinner in 15 minutes.