Day 8 - El hombre malo

Last night the rain really lowered the temperature. As a result, I had one of the best night's sleep while I've been in Honduras. It was even cool on our walk to the Cocina (kitchen) where we take our plates to get a hearty breakfast of rice pudding and banana bread, and on our walk to the oficina del dentista.

This morning we worked on some of the younger kids who are new arrivals at the ranch. For the most part, the kids who have been here for a while have great teeth. I've mentioned that they brush 3 times a day and it really shows. The new arrivals are a mixed bag. Sometimes they have good teeth, but more often than not, they have a lot of needs. Today, Alex (pictured) worked on a 2 year old and I worked on a 3 year old. It was really the first time that I'd worked on someone so young and honestly it was pretty intimidating.
The patient I had was incredibly difficult to work with. I learned later that she had bitten Dilcia's (the dentista) finger hard enough to cause a scar. Today she needed two fillings and she wanted no part of the dentist. You can't imagine how difficult it is to give an injection to a 3 year old who doesn't want it. Literally she was squirming all over the chair. We ended up needing the help of her 'big sister' and Norma (one of the rising 2nd year dental students on our trip) to keep her steady long enough to give the injection. You'd think that once the injection was done and the area was numb, she'd relax a little. Well, that wasn't the case today. She squirmed and fought the ENTIRE time we worked on her. By the time we were done, she was completely worn out. I felt so bad for her but she needed the work done. She reminded me of a patient from earlier in the week who pointed at me and said, "El hombre malo" which translates into "the bad man". It's difficult and stressful to be the bad man, but I suppose we all have to do it every now and again.

Day 7 - Here comes the rain

Today in the clinic we worked with some of the disabled residents on the Ranch. In all, there are 30-40 boys and girls with various disabilities. It can be difficult work, but rewarding. We ended up cleaning a lot of teeth and doing minor restorations on these folks. I also treated my first HIV+ patient today. Honestly, it affected me less than I thought it would. I guess we've been instilled with the correct ways to prevent transmission of disease in the clinic at UNC since day one. Accidents happen, but if you are aware of your surroundings, the risks are greatly minimized.

FYI Jessica, my favorite patient, came back today. We extracted another primary tooth which was really deteriorated. She did a wonderful job being still and was very brave when I had to give her the injection. All in all, there were a lot of good procedures done today and we also got the rising 2nd years (Norma and Derek) involved too. Both fill their first tooth today and also learned how to give injections.

After working we lounged around and played some Uno. Today was my day as I ended up winning 3 more games. Alas, Derek is still in the commanding lead with 10 or so wins. Dinner tonight was a treat of shells and pasta sauce with this awesome cheese that we get occasionally. In addition, we received two bananas which were fresh and extremely tasty.

After dinner, we went to the boys Hogars (dorms) and screened them for dental problems. It was a really quick screening, but it gave Dilcia a good idea of who on the Ranch needed treatment.

Almost as soon as we arrived back at the guest house, the rain came. The weather at the ranch is relatively constant. During the day it hovers in the low 80's and at night it's in the 70's. The rain has cooled the air down quite a bit tonight and I'm sure it'll be great sleeping weather.

It's difficult to beleive that we've been in Honduras for 7 days. I'm certainly enjoying my time in Central America and have learned a ton. Our plan at the moment is to leave the Ranch on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning to head towards Copan. Copan is an awesome site filled with Mayan ruins and culture. The area is safe and supposedly has a good nightlife/restaurant scene. We will likely stay in Copan for a few days and then head towards Guatemala city where our professor is giving a seminar. For the last week of our stay, we'll likley spend time in Antigua.

Day 6 - Uno

I woke up this morning to the rooster crowing...at 5AM. Hopefully he will be lunch sometime soon. For breakfast we had a nice meal of eggs, cheese and rice with the cafe con leche (coffee with milk). The coffee here is REALLY strong and the milk is incredibly thick. My guess is that the milk is is uncreamed since some buttery skin usually forms on the top on the walk back to the guest house.

After breakfast we took the donated dental materials to Dilcia (the Ranch's Dentist) and inventoried them. We brought a lot of materials for fillings and tons of stuff for cleanings. After inventory, we set to work. Today, we worked on Ranch residents. I ended up working on one of the new residents of the Ranch. She is about 10 and was a wonderful dental patient. We extracted one tooth and did a small filling for her today and will likely see her tomorrow for a few more things. All in all today, I extracted 3 teeth, filled one, and treated a patient with dry socket.

Lunch today was an interesting couscous-ish meal which had veggies and chicken in it. The flavor was interesting, but I prefer our variety of couscous. After lunch we took a well-deserved break and hung out at the guest house until dinner. For dinner, we had a very strange mix of food. They gave us a cup full of this milk/flour/banana mixture which had the consistency of warm yogurt along with a big piece of bread and a fresh banana. Everything tasted good, even though the texture was odd and the mixture itself seemed strange for a dinner meal. We also had 1/2 a watermelon that two guys in the guesthouse gave us. Since the watermellon was cold, it was the perfect 'dessert' for our meal.

