NOTE: Emily is a nurse living in San Christobal. She has volunteered her time to go to Campo Santiago on a weekly basis. The following are a few of her reports.

Well team, Emily is still on the job. If you can spare a few pesos, please do so.

 
Subject: Campo Santiago Report

Dear group, I have missed sending out the last couple of reports.  These last few weeks in the community have been good.  We were able to help many people get to the doctor and get help for various things.  There are a couple cases I am going to share with you.  The first is 9 year old Ellie who fell about a week ago and fractured her wrist.  We got her to the hospital for an x ray and cast with a sling, and this Monday she goes back for another x ray to make sure it is healing right.  If not she will need to have surgery.  We are praying that it will heal with the cast since Ellie comes from a single parent family and they do not have the local health insurance here.  Another women came to me from a surrounding community with a very serious vaginal infection that has going on for the past two years every since she had a c section.  We were able to find a women doctor in town for the examination, which makes it much easier and comfortable for women to go get checked.  She is on quite a few medications and creams and reports feeling much relieve.  The follow up appointment is next week and then to follow will be a pap smear to check for any thing else.  Another woman was seen and had an ultrasound done who needs to get her gallbladder taken out.  Unfortunately she does not want to have the surgery and choose to get some medications for the pain.  It won’t be long until she eventually will have to get it out.  Her and her husband are aware of that and choose to wait.  This is very common here for people to wait till the last minute and then they end up in the emergency room at the hospital. 
 
The family of 8 I have been reporting on with the father who broke his ankle are struggling.  With no money because the father is out of work and lots of frustration and worrying I found out the father went ahead and took his cast off three weeks early with the attempt to go back to work.  Unfortunately he is still not able to walk and now does not know what to do.  He does not want to put the cast back on and I have offered to bring him a banage to wrap it.  Honestly I am not sure how I can help this family, it is hard when people do not follow through with their treatments, but also understandable the responsibility and pressure illness puts on a family.
 
I want to thank all those who continue to donate to the people at campo.  It always seems money comes in just as it is needed.  The day before 9 year old Ellie fractured her wrist I got a check for $150.  Thank you,
Emily

From: Emily Sinnwell <esinnwell@hotmail.com>
 
Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2007 3:14:22 PM
Subject: Campo Santigo Report

Good news!  Ellie the nine year old who fractured her wrist does not need surgery.  We went back for a second x ray and the doctor says it is healing fine, just 6 more weeks with the cast.  I went to visit an elderly diabetic women who is in need of help with buying her medications for her diabetes.  With her medication she says she does fine.  I am going to get her set up for an eye appointment in Feb. I have 3 appointments set up for Tuesday, other than that this week was not so busy.  The kids at the school got their letters writen for the exchange letters program with a school in Iowa City.  I will send them out this week.  They are anxious to get letters back.
 
An update on the chicken coop project.  For those of you who don't know we am sponsoring a family of 10 in the community.  We are going to build a chicken coop with the donations.  We got the fencing for the coop and are going to start putting it up.  We still have quite a bit to buy so donations are still welcome.  Send donations to my mom:
Pam Sinnwell
7080 Forest Drive
Johnston, IA 50131
Checks also can be made out to her.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed. 
 
Emily

I had a couple no shows this week for appointments.  I did get to follow up with a woman who is going through menopause and depression and she reports doing better.  She needs help buying more hormones that the doctor put her on for a couple of months.  I have an ultrasound set up for pregnant women.  We need to check the position of the baby since the last one showed a breech position.  I also rescheduled one of my no shows.  I was able to buy a elderly diabetic women her medications, which helps her a lot since she has to be on them continuously. I also got some medicine for a woman with parasites.  We were able to get more material for the chicken coop.  It is really coming a long and the family is working hard at it.  Donations are still welcome.  Next week will be my last week because I am leaving for the states for a month.  
 
Emily

This was my last visit to Campo before I leave for the states.  I was able to go to a follow up appointment with the women who is suffering from the severe vaginal infection, and possibly something else.  She has had some relieve but our next step is to do the pap smear.  Today we got her a few natural medications for her pain, and her cold and cough she has, as well as some modern medications.  The pap smear was not able to be done today, but fortunately I was able to pre pay for it and she will go next week.  I went for an ultrasound with the pregnant women, and unfortunately her baby is still in the breech position.  There is still a chance it may move (she is in her seventh month).  She had her previous children at home, and I suggested if the baby does not change position to either go to the hospital or be very close to it when she does delivery (a c-section will most likely be done if she goes to the hospital).  Unfortunately I will not be able to be with her during her birth.  We also got her 2 year old child checked out for her cough and cold, and did get some medicine. 
 
The chicken coop is up and looks great. It is very big, and we are just waiting for more chickens to be donated.  Of course I forgot my camera today, but I will get pictures out when I get back.
 
Emily