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Chris assisting Dr. Dan
As if partaking in a 4 day jungle clinic, searching the jungle for a girl with cleft palate, and showering in the river weren’t exciting enough, I had the privilege to partake in canine facial surgery.
Dr. Dan instructing the medical volunteers
We stumbled upon an older black dog with a huge mass around it’s eye on our way back from clinic one day. Instinctively, one of the volunteers brought him back to see Dr. Dan, the resident vet. After several x-rays and physical examinations came up empty, Dr. Dan decided to put the dog under in order to get a better look at the inside of this mass.
Here, Dr. Dan encouraged any willing volunteers to join in on this learning experience. We each took turns intubating the dog as it’s very transferable to humans. After surgically assessing the mass and surrounding bone, Dr. Dan opened the floor for medical discussion on what the diagnosis was. We determined that the dog had a tumor that stemmed through the dogs skull and in through the roof of it’s mouth.
Canine surgery
During the restitching process, Dr. Dan used this as an opportunity to teach proper suturing techniques and allowed us to complete the surgery ourselves. I came here to help treat patients, but never expected that my first surgical patient would be a dog! My experience with Floating Doctors has been filled with the unexpected which makes each day a new adventure.
– Chris Bitcon Floating Doctors Volunteer -
I distinctly remember the morning of my first mobile clinic with the Floating Doctors. Only knowing the small group of UCLA nursing and nurse practitioner students in my group, we were anxious and excited to get started on our first full day of volunteering. We quickly began shaking hands and making introductions unaware of the incredible experiences we would all share together over the following ten days.
Within minutes I had met an orthopedic surgeon from Germany, a medical student from England, a nurse practitioner from Boston, and an emergency medicine physician from Australia (among many others). While from all over the world with widely different levels of experience and training, here we found ourselves together on an island in
Panama sharing the same goal to provide healthcare to those who would otherwise be without it.We all got to know each other quite quickly to say the least. Within minutes of meeting my fellow volunteers, we were pushing off, sitting shoulder to shoulder in a hollowed out tree trunk (literally) destined for Bocatorito, a small island about an hour away from FD’s headquarters. En route we shared stories of our past medical volunteering experiences and all agreed that even already we had never been a part of something like this.
Within a half hour of reaching our destination, I was immediately put into situations even five years of working in a busy trauma ICU in Los Angeles couldn’t have prepared me for. For example, after learning one of the women on a nearby island had just given birth, I experienced firsthand just how challenging it can be to count the pulse of a newborn infant with a wild parrot squawking away on your shoulder. Later on that same day we performed another house call, this time to a frail diabetic woman. We were able to deliver her much-needed medications, provide her with important education, and also leave her ten other family members with soap, toothbrushes, vitamins, and some toys for the kids. The smiles and waves we received from the children as we motored away from their dock is a mental image that I hope to never lose.
Over the next ten days, each experience proved to be something more unique than the day before. All throughout the trip our team of doctors, nurses, translators, and administrators worked, sometimes into the night, allowing us to see up to 140 children and adults in one day. Thanks to the diversity of the group of medical volunteers we were able to see patients of all ages and requiring all levels of care. The presence of our ultrasound technologist allowed us to perform pivotal pregnancy check ups, while our surgeon performed much needed wound closures. I was even able to use my intensive care background to assist when a decompensating patient arrived at our clinic hypotensive, tachycardic and in respiratory distress. After stabilizing her with IV fluids and performing a diagnostic ultrasound our team was able to safely transport her to the nearest hospital and receive further treatment.After days of traveling up and down the Panamanian coast, our trip began to come to a close. On one of our final nights in Panama the volunteers threw a “family dinner” at the Floating Doctor’s headquarters. After enjoying the food and conversation, I took a step back and looked over all of us who were complete strangers a week ago, now sharing laughs and stories like old friends. Looking back now, it’s easy to see how a group of dedicated volunteers, sharing a common goal to help others, could result in such a meaningful experience as the one I shared working with the Floating Doctors.
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This week we have a blog post from UCI med student Lauren Sims. A group of UCI students came to us to work with the parteras (midwives) in some of our communities. In today’s post she talks about some of the patients she saw and what she learned in her time with us.
-Kim Olpin Operational ManagerLauren and fellow UCI Med student Kate Horn working hard during a clinic.
