A quick post-brigade update

I’m on the run to catch a bus, so this won’t be copious, but thought I should squeeze out a quick little something for all of you....

1. Business:

The brigade from the Department of Family Medicine at UR was here for the last two weeks, so there is something new to report for almost every project! Since there is so much to report, I’ll leave most of the explaining to the upcoming brigade report, where it can be more fairly represented. In the meantime, here’s a short list of highlights:

- The next phase of the Water Project in Portillon was begun. 6.5 kilometers of pipe and materials were bought and carried down to the community by foot.

- The scholarship applications where finished, during a meeting with all the parents of sixth graders.

- Dr. Lindsay and I gave and instructed teachers from area schools in the use of a new curriculum kit on measurements.

- 3 microfinance applicants were interviewed and 2 received a loan.

- I met with Honduras-based microfinance orgnaziation “Adelante Foundation” and made first steps towards a partnership working together in San Jose.

- A parternship between the brigade and the community’s agricultural coop was begun, so that more people can take advantage of low-cost fertilizer.

- More latrines and cookstoves were built.

- Health education was provided through skits at schools, discussions at latrine building days, women’s meetings and conversations in the clinic.

- And a whole lot more... but that hopefully that gives you an idea!

2. Blog

Right, so like I said above, the big story of the last two weeks can be spelled B-R-I-G-A-D-E-! Fourteen physicians, nurses, physician’s assistants and medical students from the University of Rochester (plus one from Colorado) descended upon San Jose and turned by tranquil little hamlet into a bustling gringo metropolis. I loved having them there. It was a productively fun time. AND, perhaps more importantly, we had a phenomenal cook who prepared three hot meals a day. THAT was really incredible! It was my goal to gain weight. I'm not sure I succeeded (a stomach virus got in my way), but I’m pretty sure I didn’t lose any. What a success!

Aside from all the brigade wonderfulness (again, wait for the upcoming brigade trip report, which will be posted on this site, for brigade details. a pile of pictures will also be available shortly, through this site.), a few other recent developments deserve note in this short update.

First, as I mentioned to some of you while home, one of my good friends here, Lacero, had been sick for quite a while before I came home. We tried to go to the local health center twice in the first two weeks I was back, but both times the doctor wasn’t there. So, I asked him to come on the first morning of the brigade to get checked out, and as I suspected, Dr. Lindsay was very concerned that he had advanced tuberculosis (Tb). Over the coming days, we helped him get to the hospital for testing, though which we confirmed the diagnosis of active Tb.

I was agry, scared and sad. Angry at the local health center: They saw him TWO times with clear signs of Tb and never did the testing. The just gave him a vitamin shot, both times. Scared for his health: Tb should be easily treatable, but after 4 months of active disease and signs of involvement outside the lungs, it’s very frightening. Sad that my friend has to suffer like this: Tb is easily preventable, easily diagnosed and relatively easily treated, but because he is poor, without access to healthcare, it has progressed to a dangerous level. Disease of poverty are not fair. That's why I’m here.

With the help of the brigade, Lacero has started treatment and I’m feeling very hopeful for his full recovery.

Secondly, and lastly, for that matter, I’m all amped up to start my research project this Monday! Monday to Friday over the next 4 weeks, I’ll be visiting every one of the 112 houses in San Jose and Guanacaste, doing a baseline interview, weighing and measuring the babies, taking a water sample, and trying to convince them that they want a Potters for Peace Ceramic Water Filter. On Saturdays I’ll be doing the filter distribution workshops. On Sundays I’ll be attending to all the other projects that are still going on. It’s going to crazy-busy, crazy-fun and hopefully quite successful.

That’s all I have time for now, but I hope this little taste is enough to tide you over till the next...

Know that I love and miss you all every day,

Mateo