Medical Missions - Make A Difference!

BRAZIL BLOGS FROM TEAM

BLOG ONE FROM THE AMAZON MEDICAL TEAM:

International Medical Relief has arrived!

After a full day of traveling, we are thrilled to say that the IMR team to the Amazon has arrived in Manaus, Brazil! We spent our first day adjusting to “river life” on our boat from the thickness of the hot, humid air to the colorful hammocks strung from the rafters, every detail of our surroundings is a reminder of the amazing week we have ahead. After getting settled on the boat at 3am last night, this morning was a much-needed opportunity to rest and relax. Despite airline delays, we were so glad that our entire team finally arrived in Manaus, and soon after her arrival, we began our journey east on the Rio Negro. 

About 1.5 hours downstream, we crossed the ” meeting of the rivers”: an amazing place where two waterways–the dark, muddy waters of the Rio Negro and the lighter Amazon–converge. For hundreds of yards, the waters remain separate like water and oil… a phenomenon so unique that it is only found one other place in the world. 

Today was also our first opportunity to drink in the deep oranges and rusty reds of the Amazon sunset. All in all, it’s been an amazing introduction to life on the river. The major success of the day, though, has been getting to know the rest of the team–dare I say it, team bonding! Conversation and laughter are never lacking, and even though we have spent just under a day together, it already feels like we’ve developed a real sense of comraderie and friendship. We were promised that we’ll be like family by the end of the trip–and I suppose that given our overlapping hammocks and the cozy quarters of the boat, it’s only to be expected.

Sincerely,

The IMR Medical Mission Team – In The Amazon

BLOG TWO FROM THE AMAZON MEDICAL TEAM:

Day 1 of Clinic: Novo Remanso

From Sunday, October 31

The sun rose this morning at 5:30am, and the bright light pouring into our hammocks woke us up literally at the crack of dawn. Today was our first day of clinic, and after we boated to shore and walked through the dusty roads into town, we landed ourselves in Novo Remanso–the home of 6000 Brazilians. The town received us with enthusiasm and warm smiles, and when we began setting up in their local clinic, a few little curious children were peering in through the doorway.

During our 8-hour day in Novo Remanso, there was a constant stream of families and patients. The team doctors examined over 150 patients whose chief complaints ranged from work-related arthritis to yeast infections to a soon-to-be mother in labor. The most common diagnoses included worms, urinary tract infections, and upper respiratory infections. One family was treated for scabies, and our resident burn ICU nurse, even treated secondary burns on a young boy’s shins from a motorcycle accident. The dental clinic was swamped all day, as well, and treated over 30 patients. Our dentist and his team extracted 17 teeth, 2 of which were surgical cases.

Since Novo Remanso is the largest community we’ll be visiting this week, we will be returning to the town tomorrow. After the sun set, we all gathered on the upper deck of the boat to organize the medication and count pills in anticipation of another flood of patients tomorrow. With Bob Marley playing in the background and bugs dive-bombing us in the dim lighting, there couldn’t be a better way to end our first day of clinic in the Amazon.

Sincerely,

The IMR Medical Mission Team – In The Amazon

BLOG THREE FROM THE AMAZON MEDICAL TEAM:

Day 2 of Clinic

Back to Novo Remanso 
From Monday, 1 November 

Today was our second day in Novo Remanso… and word of the clinic spread like wildfire within the community. Over 175 new patients came to the medical clinic, and the doctors diagnosed many conditions similar to the day before, including a large number of worms, urinary tract infections, and some fungal rashes. The most endearing patient landed in the caring hands of our chief medical officer: Daniel, a little boy of just seven years had undergone surgery three years prior to remove a lung tumor. The operation had left Daniel with scars stretching literally around his torso and a tracheotomy tube–but nonetheless, Daniel sported the most genuine grin of any little one who walked in the doors of the clinic. 

The dental clinic was in tremendously high demand today. Our dentist saw 49 patients and completed 20 extractions, half of which were difficult surgical extractions. During the past two days, we have seen a great deal of tooth decay in patients as young as 4 or 5 years old. We discovered that the villagers have a problematic candy habit, and the constant consumption of inexpensive hard, sugary candies has inevitably impacted their dental health. For one patient, the problem had converted into a medical issue, and we couldn’t help but smile at the diagnosis: 

”Major complaint -No appetite, only wants to eat candy, feels like she needs to throw up after she eats, but can’t. x 1 mo. 
When she eats candy, it gets worse. 
Diagnosis -Tooth decay Prescription/Treatment -Need to see dentist” 

And that is precisely why our dental services were in such high demand! 

