Day 8

Today we went to the colony of Wajala-bad. This settlement was first where (along time ago) cholera patients were sent, basically it die. Not surprisingly, it is right next to a cemetery. Now it is a colony for the leprosy affected. I got to do medical work again, which I loved (but beware of graphic language to come). It is the kind of work that I thought I would be doing more of while here. And while I am happy to help out wherever is needed, it is nice to be able to use the specific training I have. I wish that I could do this everyday.

Some of the other volunteers checked blood sugar and blood pressures, washed their feet and sent them over to me and a nursing student. We cleaned out their wounds, cut away the dead skin and wrapped with clean gauze. There is a man there that, due to effects from leprosy, hasn't blinked in 40 years! He has to put natural tears in every 20 minutes and sleep with bandaids over his eyes. Another man, who we worked on the most, was blind and had lost feeling in what was left of his limbs. The combination of those two means that he was unaware of the flies nesting in his ulcers. We cleaned and bandaged him but I wonder how long it will last. The medical group is only able to come every other week.

On the Rising Star staff, there is one Indian doctor and two Indian nurses. The doctor who works with Rising Star is amazing. I'm not sure how to spell his name but it is close to Dr. Kumar. The stigma with leprosy spreads to doctors who work with the leprosy affected. This doctor would not be able to open a private practice because no patients would come to a doctor known for working with leprosy. But at great personal sacrifice, he has devoted the last four years of his life to working among the colonies. He estimates having 1400 patients (including all of the children at the school). When the case needs further treatment, he takes them into the hospital in Chennai and has to fight to get them admitted. He is humble and kind and a joy to work with.

This evening we did water balloon slingshot with the kids. It turned into a massive water fight which was a fun way to spend a warm evening.