Scary Stuff! It turns out that whilst I can speak Spanish and I do know at least some medicine, when I try to do both together it gets hard! I've spent the last two days in the neurosurgery department with Dr Ernesto Salazar so that I can get to know the hospital. He's the only neurosurgeon in this region of Peru and the nearby parts of Brazil and Colombia. My neurology is rather rusty. It's been a bit of a baptism of fire! We've seen some interesting stuff though. There are almost no cars in Iquitos and so every travels by motorbike or "motocarro"- kind of like a rickshaw but with an engine. Probably more than half of the patients I've seen have back or head injuries after an road accident. It's crazy. You see Mum, Dad and three kids all on one motorbike. I've also seen spinal TB which I was then told to write a presentation on. However Ernesto then spent last night teaching me about head CT scans so I didn't have time to finish it. Panic offer at least for now until he remembers I still need to do it!
It's Peruvian Independence day tomorrow and so we have the rest of the week off! If the weather's ok all of us in the house are going to the Salazar's beach house for 2 days. Very excited! Then Sara and I are going on a trip into the Amazon from Friday until Sunday. I can't wait! Hopefully I'll then start paediatrics on Monday :-)
It's Caro, you are truly amazing and it is such fun reading it all if only I was a few years younger!!! LOL C trying to get into 21st Century
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