Wednesday - February 27: Leaving today

We are busy packing up and at this point my tent and air mattress is all that is not packed. First we fly to Puerto Lempira and stay at the Catholic compound overnight. Then back to La Ceiba for one night (we'll have a dinner with all the IHS volunteers). Then Dick and I are going to the Sea Grape Hotel on Roatan for a few days.

I will try to call on Thursday. I expect to get a voice mail because it may be in the afternoon and by evening the internet places are closed, I think. So far the trip has been a good one. People are amiable, hard working and enjoying themselves. Now for the good news, it seems a miracle happened. The truck is reported fixed! That's all from Auka! Hope to talk to you from La Ceiba!

Tuesday - February 26: Last news from Auka

This is my last communication from Auka. People still lined up at our door at the first crack of sunlight this morning. We opened early to accommodate them. They are still working on the truck and a mechanic is to flying out to fix it. We pack up and leave tomorrow (Wednesday) so will be traveling. There is no radio-email access in Puerto Lempira because there are too many of us and not enough computers to handle the messaging. Stay healthy, can't believe how fast the time has gone!

Monday - Feb. 25: Good News & Bad News

I thought that the world was my oyster this morning when I was tapped to drive a fellow to the airstrip who was in such bad shape that he could not walk unassisted. He had fallen and injured his spine. Cowpaths here I come! All went well to and from. I even was able to transport the prostate guy, who now can walk once again, back the necessary mile to the church.

I crept around in a gentle circle and stopped. I had status in this town as a truck driver. After everyone climbed out of the bed I went to return the truck to the house where it stays. The ignition and the steering wheel locked shut and it now does not start. It is a major bummer because now we have to walk back out to the airstrip, with our gear on Wednesday. I feel bad for the owner,but not guilty about a 24 year-old part that failed. It just is a bummer to be associated with the incident. A local mechanic is working on it and if he gets it working it will be a miracle given the way he is going about taking a steering column apart (which I doubt is really necessary.)

Other than mechanical frustrations, the rest of life remains good with bananna pancakes and coffee in the morning. Health remains solid, and people still stand ten deep at the door to see the docs. All for now!

Sunday - February 24: Bikes and Trucks

We planned to sleep in this morning, but were awakened by the slaughtering of a pig. I don't know why they didn't use a knife, but they used a club. Then a truck came in and hauled it away. I didn't even know there was a road around here!

We took a early morning walk to see Mr. Walen, who had vomited blood, and confirmed it was a GI bleed. We arranged a flight so that we can scope him in Puerto Lempira where all the surgical patients need to go. The flight was for 4 PM and so, I became the runner with messages back and forth to the house of Mr. Walen and the clinic, so they could get to the airstrip on time.

Fortunately the town has discovered the bicycle and I was able to borrow one. There are tons of bikes here - all mountain bikes of course!

Earlier we walked to the junction of the Kruta River and our local stream. We were able to swim abit but by the time we returned - after a half hour walk - I needed a bath. The truck driver appeared and I finally rode to Mr. Walen 's house to pick him up and transport him to the airstrip. When all was said and done Dr. Joe, Mr Whalen and his son, were in Puerto Lempira and I had driven his family back home. Then I drank a coconut and became the designated driver for the day when we leave. If all works out...the one mile portage will not happen. I now know how to drive a truck on a cow path!

Spagetti without wine tonight but with "pan de coco". Hope all is well with you and the kids.
Stay warm!

Saturday - February 23: Moonlight walk

Yesterday was a normal good day with only 1 flight out with patients (a tender uterus and possible still born, another with a damaged knee, and another with something in his foot.

While we were sitting around looking at slide shows courtesy of Dave, one of our Honduran team members came in with that news that a 70 yr old man, his dad, was throwing up blood. So, we had a nice walk by moonlight, saw the guy. Fortunately there were no pools of blood. We determined it was stomach not lungs , and put an IV in, and hiked 20 minutes back to the Moravian church. The moonlit hike was great.

My gut began to rumble about 2:oo AM and Kathy did the pancakes this morning while I rested. I am on the mend now I think, I hope. Joe is out checking on the IV guy and we are waiting to hear the overnight results. Have a great day!

