Thesis

L&S

Monday, February 14, 2005

San Pedro Sula

It's hard to believe but the fieldwork is done. We arrived back here in San Pedro Sula yesterday after a very busy and tiring week with the final brigade and are now enjoying a short rest before beginning the journey home!
Last week was definately an adventure. This brigade went to comunities in the mountains around the El Cajon dam in central Honduras. These communities were remote- it took 3 hours travelling (each way)- first by bus, then boat then 4WD. The "road" up the mountain was the worst I have seen, steep and rough. I was one of the lucky ones- being given a seat in the cab every time because of the pregnancy (although it still gave new meaning to the term "bouncing baby"), Luis gained a very sore rear end from bumping up and down the mountain in the back of the truck. The days were long- waking at 5:30 in order to be on our way before 7am, and usually not back until after 6pm- a bit of a shock to my system!
The medical clinics and the research went well. I was impressed that this organisation has what appears to be an effective follow up program which includes having full time Honduran staff, so that patients who need further care (including a small boy with a heart defect, and another child with nuerological problems) should get it. The team also had a lot of clothes and shoes to give away and I spent much of the week assisting with this (something I think I will need to address in my thesis) and even doing some basic translating! Luis got himself involved in "de-worming" translating for and assisting those distributing parasite medication.
I guess I should have expected it but it took me until the last couple of days of the last team beofre I really felt like I knew what I was doing with the research. I am starting to get an idea of what direction my thesis will take, but am hoping there is not too many gaps in my data!
Meanwhile the baby has starting moving- I wonder if all that bumping up and down the mountain woke it up! It took me a few days to convince myself that it wasn't just gas... but yesterday Luis was able to feel it also which was amazing. It's a very strange but exciting experience to have a baby moving inside you... it certainly makes it all the more real.
Anyway we were able to get a ride back to San Pedro Sula with the team (no more chicken buses) and are treating ourselves to a couple of days in a nice hotel to relax and catch up on rest (lie in the hammocks, swim in the pool, sleep....). We travel by bus to Guatemala City on Tuesday, and fly from there on Wednesday, arriving in NZ on Friday. So see you soon!

El Cajon lake, as seen from the "road" to the clinic locations.

The first part of the trip to the clinic locations, by launch.

The boat landing, El Cajon.

The schoolroom where the team worked the first day, overlooking El Cajon lake.

Waiting patiently to see the American nurses.

A quiet spot to write research notes.

Luis and Oscar on pill cutting duty.

A haircut for a young patient with a bad case of scabies on her scalp.

A happy patient at the optical clinic.

A fresh coconut snack

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Tegucigalpa

We have had a somewhat quieter week here in Tegucigalpa... recovering from bronchitis and getting some rest. We both feel a lot better now although we still have the cough.We have enjoyed being back in the city- shopping, movies and a wider variety of food is all good!
On the weekend we ventured up to El Picacho- the highest point in Tegucigalpa and from where a large statue of Christ overlooks the city. The view is amazing, there are nice gardens (although somewhat dry and brown at this time of year) and the only zoo in the country. We avoided the zoo- put off a little by the sight of a dog running out the gate with something dead in its mouth and a flock of vultures right behind!
But its not all fun and relaxation- on Tuesday we had a very productive visit to the Ministry of Health, specifically to the Office for External Cooperation who "coordinate" with medical brigades. And I have been trying to spend some time reviewing research notes and transcribing interviews. Somehow I haven't got as much of that done as I'd anticipated- guess I'll be working hard when we get home (2 weeks!).
We will be here until Sunday when we leave for the next brigade location in El Cajon. Luckily no chicken buses this time- we will be getting a ride with a translator who lives here in Tegucigalpa and will be taking his pick up. We'll be there for 6 days... 6 days of hard work then back to San Pedro Sula for a couple of days, and then we 'll be on our way home!

Baby belly- week 18!

Me at the top of El Picacho, Tegucigalpa

Cristo de El Picacho (Christ of the Picacho), monument above Tegucigalpa

View of Tegucigalpa from El Picacho

Friday, January 28, 2005

Back to Tegucigalpa

Hello again from TegucigalpaWe had a really good week here with the medical team, which was hosted by two wonderful Catholic sisters who work here. The team worked for four days and this time I felt well and energetic (most of the time) and was even able to help them, seeing patients and doing nursing procedure (lots of dirty ears to syringe... yuck). As in La Ceiba I found I didn't have much time to do interviews- these teams work very hard- but gots lots of information anyway, and will follow up with questionairres.
The team left last Friday, however we stayed around for a few days to talk to patients and to the sisters. We have come to really admire these nuns over the past week, between the 2 of them and some local help they have set up and run a sewing school, carpentry school, nutritional centre for malnourished children (unfortunately theres a lot of that here), and a health clinic staffed by a local nurse, as well as assisting people to improve thier houses and construct latrines. They are now building an emergency hospital here, and are looking for staff for that. Sulaco is a poor rural town (there are more horses and donkeys than cars!) and around it in the mountains are much poorer villages. Health services here are completely inadequate- we saw patients with goitre, breast cancer and other conditions that have never been treated. Sad. A small group from the team (not including us) went up to an indigenous village- 4 hours in a 4WD up the mountain. Some people came to them from settlements further on- 2-3 hours walk- some of whom had never seen a doctor in thier lives.
During the week 5 team members came down with a nasty respiratory bug... and the day they left Luis got hit hard- chest tightness, nasty cough, fever and sinus congestion. The next day I came down with it also- I didn't get the fevers but have been pretty miserable just the same. We stayed a couple of extra days in Sulaco thinking we may feel better but left yesterday deciding we were probably better off in the city where we could get decongestants and cough medicine and better food! Unfortunately the bus trip back was a bit if a nightmare- the first bus never turned up, we ended up in a tightly packed bus which stopped very frequently. A couple of policement were on board- apparently the day before buses on that route had been held up and passengers robbed. And just when we thought we were nearly there our bus stopped to pick up passengers from another bus whose brakes had failed (a very scary thought on those roads)... they were packed into the aisle, there must have been 150 on a bus designed to take half that!
Despite all this baby has been behaving- only had one morning last week with a bit of nausea- probably because I overdid it a bit working long days with the team. My energy levels are almost normal again, and my appetite certainly is... I feel like I'm eating all the time! The local ladies who did the cooking at the retreat centre made it thier personal mission to make sure I got plenty to eat including regular snacks! We will be here in Teguc for a week or so- we are planning to visit my mums sponsored child tomorrow (Friday), have a quiet weekend, then get some more work done next week- visit the Dept. of Health and get into those research notes!