Today was another work day and I worked with Dr. Don again in the clinic helping him to translate for the patients. It was a busier day than last time I helped in the clinic and we saw three or four times as many patients. There also were a lot more kids in the clinic. It's always more difficult for me to see the kids coming into the clinic with parasites or malnutrition because they aren't responsible for what's happening to them at this point in their lives. All that happened was that they were unfortunate enough to have been born here instead of where I was born.
One baby in particular almost brought me to the point where I needed to leave the room.
It was a 23-day-old little boy who the mother brought in because she was concerned about his stomach and bowl movements. When Dr. Don checked the baby to see how healthy he was the baby started crying and, I don't know why, but my emotions were triggered and I began to think about how difficult having a baby in this environment must be and the constant struggle to protect a baby that young from disease or even just the dust.
On a positive note, we went out for dinner at a gorgeous restaurant called Mi Pueblo. It is an open-air restaurant with lots of trees, bushes, and vines. It's almost jungle-esque. We ate there two years ago and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It was wonderful to return and have another really enjoyable meal there.