At Floating Doctors clinics you are not presented with your typical American patient in a shiny white hospital room or doctors office. You typically find yourself with an indigenous Panamanian Ngobe under a “rancho” (a typical outdoor patio covered meeting place in these communities) sitting in old wooden school desk chairs. This might be their first encounter with a medical professional.. they might have walked a day or more to be at the clinic… some only speak the traditional “dialecto” of the Ngobe and need a Spanish translator. No matter their circumstance or reason for presenting to the clinic they are all extremely grateful for our presence in their community and in search of an answer to what is ailing them.
UCI students with Dr. Ben in Quebrada Sal.
I encountered some interesting cases. I saw a young child with Leishmeniasis in a remote Panamanian community in the mountains. I performed an ultrasound on an infant who was failing to gain weight in the first few weeks of life for an unknown reason. I saw an older woman with a sixteen year history of hyperthyroidism and severe exopthalmos. I measured a blood pressure of 238/192 in an older gentleman who most likely had an adrenal tumor. I visited a pregnant woman with a history of preeclampsia in her home to do an ultrasound. I saw a child with impetigo and another with Herpes virus that covered the entire right side of his face. I listened to breath sounds of a seven year old with TB. I examined a three year old who most likely had a stroke as an infant and could not use his left foot or left hand or talk.
Lauren with some young Nogbe kids.
I learned first hand about the barriers of access to health care for these patients. Some were not able to get medications or make it to the hospital because they lacked the funds. Others would have to walk a day, take a boat for a few hours and then a bus to reach a hospital that might not even be able to treat them. Some distrust the health care system because of a previous bad experience or a story about the hospital that quickly spread through their small community. My time with Floating Doctors showed me how the health status of the community members in these remote areas directly reflects the prosperity of the community. They deserve access to health care and I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a medical team that reaches out to these isolated Ngobe communities. The patients I have visited with in Panama as a medical student will forever hold a special place in my heart as I continuing my training and career.
Lauren and fellow UCI med student Christy Tabit showing off their newly decorated scrubs.
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At the end of August we held our first multi-day clinic in the community of Rio Cana. It is one of the most remote communities we have ever been to. While we were there a new mother became gravely ill and had to be evacuated. This is the story as told by Dr. Kim Wilson.
-Kim Olpin Operational ManagerI’m telling this story as a reminder to every one of the amazing and selfless work that floating doctors does every day!
We went to Rio Cana recently. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, it’s a community on a peninsula about 3 hours from Bocas. We had not made it that far before because of the distance and also because it’s situated just up the mouth of a river so accessing it can be difficult depending on the weather and tides. We were all very excited at the prospect of going there and it was incredible. It’s such a beautiful place and the people were amazing. We arrived at river mouth and a boat came to guide us in and we were met by lots of the local people who were as intrigued by us as we were them. We started clinic early the next morning – we weren’t really sure what to expect as it was our first clinic there but it was so busy…we saw 124 people on that first day and 140 the next day! A lot of people had problems with colds and coughs, worms and scabies and then there were the more unusual cases such as ichthyosis, machete wounds, insects lodged in ears and a multitude of other issues. It’s hard to explain how amazing it is to see an entire family, from infants to grandparents to dogs and even a sloth at one stage, but working with the locals is an eye opening and heartwarming experience.
Just after lunch, Ben asked me to see a lady who had given birth 40 minutes previously who was unwell so Dan, Philippe, and myself headed down to her house to assess the situation. The baby was well but mum was dehydrated and fatigued. We put her on a drip and gave her pain medications and sat with her for a couple of hours and by the time we were leaving, she was drinking tea and had perked up a lot. We went back to clinic where we were run off our feet well into the dark hours. It must have been 8.30pm by the time a man came to say that the lady who had given birth had taken a turn for the worse. Ben and I went to her house to assess the situation and it was honestly a shock to see her this time. She was pale, sweating, staring into space and had a heart rate of 126 and a blood pressure of 80/56. For those of you who are not medically trained, this is not a good sign, she was having a massive post-partum hemorrhage.
The Floating Doctors team working together to evacuate the mother.
