Present vs Future

     It's crazy to think that two weeks have gone and that there are only three weeks left in Peru--two here in Piura and one in Cusco climbing Machu Picchu. Time really has been flying here; all the while it seems like it's been paused back home. Our days here are so packed that it makes it difficult to connect with the people who are important to us back home. But then again, we're here for five weeks. Five weeks where we have the gift to truly live in the moment and just learn from the situations we find ourselves in and from the people we encounter. We're constantly told to be present but it's without a doubt difficult to do, especially when we have meetings, work, rent due, homework assignments, and exams to study for. I found myself on the phone with my dad one night talking about when I would need to move back to Milwaukee so I could work before school started and was trying to make definitive plans about where I would work upon graduation and what I wanted my five year plan to look like, when he cut me off and said there was plenty of time to set a schedule for the rest of my life when I get back.
     I've always thought that if you don't think about the future, you'll find yourself lost when it's time to make heavy decisions. But here, I've realized that if I'm too busy thinking about the future and the rest of my life, I'll forget to live while I can. Life will pass me by and I won't have accomplished any of my plans because I didn't put the time in now, in the present, to truly live and create a life worth having and living.
     Working in the Pro Vida clinic, we come across many women who express that they didn't plan on having a baby at this time in their life. Cecilia, the woman who runs the free clinic, is often found telling these women that a baby doesn't stop a mother from living, it just makes her think about another human life she needs to be a better person for. Being a mother or a father makes you want to make the world a better place because you want to make your child's generation better than yours. After hearing all of this a few times, I thought about how lucky I am that my parents didn't second guess anything about my siblings and I. They worked through the tough times and they made things work because they were grateful for the lives they were given to take care of and raise.
     The other day, a woman came into the clinic unsure of if she was pregnant with her first son holding onto her legs, afraid to let go. I was doing an ultrasound on her when she looked at me and asked if she was with child. I looked at the screen, and there it was, a six week old baby. I let her know that she was pregnant and she looked at the screen, tears running down her face, just as her baby jumped up as if it were saying hello to his momma. When I saw this happen, I thought about my mom, and how she must have felt when she discovered she was having another baby. Was she scared? Excited? I thought about how although she was pregnant with me for nine months, her life wasn't put on pause. It kept going. She kept living. She continued working until she couldn't. She took care of me before she knew what I looked like. She protected me in a way only mothers can. And now more than 21 years later, she's still doing that. I haven't talked to her much since I've been here, but when I do, I've sensed her becoming one of my friends as well as continuing to be my mom. I'm not sure if that quite makes sense but I look at all of the mothers in Piura and how involved they are in taking care of their children and how they are still living life. My mom wasn't always a mom, she was a person before that. All of our moms were. And it's easy to forget that they didn't stop being normal people when they became moms. I can't believe it took me going to another country without her to realize that she has friends and thoughts and hobbies that don't revolve around her husband and three kids. There's more to her than that and I think that's amazing.
     With this in mind, I know that life back home doesn't have to be put on pause while I'm here. There's enough time to make time for the people that are important. Shooting a simple text letting people know they've been on my mind or that I miss them. I think it's important to let people know when we're thinking of them because we don't say it enough. The ten of us here have found ourselves saying that's what makes Peruvians so special. They take the time out to make genuine conversation and let their loved ones know how they feel about them. That's something I want to bring back to the States with me--being intentional with the conversations I have. I had doubts about whether I would learn or grow here but clearly I have.

