Little boy in the big city

To his Wat Opot family, little Virak is perfect.  He is sweet, well-mannered, and just so damn cute.  Virak is definitely one of the kids that touches every single person who passes through.  Volunteers and visitors learn his name early and remember him long after they leave.  In my first visit to Wat Opot last summer, 2 weeks that changed the entire course of my life, I myself wrote about the first child I met: Virak.  In that first post of many many on Wat Opot, I tell Virak's story, about how his grandmother carried him around so long when he was small that he never learned to walk until he was 3.  He's come such a long way since then, running and playing like everyone else, but his feet are very turned out and flat.  On a mission to do something for him, I first took him to a physical therapy center near where Virak goes for his HIV medication in Takeo.  They explained to me that because of the way his joints and muscles formed, he would have a lifetime of pain in his ankles and knees.  There was nothing, however, that they were able to offer in terms of treatment or therapy.  No exercises to improve his gait, no supportive shoes or braces, nothing at all that would help him.

I shared my frustrations with Caroline, who referred us to an NGO in Phnom Penh that does orthopedic work free for Khmer children.  Eager to find more answers, I took Virak into the big city this week for a consultation.  We set off in a tuktuk with Lindsay, an American visiting Wat Opot for a month on her trip around the world, and what an epic journey for Virak it was.

Virak gets to ride in tuktuks every month when he goes to the HIV clinic in Takeo for a group checkup and medication refill, but never does he get to sprawl out and have all of the attention to himself.  He was so excited, watching every car and motorbike, and inspecting all of the people we passed.  Once we got into Phnom Penh he was in awe.  So many people with so much going on.  As a special treat he got to bring 4 matchbox cars and he clutched them tightly as we drove through the busy city.

When we arrived at the clinic in Phnom Penh, Virak had an exam and we met the head surgeon.  Just like when I took Kunthea to the hospital, everyone thought Virak was my son.  According to everyone in the waiting room we look "same same" and I am a good mother.  Also just like with Kunthea, I gave up early, just smiled and thanked them.  As much fun as we had on the way there and waiting, the consultation was anti-climatic.  The doctor had no more to offer than the clinic in Takeo.  They said there was nothing they could do for him.   So back to square one.  I'm not sure exactly what I was hoping for, but any advice or help would be better than to be turned away twice.  I guess for now we'll try to find him some supportive shoes or trainers.  If anyone reading this has any physical therapy expertise with any advice, I'll take anything!  It's just so frustrating to hear he'll just have to deal with it... doesn't he already have enough to deal with?!

Not letting the disappointment ruin our big trip, we still managed to have a few more adventures that afternoon.  Virak, Lindsay, and I went to lunch at a restaurant in the expat area of Phnom Penh and he had a great time.

Between coloring and playing with his cars, he was loving life.  I wasn't sure about what he would eat as it was a western restaurant with no Khmer food, so we ordered him what all kids love- chicken nuggets and french fries.  He wasn't sure at first, and was slow to bite the chicken, but once he realized he loved it Virak  just shoveled it in!  Of course no Khmer meal is complete without rice, and the server brought him a big plate of it to go with his nuggets and fries.  Virak also got fresh coconut juice, so fresh he was served the whole coconut.  It was bigger than him and he loved it.

Looking over his whole spread

The servers LOVED him, and ours got down on the ground to play cars

After we ate, we ran a few other errands.  Virak was so well-behaved and everyone loved him wherever we went.  With no time to nap and so many things going on, he was wiped out on the tuktuk ride home in the late afternoon.

Sleeeeeepy

BIG yawn

Lindsay with a passed out Virak

Even though we didn't get answers we were looking for, I was glad to give Virak a special day alone.  With 54 brothers and sisters it's important to give kids time alone to be center of attention.  As far as his feet go, we'll just have to see what happens as time develops and hope for the best!


All of us are having trouble getting on blogspot, both logging in and viewing other peoples blogs.   My posts may  become farther between but I hope to keep updating regularly.

COUNTDOWN: 3 days until my very dear friend Cora arrives in Cambodia for 2 months!!  I am so excited :)  Have a safe trip Cora, can't wait to have you here with us!  XOXO

Mr Chai and his Butterfly

A little butterfly landed on Chai's hand, and I took some pictures that I thought were just too cute not to share.  Chai is one of the few true orphans at Wat Opot, as in he has absolutely no family- no mother that can't care for him, no grandmother or aunt that visits, no brother or sister off living somewhere else.  He's a pretty quiet kid, but he has a smile that says it all.

The butterfly stayed for awhile, maybe 10 minutes.  Chai just examined it and protected it until it finally flew away.  It was such a sweet moment and I'm glad to have captured it :)

Sutures

The new Wat Opot community medical clinic is officially up and running!  On Friday, I went into Phnom Penh with Caroline to gather the last of the critical supplies.  With the funding provided from the McConville family, we purchased IV and suture supplies, dressings, basins and sterile systems, some medications and other miscellaneous items.  We also bought a lamp... luckily!