It was clear at that point that this lady needed to get to a hospital but the logistics of this were slightly more complicated. We were 3 hours by boat from the nearest hospital and we would have to use our boat to transport her. Aside from the fact that fuel would cost a few hundred dollars, it would also mean that the team that transported her would miss the morning clinic the following day. I looked at Ben and said ‘she has 8 children and a new born baby’ and he replied ‘we can’t put a price on a life!’ We immediately jumped into action and it was amazing to see how the whole Floating Doctors team pulled together to get that woman to safety. Ben ran to sort the boat, I set up drips and started resuscitating the lady and everyone automatically assumed a role from compiling emergency bags and equipment for the boat to figuring out the logistics of getting this lady out of her small cramped house up the windy, hilly roads to the boat. One thing that struck me during all this was when we were all so focused on the task ahead and I walked into the room where she was and Philippe was sitting on the floor beside her just holding her hand and talking to her. Sometimes in the chaos, we can forget how scared and vulnerable the patient is and just to sit with her and hold her hand and explain exactly what’s happening must have meant the world to her!
From left to right, Philippe, Bethany and Dan.
We got the boat as close as we could to her house and carried her on a hammock from her house to the boat. We were travelling on a small wooden ponga which, for those who don’t know, is an open top boat. We constructed a bed from life jackets and a thin foam mattress and set her down on this on the floor of the boat. The other factor which I haven’t mentioned, was her 8 hour old baby boy. He was wrapped in a thin white shirt and had barely fed since he was born as mum wasn’t well enough. We had to bring him too so we found a small blanket and wrapped him in this and I put him up my top in an effort to give him as much body heat as possible. Many of the locals came to see the boat off and to wish this lady and her baby well. It was pitch dark when we left and we were not allowed any lights as Elvis (our amazing boat driver) couldn’t see if we turned on lights. There was one man at the top of the boat with a torch and he shined it into the air and gave instructions to Elvis on the route to take. We got to the river mouth and Elvis stopped the boat while we waited for a break in the waves. All of a sudden, the man at the top of the boat shouted go and Elvis accelerated. There were massive breaking waves and each time the boat went over one, we were flung 1-2 feet from our seats back onto the hard wood. There were 4 of us on the rescue team, myself holding the baby like my life depended on it, Philippe who literally lay across the woman to try and keep her still and prevent her from being thrown around the boat and Dan and Bethany who took her vitals and held the drip in place to give her the fluids that she vitally needed! I honestly can’t put into words how everyone worked as a team, assumed a role and excelled at it but sitting on that boat getting thrown around the place, I remember thinking that I would trust my life to these people.
Those first 10 minutes in the boat were scary. We couldn’t hold on as we were either holding a baby or drips and at one stage my stethoscope fell overboard. Dan grabbed me for fear I would fall over board with the baby. Finally the waves settled a bit but it was still like we were working on a wooden trampoline! We couldn’t hear the lady’s heart due to the noise, the blood pressure monitor got smashed by the waves and we used only her pulse rate and radial pulse and her degree of interaction with us as markers of how well she was doing. As for the baby, that little boy did not cry or move for the first hour. I was absolutely terrified that he had been hurt by the momentum of the boat or that I had inadvertently smothered him whilst trying to protect him. I couldn’t check because it was too bumpy until we stopped the boat to refuel and the relief to see that little fellah move was incredible.
Dr. Kim checking on the newborn during the boat ride.
During our trip, it also stuck me how amazing the night was. There were so many stars in the sky and the moon was full and bright, there was lightening flashing in the distance and the sea lit up from algae as we sped through it
The trip took approximately 3 hours and we pulled into the dock behind the hospital at 1.30am. The gate was locked and 2 of the guys had to scale a barbed wire fence and run to find help. We got the woman out of the boat and an ambulance brought her straight to the emergency room. We sat outside the hospital for an hour to make sure mum and baby were ok and then headed back to Bocas for the night. Elvis drove us back to Rio Cana at 8am the next morning for the second day of our clinic.
After that, we had no phone reception for 4 days so we hadn’t heard how she was doing. I can’t explain the relief and happiness to hear she was doing well when we got back. I went to Almirante to see her yesterday and walked into the hospital room to see mum and baby alive and well. Mum didn’t speak much but when we went into the room, she looked at me and Sam and gave us the most amazing smile…In that moment, I would have done the trip a hundred more times just to see her smile! Words would not have expressed thanks like her smile did that day – honestly, it reduced me to tears and it’s pretty difficult to look professional when you are crying like a blubbering idiot!!!
