The trip to Guatemala two weeks ago was simply amazing. For starters, the caliber and character of people I was with was of the highest quality. Their faith and encouragement kept the whole week nothing short of incredible.
We got to visit the western hemisphere's largest indigenous market in Chichicastenango Sunday, and we all spent large sums of money gathering lots of exotic goods.
Monday through Thursday we held clinics in three different locations; Tuesday and Wednesday were the same location. During my day to do medical consults on Thursday, I got the opportunity to do a fetal ultrasound, and I also got my digital rectal exam done (a requirement for all first year medical students). All in all, we saw approximately 350 patients, took several care packages to needy people, delivered a number of Bibles, prayed over and encouraged people, and left tons of pharmaceuticals for the permanent clinic in Chichicastenango.
Some of my favorite memories I will have from this trip include:
1. Running around the marketplace with the other four guys on the trip
2. Seeing the mountains of Guatemala from the clinics
3. Everyone feeling compelled to give me their food so I don't waste away
4. Singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in its entirety
5. Feeling a baby in the womb at 30 weeks
6. Praying with two old women to accept Christ
7. Standing in awe of the beauty of Lake Atitlan
As always, click the photo above to view additional pictures on my photostream.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
Of Mice and Midbrains
It's just after 2 p.m., I've turned in my exam, but still have to wait around until 3:30 to do a 20 point section on neuroanatomy cross sections. I feel pretty good about the exam, I studied like crazy and I think it's all finally paid off.
I should be studying cross sections, but I decided killing time was far more worth my while. And it lets me find really interesting stuff, such as this MC Hammer music video online. Since I'm just finishing a block on neurology, my first thought when watching Master Hammer dance was that he had bilateral hemiballismus, which is a problem caused by a lesion to the subthalamic nucleus in the brainstem. People with hemibalism tend to have wild erratic flailing movements because they've lost a part of the brainstem that helps suppress random movements.
Is Hammer a medical case? You decide...
In other news, I am flying out of Kansas City to head to Guatemala, for a one week medical mission. I'll spend four days working in a clinic in the mountains with some other students, nurses, and a resident physician. I am so excited to go, but I'm even more excited to sleep all the way there.
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