The first few days in the clinic were uneventful.  Among other things, our patients had rashes and fungal infections, headaches and fevers, nothing big.  We had a few members of the village come in and monks from the Buddhist monestary next door, with some of the Wat Opot kids mixed in as well.  All was slow and easy until Monday, when the kids were all home from school for a holiday.

Vandy came up to us with a gash in his head after he had hit it on concrete taking a bath.  After cleaning and looking closer, it was decided that he needed a few stitches.  Peter, an ICU nurse visiting from Switzerland, and I jumped at the chance for a learning experience.  Neither of us had ever done sutures before and Caroline, having learned suturing herself at Wat Opot before, practices them frequently in her nursing job in northern Cambodia.  Caroline did 2 perfect stitches, and Vandy was unfazed by it all.

Caroline suturing Vandy and teaching Peter

When I was little, I wanted to be just like my grandmother- a nurse.  She made sure that no future nurse granddaughter of hers would be unprepared.  Some of my favorite memories are practicing injections at her house; first on fruit, then on our horses, then on her.  Not many 8 year olds shoot their grandmothers up with vitamins just for the hell of it (I hope) but I got plenty of practice first.  Just like learning to do IM injections on oranges, we brought mangos into the clinic to learn and practice sutures.  I learned the technique and got to close my severely injured mango.  Caroline warned me that real stitching would be much more difficult.  Mango skin isn't that tough so when the real time came I might struggle at first, especially when stitching on the head, but with practice I'd be fine.  

Had I known how soon I'd get to practice the real thing, I may have operated on a few more mangos.  About an hour after our lesson, I was informed that we had another patient.  14 year old Wat Opotian Ya had fallen out of a high tree he was climbing.  He was holding his bloody shirt over his head when he walked into the clinic.  Ya, like Vandy, had cut his head open and had big scratches down his back. When Peter looked at me and said, "Okay Kate you're up!" I thought and hoped he was joking, but no.  I cleaned poor Ya's wound out and gloved up for stitching.  I was so hot and nervous.  Maybe if it was someone from the village I didn't know, I would have been more confident but it was Ya!  My sweet and lovable Ya!  He was so shaken up from the fall that he didn't move or react much.  Caroline was absolutely right- the real thing was much more difficult and I had NO idea how strong the skin is on the scalp!!  Peter assisted, and Wayne oversaw my technique and helped me find my own method.  Once the initial shock wore off, I was able to relax and the 3 stitches were over before I knew it.  Having Wayne there definitely made me feel much better and calm my nerves! 

Wayne snapped a picture of me stitching Ya's head with Peter assisting

A concerned Ty Meng and Touris check in on their buddy while he rests

We made it through today (Tuesday) without any more injuries, and it's back to school for everyone tomorrow.  Ya and Vandy are doing great and my next lesson, taking sutures OUT, will take place next Monday.  

Today is my beautiful little sister and best friend in the whole world's 21st birthday!!!!  Happy Birthday Amy, I love you so so so much and miss you like crazy today <3 <3 <3 <3  Have an amazing time celebrating in Tuscaloosa!!

Me and Amy during one of my many visits to Tuscaloosa.. wish I was that close to you today <3

The Doctors Appointment

Never will I ever again complain about long wait times at my doctor's office.  

Depending on their condition, the HIV positive children being treated with antiretroviral medication visit their doctor every month, every other month, or every 3 months.  They go to a clinic in Takeo city about an hour south of Wat Opot.  As HIV patients, their care is free, but the clinic is strict about the medications and medication compliance.  In fact, a couple of the kids at Wat Opot have parents and families but they are unable or unwilling to comply with the frequent checkups and medication regimen; maybe they are unable to afford the transportation, are afraid of what the medications are doing to their children, or have given up hope.  In those situations, the doctor refers a family to Wat Opot and the child lives here so they can get the care they require and have a future.  

I accompanied a group of children to their checkup for the first time last month.  The tuktuk came to Wat Opot at 6:30 am to pick us up.  We squeezed 11 children from ages 4-16, the kids daytime caregiver Sok Ly, and myself into the tuktuk for the hour long trip.  By 8:00 we had arrived at the hospital and found our way to the Pediatric HIV/AIDS center.  Inside there was a playground, some toys, a library, and there were many many other children.

The play set in the waiting room, lots of space for the Wat Opotians to cause trouble

With us were the two oldest members of the Wat Opot family living with HIV, one boy and one girl.  They had come with us to attend a teenage support group that they go to periodically.  I was really impressed by the group.  They did icebreaker and team-building activities, followed by discussions.  Of course it was all in Khmer so I'm not really sure what was said but they really enjoyed it.  Most of the HIV positive kids at Wat Opot are little, so to see the WO teens interacting and bonding with other teenagers like them was really lovely.