A report of the day’s events would be incomplete without mention of Wendal. Early in the day, a charming, loquacious little 7-year old came into clinic and, for both our fun and his, Wendal faithfully stayed with the traige nurses all day long to help treat and care for patients. With little Wendal, there was never a dull moment. During lunch, he exclaimed, ” You are all so white you look like angels!” — which was our first indicator that even the constant Amazon sun hasn’t given us a tan that can rival the beautifully, dark mocha skin of the Amazonian villagers we’ve met. Perhaps best of all was Wendal’s attempt to woo and charm one of our very own nurses. At the end of the day, he gave her a blue plastic bracelet and … a metal ring. 

Tomorrow we are moving east on the Amazon to set up clinic in three small villages in the region Costa da Conceicao. We will keep you posted!

Sincerely,

The IMR Medical Mission Team – From The Amazon

BLOG FOUR FROM THE AMAZON MEDICAL TEAM:

Day 3 of Clinic: Perpetuo Socorro

Today we moved to a new community on the Amazon called Perpetuo Socorro. This little village is the home to approximately 65 families whose wooden, open-air houses are connected by trampled paths through the high rainforest grass and fruit trees. It was evident during our afternoon walk through the village that it is an area of rich natural agriculture. Growing wild on the plateau were bananas, mangoes, papayas, grapes, passion fruit, acai, cacao, and cashew (the acidic yellow-red fruit that accompanies the raw nut we know as “cashew”). The locals showed us a dozen recently-born piglets who frantically squealed when our mischievous young tour guide picked them up. We were taught the traditional process of harvesting and preparing manioc root, one of the customary foods of the villagers. 

We set up clinic in a dilapidated, wooden open-air barn overlooking the Amazon. Approximately 104 patients congregated at the site to receive medical and dental care, some of whom had walked over 1.5 hours through the humid, 100-degree heat to arrive. The primary health issues we encountered were worms and lower back pain, both of which stem from the villagers’ dependence on unpurified river water. The lack of water purification made the spread of worms inevitable, and the steep trek up the rocky, mud bank carrying drinking water, fishing equipment, and laundry from the river to their homes was certainly a major cause of the persistent back pain. During the morning, we treated a young boy who had been bitten by a piranha four days earlier on his hand. The wound site was severely swollen, and countless tiny teeth were still embedded in his finger. 

The clinic became an event in the village, and many of the patients and their families stayed throughout the day to participate in community education classes on water sanitation, CPR and first aid, sexually transmitted diseases, and nutrition. We even sponsored a Baseball 101 workshop to introduce the All-American sport to Brazil. Baseball didn’t seem to inspire quite the same enthusiasm as soccer.  

As we all hit the hammocks after nightfall, we made one rather disconcerting new discovery: dozens of bats circling the waters around our boat in search of insects for dinner (which, for the record, are not in low supply). One of our team members even woke to one hanging from the rafters of the boat. Perhaps that rabies vaccine wasn’t such a bad idea after all…

Sincerely,

The IMR Medical Mission Team – From The Amazon

BLOG FIVE FROM THE AMAZON MEDICAL TEAM:

Day 4 of Clinic: N. Senhora das Gracas

We set up clinic today in a little village of about 100 families called N. Senhora das Gracas. Although it was slow in the morning, the clinic was overflowing with families after all of the locals finished up their morning shift at work. During the course of the day, the team treated over 250 medical and dental patients. The profile of illnesses treated was very similar to that in the other towns, and the most common diagnoses were worms and urinary tract infections. 

The dentists continued to treat a large number of young patients with severe cavities and decay, as well. All of the doctors continued to work ardently despite the intense heat and humidity: outside, the thermometer read 105 F, and in the clinic, it was a stifling 98 F. 
To take advantage of the shade and occasional breeze, we moved a few children’s community education classes outside. 

The Burn Prevention class was tremendously popular with the youth, and when we suggested they all practice the “Stop, Drop, and Roll”, the class spontaneously turned into a giant pile of children steamrolling each other…. and it was absolutely priceless!  


This evening, we also embarked on our much-anticipated nighttime alligator hunt. Unfortunately, due to the low water level, we had no gator sightings, but it was so peaceful to be out on the Amazon in the pitch-black night with the starry sky above us. Whether it’s the beautiful smiles of the Brazilian children or the untouched beauty of the Amazon, life on the river never ceases to be breathtaking.