06.08.15 OI posts from Falalop Woleai

WOrkisback to  usual trying to  finish  the data collection on the surgicaloutcomes study. Chocolate has been around a lot  these last couple of days - nowwith a stronger bark at Shorty.
Here is the log from the OI tripto Falalop Woleai.

05.25.15.Falalop-Woleai

What a day. One of the best for many reasons. First, this is the best dispensary in terms of a facility. It has WiFi (sorry to say no time to use it – how is Tom Brady by the way?) and air conditioning in every room. It was one of the more populated islands at 500 people and has a runway that has been sorely neglected. They also are the other outer island with a high school.

For the breast health awareness program, I examined over 100 women and trained one health assistant Josephine to do a clinical breast exam. She is enthusiastic, the women really seem to like her, and she now has a good technique. I gave her a final examination and she passed with flying colors. I saw women from about 8 AM until well after 5 PM without stop. We started sitting outside on the concrete porch for our discussion on the need to do a SBE and moved inside to do the CBE. To my surprise, the male health assistant did not turn on the air conditioner for us, we all sweltered in the stifling heat and humidity. The mattress cover was moist from women perspiring and I just drip from head to toe. Being barefoot really helped but it is hard to stand on the concrete floor all day. A little after three Josephine arrived, the air conditioner was turned on (yes!) and she now helped me. She was with the immunization team until they finished. She is great and I really enjoyed her company. Also the school teacher came with her class of teenage girls, so we took time to talk about the importance of a good education and staying in school and leaving the boys alone! As most people think all Americans are rich, I like to tell them that I grew up in a rural area and my Dad, who never had the opportunity to attend college, always insisted he children would. He told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. The girls hung on my every word. It was really a very special meeting with them. It is too bad that I cannot take pictures while I am talking so you all could see their faces and how they moved from around the corner to look at me and nod when I would ask them a question. English is the language taught in school – all classes are in English from early childhood education school throughout high school.

Always, the room is open to allow any woman who wants to watch and practice on herself (and sometimes on the woman I am examining) while I am working. HIPAA would have loved this. But there is no privacy on these islands. I asked one of the ladies on a smaller island if anything could ever be kept a secret, she looked at me and just shook her head no. No secrets. So they might as well watch and learn. Every so often when I sensed a new crowd I would repeat the basic information – this is why we are doing the exam this way, this is why it is important to do a SBE once a month and why a doctor should examine you once a year (don’t forget mammograms and ultrasound are not available anywhere in Micronesia let alone Yap). This was one of the best sessions since I arrived in Yap. I would like to come back and work with the teachers – they said the principal was supposed to ask me to the school but didn’t for some reason. I would not have been able to leave all of the women, but I would like to talk to them about completing high school and when they go to college to GRADUATE. Don’t come home because it is hard. Very few who go to college actually finish. Most unfortunate as some of these kids are very talented. There is no motivation for many to have a better life. For those that are so motivated, they move to the United States, where they are legitimate residents. Micronesia was a protected trust of the USA until they gained independence.

Here are a few pictures I hope you like.

Little piggies. on the ship

Sailboat from Australia.

Kids taking a morning swim or bath.

Cute girl.

What looks out of place in this picture?

High school girl going to school.

High school boys.

Yes, that is a baby carriage.

Plumeria used to make the nu-nus.

Smoking a local cigarette - home grown tobacco.

Women learning how to do a SBE.

Two fun loving women.

Me teaching Josephine the health assistant how to do a CBE. The nu-nu was so very fragrant. I really enjoy wearing them.

Dixie, a school teacher. She was really very helpful and a very nice person.

Dixie and a little one.

Gigling school girls. We talked about staying in school and I tild stories about when I was a kid.

Josephine performing a CBE.

Kids and adults can sleep on the bare floors without problem.

Naked little jay bird.

Josephine performing a CBE. She does a very good job.

Making tuba.

Inside a local houe. I did a home visit there.

Parachute as a tent.

Post-sunset.

Peace.