After dinner, we have started playing cards. We borrowed a normal deck and an Uno deck from one of the volunteers. Uno has been the game of choice for the last few nights. Being dental students, we are all pretty competitive and rag each other mercilessly. As the record stands now, Derek is the Uno master with 7 wins. Alex and Norma are tied for 2nd with 2 wins each and I FINALLY won my first game tonight. Thankfully, I made a quick exit after my win under the guise of 'blogging'. In reality, I just wanted to bask in the glow of victory for the remainder of the night.

Day 5 - Dentistry at it's finest

Today we spent our first day in the dental clinic at the Ranch. Basically, it's three rooms (two "operatories" and a waiting room). If anyone has heard me talk about SHAC, they know my pet term for the dentistry that we do there is "McGyver Dentistry" because you have to improvise so much. Well, this clinic takes it to a different level. We're basically using all donated supplies and equipment. As a result, you have to make due with what you have on hand.

On Mondays, the locals come onto the Ranch and are treated in the dental clinic. Dilcia, the dentist, took us to a chair and started us to work as soon as we arrived. It was a bit chaotic, but I ended up filling a root canal and performing three extractions in the 5 hours we were there. All the procedures went really well and I felt great, although exhausted, once we were done. The locals have to pay for the treatment, but the rates are very inexpensive. Extractions cost about $2.50, amalgam fillings cost about $5, and root canals cost about $25.

After the clinic we came back to the guest house and relaxed some. For dinner, we were given every 8 year old's fantasy: Pizza (sort of) and chocolate milk. The milk was hot, of course, so it tasted more like cocoa and the pizza was a think foccaica type bread with a bunch of leftover veggies and such piled on.

After dinner we headed down to the little girls Hogar (dormatory) and had a blast giving toothbrush instruction. The girls were quite the bunch of hams. They LOVED seeing the camera and posed with their amigas. One of the things that is awesome about the Ranch is that the children are taught to brush their teeth 3 times a day. For the little ones, it becomes completely routine and they do it relatively well.
Tomorrow, we're back to the clinic doing work eclusively on the kids. My guess is that we'll do a lot of sealants, some minor fillings, and a ton of screenings. We'll probably end up taking a lot of photos of the little hams too. Seriously, though, they seem to enjoy all the attention that they get. We were met with a chorus of "buenos noches" and hugs as we left their Hogar.

Day 4 - Day of Rest

I didn't post on Sunday night because of a lingering cold which had me down. Anyway, it was mostly a day of rest. Most of the kids and volunteers went on a walk to a nearby town. Yes, that's close to 600 kids plus 50+ volunteers. Apparently the town was not much more than a few houses strung together with tiendas (stores) attached to some of the houses.
I ended up not going on the walk to town so that I could rest up for Monday, which would be our first day at the dental clinic. My day consisted of sleeping, reading, eating, and relaxing. Speaking of eating, this is my quick recipe (as requested) for lunch on the ranch:
- Go outside your room and pick 2 green, but soft bananas from the tree
- Cut the bananas into rounds, and saute them in a pan with a little oil and sprinkled with a little sugar.
- While the bananas are cooking, return to the courtyard and pick two fresh papayas from the tree. Wash, peel, deseed, and cut into small bite-sized pieces.
- Once the bananas are done, put them in a bowl with the papaya.
- Finally grab two fresh eggs from the bunch that were delivered early in the morning and scramble them.
- Gorge yourself on awesome fresh Honduran food.

Seriously, eggs and chicken are a huge part of the diet here on the Ranch. We've had chicken in most of our dinners and eggs in the majority of breakfasts.

At any rate, the rest seemed to have helped quite a bit because I feel SO much better today. Later tonight, I'll update how Monday has gone.

Day 3 - First full day at the Ranch

How many more times can I say Honduras is beautiful? This is our view of the surrounding mountains every morning. The sun rises around 6AM and it is completely dark by 7PM. Most folks at the Ranch are in bed observing 'quiet time' by 10PM and even the most hard core night owls are in bed by midnight.
The view to the left is from behind the guest house. It overlooks some fields where crops are grown to help feed the residents and the remainder is sold in town. The Ranch itself is relatively self-sufficient. They have huge areas of crops, livestock, and fruit trees.

