Necesito más energía...

My days sure are packed in Peru!  The fact that this is only our third day volunteering in Huancayo is absolutely mind boggling to me.  The notion that a week ago I was in the States and still not packed is impossible for me to wrap my head around. 

Our presentation to the teens at Rosario (which I´ve now found out is an orphanage) about addictions went really well.  Once we were done, we played with the teens and younger kids outside for about an hour and a half.  Talk about a work out.  First of all, these kids are legit soccer prodigies and have so much freaking energy.  Also, they are used to the altitude... unlike us gringos who weeze and need breaks, hahaha.  As if we weren´t tired enough, once we got back to 275 we had to prepare our lesson about first aide to the kids, teens, and moms at Rosario for the following day. 

The next morning we returned to the hospital and were divided up in our groups of internal medicine and surgery.  Our group attended a case presentation made by one of the ¨"residents" of one of the patients we saw the day before to the entire internal medicine department.  I´m not going to lie, the kid got annhilated by the firing squad of his superiors.  After his presentation, a rather lively debate ensued about his analysis and whether it could even be considered medicine since it only gave facts about the case and nothing about possible causes or cures.  Two doctors almost left the presentation at one point because the were so frustrated by the debate.  Personally, I felt bad for the poor resident, who is about my age anyways since peruvians start medical school at the age of 16... but the things that were being said were also pretty hilarious.

When we returned to Rosario we had so many kids show up on the first day that we actually had to divide up into two groups to given presentations... apparently these presentations have never had attendance like that!  In our presentation for that day we covered CPR, choking, bleeding and burns.  In the morning our presentation went pretty well, but in the afternoon, my group of three had to present to the moms, a very intimidating task.  I´m not going to lie, I was pretty darn nervous about presenting to the moms.  Kids are one thing, if your grammar sucks, they couldn´t care less... but moms, they´ll correct you, and harshly.  The presentation went unbelievably well, they were incredibly receptive and it was amazing to me that they had never learned anything about the hymelic manuever or CPR.  I was truly put to the test when a mom asked me if she could stab the victim in the throat with a pen to continue air flow (aka a MacGyver style tracheotomy).  Stunned, and with no one else to help me explain in Spanish why that would be awful, I explained that by doing that you put the victim at risk for severe infection and it is better to leave that type of procedure to the professionals.  Apparently I passed, since all the other mothers looked at me approvingly, but seriously, a make-shift tracheotomy?

After that presentation we played outside again with the kids.  All the girls at Rosario love to play volleyball, so clearly I was in heaven.  For real though, volleyball in Peru with adorable peruvian children...?  YES PLEASE!  After Rosario, Elena (our FIMRC staffer) took us to this park that is modeled after the park that Gaudi designed in Barcelona.  It´s a mini version, however it was so much fun to see and play in.  All nine of us were fascinated by the mosaics, architechture, and other fun components.  And of course, we got yelled at by a park official for playing in the kid´s tower... but I mean, come on, the kid´s tower was so cool and totally worth being reprimanded for. 

This morning we returned to the hospital to shadow rounds, etc.  After waiting some time for doctors to show up in the women´s internal medicine ward, Emily and I lucked out.  The doctor that we got to shadow is seriously the holy grail of doctors for FIMRCers to shadow, Dr. Yumpo.  To be frank, he´s the coolest.  He talks at a normal volume and enunciated very clearly, which is so important since everyone wears masks in the ward, and they make it very difficult to hear.  Also, he knows some english, and speaks it very well, making the process a whole lot easier.  And boy, the man is efficient.  In 40 minutes we saw ten patients and he had a wonderful bedside manner with them.  It was during this 40 minutes that I realized I know the MOST random words in Spanish.  Thanks 6 years of Spanish for teaching me phrases like "infected spider bite" or "discharge from the lungs due to pneumonia." 

After rounds at the hospital we went to a special needs school to play with the kids, teach them exercises and help in the classrooms.  THOSE KIDS ARE ENERGETIC.  Seriously, they just don´t quit.  The teachers at that school are seriously saints.  They have such an excellent manner with the children and are so supportive but stern in their teaching.  It´s like nothing I´ve ever seen. 

This afternoon we´re off to the HIV shelter to teach the moms about nutrition.  Tomorrow teaching first aide to other volunteers and then we are learning about the peruvian health care system.  Wish us luck!  Ciao!