Doing good isn´t always easy

It´s 9:40pm Tuesday night and this is my first chance to post since Sunday. We got on the road Monday intending to set up a clinic in a small village off one of the main roads about 2 hours from Riobamba. However when we arrived the village didn´t seem ready for us. There was alot of confusion about who had keys to unlock the buildings we needed. After wasting nearly 1 hour trying to settle the logistics with these indigent people. Hank, our dentist, and I tried to start seeing patients. The first patient was a young boy- Christian, who had appearantly been in a bike accident 1 week ago. He hurt his leg, but was able to walk on it immediately after the accident, however, 2 days later couldn´t walk on it or straighten it from the hip. The following days the leg began to swell. By the time I was examining him, he had tense swelling and bruising from the toes to the hip. He held his leg behind his knee and refused to straighten it. By palpating along his ischial tuberosities and comparing hips, I believe he may have a displaced hip fracture or at the least a dislocated hip with possible distal fractures. The team went to work quickly - we gave him pain meds to help make him more comfortable, and arranged transportation to the nearest hospital for diagnostics (xrays) and treatment. As of tonight, we still don´t know the outcome.
We also saw a young woman with probable basal cell cancer of the face, and are arranging follow up. Because of all the confusion with getting this clinic up and running, and the ´villagers´disinterest in actively making this work, the team made the decision to travel about 30 minutes back on the main road to a village we had passed through earlier. When the president of that community heard we were willing to set up clinic there if they so desired, word spread like wild fire and we were back to our mission!! These people were so warm in receiving us and their gratitude showed in their eyes. The team worked hard long hours, but I think we made a difference in a few people´s lives.

Highlight cases would be: a woman who stated she was 5 months pregnant with her 8th child, but was concerned because she hadn´t felt any motion from the fetus yet. On exam she felt, at best, 2 months pregnant, urine test was positive for pregnancy-- so we set her up for an ultrasound and obstetric consult. Another woman with a ¨lump¨in her neck. She had a huge goiter - so she is being refered for work up of thyroid disease. Dr Evans diagnosed 4 potentially new diabetics. By the time we tore down that clinic set up and drove back up the road to a Resturaunt that was going to host us over night it was 9pm.

They fed us a warm meal and we spread out mattresses on the floor and tried to get to sleep by 11pm. This morning there was more confusion about how we were to get to the next village. High atop the Ande´s mountains is the town of LLilla. Initial plan was for those who wanted to hike they would hike a direct trail some on foot and some on horse back, the rest of us would be driven up in an open back pick up truck with the gear. Unfortunately there are no phones or internet connections to this town so we were just about to give up on them sending us the truck they promised, when it arrived. By this time it was late morning, so we all went by truck.

Upon arrival we were welcomed like diplomats. We had Dr Evans and myself seeing medical patients and Hank and Dr Giovani were extremely busy with dental repairs and care. Again it was a very long day. We snacked on bread and nutella and animal crackers. The trip up and down the mountain was breathtaking, but dusty. We returned to our hostal around 8 pm - never so happy to see Martha, hot food, showers, and our beds....We battered but I hope not beaten! Now at 10pm bed is my main priority. I´ll try to download pictures tomorrow.
Adios Terry