Lesli Fisher’s Blog

Vanakkam - Hello

Nalla erukkeya, that is “how are you?” in Tamil.  The pharmacy students that I have been with this week are teaching me Tamil.  It’s a pretty easy language to speak, but it is written all in symbols, so I cannot read it. 

This week I really got to see a lot, and I learned a ton!  On Monday and Thursday, I sat in on outpatient visits.  We saw all kinds of different diseases and the doctor really involved me after I asked a few questions to show him that I was interested.  We had a patient who had been passing worms in his feces for the last 6 years!!  On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday I went on rounds with about 15 doctors, the clinical pharmacist here from the U.K. and two other pharmacy students.  There are about 40 patients on the main ward, plus 8 in semi-private beds (they share a room with one other person), and then about 4 in the medical ICU.  Rounds lasted about 5 hours, but it was a great way to see all kinds of different patients.  The patients had anything from typhoid, malaria, schistosomiasis, to lupus, sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis.   I am learning a lot about the drugs used to treat those diseases and really feel that it is equipping me for future medical mission trips.  My last week I think I will be going to more remote clinics, so hopefully I will be able to practice what I have learned.  

On Wednesday, I met a girl here from Ohio who came about the same time I did.  She is doing her research year for a pediatric fellowship.  On Friday night, we helped some of the physiotherapy students work on a play they are doing, and today we went to the market to get some fruit.  We then went to the Darling Bakery…oh my gosh…the most wonderful cakes and pastries a girl could ask for.  I think we will be going there a couple of more times before I leave!  A cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake was only 50 cents! 

We also planned some trips for the next two weekends.  One to Pondicherry a former French colony on the coast, and another to Mamallapuram another coastal town affected by the tsunami and we hope to visit an orphanage there.  I am excited to see some more of India. 

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to upload any pictures.  I will have to prepare a powerpoint when I am home so you can see what I have been describing. 

I was able to speak a little bit to my roommate about Christianity before she left.  I hope that a seed was planted and trust that God will continue to knock on her heart.  I also found out that the pharmacy students I am with are all Christian and we have been going to the chapel to pray every morning.  It’s a wonderful time to be in His presence and commit my daily activities to His purpose. 

Lesli