Today we had breakfast at 7AM. The volunteers generally eat about an hour earlier than the residents to allow the Tias/Tios (sortof like big brothers/sisters) an easy entrance and exit from the kitchen. Breakfast today was Corn Flakes, milk, and this delicious bread that looked a lot like a muffin top. The milk here is obtained directly from milk cows on the ranch, and evidentally they collect and boil the milk in the morning. Our cereal today was made with hot milk. It was also about as much whole milk as you can get, I suppose. At any rate it was delicous and extremely filling. Lunch consisted of spaghetti with red sauce and boiled chicken. Dinner tonight was Tamalles with rice and mantequilla. In Spanish, Mantequilla means butter. Here, however, it is sweet-ish sour creme. Mixed with rice, it was wonderful.
After breakfast we toured the ranch. Apparently we got the extended version which took about 4 hours. The boys and girls of the Ranch are separated by some distance for obvious reasons. Each group of 30 or so has their own house which is overseen by a Tia/Tio. They are all immaculately clean (it's one of their 10 rules) and most have very interesting art on the walls. Some examples follow:

After the tour and a quick siesta it was time for Mass which was held at 5PM. It was a beautiful service and was very upbeat in the true latin way. They even mentioned 'los dentistas' as guests of the Ranch!
Dinner was next at about 6:30 and after a long day we decided to eat back at the guest house. Tomorrow is our last free day before we start dental work. Monday is a day in which the locals can come in for treatment, so I'm guessing we'll see some interesting cases. The rest of the week will be spent working with the kids. I'm excited to get started working. The atmosphere here is such that everyone works. Even the smallest ones have some job/chores to perform on the Ranch. I'm itching to do dental work, but also ready to do my part for the Ranch.

Day 2 - San Pedro Sula to NPH Ranch

We all slept well in San Pedro Sula after a hard day's travel. In the morning we arose to a beautiful view of San Pedro Sula's central park. After a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant, we headed out to the Hedman Alas bus stop for the 4 hour ride to Tegucigalpa. The ride itself was pretty uneventful and the bus was very nice. The served juice and cookies and had a small restroom. The view of the countryside was spectacular, though. Honduras is incredibly lush and green. We rode most of the day through alternating mountain passes and highland plains.
Tegucigalpa, from what we saw, was a relatively big city. Every establishment has security and most are equipped with shotguns or machine guns. It's a little intimidating walking into the local Burger King which is guarded by gun wielding security guys. To their credit, I certainly felt safe.
The ride from Tegus to the NPH ranch was about 40 minutes and ran through one of the most picturesque parts of Honduras.
The ranch itself is much bigger than I originally considered. Our rooms are spartan, but very fuctional and have a nice courtyard with banana trees.
At 6PM we took our plates and cups (everyone at the ranch is responsible for his/her own plate, silverware, and cup) to the kitchen and had dinner. It was an interesting dish consisting of rice, eggs, ham, cheese and tortillas. We took our meals down to the common area and ate with the kids, who were getting ready for a bonfire.
The kids are wonderful. They are very curious and playful. Some even try to show off their English skills. Sadly, their English is much better than my Spanish, but it's something that I'm working on.
After dinner we socialized around the bonfire for a while and then headed back to our quarters. There we played some cards and chatted with other volunteers until we were exhausted. Tomorrow, there's Mass and a going away party for one of the volunteers. It should be exciting!

Day 1 - travel day

Long day, short post. Miami proves to again be the bane of my travel existence. Thunderstorms rolled in and we were stuck in Miami for two additional hours. In addition it is the coldest airport in the world. We finally arrived in San Pedro Sula around 5PM local time. Taxi ride to the hotel and then dinner out at a local favorite called Power Chicken. The food was amazing and very cheap. Tomorrow we taxi to the bus station for a 4 hour ride to Tegucigalpa, then an hour van ride to the NPH ranch. Hopefully it will be less eventful and more on task than today.

T minus...

...one day until Honduras. The entire group is getting really excited to head out. All 4 bags of dental equipment have been packed (to the gills) and each one of us has a carry-on packed with clothes. I think my backpack will hit critical mass if I add one more item.

Have you ever wondered what 50 pounds of toothbrushes and 50 pounds of floss looks like? Well, here it is.

One bag is exclusively toothbrushes and one is mostly dental floss. These pictures don't include the other two checked bags which contain dental supplies. We're focusing on prevention with the children (brush, floss, fluoride), but there will be enough dental work for all four of us to have a turn.

Beginnings...

Day -2 (two days until travel):

This blog is designed to help me remember all the fuzzy details of the 2008 Honduras Project. For those who are not familiar with the project, it is a 3 week trip to Honduras sponsored by the Dental Foundation of North Carolina. Four students make the long journey to Honduras to perform as much dentistry as possible at the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos International orphanage. In addition we will be visiting the dental school in Gautemala and attending a seminar given by one of our UNC faculty memebers.
In addition to the work that we'll be doing in Honduras, the project allows us a little time to explore some of Central America's wonders. Specifically we will be heading to the Mayan ruins in Copan and enjoying Gautemala culture in Gautemala City. The itenerary is very dynamic, as it must be for a trip like this.