Just another...

Manic Monday. At home Monday marks the beginning of the week. Here, the week starts on Sunday. We started off the morning with Veena & Liz doing an awesome, well-received presentation on congenital cardiac lesions for the residents and attendings. Their talk was relevant as we've seen a ton of heart disease in the hospital. Shilpa and Veena (and I myself have heard) have diagnosed new murmurs and in the NICU Liz diagnosed a baby with Coarctation (narrowing) of the Aorta based on physical exam. After the presentation we left because Sunday was Easter, and headed to mass.

The crowd at church was an eclectic group. It's the only Catholic church in the country (or so I hear), so on holy days everyone shows up. There were a mix of skin colors, languages, travelers, hikers, and locals. Mass was a mix of Nepali and English. After church, Veena and I found Guillermo and Lupita, the Mexican couple I mentioned in a previous blog. He's an agriculture engineer/geneticist who has been working abroad since getting his PhD. Though they're originally from Monterrey, Mexico they raised their 4 children abroad, which I find pretty awesome. I rarely find Mexicans in my travels. Liz's husband got in that day, so after mass she headed to the airport, while we joined L&G as well as Padre Rodrigo for an Easter Feast. They live high up in the hills, and have a beautiful home, so it was an awesome escape from the smog and horns.

 

On Sunday night, Janene, another Stanford Pediatrics resident, arrived. I met her on Monday morning and we all headed to the hospital. V & I headed to the NICU. The babies are all so sick. They may be on vents and transiently improve, but the truth is that no matter the technology available, the high cost of the medications/treatments is a large barrier to survival. For example, the baby with Coarctation needs a medication that is not available in Nepal. Even if they got the medication, it's expensive and the baby needs to be on it 24/7. In addition, it's only a bridge to the surgeries the baby ultimately needs. There is another baby with NEC in there. Though ventilated and on optimal medical management, the baby needs surgery. The hospital that is able to perform the surgery he needs has no ICU beds available ;(

Monday was Bandh day. It sounds like banda, which in Latin American cultures refers to music. Here, the word refers to closed, and it is a form of protest. Apparently there hadn't been a large one since November, but because of the political situation, a few more are expected. Anyway, we woke up and the streets were relatively empty. Stores were closed. Instead, there was mass destruction on the streets as the government is tearing down any structures locals built on government property in an effort to widen the streets. There were people left and right breaking down roads and non existent sidewalks. Apparently, there might've been a torch rally the night before, but thankfully I was home and didn't have to experience that.

When I arrived home after an already weird day, I started to feel sick. All of a sudden the nausea, and rest of the GI symptoms hit me. Yes, me. I only got sick once in Peru, and here I am, supposed stomach of steel, failing me. Not only that, I've been uber careful. I really only mention this because I wanted to throw in the fact that in the hospital they call diarrhea loose motion. Yes, loose motion or loose movements. It makes me smile.

That night a crazy lightning storm woke up me from sleep. It woke everyone up. It was beautiful, but incredibly loud, and I stayed up for a few hours until it calmed down. It washed all the dirt that had piled up the day before onto the streets. Next time, I'll try to take some photos to capture it. Monsoon season isn't supposed to start until June, but with this crazy rain, who knows.