Roatan - Day 20

Yay for Friday!  ER #2 and I pumped through the patients this morning.  We had a good system going – I would ask all the questions and do my physical exam while ER #2 typed away on the chart note (as I translated).  Then we would decide our final plan and what medications to give together.  It was perfect.  I got the experience of doing everything on my own without having to type the note.  Now we’re talkin’.  One patient even told me she thought I was a model at first because I was so thin and tall.  She was surprised to find out I was her “doctor” (PA’s don’t exist in this country).  She is my new favorite patient.

I have to laugh because ER #2 tries so hard with his Spanish, yet patients just give blank stares back at him.  Take for example, early today he asked a question… the patient had no idea what he said so looked at me… I then asked the same EXACT question and they immediately replied appropriately.  Haha, so dang funny.  We all give him a hard time.  He even went so far as to show a patient how to gargle salt water for his sore throat.  In one hand, “agua.”  In the other, “sal.”  He then proceeded to actually gargle both together in front of the patient… and the patient still didn’t get it!  Or the time he told a patient 3 times in a row, “Me llamo doctor ___.”  The patient’s response after 3 times, “No te entiendo.”  I DIED LAUGHING.  He’ll never live it down.

After work, J and I laid out on the dock in Sandy Bay for a while then went snorkeling.  Not our favorite spot – way too murky.  However, we did find LOTS of brightly colored fish and even saw an octopus!  I almost thought it was going to come out after us.  Can the small ones squirt ink?

Remember a few days ago when M never showed up for volleyball?  Well, he was actually there this time, along with a whole lot of other peeps (or people, if you prefer).  We were 45 minutes late, but they were still only on the second game.  Finally it was our turn to play.  M, ER #1, ER #2 and I all formed a team and proceeded to win the next 3 games in a row.  So the islanders all teamed up with the best players and finally beat us off the court.  Not my best games, but beach is always much harder to play.  The very first play of our very first game, I made an awesome block over the setter of the opposite team.  She looked up at me with eyes that said “not fair” and made a remark about me being too tall.  Booyah.  Later, M told me that when all the other players saw me walk up and how tall I was, they all got worried.  Too bad I didn’t deliver more of my skills.  I was a little rusty… But can’t wait to play some more! [Side note: the same dog that bit me had to be tied up due to his bad behavior.  Maybe he DOES have rabies.]

We all spent the next couple of hours at Cannibal Café, enjoying steak fajitas, mango smoothies, ice cream sopapillas, serenaded songs from the local guitarist, great company, and plenty of laughs.

And what better way to top off the night than with our $2 pirated DVD we bought on the street?  Can’t beat that.

Big news: NO WORK ON MONDAY.  We will be celebrating the island’s revolution.  Other big news:  NO WORK THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.  It’s a national holiday.  Don’t be jealous.