beautiful, beautiful fall

So, I’ve finally made it back but I need a moment.  I saw this picture this morning and am in love.  Fall will be here next week.  It is one of my most favorite things to be outside on a cool sunny day, all snuggled up, with the sun in my face, reading a good book.  Could that moment have been captured any better?  It makes me happy just to see it. 

So, now on to the real post :) and I will start all over.

Now, a beautful photo in anticipation of fall.  Despite all my talk, fall is my least favorite season, but it certainly is beautiful.

We have had a good couple of weeks at the health center.  We have also had a ton of visitors recently.  It has been good because many of these people are either providing services to help us function better, or they are partners in the area that also see our patients.  Its been good to put faces to names and build relationships with the medical community in the city and with our other partners in the region.

I have two great quotes of the week and then a wonderful story of our partnership with the Dream Center.

First, I was talking to an older, very well educated, white lady yesterday.  She came in complaining of basically panic attacks.  She told me it was the worst thing that had happened to her since she “had to shoot my horse in it head.”  I accidentally started laughing with that one.  It was just completely not remotely how I imagined her describing her panic attacks.  Then she proceded to cry and tell me about how she killed her horse.  I immediately was serious again because she was not joking but it was so funny.

Also, I was talking to a lady over the phone last night about her lab results and her son’s lab results and then I saw in their charts that they both had appointments with us today at 10.  She then procedes to tell me, “I don’t know if _____ will be able to make it tomorrow.  He’s in jail, but his dad is going to pick him up tomorrow at 8 so nevermind, he will probably be able to make it.”  Nevermind the “in jail” part.  He will be there for his appointment.  (For mom who I know will read this one day:)  :  He is a sweet mentally retarded guy that goes around and picks up cans and someone called the police because he was on private property.  I’m ok)

Finally, one of our more difficult and rewarding stories.  About two weeks ago now, I had a 16 year old girl come in with her mom for a school physical.  Her mom wanted me to do a pregnancy test because she said her daughter was “gaining weight even though she is running.”  I talked to the girl and did the pregnancy test that her mom requested and then  went in and did her exam.  I came out and the pregnancy test was positive.  I did another one and it was positive.  My heart sank.  I went and told Robert.  He told me that he would help me if I wanted but to also get the dream center involved to help this girl.  I went in and told the girl and her mom that she was pregnant and the mom lost it.  She was angry, disappointed, sad, and scared all whirled up in to one moment and she let her daughter know.  I had Lisa, from the Dream Center, come in and talk to them with me.  The little girl did nothing.  She didn’t smile, cry, frown, flinch, or say a word.  It was more disturbing than the mother because she literally did nothing.  That went on for literally close to an hour.  I was able to get the girl an ultrasound that day thanks to Dr. Nate and Dr. Campbell.  I told the girl, who I realized after hearing the mom had lied to me about when she acutally got pregnant, that I needed to know when she really got pregnant to help the doctors help her.  She told me, “I think April.”  Again, my heart just sank.  They didn’t have transportation so Lisa, who has a Miata, took the girl and her mom, in my car to see Dr. Campbell.  They did the ultrasound and she was about 18 1/2 wks along.  I haven’t seen them since then, but every day since that day, the girl has come and brought her friends to the Dream Center to do their homework.  Lisa and Dr. Record went to the schools open house and saw her.  The mom is  now supportive and the baby’s father and his family are supportive and helping financially.  Best of all, Lisa says, the girl is a completely different person and that she has come alive.  She talks and laughs and is acting like a teenager.  She gets to go back to Dr. Campbell one more time for a follow-up ultrasound and then she will start seeing her regular OB doctor.  The Dream Center is planning to help this family through all of this.  This is exactly why I wanted to do what I am doing!

Much love!