Vida Nueva

Part of our clinical experience includes doing a teaching project with a subpopulation of the people we work with. I decided to teach the men at Vida Nueva how to perform CPR and he Heimlich Maneuver. Vida Nueva is an organization affiliated with Santisimo Sacramento that is meant for men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. The program is very similar to Alcoholics Anonymous in the States. The program takes two years to complete but some men have been living their after they've finished up the program. When I was teaching them today, I took a minute to look at all of the men and noticed how they differed in age and personalities but how they all banded together to support each other in their struggles. It's always so awe inspiring how we all have our own burdens that most of us never know. These men chose to actively work through their addictions so that they can become better adults and men for their families, friends, and society. All of the men at Vida Nueva are open and honest about their pasts, struggles, and mistakes and they take ownership of it all. It was really humbling to work with them and teach them how to save a life. They brought it all back to God saying they were receiving a second chance at life the same way I was teaching them to help someone get a second chance at living. It was an eye-opening way to look at nursing and the way we can all teach each other in our every day mannerisms. The guys were jovial and in great spirits throughout my 30 minute teaching plan.
The project also helped me realize that I enjoy teaching medical lessons to others. Maybe I'll become a nurse educator in the future after I've accomplished my other goals. It was a ton of fun to see the men get so into learning everything. They made up their own scenarios and a few tied it to experiences they've had in the past. Some of them said they wish they had known how to do CPR before today because they could have helped their friends who were struggling to stay alive. Towards the end of my time at Vida Nueva today, one of the men approached me and gave me a metal charm with Jesus on one side and Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the other side. Megan, who taught the men yoga and relaxation today, received a beautiful purple rosary. We promised to return to play a game of fútbol against them in the next week or so. I'll be sure to write an update about that!

                                           Here's a picture of the group with Megan and I

A cute kitten that the men take care of 

Hospice Part 2

Catherine and I spent our morning together at hospice again. We met up with another nurse who was cooking when we knocked on the iron doors. She ushered us in and had us clean up our first patient. We spent a good hour and fifteen minutes with him. It was nice to see him after a week but it was hard seeing how his health had decreased. After finishing up all of our tasks, we were brought into another patient's room. Although I've only worked with her twice, she's already become my favorite patient in Peru. She's only been in hospice for about a month and a half but from what we've heard, when she came in, she was in rough shape. She wouldn't eat or move and she wasn't very compliant with the nursing tasks that needed to be completed on a daily basis.
When Catherine and I walked in to the room, her face immediately brightened and she greeted us with warm hellos. I played some music for her and sang while we changed her clothes and washed her up. Since hospice is unbelievably short-staffed, it is difficult to spend the time needed with patients to get them better, both physically and psychosocially. The nurse didn't move us to a new room after we finished cleaning her up so I continued to work with her by doing range of motion and stretching. She complained a bit at first but after singing to her a bit more and letting her know that it would be painful now but make her more comfortable later, she began to become more enthusiastic about it. Towards the end of my time in her room today, she was stretched out and comfortable. She said she'd work on the goals I gave her and said she wanted to see me tomorrow to help her get better.
My time with her today made me realize why I chose to stick with nursing. There have been times when I've thought about if it was the right track for me, if my heart was completely in it, and if I had the heart to care for patients who wouldn't remember my name or who I was. While stretching my patient's legs, I looked up at her and saw her gritting her teeth through the pain but when we made eye contact, she smiled and that's when I knew I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I'm meant to be doing. The sheer amount of determination she had to become healthier gave me the courage to move forward with what I know I'm capable of and let the rest of my worries work themselves out. There aren't many moments in my life where I'm not thinking about what else I have to accomplish, the emails I have to send, the homework I have to complete, or the people I need to talk to, but after doing some reflection, I've realized that when I'm with my patients, that's all there is. It's just me and my patient. It's moments like that which make me realize how precious life is. The people we know, the memories we make, and the lives we touch, whether we know it or not, are what make life important. My dad's been telling me this for years, but it wasn't until know that I truly understood what he's been trying to get through my thick skull. When I'm thinking back about my life when I'm older, I'll be thinking about the moments that caused me to tear up, that made my chest tighten, made me rethink all that I thought I had known, not the days I spent watching TV, reading a mindless book, or wasting time. Spending time doing things that draw up pure emotion is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life, and nursing is the perfect avenue for that to happen.

Friday

Today we toured St. Ignatius Loyola, an all boys school for males pre-k through high school. Our tour was led by 6 of the top students of the school who were close to graduating. We arrived at the school just as break was starting for the younger children so we were swarmed with the little men asking us questions about the United States. The school is setting its students up for success by providing them with education in math, science, English, French, Spanish, and the arts. After school they have multiple extracurriculars they can participate in as well. I had a really good time visiting and talking with the students there. I was reminded of my dad when I turned around and saw all of the guys playing soccer in the fields and it made me miss him, especially because Father’s Day is this Sunday. :(

We headed back for a picnic lunch at the parish with multiple families from around the neighboring areas. It was nice to be able to sit and see all of the families in the parish. After lunch we had a few hours of class time with Theresa and Chris and then we headed to mass. After mass, we had a fiesta with the fathers who teach at a nearby church for Father’s Day! There were a ton of laughs and good food and plenty of happiness to go around!

