The Half-man Half-mud Troglodyte
Polio is an RNA virus from the enterovirus family. It commonly enters the body through infected food or saliva, and colonises the GI tract. In a subset of infections, the…
Finding a Fish that Moos
Quebrada Sal meaning ‘Salt Creek’, would be the final community I’d service as a member of this crew. It was on the far end of the nearby island Bastimientos. By…
The Broken Rope Bridge
Forecasted rain was nowhere to be found, and the large cayuco cruised out on bubbling water under blue skies. Amongst the many ins and outs of the bay, we passed…
Las Tres Mentiras
My imaginary quarrels with the resident pseudo-primate were replaced the next morning by much more occidental worries. I had been putting off a lot of work for commitments I still…
That Hyperthyroid Look
The following day brought us to the third clinic on our triple header – the community of Bajo Cedro, whom we had missed our chance to service two weeks prior…
The Cocksure Idiocy of Chickens
The alarm went off at 5:45 and signaled the beginning of our day. Sleepy eyes floated in silence, zipping backpacks and snapping buckles, as the lingering cold snap from the…
Doctor Bozo the Zebra Hunter
The next week of clinics would be all about adaptability. We were doing a triple header in the field, two nights of hammocks and mosquito nets into the heart of…
Mad Max and the Passionfruit Margarita
Before I go any further, I would like to address a few things that people have asked me about. Mainly this is pertaining to patient follow up, or whether I…
Captain Ahab Scales the High Seas With a Critically Ill Patient on Board Vol. 2
I stepped off the concrete path into the dirt in front of her, and gestured for her to sit down. We needed a wheelchair, fast. Somebody, a nephew, was sent…
A Million Tiny Frankensteins
Our third clinic of that week, which was taking precedence over Thursday base clinic, brought us to the neighboring village of Valle Escondido. It was the same community from which…