The other side of the waiting room: 2 exam rooms, a library, and a counseling room

By the time the support group was over it was around 10:00, and none of our kids had been seen yet.  I didn't give it much thought at the time though.  I assumed we had come early for the support group and our appointments would start soon after.  O how wrong I was.

11:00 came and the kids started to get hungry.  Sok Ly and I went to buy lunch for everyone at a restaurant down the road.  We came back with 13 meals including water bottles and fruit all for around $12.00.  We spread out a mat on the floor of the clinic and ate while we continued to wait.  Anyone who has spent more than a few hours at Wat Opot knows that after lunch comes sleep.  From 12-2pm you'd never know any kids lived here, it's dead.  So naturally, after the kids ate at the clinic it was time to nap.  We all crowded on the mat and within minutes they were out.  I closed my eyes just to rest and ended up sleeping for almost an hour.  This wouldn't have been out of the ordinary for me either had I not been in a cluster of 11 children on the floor of a hospital waiting room.

The kids started to stir, slowly got out of their post-nap crankiness, and were once again running around on the play set and wreaking havoc on this poor clinic.  It was now 1:00 and still no doctor.  For the next two hours we did what we had done all morning- piggyback rides, rock paper scissors, watched creepy Khmer TV, read creepy Khmer folktale books, conversed in Khmenglish (way cooler than Spanglish, sorry Amy), chased each other, picked on each other.  The 8-10 year olds played their favorite game of "how long does it take to make the 4 year olds cry" and the 4 year olds played their favorite game of "how long does it take to cry and make Kate think its the 8-10 year olds fault."  

At 3:00 the most miraculous thing happened... after 7 hours of waiting, the doctor showed up!  It took about 30 minutes to see all 11 children and refill their prescriptions.  The clinic does blood tests once or twice a year, but this month's visit was just for more medication.  After the doctor writes the prescription, the kids take their papers to the pharmacy to be filled.

Kunthea and Chai pick up their medications from the pharmacy but they're so tiny they can't even reach the counter.  I guess I could've helped them instead of standing there taking pictures...

Kunthea waiting patiently

Ms. Kunthea was the last one to go, and by 4:00 she had received her meds and we were DONE.  We all piled back into the tuktuk for the ride home and made it back at 5:00 just in time for dinner.  

I thought maybe the 7 hour wait was a one time fluke, but thats the way it is.  Even the next time I went, we arrived by 8:00 but weren't seen until 3:00 at the earliest.  The kids don't seem to mind too much, especially since I packed toy cars and coloring stuff for the next visits.  They have been going for years so it's nothing new to them, but I had no idea how it worked.  I had always known that they go all day for doctors visits but never really paid much attention to it.  Not having gone with them before, I guess I just assumed their appointments were scattered throughout the day or they had to wait a long time at the pharmacy, I don't know.  What I wonder about though are the people who come after us and if they ever get turned away.  Wayne told me recently about a man who came to his clinic in Honduras.  The man was treated for whatever injury or illness he had, then asked to return a few days later.  Hours passed and Wayne was on a bus going to another city when he saw that man walking home.  He had walked 10 miles to get the clinic, was walking 10 miles back home, and would have to do it all over a few days later.  The man never told Wayne where he lived, it wasn't important, as long as he could get health care.  I think back now to times when I've had to wait 30 or 40 minutes to see my doctor.  I'm sure at the time I was so annoyed and frustrated.  If I only knew at the time how fortunate I really was.

At the next appointment I'll bring my laptop and a few of the kids favorite DVDs.  I'll try to make the days more fun and a little less painful!

  

Something to leave you with... I took this picture of the ambulance on my way out.  It was parked in a tight space so I couldn't get a better shot but you get the idea... 

Girls night in

With so many little kids running around Wat Opot demanding 24/7 attention, the big kids often get left out.  They are generally more reserved with volunteers and take time to open up.  During my first two weeks at Wat Opot last summer, I was almost afraid of them.  Teenagers can be hard to relate to anyway, add in a communication barrier and our extreme background differences and the situation gets even more complicated.  It’s not even like I’m that much older than them- I’m only 22, but when asked how old they thought I was, the answers ranged from 26-40.  So at first, I dedicated all of my time and energy to the little ones who don’t need an adjustment period.  They like you right away; it’s easy.  Befriending teenagers is hard and I was anxious.

