This week saw us learning about gastro-intestinal diseases and infections that – these most commonly are diarrhoeal in nature! In addition to this we started learning a hands on approach to patient examination. This included feeling the abdominal quadrants for irregularities, learning the location of the lymph nodes, and listening to irregular breathing patterns just to name a few.
I really enjoyed the learning this week as the majority was hands on. Much of the anatomy and physiology was just reiterated information - stuff I had previously learned in my undergrad. The practical component, on the other hand, was something new for all of us. We learned patient examination (see image) such as feeling for abdominal irregularities, finding lymph node associated with various diseases, and listening to regular and irregular respirations. The school is finally in full swing and although it is rather easy in terms of difficulty it is still life-saving and extremely practical. This is one of the joys of being in a school like this. The majority of all deaths in these impoverished nations are easily preventable just by taking simple precautionary measures that can be taught or taught by ANYONE. I think that God really desires for us as a people to stay healthy and to take care of ourselves. Therefore He has made it simple for all of us to be hygienic and clean. I find that the more schooling that I am doing, the more excited I am become to go to Africa and actually implement what I have learned.
In addition to the GI diseases, we learned about nutrition and lack there of (malnutrition). It was odd to hear stories from our instuctor (a nurse who has spent over 10 years of her life in Mozambique) about children dying just due to lack of food only eating one type of food. It is also interesting to see just how much our culture affects the developing nations. For example, Avacados are really a super food because they are rich in proteins, essential nutrients, and energy in the form of carbohydrates. Yet many people in these nations do not eat this readily available and affordable food. They often believe that these foods are not good for you for just that reason – because they are cheap. In fact, healthy foods are most often equated with price. The higher the price, the healthier the food. Going by this logic, potatoes (not as readily available in Uganda) are more nutritious than say bananas. It is simple things errors and beliefs like this that can easily be changed just by proper health education. Yet some of the consequences of poor nutrition are ghastly. For example, Rickets –caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D- will give an individual bowed legs for the rest of their lives. Or take Xeropthalia, due to a simple lack of Vitamin A, can result in an optical ulcer or even blindness.
This week also gave me the opportunity to visit London. This is the second time that I was able to see London for a weekend. I recall the first time I went to London I was overwhelmed by the big city. One could say that I fell victim to the lure of what London had to offer. I fell in love at first site. Yet this time I was really able to see London from a different perspective. I didn’t realize just how skewered my point of view has been over the past few years. Yet after living with a load of people that are living example of the gospel, one can only be changed. This time in London had a different feel to it. This time its vanity didn’t seduce me. In fact, I was able to see the all the marketing and bedazzling for what they really were. London is a great city, but in the end it is just a city, like any other. Perhaps in the past I idolized London for all that it had to offer.
While in London I had an epiphany. I was sitting in the middle of a park enjoying the sun when I realized just how happy I was then and there in the moment. It sounds trivial I know. It wasn't the fact that I was just happy or content. For the first time in ages I was, dare I say it, thankful! And thankful to God (this just keeps sounding crazier every moment!). I keep viewing myself as 'not one of those people in church' that is openly thanking God in front of everybody because, quite frankly, I am not always thankful. But this was one of those genuine times in which I was actually truly thankful. I think it maybe has to do with God slowly renewing me more and more daily (or something like that - you know you've heard it all before). It really brings a new dynamic to the relationship when you can say your thankful and actually mean it, when it is not forced. I think every week God is doing something small like this in my life. By the end of the five months it will be many small things which will hopefully equate a big change.
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