More Stories to Come!!

Life has gotten so busy but is fabulous.  Lots of challenges, lessons, beauty...  Will type soon! 

B

Blessings in Disguise - Week 3 Pucallpa

Pictures to come as internet slow again...

There are truly too many blessings in disguise to count at this point.  The best one yet though came in the form of vomiting my brains out.  Those pesky brains get in the way sometimes.  I was super sick with travelers GI hell, moaning to myself in my prison cell of a dorm room at the hospital when Anita called to check in on me.  She said that her husband kept pestering her to call, she didn’t want to bother me, but he insisted.  THANK YOU Jose Antonio Banderas (his name is really just Jose Antonio, but I remember his name better when I put Banderas there and Anita did it first:) husband of Anita!!!  She came immediately to the hospital and snatched me up.  I packed a bag to stay at her neighbor’s house for the night and decided I never wanted to leave (for my short time in Pucallpa anyway). 

I had NO IDEA how isolated I was in that room at the hospital.  I think the white walls themselves were giving me panic attacks, and the noise that came from discotecas below was enough to start my very own club.  Earplugs barely cut the BULLA (that’s the Peruvian word for SICK ASS NOISE/loud music).  It’s perfect.  You say it with a BIG BIG BIG BOOOO like we might say BOOOOOM.  I ended up having my choice of 2 neighbors houses in which to stay and chose the one directly across from Anita’s house.  The mama of the house, Ascela, just lost her husband to cancer 2 weeks ago.  He was diagnosed suddenly in Sept 2009.  She doesn’t want to sleep alone after having his companionship for most of her life, so we share a room.  We turn the lights out and “pillow talk” before falling asleep.  I think it’s good for both of us. 

Despite the dusty streets, loud motocar engines, incessant honking, buggy insects vying for a piece of my skin every second, and the hottest and most humid climate I’ve ever experienced, it’s still easy to find the magic in this city.  Glimpses of deep green dragonflies that flicker through my life for a moment, the hugest turtle I’ve ever seen crawling in my backyard as it rained all day yesterday, a monkey that comes to eat breakfast with me at a café I like in the city, new friends at Anita’s house that paint my nails with glitter and butterflies, the breeze that really isn’t cool at all but feels like it might give me a moments rest from the heat, and the sound of the pouring rain on the tin roof.   (Spot the turtle in my backyard in one photo and new friend, Anita's sister, Janneth and I in another).

I have new kid friends to play with at the house where I stay and the 1 year old walked for his first time 3 days ago as I played with him in the courtyard.  The whole family was there.  We cheered and cheered and baby Luciano felt like pretty hot stuff.  Now every time he stands up he looks around to make sure someone is watching him, then he whizzes off into his step by wobbly step of a performance.  Wheeeeeee! The older little guy is 5, Valentino, (see photo) and him and I share playdough time.  “Plastelina” is the word I think he uses for playdough and it’s nice to have a friend that I can speak kid with.  A nice break from the Spanish. 

Haven’t spent much time at the hospital as I was sick not just once, but twice this week for about 24 hours each.  Still recovering from yesterday’s bout and considering the idea that maybe I have picked up parasites.  Gross.

The time I did spend at the hospital was filled with learning though.  Took a break from Sala de Partos (Labor and Delivery) and did a rotation through the clinic.  Did lots of pelvic exams, spec exams, ob intakes, ob revisits, etc.  Witnessed twins (both cephalic) delivered vaginally one morning and could have delivered them myself if I had worked the night sihft L.  Would have LOVED that!  See pictures of the Midwife Intern that did attend that birth and the beautiful mama and her babes.  Mama’s father came to help her in the hospital and when I saw him I said exuberantly, “CONGRATULATIONS!” and he looked at me sadly and sincerely and said “Why?  Where will we put these babies? We have no money.”   He explained that the father of the babes is not in the picture, his wife left the family years ago, and he doesn’t work.   He inquired about adoption and the Midwives say there are absolutely no options here…

Found the birthing balls this week.  Who knew that there were birthing balls!!!!  Got a laboring mom on one and did some good old fashioned labor sitting/massage the way my spectacular mentor midwives taught me and had all the interns in the room with me watching and sitting with their patients.  I hadn’t seen that before!!!!  YAY for more love to the mamas! Also found out that I will be doing mostly vertical births in the small communities and at the birthing house (partos vertical is what they call mama’s birthing the way they were meant to, versus partos horizontal).

Started taking an aerobics dance class with Anita’s sister.  This is the class that I called a salsa dance class in one of my earlier posts.  It’s NOT a salsa class.  Darn it.  I seriously hated it.  I’m a big white girl giant in the class that can’t shake her booty and am literally lost at every turn.  Nonetheless, I’ll keep going in hopes of catching on sooner than later. I’ve dropped 10 pounds since I’ve been here as I usually do when I embark on my adventures.  With this routine of illness, more might be to come.  I feel so weak.  Hoping that my stomach finds peace soon, but not holding my breath. 

Zipped around the city with Anita’s husband today on his motorbike trying to find one, just ONE, that’s all, one map of this city.  Finally!!!!!!  We found one, but we had to go to a few different official government places to find it.  Everyone tells me that there realllllly realllllly realllly are NOT Spanish or dancing classes here and I guess I just have to get used to the idea.  I don’t think there are enough tourists to support it, so I understand, but am bummed.  Anita’s family is teaching me lots though. 

I’m eating fresh papaya and banana right now and drinking yet another jungle fruit juice drink that I can’t identify but LOVE!!!!  I’ve never had so much juice in my life.  The good news is that I’m eating today!

Miss you all!

Beth