Week 5: Choma and Classes

This week team B was back in Zimba which meant my team was in Choma for Monday and Tuesday. Monday I spent the morning at Martin Hospice center. We got there around 7:30 and sat with the staff for their morning devotions. After devotions we donned gowns over our clothing and helped the nurses with the cleaning of each room and making and changing on bed linens. After the cleaning was done we had tea at 10. I had the opportunity to go to Choma General Hospital with one of the nurses to get some medicine for some of the patients at the hospice. We were there for a little while and got to see the ART clinic that was packed with patients waiting to be seen and get their medicine. When we I got back to the hospice from the hospital, I helped Pam with one of the patients who wasn’t feeling well. I took her outside in her wheel chair for a little bit and then took her back inside to her room before we left at 12:30. That day I also met two of the teachers who work in Kara house behind the hospice. Kara house is a place for vulnerable children to come to receive extra help with school, nutrition supplements, and counseling services. Many of the children who come there are HIV positive and are receiving treatment. I did not have much time this week to interact with the children but I did get to meet a few of them. Most of them will come after they finish school for the day. In the afternoon I had some free time to work on homework and relax.

Tuesday I went to Dr. Jain’s clinic. In the morning I stayed busy with taking vital signs and checking on Alyssa. She became very ill the Saturday before and was admitted to Dr. Jain’s in the middle of the night on Saturday. She was being treated for malaria and dehydration. Tuesday she was finally able to return home with us when we left at 11:30. We were all very excited to have her back at home with us, and she was glad too. She rested the rest of the day. After lunch I went back to Dr. Jain’s. There were not many patients in the afternoon, so Dr. Jain took us into his office and told us stories about interesting cases he’s had and a little bit about his life. Tuesday evening the team from Zimba returned and we all had dinner. After dinner we had post conference where we all had a chance to talk about what we’ve been learning and seeing in our clinical.

Wednesday morning my team of 8 had the opportunity to go to the pediatric ART clinic at Choma General Hospital. The other team of 8 had been able to go the week before so I was glad that we too had the chance to go and help. I helped take vital signs and got to sit in with the doctor for a little while as he checked up on the patients. The rest of the day I worked on homework and did some relaxing.

Thursday I woke up feeling really achy like I had worked out the day before and was really sore, but I hadn’t worked out or done anything to make me sore. I also felt really hot and sweatier than usual. I didn’t think too much of it and went to class in the morning at 9. After an hour and a half of lecture I was really not feeling well and was really tired. I decided to tell Pam and she had me go back over to the guest house and take my temperature. It was 100.8 and I was feeling really hot and had a headache by then. Pam and Lisa decided I should go to Dr. Jain’s to be tested for malaria. Lisa took me over and they took a blood smear to look for the parasite in my blood. They found it and Dr. Jain gave me coartem to take for three days. I went back to the guest house and drank lots of water and rested for the rest of the day. After I got back my roommate Lauren was not feeling well either. She was diagnosed with malaria too and started the medicine not long after me.

Friday was another day of class but I did not go since I was still feeling unwell. I rested most of the day, making sure to drink lots of water.

Saturday was my last day of meds and I finished them up at dinner. After finishing the coartem I was feeling much better. My fever was down and my headache was gone. My body still felt kind of sore and I was still very tired but I did feel better than the previous couple days. In the afternoon on Saturday, I felt well enough to go with the group to St. Mulumba’s school for disabled children. That afternoon there was a group of Japanese young people from Lusaka who had come to share their cultural with the children. They performed a dance for the children and had different learning stations in the classrooms that included Japanese calligraphy and Japanese toys. It was a nice break to get out of the house after being inside sick for a couple days.

Sunday morning I decided to go to church but after the singing was done and before the preaching I walked back with Alyssa. I realized I wasn’t yet feeling the best and did not think I would be able to make it sitting through another hour or more of preaching when I felt like I might fall over already. So I came back and rested until everyone else got back for lunch. I did a little homework on Sunday. I was feeling really behind after missing several days while I was sick. But I don’t think I got through too much as I was still feeling pretty tired.

Week 5 Photos