Hospice

Catherine and I were assigned to hospice today and from what other students were saying, they really enjoyed it but mostly said it was basic CNA care. I figured today would be a pretty normal day, especially because of my experience as a CNA in Milwaukee. We arrived to the hospice center via the back of a pick up truck, along with two other direct entry students. When we got to the center, we were brought into a patient's room who needed to be bathed and changed. This man was really nice and had a very positive attitude. He was very gracious and thankful for our help and I felt like I was doing something positive for him. He had the most intense pressure ulcer I had ever seen and it was really sad to know he was experiencing something that vicious. We then visited a woman who was thirty years old who was suffering from alcoholism and malnutrition. I had learned from other students that she would refuse all of her meals because of her lack of appetite. We bathed and changed her as well as did some range of motion and then moved onto the next patient. One of our patients had been at hospice for seven years and he has quite the vocabulary! He didn't like getting his daily cares completed (and he cursed my mother a few times) but we got through it and had a few laughs together in the process! After we finished up our duties, we began folding gauze to have them sterilized. A few pictures can be seen below of Catherine in action. Our ride was supposed to pick us up at noon but we realized that we'd been forgotten. We made the best of it though by helping out around hospice some more.

The woman we worked with today works 12 hours a day at hospice as well as a 6 year old son she raises on her own. How she does it all is a mystery to me. She had an remarkable outlook on life however and it was truly inspiring. If I get anything out of my time here in Peru, it'll be that I've realized life is too short to complain about the hard times we'll face. There is so much good around us and we just have to make the best of every situation because we aren't given what we can't handle. I went back to visit with my patient who was suffering from malnutrition and alcoholism and saw that her liquid meal was prepared and ready for her. I asked if she was hungry to which she replied she wasn't, but I asked her if she'd like to try the food that was made for her. She obliged and within five minutes all of her food was gone. I was absolutely amazed with what a little patience can do. Her desire to get better was awe-inspiring. Afterwards, I asked Catherine if she would like to pray with her as well and we all prayed the Our Father in Spanish. The patient prayed along with us in a feeble voice but she said it all. Before I knew it, my eyes were filling up with tears for reasons unknown. The sheer strength of these patients is extraordinary and astounding. I sincerely believe my day in hospice has changed the way I view medicine and healthcare.
                                       Catherine putting together gauze to be sterilized

                                                                  Gauze packages

 

The Miracle of Life

Hola!

     Today, Anna Nicole and I were able to observe cesarean sections at the surgery center in the hospital near Santisimo Sacramento. We were dropped off at the doors of the operating room and the charge nurse, Karina, introduced us to the nurse we would be shadowing and working alongside. We were given surgical scrubs to change into, as well as a mask, and hair net. We had brought booties over from the states as well. We were brought into the recovery room where the nurses were performing an assessment on a mother who had just had a c-section. The nurse explained what all the documentation meant and was quite informative. After getting a good grasp on the recovery room, I asked the nurse if we would be able to see a surgery. She helped set us up and introduced us to the surgeon and anesthesiologist. A lot of people asked me is I was from the north of Spain, so I explained that my darker skin tone was because of my Indian descent. The anesthesiologist started a spinal block and explained what he was doing and within two minutes, the patient was unconscious. The surgeon then got started on the procedure and began her vertical incision because the patient had requested that specifically. Typically, a horizontal incision is performed for c-sections. After getting through skin, adipose, and the uterus, the baby was delivered and I swear it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. To be unborn one second and born the next is something that is so incredible. After the baby girl was delivered, I turned to watch the nurses perform their assessments on the newborn so I did not get to watch the placenta be removed but I did see the aftermath and boy, is that placenta huge. The baby was quiet for the first minute or so but after receiving blow by oxygen, she took her first breath and let out a might wail. My eyes teared up for a moment and I was astounded by the emotion that I felt. After the initial assessments, the baby was brought to the nursery.
     The mother was then stitched up and sent over to recovery where we watched her get hooked up to monitors. She was very stable and did not receive oxygen or any other amenities because she didn't need them. After about 30 minutes, I asked the nurse if I could perform a fundal massage. The mother was out for the most part. The nurses we worked with were very welcoming and supportive. On our way home, we heard the stories of Erin and Grace who were able to hone in on their bedside manner with a first time mother as she progressed from 4cm to 8cm. Unfortunately, they were not able to see the birth due to time constraints but hopefully they'll be able to experience that during the time we're here!
     We were able to talk with the nurses for some time so we discussed the similarities and differences of nursing in Peru and the United States. For example, in the US, in order to get one's BSN, we have to complete four years of school. Here, in Peru, they must complete four years of school and one year of internship before they can fully become independent nurses. We discovered that Peru does not focus on preventative medicine nearly as much as we do in the states. They have mostly level 2 and 3 centers for care (sometimes level 4) whereas we have levels 1-3, three being the most critical. There are no level 3 hospitals in Piura and the closest is in Lima. Can you imagine? But the medical staff throughout Peru do the best with what they can and are constantly learning. It's truly aspiring to work alongside the Peruvians and learn from them as much as they learn from us.

