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Our First Week
 
Well, we just finished  the first of our two week volunteer rotation here in Jamaica and it has been interesting,
educational, fun and at times tiring. Really, though, it has turned out much better than we could have hoped.
 
On the medical side, all of the clinics are a little different. Port Maria, where I spent Monday and Tuesday, was the most Spartan in
terms of facilities. Monday started off poorly when I was waiting in the lobby for a ride and after multiple phone call discovered no one knew I was to get picked up.
Dr Ramos interceded and put me in touch with the hospital administrator who then sent a driver. Even though I arrived about an hour and a half late, I was able to see all the
patients and leave at a reasonable hour. I met several of the hospital docs who were all friendly and happy to have me. They asked me to make an educational presentation next week, and I agreed
to give a talk next Monday on asthma, a subject I am quite familiar having championed it from my time at Kaiser -Permanente. I asked them to bring up a case on Tuesday as a spring board for a discussing of fluids and electrolytes.
Wednesday,  I was  in Annotto Bay on their Pediatric Unit. There Dr Ramos spent about three hours in a most didactic fashion reviewing with the residents the cases on the ward. There was a new nephrotic/nephritic,
a child with recurrent seizures and a baby with hypoglycemia among others. He is a great teacher and the process stirred memories of years ago when I was a resident physician. The next day, I was in the outpatient seeing children who had been recently discharged, either as newborns or with some other medical problem. The facilities were an improvement on Port Maria in that I had a real table to put my things and a
chair with wheels to sit in with an adjoining bathroom.
Friday I went to Port Antonio, a two hour drive. I was picked up by the hospital administrator, Patrick Campbell. We had a delightful conversation that spanned such topics and the economy, lifestyle and religion of Jamaica as contrasted to the USA. The time of the drive went by quickly and I was pleased that I did not suffer any car sickness like others had warned me about. In Port Antonio I saw a few children who were referred from local health centers for such conditions as poor growth, recurrent chest pain, etc. I had some free time and went to the A&E( their ER) and saw a few children with minor problems.
 
I will have to admit, staying here at the Couples Resort is a real treat. I am taking piano lessons at home and have been able to access the piano at the resort for some practicing every morning before going to work. When I return from work, on almost every day, I have taken a tennis lesson with the local pro. He is a wonderful teacher and was formerly #2 player in Jamaica. The food is great and there are activities every evening, though we tend to turn in early to be able to get enough rest to be prepared for the next day. Today, Saturday, Martha and I were off together and we went on a guided nature walk of the property and then a snorkeling trip to a local reef. It definitely has made us appreciate the beauty in the natural setting we find ourselves.
 
Now onto week #2 and we will see what new adventures we well encounter.

Richard
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Martha’s Blog:


My first week at the Edgehill School for Special Education, in Port Maria, formerly called the School of Hope, went well. There is a wonderful staff of patient, kind teachers. I have been working with each of the 3 classes (45 students) to teach some sign language, alphabet recognition, and some signs which might be helpful for the less verbal students. Each day, I presented art lessons using the art materials I brought with me from California: tempera paints, watercolors, fingerpaints, soft pastels, and colored marking pens. Since the director of the school told me that there will be an art contest in a few weeks, I’ve mounted some of their finished works for display. Working in with students to complete a project, build creativity and self esteem, has been part of my goal. Luckily, I brought some plastic aprons to protect their uniforms since some of these projects have been a bit messy.  I have taught some art theory, too, using a color wheel and some techniques for using the materials. I have found these wonderful students have been instilled with the admirable qualities of showing respect, taking care of materials, and cleaning up after themselves. Fortunately, Diane arranged for  a wonderful driver for pick ups at the Couples Resort and drop offs at the school . He has also gone with me to help me find additional supplies. The school has some art supplies, but they are in short supply of paper and other school supplies, and have no copy machine.  I’m looking forward to next week at the school.
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I thought we should introduce ourselves as the newest, but oldest in age, ISSA volunteers. My name is Richard Pastcan. I am a semi-retired pediatrician, having worked for Kaiser-Permanente in Northern California for 32 years. For the past three years I have been at a community health clinic serving mostly low income and Spanish speakers as a general pediatrician. So unlike the other volunteers who were in their last year of training,  I represent the other end of the career spectrum. I am anxious to experience a different form of health care in a different culture.
I am fortunate to have my wife here with me to share in this experience. Martha is a retired teacher of the deaf, and the ISSA program director Diana Pollard has connected here to a special ed school in Port Maria. Martha has come with a duffle bag full of art supplies and hopefully this will help to engage the students.
We arrive at the Couples Resort two days ago and it is really as nice as all the prior blogs have described. The setting is a tropical paradise, the food is great and the staff is most helpful. It was good to come a few days early to get used to all of this, and get to know the surroundings a little. Yesterday we went to Dunn’s River Falls which was a really memorable experience walking up a picturesque waterfall. I got to take a tennis lesson in the afternoon and this also made me very happy.
We’ll let you know how are first days work .

Richard and Martha
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