Monday

This morning was interesting because we don't have any water. We didn't have water when we got home last night and kinda hoped it would magically come back during the night. No such luck. So we're a little stinky today.

Matt went down to the hospital this morning to ask about the water and they said that the pump went out on Saturday and that another one is supposed to come in from Guatemala City today. The hope is to have water back by tomorrow. Imagine the hospital in your town being without water for four days (or more!)

We'll call some friends here in town and see if we can go take showers at their house today. Let's all hope they say yes!!!

Anyway, today was clinic in Chicabracan. Paul and Lindsey had covered for us during the month of December and for the first clinic in January, so at least we weren't swamped today. It's a good thing, too, since Heidi isn't feeling well. We saw several of our regular patients, as well as a couple from our now closed clinic in Chinique. We were very happy that they found us, as they were some of the ones we were a little worried about. Hopefully, they can tell some of the others where we are (we explained it ourselves, but it's always different coming from "the people".)

Our first six or seven patients today were all from one family - one of the few Christian families in town. They just had their 11th baby a week and a half ago. We saw Mom some during her pregnancy and all turned out okay. Mom was in for a cough and a headache. She gave birth in the hospital because her midwife was pregnant, too, and not really in a position to help her! (First pic is Mom, Dad, and Baby). It's hard to believe that Isaac was the same size when he came home...

The second pic is of Isaac in his new walker that we're borrowing from a missionary family in Chimaltenango. It's a lifesaver now but within two months, he probably won't care about it at all - so it's nice to be able to borrow it!

The third pic is of Diego, our little boy with hydrocephaly. He came into Paul and Lindsey two weeks ago and couldn't move his arms or legs. Heidi was still in Antigua, but they called her for advice. She suggested that they give her about $15 to pay for her trip down to Guatemala City for a return visit to the hospital where they operated a few months ago. She went and told us that he's moving his arms and legs again. The docs there suggested that he get on some milk supplements, as he's getting awfully skinny. So Mom got some milk but ran out today. There wasn't any available in Chicabracan, but we bought about a $25 can of milk here in Quiche on the way home and she'll come get it this afternoon. Diego's head is starting to shrink down but is still quite large. In the picture, you can see the shunt running down the side of his head.

Finally, we decided to give you a bonus picture of something a patient brought to Heidi yesterday in clinic. If you've never seen one of these, it's because you live in one of the richest countries in the world. It's an intestinal worm. Nearly everyone around here has had them at one point or another in their lives. Don't worry, if you take an antibiotic, they pass right on through...