Dr. Kim holding the newborn while in looking after the mother in the ambulance.
For me, the whole experience was mind blowing…the way that everyone came together and worked as such a team, no one needed to be told what to do, they just did it. Everyone was selfless and hard working with a common goal- all we wanted was for this woman and her baby to be safe. She’s going back home today and even as I write this, I have tears in my eyes and all I can see is her dazzling smile!
Floating doctors is an extraordinary charity and this is just one small example of the impact that Ben and his team are making on the people of Panama!!
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This week I’d like to share with you our second guest blogger from the Master of Science in Global Medicine program at USC, Lily Sheshebor.
-Kim Olpin Operational ManagerLily on the dock ready to get picked up for clinic.
The Power of Passion
I have always thought that I wanted to be a doctor. I volunteered at clinics, studied rigorously for my MCATS, and dedicated hours to memorizing facts for my pre-med courses. My passion for medicine was evident, yet my drive to continue pushing through the numerous obstacles before medical school was beginning to mitigate. I was tired, stressed, and scared that I would not become accepted. Attending USC for my Master’s of Science in Global Medicine, I was given the opportunity to study abroad in Panama for the summer. Those couple weeks, while working closely with the volunteers of the Floating Doctors, gave me back the energy for my passion. I quickly remembered why I am committed to the world of medicine.
The first “clinic day” that we had was the most memorable experience of my life. I was very anxious the days leading up to our clinics as I had never worked in rural settings nor an international nation. Stories of past clinics included many infectious and contagious diseases that were somewhat concerning and I was nervous that I would let the group down in terms of executing various clinic tasks. Early morning, we were picked up with a small boat and sailed through the beautiful archipelago of islands to reach the community of Cerro Brujo. Wearing our scrubs and carrying bags of equipment up the hill, I immediately felt a sensation of motivation. I realized we had arrived and we would soon be apart of medical access that the individuals of this island greatly lacked.
Getting your nails painted is a popular activity anywhere in the world.
We were asked by the head doctor, Dr. Ben, to split into groups and inform the community that our clinic has arrived. I wanted to tell everyone and split from our group with another student to cover more ground. Since the people of Cerro Brujo only speak Spanish, my years of high school Spanish were paying off as I told the families and children to spread the news. Once the clinic began to commence, the motivation that started earlier grew into dedication. I did not stop working and loved every minute from checking patients into the clinic, beginning a new chart, taking a medical history and vitals, shadowing the doctors, to the overall interactions with the patients. After our clinic was coming to an end, we were able to distribute stickers, paint the kids’ nails, hand out coloring books, and take millions of pictures. The children were one of the most beautiful children I have ever met. Their eyes were so shiny with excitement that they had new friends and memories aside from their everyday lives. I wanted to give everything I owned to these children from every crayon in my bag to the peanut-butter sandwich and chips from my lunch.
Leaving the island that day, I was not only exhausted from the day’s work but I was in love with the power of helping those in need. I knew that my small part with the Floating Doctor collaboration was important but it was not enough. This organization that has dedicated its life to improving and helping the poor communities of rural Panama is savior of these people. These islands lack money, transportation, clean water, adequate housing and sewage, protection, and care. The country does not care to reach out to these communities but Floating Doctors does. The power of passion is why our world has not yet been defeated. The volunteers of Floating Doctors have that passion and have re-inspired my passion for medicine.
Lily and two other USC students making new friends.
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This past summer we had a number of amazing student groups join us in Panama. One of those was from the Master of Science in Global Medicine program at USC. A couple of the students from that group were willing to share their experience with us. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Natalie Reyes.
-Kim Olpin Operational ManagerAdorable Ngobe girl from the village of Cerro Brujo
Traveling to Bocas del Toro, Panama to work with the Floating Doctors team has been one of the most humbling and eye-opening adventures of my life. I have always had a passion for working with under-served populations that have limited healthcare access, however, actually being there on these islands with the indigenous populations was a much more gratifying and awakening experience than I could ever have imagined. The amazing personalities of the doctors, volunteers, and villagers that I got the opportunity to work with truly remind me of the reason I have such a strong passion for medicine and reflect the environment I hope to be surrounded by.