Friday, February 22: New info on crops

While out walking, I came across a garden half the size of a football field. It is surrounded by a fence and hand cut boards at the bottom of the fence. I see tomatoes growing under a lattice work of shade palm leaves, cucumbers, yuca and maybe potatoes or beets. I have to find out about this garden. There was nothing like this anywhere when we were down here. I even saw a guy with a back sprayer. When this thing hits harvest time they will have veggies to sell.

Tonight I experiment with less air in my sleeping pad. I have felt that I was rolling off of it for the last three days.

Claire, in our group, is completely healthy after a whole day down and an IV to rehydrate. You know that someone is okay when they laugh and joke. Kathy Peterson and Joe Collins will find it interesting to know that she is the daughter of Tim Thompson who was the Legal Aid lawyer that gave us regular in-service training. Small world. So far we have hazy sun and no breeze. My guess is that it is 83 and of course humid. It is 8 A.M. could be that we are in for a hot one. Lucky for us we do not have mobs at the door yet, but we have started...so I am gone for now!

Steve

Thurs Feb 21: Day 3 of Patients

Today was normal if you ignore the baby that has Robyn's heart in her throat. The kid is covered with scabies. Evacuation tomorrow along with the failure to thrive baby.

This area is a lot more poor than we saw last year. You can tell it in the teeth. No metal repairs to the teeth in anyone it seems ->that is an indirect indication. They can only grow rice (no beans), corn, and yuca and cucumbers here. The mango trees are bare and the cashews are just flowering.

We bathe in a creek and the temp is ideal. Sojna , Jennifer and I have a routine in the pharmacy that is smooth and fast and we do not have to work more than 15 minutes longer than the docs. they are the fastest team I have seen. I am talking Miskito about 25% of the time.
-Steve

Thursday Feb 21st: Steve Rice in Honduras

Slept well again. Kathy is into it. She took over the kitchen when Barb our team leader was sick. She was a quick study and her spanish is good. We have a wonderful group here: youngsters from South Dakota pharmacy school, med techs from Joe's office, an ER nurse from DC, and Sonja the multi lingual pharmacist from Toronto who is a positive and no nonsense, and finally Dace on the radio. Oops I forgot to mention 81 yr old paramedic Dan who used to be a North Sea diver. When he got sick Robyn took over his patients. She is real good. Pancakes were a hit. Robyn is a pancake peanutbutter, maple syrup freak.
Trivia I learned: that there were only 5 cases of maleria in this zone last yeay according to the local health guy
must go,
-Steve

Wed Feb 20th 8:30pm Central Time: Eclipse day

Hi, we are watching the lunar eclipse and people are beating drums.
Today we had interesting patient with a prostate problem with a retention 4 times greater than I ever experienced. Doc was able to aspirate through the abdomen wall to confirm the urine retention diagnosis before installing a foley. People carry him in a hammock. I have never seen a man in such a bad shape. He is 60 and skin and bones. We med-evac him tomorrow. I am not sure if he can be saved he is so weak. He needs an operation that he may not survive . We also have two girls with congenital tumors that we will have removed... chiggers are a pain but salt seem to knock them off.

I am in the pharmacy explaining how to take drugs. Kathy does triage and Robyn does translations as a nurse. We have had 3 people go down with the flu at this time (two of the three are now vertical) and we are hoping it has run its course.
That is all for now.
love me

Tuesday Feb 19th: Day 2 in auka

DAY 2 and well rested- makes a big difference. Sunny dry and breezy weather helped. Everything routine: just Malaria , infections and muscle aches. Went swimming in a crystal clear creek to cool off before supper. Saw 101 patients and pulled another 76 teeth . Kathy says hi.
Of course I wish you were here, but you might melt...
-Steve

Mon Feb 18th First Post: Steve Rice in Auka

Iam here and just fine. I am immensely sore from pumping 150 gallons of gas and driving a truck that needs to have some power steering. I feel wet from the temps, rain, and humidity -a 10 mph breeze would be welcome to the dead calm we have now. Plane and weather delays have put us behind but we will catch up. Kathy made it like a trooper in spite of the mile portage from the airstrip. You can tell Kyla that it looks something like Warunta but even more spread out without a true town center or major cluster of houses. The dominant trees are cashew trees and pines. Everyone is beat and sacking out at 7:30 PM - talk about clean living.
off to bed Steve