2) In my last entry I noted that I ate some Picarones from a vendor in Lima. I was wrong; they made me extremely sick. Jenny asked what I ate and upon finding out scolded me and said that even she doesn't eat from the street. I definitely will not again. Oddly enough though, those who ate cow heart felt fine. Maybe God's telling me I should stop being veg
Anyway... I have started to do some things at the hospital. Wednesday there weren't any patients so Rosario (the psychologist) and I spent two hours laminating various notebooks and folders. After a bit, she took me to a neighboring hospital to drop off some forms and introduce me to the psychologist there. The trip over was a bit nerve-wracking. I thought she asked me if I wanted to accompany her, but then she kept asking which bus I take to get home and where I stand and when I should go home (seemingly indicating that right then was a good time to leave). I cautiously followed her and it turned out that it was the appropriate thing to do. After, I caught a bus home.
Later in the afternoon, I met up with Danielle and Annie to shop for a bit. Buying things is so very enticing. Each individual item can be quite cheap when compared to US prices so it’s easy to buy one thing then another and then another until I realize that I have spent more than I would back home. We need to find some new diversions quickly!
Thursday started about the same as Wednesday. I papered and laminated more notebooks. I’m actually getting quite good at it, so if anyone needs assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask. Fortunately, some patients arrived and I was able to sit in on a couple. Rosario doesn’t see people with mental illness, but usually pregnant women, kids, and occasionally someone who willingly comes in with their own problem. The first woman talked about her husband who has been going out until 4 in the morning and telling her that he is just hanging out in the park. She obviously didn’t believe him and wanted some advice on what to do. Rosario gave her a very nice shpiel about how women deserve to be treated with respect and that it wasn’t fair or reasonable for him to expect her to sit back and accept the situation. I’ve seen a number of posters in Rosario’s office encouraging gender equality in the home and in relationships. I’m not sure how prevalent machismo culture is here, but I like seeing that healthcare workers are taking a stand.
A 17 year woman came in afterwards who was pregnant (all pregnant women are supposed to see the nurse, nutritionist, and psychologist). She initially insisted that there were no problems, but after a question about her relationship with her mother, she started to cry. She seemed to be in a difficult situation, and it’s unfortunate that there are so many adolescents here who are pregnant, but again, it’s good that they are encouraged to talk to a psychologist.
Privacy enforcement is another noticeable difference between here and the states. Even though there are certain patients who don’t want me to sit in on their conversations, Rosario tells me most of their history anyway. Also, during sessions nurses and other people from admissions enter the room to giver Rosario various forms (which she will occasionally examine for a long time while the patient is talking). I feel that if someone was intruding on a conversation about my husband’s infidelity or if my psychologist wasn’t paying attention to how my pregnancy was, I would feel insecure and much less likely to disclose information. Yet another thing I don’t quite understand.
Love, Mom