Clinic Day
The experience that Floating Doctors exposed me to on my first day of clinic on the islands taught me so much medically and culturally and allowed everyone within our group to find our own niche within the different roles necessary for a successful clinic. After traveling on a boat bringing all of our medical supplies, we arrived at the community of Cerro Brujo and I was pleasantly enlightened to be greeted by many of the village’s children who could not be more eager and excited to follow us around and talk to us. While many stayed to set up the clinic outdoors, I followed two of the young boys who took me around the entire villaeg, finding houses to let the mothers know we were having a free medical clinic in “el ranchito,” in the central part of the village. I was in complete awe at how rural and isolated these people were from the society I am used to in the United States. Seeing how eager and sweet the children are is an experience worth more than words or photos can reflect. Despite hearing stories of past experiences and being aware of what to expect on the islands, I was surprised by the culture shock I experienced. The villager’s barefoot, simplistic lifestyle was such a difficult,
USC Professor Dr. Meindl-Holman treating a Ngobe mother and her young son.
yet inspiring concept for me to understand. I enjoying being able to get to know entire families during intake and I learned so much from being able to shadow the variety of doctors and medical students throughout the clinic day. It was unreal being able to bring an ultrasound machine into the village and show expectant mothers their child. In one particular instance, we were able to show a mother the heartbeat of her child on the ultrasound screen in the middle of an outdoor, crowded, rural “ranchito” and that is a memory that I will keep with me throughout my medical career.
The ability to practice medicine and help people in the absence of modern day access to technology and hospitals is completely remarkable. Regardless how much time and passion I put into volunteering and immersing myself in the culture of these people, what they taught me and the experience they gave me is worth more than anything I can ever give back to them. I truly thank Floating Doctors for giving me such an opportunity and look forward to returning in the future!
-Natalie Reyes
USC Global Medicine student Natalie Reyes (back row, second from the left) poses with other students, USC Professor Dr. Meindl-Holman, and some local children showing off their new toothbrushes.
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3 week untreated leishmaniasis lesion on lower leg
Leishmaniasis (often called “leish” or ‘peeko de vay-hoo-co’ by the Ngabe) is a tropical skin infection found in Panama. In Panama, Leshmaniasis exists in a natural reservoir of sloths and anteaters and is then passed to humans by female sandflies (chitras). Once infected, a small red bump will appear on the skin, turn into a blister, and later break open to form a slowly spreading skin ulcer. The sore is usually painless and not very itchy, and slowly enlarges over weeks. A key feature to look for when diagnosing suspected leishmaniasis lesions is that it is a slowly enlarging skin ulcer that does not respond to antibiotic cream or wound care.
The Nbobe sometimes fight the infection with topical treatments, covering it in battery acid to burn it out, which seems to be effective if somewhat scarring—patients trade a very large, shallow scar of untreated leishmaniasis for a smaller, deeper scar from battery acid treatment. There are some botanic remedies used by the curanderos that bear further investigation, such as applying the hot amber liquid expressed by heating the meat of a raw cashew nut, which we have seen used in some of the communities with promising results.
3 Leishmaniasis ulcers on young Ngabe girl in the Bahia Azul region
As far as western medicine is concerned, there is currently NO effective topical treatment for leishmaniasis, although antibiotic cream can be helpful to prevent a secondary infection of the lesion by other bacteria. The two existing treatments, which are 98% effective, are daily intramuscular injections with antimony (a heavy metal) for up to 21 days, or an intravenous medication called amphotericin B, which is very expensive. Leishmaniasis responds rapidly and well to these treatments.
Because the injections need to be taken every day, early identification is vital—the smaller the lesion, the fewer days of injections will be needed and the smaller the scar will be. If left untreated the initial skin infection can spread, spawning lesions elsewhere on the skin, and involving the mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, nose) with devastating consequences. If you are worried you or someone you know has leishmanisis, it is very important to get checked out as soon as possible.
There is no vaccine or preventative medicine that can be taken for leish, but there is one really good defense that is 100% effective if achieved—don’t get bitten! Easier said than done when it comes to sandflies, but the best way to minimize you risk of infection is to protect yourself: use bug spray, cover exposed skin, and use fans with airspeeds of 5+ MPH to keep insects away. Mosquito nets don’t usually work against sandflies because of their small size unless the net is regularly treated. Place the net in a plastic bag and spray/pour a lot of mosquito repellent (ideally with permethrin, but at least with DEET) into the bag. This will deter anything from even landing on the net and trying to get through. After all, there are way worse things than leishmaniasis that are carried on tiny wings…
Until next time, fair winds and safe travels!