Over time I began to meet them, one by one.  I learned their names, made small talk.  Eventually we had longer and deeper chats.  They started helping me with things, coming with us to take the younger kids to the nearby mountain, and spending time in the craft room.  Slowly they opened up to me, and I to them.  They shared their tragic pasts, their dreams of the future.  They shared who they want to be, and who they have learned they don’t want to be.  We practiced English and Khmer, explored email and skype together, and swapped text messages when I went back into Phnom Penh.  By the time I left for the US, I had formed close friendships with many of the teens.  We kept in touch when I was home, and I couldn’t have been more excited to see them again upon my return. 

With teenagers, however, come lots of lots of drama.  Boys, friends, fashion, etc, etc etc.  It’s all the same no matter where you live around the world.  I haven’t been out of my teen years for very long, I can clearly remember it all… my parents wanted nothing more than to ruin my life, nothing was ever my fault, and no adult knew anything.  Teen sibling drama is even worse.  My sister and I were a handful and there were only 2 of us.  At Wat Opot, there are over 15 teenagers, all living together, so there is literally never a dull moment.   

In an effort to form bonds between kids, and between volunteers and kids, Melinda had an idea to start a teen night.  Once a week, have the teenage girls do something fun with Melinda and me, and maybe the boys do the same with the male volunteers.  It wouldn’t have to be anything big, just a chance to give the teenagers some personal attention and allow them to bond together without any little ones interrupting.  We could talk about things, or not, primarily just make our presence known in case they ever needed something or someone.  

Tonight was the first weekly teen girls night.  Unfortunately, Melinda isn’t feeling her best so she couldn’t make it (… feel better Melinda, we missed you!!!) but we had a great time.  5 teenage girls and I set up in the craft room with snacks and drinks, sat around the table and painted bamboo blocks for more famous Wat Opot bamboo bracelets that many of my friends and family have purchased themselves.  We also set up my computer to listen to music while we chatted and painted.  It was a great time and really so much fun.  We talked about school and their upcoming exams, about what they want to be (this week), and about the latest Korean boy bands.  (Sidenote: the market for boy bands may have died out in the US but it is BOOMING in Asia)  The girls also told jokes, but I honestly did not understand a single one; the upside to that being that my fake laugh is greatly improving.  We also had a rule: no speaking Khmer so a) they could practice English, and b) they wouldn’t have the opportunity to say “I can’t believe its Saturday night and this is what were doing” to each other in my presence, with me smiling and nodding not having a clue. 

Setting up for our fun night

Srey Lec                                                                         Chareya 

After Srey Lec finished her squares, she used the paint to do her nails

Bottom: Chareya and Srey Nich; Top: Srey Houng, me, Srey Aun, and Srey Lec

Each of the girls really enjoyed our night and I couldn’t get over how appreciative they all were.  We had planned to go in there from 7-9, and were shocked to look at the clock and find it was 10:30.  As we cleaned up, they were already asking about the next meeting.  So, next Saturday we’ll meet at the same time, same place, and I’m looking forward to making this a new weekly event.  Now Melinda, get better so we can start planning! 

Puppy Rescue

Last fall when Fiona was visiting Wat Opot from Christchurch, NZ, she found a sick, shaky, dying little puppy wandering the grounds alone.  Little Ralphie was scooped up and slowly nursed back to health.  When Fiona first found him, he was near his last breath, and is now a perfectly healthy dog (just in time for the wedding season where dog is a delicacy... uhhhhh gross).  Little Ralphie lived in the volunteer house for awhile, then came and moved to Phnom Penh with Molly and me to be a big city dog.  Unfortunately his lack of bladder and bowel control didn't mix well with our second story apartment and our jobs, so he promptly came back to Wat Opot.  Ralphie is now living with the family of a Wat Opot employee, and hasn't been "invited" to any weddings, whew!

Melinda with our little patients, Ralphie and Kitty.

Sitting on my bed in Phnom Penh which he probably peed on a few minutes after this was taken.

Word must have gotten around that the volunteers rescue puppies.  Today Seeto, a woman who lives on Wat Opot grounds and makes jewelry, came to our house with a little bundle asking for dog medicine.  She had another sick, shaky, and dying puppy that was burning up and couldn't stand on her own.  We gave it some food and water and a little bath, then realized that Seeto was not asking for us to treat her puppy but turning it over to us.  In the spirit of Fiona, Melinda decided to play vet and take the new puppy in.  The puppy is appropriately named Little Fiona after our favorite Princess Fiona!

Melinda the Vet with Little Fiona 

So sick :(

Little Fiona is doing much better.  She is eating, walking, and is flea-free (for now).  She has been given back to a reluctant Seeto, though she has made her way back to our house many times... she probably misses doing her business all over our floor and waking us up with her awfully pathetic little bark.  Fiona is so tiny that even the most fearless kids are afraid to hold her and pick her up, but I hope she will be okay, and I really hope she grows into those ears!

She's not the prettiest puppy, but she's alive and well