I worked with Dra (short for doctora) Marisol Sanchez. She is 24 years old, from Mexico City, and doing a year in a rural clinic for a certification in public health. I walked into her consultario (exam room w/ desk) and noticed she has green streaks in her hair and Rancid was playing on the computer. Apparently she LOVES them. We listened to a Rancid mix from 8:30am-noon... She just about died when I told her I've met their former drummer.
We saw 10 patients Tuesday morning.
1. Mom brought in a two month old for diaper rash and he had a quite impressive testicular hydrocele! We referred him to the pediatrician in PE.
2. A 22 year old who was bitten on the arm by a crazy looking bug! These bugs can carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease. There is a public health campaign here, if you are bitten you bring in the bug! Wild, because the lady pulled that bag out of her purse and my skin immediately started to crawl! The doctor was completely unaffected by the whole thing...naturally...At least it wasn't a snake, I would have screamed and ran out the door.
3. The next 7 patients were coming in for a monthly check up because they have seguro popular which, as far as I can tell, is a Medicaid type program. But better. They have to go get monthly check ups to make sure they are controlling any illnesses they have! Wild, huh!! Who'd have ever thought...
4. The last patient of the day was a 5 year old with a toenail infection (infeccion de las unas de los dedos de pie). Looked like he stubbed his toe and then it got infected. He would not stay still enough for a digital block so the doctor sprayed his toe with lidocaine and pulled the thing off. It was already almost off anyway. Before she did that he was freaking out so much she said "if you want I can just cut off your foot so we don't have to pull off the toenail" to which he replied "no, just cut my leg off above my knee so I can wear shorts all the time". OMG!!
Wednesday was my second day there. The doctora had on Blink 182 and The Transplants. It's kinda strange to be listening to Tall Cans while taking a history on a 80 year old abuelita. Surreal to be sure.
I had taken a Benadryl on Tuesday night because of the insane mosquito bites I am collecting so I kept falling asleep. I am doing a lot of observing right now, so I just kinda doze off. Yeah, a 10 year old called me out while pointing and laughing. Hilarious.
I saw a lot of monthly check ups, a 12 year old who is getting sent to Oaxaca City because she may have leukemia, and a man with TB who needed a note from the doctor that his most recent chest x-ray is negative.
More to come later...
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