Service in the Leprosy Colonies

I am not even sure how to describe my experiences so far in working with the medical team at the leprocy colonies.  It is really an amazing, humbling experience.  So far we have been to two different colonies.  Before going the first time I really worried if I could do this.  I wondered if I could really work with these people.  I had seen pictures of people affected with leprosy and some were so disfigured. The first day  I was assigned to the washing station where once old bandages were removed I washed the feet of the patients to clean the ulcers on their feet.  Some of them weren't so bad, but others were missing so much skin, or toes, or half of their feet.  I tried my best to smile at them and then to proceed as gently as possible.  It's very humbling to serve these people who have been cast out of society.  I saw people come in with walking canes, feet bandaged, or feet mostly missing walking on stubs.  One man was on a board with some wheels attached.  I felt like we did so little for them.  I thought about the medical care and hospitals I have seen in the US and how different this was.  We were in a partially open pavilion with flies, certainly not the clean sterile environment.  Sam was in charge of the water.  He would bring us buckets of  fresh water from the well and then take the contaminated water away.  

Seth putting drops in eyes

Joe likes to hand out the patient charts

Sam changing the water

Jenna with one of the patients

Me (in the mustard yellow) at he washing station

Out family in front of the community center where the medical clinic was set up

The second time out, I felt more confident and prepared.  While we were unloading the vans several of the patients were there waiting for us.  They were so happy.  That kind of surprised me.  Here are these  people who are cast out of society, affected with leprosy, but with such smiles on their faces.  I thought about that as we served them today. today the clinic was set up outside under some trees, a very beautiful setting.   My assignment was eye drops and my first thought is this will be easy.  But I was wrong.  The first patient was easy then the next man sat down and took off his glasses.  Right away I could see that he just had one eye.  The other eye was just missing.  I was not prepared to see that so it kind of shocked me a bit. I proceeded to put drops in his eye.  Other patients tried to hold their eyes shut so I had to gently open their eyes to get the drops in.  Others were either blinking or their eyes were twitching which made it difficult to get the drops in.  But through it all, I saw happy people.  That is something I did not expect to find there. I only expected to find pain and suffering, but instead I found people who are in pain and are suffering, but are still happy.

One of the most happy people I have ever met.  She laughed when Rich took off his hat  and showed her his bald head.  

Jenna and Seth getting ready to check blood pressure

Sam cutting off old bandages