         Here's a picture of Anna Nicole and I with the two nurses we worked with and our patient!

Tuesday in Piura

Hi all! I apologize that this post is a day late! The wifi is still pretty spotty.

On Monday, our group was able to tour all of the facilities we’ll be working with. I was stuck at the church due to a little GI upset but all is well today! After the rest of our group got back from touring, we went to mass at the church with dinner following. We were able to meet the family Marquette hosts at church. Erika, the mother, and her children, Christian, Kiara, and Jessica try to come to mass every night, especially when Marquette students are there. The daughters have huge personalities and I’m sure they’ll be a ton of fun to be around. Erika’s birthday is coming up so we’ll be throwing a little something together to make her day special.

We get our assignments for the upcoming day the night before. Erin and I were sent to the nursing home in the area today. We had two direct entry students with us. As it’s their last week here, they’re tying up loose ends and showing us the ropes. It was really helpful to have them with us for this week because they know what works and how it does. The nursing home is run by nuns and the one I worked with became a nun at 16! She’s currently in her early 20’s. Can you believe it? I got to work with the women today while Erin worked with the men. Erin’s job consisted of proper nail care. This means she would cut the nails of the men and groom them. She also took vitals on certain patients. On the other hand, in the women’s department, I helped with the showering process. The nun who was with me would shower them and then I, along with the direct entry student, would lotion, powder, comb, and dress them. We started with patients who needed more direct care and then towards the end, we had more independent patients. Many of the patients have lively personalities and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future.

My Spanish started to come back a little today but I’m still in need of a lot of help. I’ve found that using basic Spanish has been somewhat helpful when I don’t know certain words. I can understand a lot more than I can speak but I’m getting there! It can be somewhat frustrating to me as well as the patient when there’s a language barrier but we’re finding ways to work around it. Many of the patients do not believe I’m not Peruvian which also doesn’t help with my lack of Spanish vocabulary because they think I’m joking around with them!
After finishing up the showers, I painted and filed a few nails and then brought the patients up to their dining room. After this, we headed back for lunch. Usually, we’ll head back to a clinical site after our siesta which ends around 1500 but we’re watching the direct entry students present their aggregate projects today instead.

Our First Sunday

To start our day off, we woke up around 7am and hopped in the shower which was actually pretty warm. The five of us in the rooms on top of the parish, Catherine, Grace, Corinne, Erin, and I have discovered that since the water reservoir is on top of the roof, we get the hottest water when we shower, which is really nice for us but really sad for the other five in our group who are rooming on the first floor near the kitchen. Catherine and I went to adoration before breakfast since we had time. Seeing all of the people there praying and adoring God was heartwarming. I can already tell this trip will fill me with emotion and good vibes. Everywhere we go, we are greeted with “holas” and “buenos dias. The Peruvians are extremely welcoming and it is so greatly appreciated. It’s only been a day but I already feel like I’m at home.