Leishmaniasis scar on recovered Ngabe boy
Resolving leishmaniasis lesion week 6 (week 7 treatment)
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One of Dr. Dan’s canine patients
At last, a veterinarian has come to stay! Dr. Dan is a wonderful addition to the Floating Doctors team here in Panama–it is very hard to work in remote rural communities and see animals riddled with parasites or with horrible injuries that go untreated.
Dan and his wife Cindy moved in right next door to us, and have been incredibly supportive since they heard about our program. We invited Dan to join us on one of our mobile clinic visits to the community of Cerro Brujo about 45 minutes away by boat, and it was like the first time we visit a community–all the chronically suffering patients are brought. Dan had his hands full–a cow had been bitten by a snake, so you can imagine how happy I was to have a great vet!
Worms and other parasites that plague the communities often live in the animals, especially worms, so part of creating healthy communities is ridding the animals of their parasites. Dr. Dan has accompanied us to other communities, including making the trek to La Sabana deep in the mountains, and we are thrilled to have him as part of our permanent team here.
Dan shared an email with us that he wrote to his family back in the US after his first mobile clinic with us, and we would like to share it with everyone to introduce you to a wonderful vet and wonderful human being. Looking VERY forward to working with you and being neighbors! –Dr. Ben
Dr. Dan Ever’s letter:
Dear family and friends,
Dr. Dan’s office in tight quarters!
Thought I would update everyone after one of the greatest days I have had in Bocas del Toro Panama. There is a wonderful organization here called the “Floating Doctors.” They treat the indigenous tribes on the islands of Panama through purely a volunteer basis from people and doctors and allsorts of people from around the world, but mostly the United States.
Dr. Ben started this enormous project, which is his dream in life. The FD work through donations to continue their monumental task as the indigenous tribes have no medical care, scant transportation, and no money. They live off the land and sea. Well, today the FD invited me to go with them to a village on an island about one hour away and thank God I didn’t get seasick of which I am quite famous. A scrawny dog that jumped into the boat greeted us and I immediately said, “My first patient!” Everyone laughed.
Another canine patient riddled with parasites
As we cautiously treaded up the very slippery, muddy, watery paths high up the steep hill slipping and sliding and even getting on all fours, we eventually arrived at the village. Five or six dogs were there to greet us…”more patients,” I exclaim excitedly. While Dr. Ben and his assistants went into various huts to treat people, I was asked to take a look at a cow that had been bitten by a snake in her rear leg. “Sure, no problem! Lead me to her” I said to Juan through an interpreter.
But I hadn’t worked on a cow in about 27 years so…I know nothing about cows! Juan and the interpreter and I went down a steep, muddy path, crossed over a single, narrow log bridge, crawled in the mud under barb wire, then climbed up another steep hill on all fours, more barbed wire, and finally arrived at the family’s home who owned the cow. The cow was laying on her chest when we skidded down another hill to get to her. She promptly jumped up but could not walk well due to a possible hairline fracture in her left ulna/radius area. Although she could still kick the daylights out of a mere human, and of course “gore” a mere human with her horns, Juan grabbed her by the nose and I proceeded to give her an antibiotic injection in her neck with lightening speed due to fear.
Dr. Ben consulting with a peace corps volunteer about issues in the community
Dr. Ben went into their home of which I have included a picture, and he treated a young woman who had scabies. The trip back to the main village was more difficult because of a light rain. I was also called on to look at a pig that was not eating and depressed. Juan grabbed that pig and body slammed him to the muddy ground. Although that pig was sick, he certainly put up a valiant fight and ear piercing “squealing” while I stuck my finger up his butt to retrieve a fecal sample for analysis. Gave him an antibiotic also and it was then another hike to see another pig that had some paralysis in his rear end but could still walk some. Didn’t know what the heck to do to him…yup, another antibiotic injection while the pig was squealing and Juan had him in a headlock.
Lastly, Dr. Ben has arranged a project to lay a water line downhill to a new birthing house for the people. Apparently a large group of students from Yale University are arriving next week and that is one of the things they will be doing…. ha-ha, would love to see the look on their faces when they see the mud, the slipperiness, and the steep, straight-up hills! Get on all fours lest you ski down the Black Diamond of mud! Juan then chopped down some coconuts, sliced them open with his machete and gave them to us to drink to thank us for coming to his village. That was the best drink I have EVER had in my whole life! We were all sweating, exhausted, and sooooo grateful to him for that nectar from heaven.
