Week Two

Well, this week I was more tired but more comfortable than last week. I showed up a bit early again, so I had to wait outside the clinic with all of the patients. This time I felt more at ease standing there in the dark. Although I could not really strike up a conversation with anyone, as I do not speak Spanish, once again I was able to smile at them. I hope that me standing there and smiling put at least some of them at ease.


Again my assignment was to retrieve the medical records of everyone attending the clinic. Only one doctor showed up this week, so we could only allow 20 patients to be seen. The most sad part of the process, to me, is having to turn people away. I kept reminding myself of Mother Teresa's belief that the number of people you are able to help is not what matters. Rather, what matters is that you make every person who you are able to help feel wanted and loved. Although the clinic can only directly help ~20 patients each week, the cumulative number of people helped is significant. But more importantly,t he 20 people helped each week are blessed with the ability to take control over their own health. A privilege which I take for granted on a daily basis. 


One man at the clinic had fallen and scraped up his leg pretty badly (from ankle to calf). I could only understand bits of his conversation, but I could see from the obvious that the cut had become pretty severely infected. Another woman there had felt a lump growing in her breast, larger and larger until it was hurting significantly, but had not yet sought any medical attention. 

I honestly cannot imagine how it feels to have your body turn on you, but to have nowhere to go for healing. The Medical Clinic at Casa Juan Diego is truly a blessing to people who have no where else to turn, but desperately need medical attention. Makes me think twice about complaining about waking up at 5:30 am.