February 12 - Our First Challenge
Friends
Sadly our first challenge has arisen and we are not even in Nicaragua! The local, and new, Directora for the Jinotega area is not allowing medical mission teams in. In the past, we have been excluded from the Managua area and moved to focus on the mountainous areas of Jinotega. We need to new directora to change her mind in order for Team to enter Nicaragua! Please send all of your prayers, light, good thoughts, karma, what have you, so that we can help the people who need us.
Muchas Gracias y Mucho Amor
Sadly our first challenge has arisen and we are not even in Nicaragua! The local, and new, Directora for the Jinotega area is not allowing medical mission teams in. In the past, we have been excluded from the Managua area and moved to focus on the mountainous areas of Jinotega. We need to new directora to change her mind in order for Team to enter Nicaragua! Please send all of your prayers, light, good thoughts, karma, what have you, so that we can help the people who need us.
Muchas Gracias y Mucho Amor
March 16 - Team Leaves for Nicaragua
This is the New York portion of the mission team leaving from Syracuse! Good luck guys!
Could find them anywhere, hunh?
Sue has everyone wear the same shirts so that she can find them in the airport: safety in numbers, leave no (wo)man behind!
Could find them anywhere, hunh?
Sue has everyone wear the same shirts so that she can find them in the airport: safety in numbers, leave no (wo)man behind!
Photo Credit: Karen Wright
March 16 - Daylight Savings Time
It doesn't exist in Nicargua! Because of springing ahead, the team will be two hours behind Eastern Standard.
March 17 - Arrived Safely
What are y'all looking at??
STARS
Nicaragua has much less light pollution than we do, so it's a lot easier to see the stars: millions of them!!
STARS
Nicaragua has much less light pollution than we do, so it's a lot easier to see the stars: millions of them!!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
This is the 2014 light pollution data for New York State, 200 mi measure.
New York Sate is 54,555 mi² with a population of 19.7 million (2013).
New York Sate is 54,555 mi² with a population of 19.7 million (2013).
This is the 2014 light pollution data for Nicaragua, 200 mi measure.
Look at how much less light there is!
Nicaragua is 49,998 mi² with a population of 6.08 million (2013).
Look at how much less light there is!
Nicaragua is 49,998 mi² with a population of 6.08 million (2013).
March 17 - Leaps of Faith
In many ways, this Mission trip is a leap of faith. We try to remember that God is the Team Leader, He is organizing this effort for His glory.
Respiratory illnesses abound here in Nicaragua so we give out inhalers of breathing medicines. We usually bring a very heavy electric drill and a special drill bit to make aerochambers (spacers) for the inhalers we give out. (It helps the patient receive the dose efficiently)
We forgot the drill and bit.
But God had a plan! Other medical teams before us left bags of aerochambers! God is good!
~Sue L.
Greg with bags of aerochambers.
Photo Credit: Sue Secor
Mark with the all important water (bottle).
Photo Credit: Sue Secor
Greg with infant vitamin drops.
Photo Credit: Sue Secor
March 18 - Spotty Internet - Day 1 of Clinics
Internet is spotty tonight. We saw 168 patients! We are tired from the heat but we all had a great experience today.
~Sue L.
~Sue L.
Rob Wright, pharmacy tech, hard at work.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
March 19 - Hot, Dusty, and Windy - Day 2 of Clinics
We saw about 105 patients today. It was hot, dusty, and windy but it
didn't hold the people back from coming. We saw two very ill babies; we
tried to arrange transportation to the hospital but their families were
going to get them there. Another young lady had fallen off a wagon with a
large tank of water which probably broke her ankle. We cleaned and
dressed her wounds, wrapped her ankle and hoped that she too would be
able to get to the hospital. Of course we see a lot of dehydration,
especially in the afternoon.
~Sue L.
~Sue L.
Yes, Corey and the Team are using SPF 50, trying to stay in the shade, and still getting a little sunburn.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
The girls are comparing dirt lines, not tan lines. After returning to
the orphanage, a long cool shower is well deserved, and feels so good!
Tonight some Team members went down the road for a swim in the community
pool.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
Rough
terrain, no wheelchairs . . Our Team had this gentleman sit in a
school desk chair and carried him in to clinic, out to the latrine for a
urine specimen, back in to the doctor then back out to his horse.
Way to go Rob, Corey and Nick!
~Sue L.
Guy weighed 100lbs soaking wet. We were left to wonder; he did he get on his horse and how will he get off?
~Rob W.
Bottom left of the picture you can see the trunks we pack everything in for the mission!
Way to go Rob, Corey and Nick!
