Yesterday was a clinic day for me. Two other volunteers and I arrived at Crystal Eye Clinic around 11:00 AM and waited to be called to observe surgery. At least one Unite for Sight volunteers has to observe all UFS-sponsored surgeries that Dr. Clarke performs at Crystal Eye Clinic. The volunteers take turns rotating through the operating room. We get to ask questions and learn about the eye and cataract surgery from Dr. Clarke and the ophthalmic nurses. Today, Dr. Clarke also showed us a video on couching. Couching is a traditional way to remove cataracts and is still performed in rural parts of Africa today. The procedure involves inserting a thin blade into the sclera (white part of the eye) and then shaking the cataract loose from the behind the lens. The operation involves little anesthetic and very limited sanitation measures are taken. The whole process looked very uncomfortable to me. Serious and irreversible damage can be done to the eye when couching and other traditional techniques for cataracts are being used. One of the goals of Unite for Sight is to educate locals on the dangers and limitations of these traditional practices and encourage them to look into Western cataract surgery.
We had an unusual weeknight excursion last night to Reggae/Salsa/Some kind of dancing night near the beach. Seven of us arrived at Coconut Groove (sounds fun, right?) to take part in some fun dancing and a few drinks. This was an outdoor bar and club that was attached to both a hotel and a radio station! I also got a chance to meet up with some of my fellow Dukies who are also here for the summer! It was about 11:30 PM and we were just starting to get in the groove when everyone suddenly left the dance floor and headed to the beach! Apparently, the party at Coconut Groove was just the pre-party, and the real party was waiting a couple miles down the road. Of course, we didn’t know this so we were pretty disappointed when everybody left. We thought about heading to the beach ourselves, but I had a better idea! I suggested we head downtown, go to Frankie’s again, and order some PIZZA! We have all been desperately craving cheese for a while, and some good pizza would be a perfect end to the evening. Everyone agreed, so we headed to Frankie’s! Needless to say, we all stuffed our faces with bread, cheese, and various toppings. We headed back to the Telecentre with our bellies full and ready for bed. This was, by far, the best Wednesday night yet!
I was back on outreach today, but unfortunately we had a disappointing turnout. The place we traveled to was about two and a half hours away, and our outreach clinic was happening simultaneously with a large village gathering and performance show. Many of the locals were not there for the clinic, and those who did come did not bring money with them to buy medication. The ophthalmic staff, especially Earnest, was really disappointed and weren’t sure if we would be returning to this village in the future. This was definitely a logistical planning error on someone’s part, but hopefully it can be fixed so that Unite for Sight can still serve the people of this region.
So Game 7 is tonight, and I can’t wait to see what happens. Nothing would make me happier than to see Kobe Bryant sulking in a corner after the Celtics blow away the Lakers! It’s gonna be a tough game for both teams, but I’m rooting for the Celtics all the way!
Noelle, is couching performed by the western doctors or local/native professionals? I ask because I wonder if a western professional would "couch" even though the chances of infection and irreversible damage are greater. It's all very interesting :-) Glad you guys enjoyed your pizza!!!! Love'ya
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