Glucose Testing at Leprosy Colony

Yesterday we made our first visit to a leprocy colony to serve in the medical clinic. The facility was a cross between a pavilion and a building. It had no windows but had openings for breezes and no doors but had a gate.

The flow for the patients is: blood pressure and pulse, doctor, glucose test (optional), bandage removal, ulcer cleaning, ulcer oiling, dead skin removal, ulcer dressing, and finally medicine distribution.

My assigned area this time was blood pressure/pulse and glucose testing. Jenna helped me. She was a great assistant and looked so cute in her medical face mask and over-sized rubber gloves. One of the Indian helpers called her "Doctor Jenna" while we were there. There was a machine that took the blood pressure and pulse as long as I got the cuff on correctly. I had three patients that the doctor sent back to me for glucose testing. I have done this before at the doctor and know the momentary flash of sensation that accompanies that quick little prick in the finger. In the US nurses and doctors use a spring-loaded blade that makes just the right prick. In India we used needles.

Dr. Jenna

The first patient looked lethargic and otherwise lacking in energy...until I pricked his finger. Then you should have seen him jump! I rationalized that it was my first time and hoped that I would get better.

The second patient I was much more gentle on and almost didn't get enough blood on the test strip.

The third patient was a woman accompanied by her mother and father. From the looks of the mother and father I was surprised when it was the daughter that was the patient. She sat down in the chair and we took her blood pressure and pulse. Then we had to test the glucose. She watched me prepare until I pulled the needle out of its cover and then she buried her face in her mom's shoulder. Talk about pressure! Based on her reaction I wanted to do it just right. I wanted to make sure that she hurt as little as possible. Even as I jabbed her finger with the needle, my desire for being gentle notwithstanding, I could tell it wasn't as gentle as I would have liked. I thought she was going to jump right out of her skin. I felt so bad about hurting her and apologized. I think I felt bad much longer than she did. I worried over this all afternoon.

In the end, I think she probably survived and so did I.

Taking Blood pressure with Jenna recording the results