Training Log Archive: 'BentIn the 7 days ending Nov 23, 2013:
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Friday Nov 22, 2013 #
Running hills 2:00 [4]
Had a half day off, so we took a jungle boat trip and a trek to see an uncovered Mayan temple at Lamanai. It was excavated by a prof at the ROM, and took 12 years. There are dozens more "hills" which are all man-made but need years to dig out.
I got to trot up this one and galumph down, past a few gasping and wheezing tourists gingerly crawling up and sliding down on their butts. The guide says I have the FKT now, and gave me a medal.
Best view in the whole district as it's a very flat area and this is the high point for dozens of km.
I took a borrowed gopro for the trip, including the run up and down, so there may be a Youtube vid coming.
I got to trot up this one and galumph down, past a few gasping and wheezing tourists gingerly crawling up and sliding down on their butts. The guide says I have the FKT now, and gave me a medal.
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| From Belize 2013 |
Best view in the whole district as it's a very flat area and this is the high point for dozens of km.
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| From Belize 2013 |
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| From Belize 2013 |
I took a borrowed gopro for the trip, including the run up and down, so there may be a Youtube vid coming.
Thursday Nov 21, 2013 #
Note
Final clinic day.
This one had its ups and downs- we saw a lot of adults with complex problems, some of which I could have fixed at home but not here with what we had. Others were basically hopeless and all we could do was palliative care or extractions. On the other hand, some of them we were able to do a ton of work for. Very few kids today, but a lot of work.
Shirley gave me a via-like coffee to add to the hotel dishwater that comes out of their coffee percolator.
https://picasaweb.google.com/rehrlich1/Belize2013?...
At a couple of points, to add to the noise of 50 people waiting, 4 dentists suctioning, a compressor and a shopvac nearby and trucks air-braking outside, the rain started to hammer down like I have never seen, on our tin roof. There are no windows up top, so we got a nice shower.
The big guy fixing our equipment. Tom can fix anything, even local political friction. Keeps us safe too- an ex Marine who provided Embassy security in the Middle East.
Water ozonator/sterilizer, Belize style
This nice kid had some warts and a cut-up leg. We ozonated them too:
Instrument ozone sterilizer- Belizian style. We had a dry heat sterilizer too for things that could take it.
Cathy and Tom with the local family.
Most mind-blowing comment from Cathy-
We had to miss the mission last year as we were both diagnosed with cancer. We were heartbroken- that we couldn't come and help the village that year.
This one had its ups and downs- we saw a lot of adults with complex problems, some of which I could have fixed at home but not here with what we had. Others were basically hopeless and all we could do was palliative care or extractions. On the other hand, some of them we were able to do a ton of work for. Very few kids today, but a lot of work.
Shirley gave me a via-like coffee to add to the hotel dishwater that comes out of their coffee percolator.
https://picasaweb.google.com/rehrlich1/Belize2013?...
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| From Belize 2013 |
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| From Belize 2013 |
At a couple of points, to add to the noise of 50 people waiting, 4 dentists suctioning, a compressor and a shopvac nearby and trucks air-braking outside, the rain started to hammer down like I have never seen, on our tin roof. There are no windows up top, so we got a nice shower.
The big guy fixing our equipment. Tom can fix anything, even local political friction. Keeps us safe too- an ex Marine who provided Embassy security in the Middle East.
 |
| From Belize 2013 |
Water ozonator/sterilizer, Belize style
 |
| From Belize 2013 |
This nice kid had some warts and a cut-up leg. We ozonated them too:
 |
| From Belize 2013 |
Instrument ozone sterilizer- Belizian style. We had a dry heat sterilizer too for things that could take it.
 |
| From Belize 2013 |
Cathy and Tom with the local family.
Most mind-blowing comment from Cathy-
We had to miss the mission last year as we were both diagnosed with cancer. We were heartbroken- that we couldn't come and help the village that year.
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| From Belize 2013 |
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Done! Eric snuck a few beers into the Glass Ionomer cooler.
C • Wow 7 Wednesday Nov 20, 2013 #Note Day 3- less mechanical issues, more adults with worse problems. Solid work 8-6 with a short break for lunch.
I even took out a wisdom tooth- ya do what ya gotta do. One kid spend 2.5 hours on the bus to see us, and waited 4 hours. Another needed an adjustment from Monday (not my patient) and it took her 4 hours round trip with a 6 hour wait.
Tuesday Nov 19, 2013 #Note Day 2 at the clinic:
Bentblaster is the envy of the other docs:
Local doc learning too:
Happy customer- her front teeth were pretty bombed out.
They feed us pretty well too
Long day, as we had an informal lecture/ chat until 9:30 or so, and the roosters and Macaws start squawking around 4:45. Monday Nov 18, 2013 #Note Day 2 report. Tricky morning, with an even bigger lineup of patients out the door waiting for us. My air abrasion unit went down and spent almost an hour fixing it, while my young patient waited patiently in the chair. The mega- humidity caused my loupes (binocular glasses) to fog up, so I couldn't use them or their light, but the Bentblaster was more than adequate.
We got things sorted out, finally moved the damn compressor into a shed and slammed the door so I didn't have to scream across the patient for instruments, and did a lot of good work the rest of the day. Every minute you spend fixing a machine or taking a pic is time you're not helping all the folks that waited since 8am. Lineup out the door:
Full waiting room
Local doc assisting:
This little dude was so good!
Only bathroom with a sink:
We set up a water cooler with an ozone bubbler and a basin inside. I bought Tom and Matt a beer when they finally moved these howling machines in the shed. Our vacuum line system runs of a small Shopvac - the bigger quieter one wasn't strong.
Sunday Nov 17, 2013 #Note Setting up a high-tech temp dental clinic in Belize. Sorry, hard to embed pics from here.
Here's a link to the album with some comments. https://picasaweb.google.com/rehrlich1/Belize2013?... Looking pretty empty here
And after a day's work...
Next please...
C • awesome! 12 |
