First day

Today was my first day in clinic.  I shadowed Chris, but things I witnessed were pretty crazy:

1.  The first kid we saw, did NOT pass the eyeball test.  This poor 13 month old girl looked like she was a skinny 4 month old at best.  She was having fevers and altered mental status.  If i had seen her in the states, she would need a very sterile spinal tap and picu admission.  Here, we cleaned her off with alcohol and used a regular non-stylet needle.  I did my very first tap on the very first patient I saw.  She was so sick, she didn't even flinch when I did the tap.  I dont know if she is going to make it. Crazy.

2.  I was touched by this grandpa who took his grandson to clinic at least 3 times in the last week because a doc had asked him back.  He had lost his slipper sometime last week, so he went walking around with one right slipper the last few times he was in clinic.  Even so, he was gracious, kind, soft-spoken, and you could tell he did everything he could for his grandbaby.  He rode his bicycle to and fro clinic 2 hours each was with his grandbaby on his back.  I have not been able to stop thinking about it.  It was really beautiful.

3. The kids were so tiny.  I saw a 6 month old boy who was severely malnourished and weighed less than most of the kids weigh when they are born in the US.

4.  We saw about 10-12 kids today.  Each one left me in awe.  And I found the mothers to be so amazing.  Malawian women do so much for their families.  

Here is a pic of me and Chris with a bunch of people from the mountain yesterday.  We had to hide out in their hut for a bit since it was raining so hard.  P.S.  That's Chris making a face while "jowling."