~Sue L.
Guy weighed 100lbs soaking wet. We were left to wonder; he did he get on his horse and how will he get off?
~Rob W.
Bottom left of the picture you can see the trunks we pack everything in for the mission!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
March 20 - Day 3 of Clinics
This little girl received a sun dress and cloth diapers after seeing the doctor.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
This beautiful family was very appreciative of all they received!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
Sarah is holding a baby patient while the mamacita is being weighed.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
James (left) and Jason (right), our pharmacists.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
Steve
is taking blood pressures, Haley is assisting a patient who could
barely walk. Sarah is writing patient numbers on their hands (our 2nd
patient identifier).
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
Rob is entertaining the children. The little girl in pink had a lilting song of a laugh that made us all smile!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
March 21 - Dressed in their Sunday Best - Day 4 of Clinics
This little chica loved the Beanie Baby we gave her! She was later seen wrestling in the dirt to get it back from her sister.
These identical twins were named Jennifer (on the left) and Jennie!
Love the frilly ruffled dress and boots!
March 22 - Clinic Day 5
One of our first patients was an 80-year-old who was brought in so dizzy
that she was almost passed out. Her initial blood pressure was 70/50.
She later told us she wasn't sure how she got to clinic because she "was
dead at that time".
We started an IV and gave her a liter of saline. We also tried to get her to drink a bottle of water and eat cookies but she kept giving them to her neighbors who had come to clinic.
Her pressure improved and she told us she wanted to go, she was suppose to be keeping score for a baseball game. Sure enough, some guys came back for her!
~Sue L.
You forgot to mention she had fainted twice prior to arrival and was brought in dizziness via motorcycle! Then wanted to know why we didn't have a photo ready when she wanted to leave!
~Sue S.
We started an IV and gave her a liter of saline. We also tried to get her to drink a bottle of water and eat cookies but she kept giving them to her neighbors who had come to clinic.
Her pressure improved and she told us she wanted to go, she was suppose to be keeping score for a baseball game. Sure enough, some guys came back for her!
~Sue L.
You forgot to mention she had fainted twice prior to arrival and was brought in dizziness via motorcycle! Then wanted to know why we didn't have a photo ready when she wanted to leave!
~Sue S.
Not sure who took this picture as Sue Labarre is in it!
Today this young lady, Erica, came to us in labor for her 2nd baby, but
only 32 to 36 weeks pregnant (she wasn't sure). Her water broke
yesterday after a fall and she was having contractions 10 minutes apart.
The two Sue RNs (Secor on left, Labarre on right) were able to hear the baby's heartbeat with a
stethoscope, and the baby was moving. Megan was
her doula for over an hour before Erica left.
In the hour or so that it took to get an ambulance to clinic, the baby had dropped and Mamacita's pains were less than 8 minutes apart. The lady riding in the 'ambulance' (aka small pickup truck) with her (not sure if she had any credentials) had her change into a skirt before traveling, just in case. The hour plus ride on bumpy rough roads must have been a struggle for her.
It was an exciting but a bit tense experience. We don't know if we can ever find out how she did.
In the hour or so that it took to get an ambulance to clinic, the baby had dropped and Mamacita's pains were less than 8 minutes apart. The lady riding in the 'ambulance' (aka small pickup truck) with her (not sure if she had any credentials) had her change into a skirt before traveling, just in case. The hour plus ride on bumpy rough roads must have been a struggle for her.
It was an exciting but a bit tense experience. We don't know if we can ever find out how she did.
Not sure who took this picture as Sue Labarre is in it!
March 24 - Fun Day!
Today was our first fun day! We crammed all we could in to today.
First, we went to Masaya Volcano. For many of us, it was the first time we had ever looked down into the mouth of an active volcano.
We had a great lunch in a restaurant overlooking a beautiful volcanic lake.
We spent the rest of the day shopping at a pottery shop and Masaya Market.
A beautiful breeze and a gorgeous view!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
We enjoyed delicious fresh fruit smoothies, only $2 each!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
Careful, Corey! Not so close!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
March 25 - Last Night in Nicaragua
Corey is pointing to Venus.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
A
breathtaking sunset on the Pacific Ocean was one of the highlights of
the trip- we praised God with our own rendition of "How Great Thou Art"
right there on the beach.
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre
March 26 - Home Safe in the USA
The sun has set on Central New York's Medical Mission to Nicaragua. The Team is home, safe and sound. We provided medicines, vitamins and good will to 614 patients in five and a half clinic days!
Thank you to our families, prayer partners, and everyone who supported this effort with donations, encouragement and support!