            After breakfast, we got a tour of the facilities the church offers. We saw the eye clinic and pro life office/clinic. The eye clinic focuses on removing cataracts from the elderly population of Piura. The founder of the eye clinic told us that if we have an idea, we should run with it. So many people doubted her ability to begin an eye clinic here in Piura but she explained that God helped her find a way because he needed it to happen for the people here. Hearing her story gave me courage and new found spark for nursing. After hearing a few more stories, we headed out to tour a few of the locations Padre Jose has helped fund and create. We visited a school for preschoolers through high schoolers as well as a cosmetology and masonry school. We also visited the hospice center we’ll be working in later on as well. Padre Jose told us a story about a patient at the hospice center who would say that every night a bunch of lights would come down from the sky and they would turn into Jesus, Mary, and other saints. These figures would walk around the hospice center every night and comfort the patients. Eventually, the patient said that he began joining the figures and a few days later, he passed away. What a phenomenal happening.

            We then headed over to a Church Padre Jose presides at. He was kind enough to say the homily in both Spanish and English so we were able to follow along easier. The people at mass were again so kind and welcoming. They would come over to us and give us hugs and kisses. We received a blessing towards the end of mass but what was most special to me was that before Padre left the church at the end of mass, all of the children ran up to the alter to get sprinkled with holy water. Their hope and love for and in Christ was so rejuvenating and thought provoking.
                                                   The church where we attended mass:

                                         Padre Jose and a statue at the hospice center:

         After mass, we returned to the church we are staying at and had lunch. Shortly after lunch, we headed over to a market where we had the option to purchase small trinkets. The market was definitely an interesting experience. I was able to barter a bit and get a few souvenirs. This market was full of silver and gold jewelry and tons of pottery. It was very different from the Inca market we visited yesterday. There is a park across from the market and as we were going to take a picture in front of it, a group of kids approached us and told us jokes and asked us questions. A young girl spoke to me in Spanish and asked me why I spoke English and I replied saying it was because I was from America. She looked at the other girls with me and said that being from America made sense for them but not for me because I am a “morena”. I told her that I’m Indian and she realized that there can be different shades of “morena”. A lot of the locals here think that I’m Peruvian or a native Spanish speaker. I don’t mind at all but sometimes I make a fool of myself with my less than perfect Spanish. It’s been hard dust off all of the years of Spanish I’ve taken but I’m slowly getting there. I’m learning a lot here and I’m happy to finally put my skills to the test.

After the market, we dropped our newly purchased belongings off at the church and then headed over to an orphanage. When we got there, we realized that it was more of a boarding school for females. The girls that attend the institution study there for four years. Immediately upon arrival, we were greeted with tons of hugs and kisses, 60 to be exact. A young girl took my hand and led me to the chapel where we sat with her older sister. These sisters were eight hours away from home. Can you imagine?! They’re 12 and 14 years old and away from their parents for four years sans a few visits here and there. The girls all sang for us and then we then watched a little fútbol. The game was against Brazil and the Peruvians we were with were intensely watching the game. After about twenty minutes we were led outside to watch the girls dance. They pulled me and a few other student nurses on stage with them to dance alongside them. Their happiness and pure joy was refreshing to see and they are amazing dancers! There’s no way I could do any of what they were doing! At the end of all of their dances, we said goodbye to the girls and I was shocked at how sad I was to be leaving them. They seemed so eager for us to come back. They asked when we would return and I didn’t have an answer to them. After giving them many hugs and kisses, we got into the vans to return to the church. We later found out that the girls tend to get many visitors, especially missionaries.

All in all it was a good day. We’re visiting the hospital tomorrow as well as a rehab center. I’m looking forward to working alongside the Peruvian people and being women for and with others. 

Piura! (Also a Day Late)

We were welcomed by men and women of the parish with a Marquette banner and multiple balloons. Although it be night and all of us were exhausted, we were instantly energized with all of the love and happiness exuding from the people. As Erin put it “our hearts are overflowing with love”. Simply put, it was just so amazing and overwhelming to have complete strangers accept us into their arms and give us hugs and kisses the second we stepped outside the airport. Their love for us was so unexpected but I immediately knew I was where God wanted me for these next few weeks. I’ve been trying to decipher where I’m supposed to be in regards to His plan and I think that this will help me find a stronger sense of Him in my life—something I’m definitely looking forward to. The church is incredibly accommodating and the food we were provided was Chinese! There’s a lot of Chinese influence here in Peru. Chifa is a food consisting of Peruvian and Chinese influence. It’s really good! As we moved our belongings into our room, we went out onto the roof to see our surroundings and we saw fireworks in the distance. What a way to start our time in Piura!