Yesterday I was on the medical team. We went out to a more developed colony. It was actually one of the first colonies that RisingStar started working with. We got to see the first leprosy hospital. Our coordinator told us how the people in this colony have actually started to do very well for themseleves. There is a barber at this colony that had come to the colony because, as is the custom here, he was shunned by his family and lost his job when he started showing signs of leprosy. He is now doing so well economically that his family has actually come to the colony and he is very well respected. Apparently there are many stories at this colony like that. However, there are other sad stories also. The colony is known for its artists. Those that have leprosy will create paintings, many of who do not have any hands. I guess they strap the paintbrush on their hands paint like that.
We met at a building next to the hospital where the people came to recieve help from us. At first I was assigned to help the nurse write down the medication and how much of each medication. That was sort of hard seeing as she spoke very broken english, but I soon figured it out. Then I was stationed outside to help with the caring for the ulcers. My job was to wash the ulcers. That is a very humbling experience. This man came in right after I sat down and had to walk with a cane. He had lost his toes on that foot and had one fairly large ulcer the top of his foot. He spoke a little english and as I sat there and washed around the ulcer he kept thanking us for being there and all that we do. He was such a happy man and yet had you seen his foot you would have wanted to cry. The good thing for me is that they loose most of their sensation so they do not feel most of it, although they do wince a little because some of the skin has not lost sensation.
Later I went into a room where there were several older woman sitting. One woman smiled at me and asked me to come over and sit with her. I sat down and she started talking to me even though we did not speak the same language we tried to communicate. Her hands were all mangled because leprosy attacks the muscles in their hands and her eyes were bloodshot and stretched down as it also attacks there, and yet once again she was smiles and love. It was incredible to me.
Another lady we tried to do hand signals with and ask her about her family. She tried to communicate back and it was so cute. Really that was only full of love, by people who had nothing and yet they acted as if they had everything. All they wanted was for us to love them back as they did not have family that would love them anymore. It breaks my heart and yet inspires me.
We met at a building next to the hospital where the people came to recieve help from us. At first I was assigned to help the nurse write down the medication and how much of each medication. That was sort of hard seeing as she spoke very broken english, but I soon figured it out. Then I was stationed outside to help with the caring for the ulcers. My job was to wash the ulcers. That is a very humbling experience. This man came in right after I sat down and had to walk with a cane. He had lost his toes on that foot and had one fairly large ulcer the top of his foot. He spoke a little english and as I sat there and washed around the ulcer he kept thanking us for being there and all that we do. He was such a happy man and yet had you seen his foot you would have wanted to cry. The good thing for me is that they loose most of their sensation so they do not feel most of it, although they do wince a little because some of the skin has not lost sensation.
 |
| Waiting to wash and oil (we all had the chairs up so they wouldn't be hot for the patients) |
Later I went into a room where there were several older woman sitting. One woman smiled at me and asked me to come over and sit with her. I sat down and she started talking to me even though we did not speak the same language we tried to communicate. Her hands were all mangled because leprosy attacks the muscles in their hands and her eyes were bloodshot and stretched down as it also attacks there, and yet once again she was smiles and love. It was incredible to me.
Another lady we tried to do hand signals with and ask her about her family. She tried to communicate back and it was so cute. Really that was only full of love, by people who had nothing and yet they acted as if they had everything. All they wanted was for us to love them back as they did not have family that would love them anymore. It breaks my heart and yet inspires me.
Wow. I can't imagine how hard and fulfilling that whole experience would be!
ReplyDelete