Just checking in!
I have more than quadrupled my Spanish vocabulary in the past few days, and I´m beginning to understand the majority of things people say, unless they talk fast or have a strong (Quechua?) accent. Sadly, most people I meet talk fast or have an accent, or both.
Today was the first day since Sunday that we didn´t have hours of Spanish class, so we visited the equator. The coolest thing there was a demonstration station where you could place a tub of water on the equator and watch it drain without forming a whirlpool. Moving the tub to one side of the equator, you could watch the water drain clockwise, and moving it to the other side of the equator it drained counterclockwise. Definitely worth the $3 admission fee.
We went by Metrobus directly from the equator to the hospital, arriving 10 minutes late for another wild day in the urgent care department in Quito´s IESS hospital.
Highlights at the IESS:
Man carried in, writhing in pain. He had been vomiting repeatedly and doubled over all day. I kept a trash can on hand just in case. When palpated, his right abdomen caused him excrutiating pain.
Diagnosis: kidney stones with possible gallstones.
Action: Pain medications and hydration stat, admitted for further evaluation
(from yesterday at the IESS)
Woman comes in complaining of unilateral neck pain. Her manner is very strange and she seems to be in no distress. During the physical exam, she fails to hold her left arm in front of her with her eyes closed. The doctor gives firmer instructions and she then succeeds. She markedly increases her respiration rate when told to breathe normally during lung auscultation.
Diagnosis: Stress-induced muscular spasm. Doctor´s actual thoughts: drug-seeking patient
Action: Precription for intramuscular injection of pain medication, referral for psychiatric evaluation
Pictures to come
I have more than quadrupled my Spanish vocabulary in the past few days, and I´m beginning to understand the majority of things people say, unless they talk fast or have a strong (Quechua?) accent. Sadly, most people I meet talk fast or have an accent, or both.
Today was the first day since Sunday that we didn´t have hours of Spanish class, so we visited the equator. The coolest thing there was a demonstration station where you could place a tub of water on the equator and watch it drain without forming a whirlpool. Moving the tub to one side of the equator, you could watch the water drain clockwise, and moving it to the other side of the equator it drained counterclockwise. Definitely worth the $3 admission fee.
We went by Metrobus directly from the equator to the hospital, arriving 10 minutes late for another wild day in the urgent care department in Quito´s IESS hospital.
Highlights at the IESS:
Man carried in, writhing in pain. He had been vomiting repeatedly and doubled over all day. I kept a trash can on hand just in case. When palpated, his right abdomen caused him excrutiating pain.
Diagnosis: kidney stones with possible gallstones.
Action: Pain medications and hydration stat, admitted for further evaluation
(from yesterday at the IESS)
Woman comes in complaining of unilateral neck pain. Her manner is very strange and she seems to be in no distress. During the physical exam, she fails to hold her left arm in front of her with her eyes closed. The doctor gives firmer instructions and she then succeeds. She markedly increases her respiration rate when told to breathe normally during lung auscultation.
Diagnosis: Stress-induced muscular spasm. Doctor´s actual thoughts: drug-seeking patient
Action: Precription for intramuscular injection of pain medication, referral for psychiatric evaluation
Pictures to come
Awesome pictures, especialmente en el paraje ajustado del ecuador real!
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