Marcy’s Blog

Visits to the village and more…

Well, this is going to be a short post because I have so much to do in the next couple of days!  I’m preparing my educational presentation on gait training interventions for Parkinson’s Disease and I’m leaving tomorrow to spend 4 days in Kerala!  I’ll be going with 2 other international students, so it should be a great time.  I’m looking forward to experiencing a new part of India and developing more friendships.

This past week I was in the general wards department treating patients primarily with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and patients with amputees.  I got to do more hands-on treatment with the patients and did an assessment on my own.  We also did two sessions of chest physiotherapy in the ICU each day so I was able to practice my techniques and by the end of the week I was treating patients independently.  I also got to know the interns and the physiotherapist well and learned more about their families and home life.  On Friday I went to CHAD (Community Health and Developement) another satellite hospital for CMC, which primarily treats patients from the surrounding villages.  In the morning I went to the leprosy ward to observe treatment and discussed with the occupational therapists the process of the disease and primary impairments that these patients have.  The patients here have all been treated, but continue to receive care especially for foot ulcers and they work there making candles or shoes during their stay.  Most patients are treated for free or very minimal payment so they have jobs to help contribute.  I also went on a community visit into the village with the occupational therapsist intern.  We visited a family with two children who are mentally disabled and a patient with a below the knee amputation.  It was interesting seeing the village life compared to the poor areas in Vellore.  The streets were all dirt roads and the houses were spread further apart.  Many people in the village made bricks so it was interesting seeing that process.  There was also a funeral going on while we were there.  They honor the death by walking around the village playing drums and other musical instruments and lighting firecrackers.  It was very loud and the streets were full of trash from the firecrackers.  I also visited a program where women from the villages work making hand crafts.  It was nice to talk with them and I also bought some crafts to contribute to their cause!

This week I’ve been in acute PMR and last week is my final rotation in cardiac thoracic.  I’m looking forward to the next week and a half, I’ll be traveling to Kerala, coming back to finish my rotation, then going to Bangalore with 2 students from CMC to celebrate India’s independence day, and then going to Chenni to fly home!  It will be very busy but I’m trying to enjoy every movement and expereince all that I can!

Thanks again for your support and continue to pray for health and safety as I travel and that my presentation goes well!