Another reluctant patient getting dewormed
Before I got into our boat, I told Juan that he was my number one assistant and asked him if he would always help me because I think he is “Superman” (all through the interpreter of course). We loaded our boats again and off we headed to an island even farther away, but the rains poured down and we turned around and headed for home. Dr. Ben asked if I would be willing to accompany him every week to the out islands to help break the parasitic life cycle of which his patients are susceptible. I told him I would be honored just to accompany him and that I have never been “paid” so much in my life. Well, I really can’t believe that I have written such a long email and even send pictures! Hope you are fine and we love you and we will see you next week!
Dad/Dan
P.S. Anyone have some books on pigs and cows?
My first cow patient in about 25 years. Snake bite in rear leg and lame left front leg.
Boat dock entrance to the village and muddy pathway
The family who owns the snakebitten cow
Path through the village. My poor sketchers!
My humble little office
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Today our group split up between the Asilo, a nursing home for the elderly in Bocas, and La Solucion. At the Asilo, we took the patients for a walk in the park, talked to them, and just interacted with them in general. Without volunteers from Floating Doctors, the people in the Asilo rarely get to interact with people in Bocas Town. The Asilo is a great example of people taking limited resources and supplementing them with time, interaction, and kind conversations to turn it into something invaluable for the seniors. The Asilo helps many of these disenfranchised people get off the streets.
At noon we came back to the warehouse for lunch and then some of us stayed at La Consultario (medical clinic), while those that went to the Asilo in the morning went to La Solucion. In the afternoon, the project at La Salucion was lifting up the water pipes that bring in clean, potable water from the city, up out of the muck and attaching them to the bottom of the walkway. They encountered a few difficulties with water lines detaching because they were not properly glued, which is a huge health hazard because the swamp water gets into their only clean water source.
The Consultario is where members of the community can come ask Doctor Ben and the other doctors for a consultation on their health problems. The problems are often diarrhea and other stomach problems, which ties back to the problem of clean water. Some volunteers went with Tommy, the master carpenter, and Andrew, the film guy, to the Marina to work on their boat. The Southern Wind is the Floating Doctor’s boat, which has taken them from Honduras to Haiti and back.
After a good days work, some of us went to Riptide, jumping off their boat to cool off in the ocean, and then La Bulga. We all regrouped at the apartments and went to a delicious restaurant called Maracuya (Passionfruit in Spanish!) for Lisa’s 21st birthday. Today was a great balance of hard work and relaxation and fun
Posted by Patty Lu
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Tessa making friends with a young Playa Verde boy
Early September mornings found us running through the streets of Bocas, trying to get a workout in before the heat of the day was upon us. Volunteering with Floating Doctors for a month, we got to see a different side of Bocas in those early mornings. We watched the firemen cleaning off their truck and preparing for the day ahead, fishermen setting off in hopes of the day’s big catch, fruit vendors arranging and rearranging their displays, and children walking and chatting on their way to school. We caught a glimpse of real life in Bocas as we ran through the town and we fell in love with this place and the people of Panama.
We had some extraordinary experiences throughout our time with Floating Doctors. We travelled to several different communities providing medical care in the most basic of settings. The fancy equipment and comfortable environment we were used to at home were absent, but what may
Dennis on the job
have been lacking was filled with people like the young man who brought us fruit he picked to thank us or the elderly gentleman who spent his afternoon showing us his garden and cocoa plants. A highlight was a jungle expedition to find a remote community in need of medical care. We packed backpacks full of medications and set up a two day clinic where many had not seen a doctor in years.
As people and experiences carved out places in our hearts, we couldn’t help but think about their health and care in the future. We were familiar with organizations who would blast through towns with mass clinics, identifying illnesses, but with no intention of returning. We were delighted to find out that Floating Doctors is committed to the communities they serve and would return to bring a wheelchair to the housebound man with Polio, to check up on the young child with pneumonia, and to monitor the progress of pregnancy of a first time mother. We left knowing that those we saw from our early morning runs in Bocas to those we treated in the jungle villages would continue to be cared for in the long run.
4 of the reasons why we do this!
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