Team Uganda: Clinic Day 4

Hey Y’all!

It’s Hillary and Haleigh checking in tonight from Uganda! We are two of the nurses here and hail from Bozeman, MT. We have been soaking up the sun and embracing the sweat, happy to be away from the snow. We have learned many new words this week but y’all has been heard most often, as we have so enjoyed our time here with the lovely students from MUSC.

This week we have been working in triage, collecting vitals, giving deworming meds and vitamins and listening to patients main medical concerns. This morning as the sun came up we traveled through sugar cane fields to the village of Kasongoire. We set up clinic in a school and began the day with tired eyes but happy and excited hearts.

We were graced with many patients with extreme hypertension, some very high fevers, mental health crisis’ and more physical disabilities (including a man who could only crab walk himself around to where he needed to go) than we have seen in previous days. These patients can cause heartbreak because the resources here are scarce, but then the victories achieved are so huge. We were able to see a young boy with Down syndrome and a few children with Cerebral Palsy. There were also several elderly men who were unable to walk. By the end of the day they were fitted for wheel chairs, and racing around with walkers like they’ve never skipped a beat.

As our week is coming to an end we couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity, for the patients who have waited in line for hours, some even over night, only to greet us with a smile and a thank you for listening to their ailments.

+ Hillary Elder, Registered Nurse, Montana
+ Haleigh Peterson, Registered Nurse, Montana