Subha prabhat!

Oh my dear friends!

There is a gang that takes over at night. At first I was sleeping through the night (mostly) without a problem, but around 2 or 3 in the morning I can hear them strutting their stuff on the streets, letting their presence be known!!! Yes, I am talking about the stray dogs. Howling in the night. at first I loved the stray dogs---I even saved some breakfast to feed one (french toast)...he turned his nose up and walked away from it! That was the last attempt, trust me....Anyway, so I have started using my ear plugs at night to sleep, which means I sleep through the watch alarm...but you all know its no big deal since it is absolutely impossible for me to sleep in. :)

update: i leave for Dang tomorrow! WHOHOO!!!

So back at the hospital I must explain the confusion I've had recently. Apparently to the Hindus the year is 2065. The date today is 28-10-2065! Whatever that means. SO the ladies NEVER know when their last menstural period was...and when they do know, I have no idea what that means since I go by the the 12 month calendar that we all depend on (MATCH DAY IS TOO SOON!!). And I found out that next year they will be deleting their last month because the stars and their calendar are just not matching up...... Imagine that.... Then imagine if you were told that we're just gonna delete December this year.......

Now imagine you are a woman patient to see me and the lovely doctor (I LOVE HER!)...you enter a small door into a small room that has one white desk and three chairs---the doctor sits in one, I sit in the other, and the patient sits in the third. Then there are about 10 nursing trainees who loom a half circle behind you, listening to any menstraution problems or discharge, while your husband tries to listen outside, or sometimes comes IN and chimes IN! Then three white sheets are strung up behind you were you are told to lay down on a sheeted half bed and put your feet up (no stirrups). Then via flashlight (more on power outtages below) you are examined with the 10 trainee nurses all tryingto get a peak (the sanitary issues for the speculum and such will not be described---they do their best here, but it is NOT up to standard by any means). Then during one of the breaks--we see from 4 patients to 24 patients in a 2 hour span---so some times there are breaks---one of the trainees plops herself down and tells the doc about her anal puritis. I am shocked---there are not many people I would share this little issue with! But she is not embarrassed (my guess was pinworms) and gets the treatment without a blush.

Oh and on the outpatient side---we check anemia by looking under the eyes of the people. If they are pale, we assume anemia and we immediately treat for hookworm since that is the most common cause of anemia here. No tests necessary.

In my attempts to recreate some sort of normal lifestyle, I have found an amazing coffee shop! It is very clean and they have free wifi and american music playing. So I go there when I am absolutely freezing in my room to warm up and studyNepali. I have to say---its coming along alright. I learn a phrase or two a day. But it is very difficult and I finally realized why. When I first got here I was so upset because it seemed like the doctors would talk to the patient for like 5 minutes and then would turn to me and just say "he has fever for 5 days." I would always be like...yes? and what else did you discuss?? but it is possible that was it! For exampl;e to say "you're right" you say "ta-pai Le thik bhah-nu bho-yo." damn. i guess if you're gonna tell someone that they're right---you will better mean it!! Anyway, after they played the Aikon song "I'm so lonely" TWICE---I had to leave....it was hitting a bit close to the heart, ya know?

Oh! and don't think America is the only one with Pharm reps! I've had two sightings on my short stay here! They come VERY nicely dressed---you can definitely pick them out---and have little signs on each of the drugs, giving a sales pitch---when you think calcium think pearl-one!

Today I did Tot Shots Nepali!! Tuesday is shot day and we give polio---two drops of a liquid into the kiddos mouth and then one shot of HepB, DTap, and something else. I did well until--like my lidocaine accident when I was numb for a hour when it exploded in my face---I exploded the polio bottle in some unexpecting 2 month kiddo's mouth. He is well protected. :) Also they put eyeliner on these 2 month kiddo's eyes! Its supposed to be ramro--or beautiful. So its so interesting to watch the very nicely eyeliner eyes go from happy staring at me, to sobbing as I inject health into their little plump leg.

I cannot seem to get the power situation correct here. Just when I think I've got it--its all been changed. Right now we get power from noon to four pm. Then power comes back on at midnight to 7am. The gov't realized that giving power during the day is absurd because we use it! So instead they do it at night when we are supposed to all be inside and sleeping anyway. I am not too sure how long they will last. But the good news is---they may or may not be increasing the
power times! we find out next week--all very exciting.