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We began work in the Leon hospital (HEODRA) beginning Monday morning. Jen was on peds, Whitney on OB, and Claudia on surgery. Jen and Claudia had a reasonable day, but Whitney was generally underwhelmed with the baby-momma aspect of the emergency room. A guy who had all but severed his long flexor tendon with a machete around 1pm went in to have his hand re-built by a general surgeon and Claudia. He was out the door by 3:30pm, and we all stood there, astonished, jaws on the floor, wondering how medicine in the US ever became the convoluted mess it is today. We finished around 4pm and headed back to the hostel, but not before stopping to observe the religous masterpieces composed of mulch, glitter, and dirt, being constructed in the cathedral square.
Tuesday took place at the hospital again. It was interesting how very similar and how very different it was compared to US hospitals. Also, everything taught to us by Dr. Somarriba regarding conversions and dosages proved accurate and saved Jen from looking like an enormous idiot on peds. Those disappointed undulating eyebrows saved the day, as per usual. We finished around 4pm. The city was abuzz with preparations for the Semana Santa parades. Jen and Whitney called it a night early (in classic babushka fashion), while Claudia took the Norwegians to see one of the processions that night. It was also the night of the lunar eclipse. We set our alarms for 2am to see it. 2am came around, and Claudia and Whitney left to see the moon. Jen couldn't move her neck or speak and thought she was dying of viral meningitis. But it turned out to be some weird version of laryngitis, and she lost her voice for a few days. This was unfortunate, because miming drama is never as effective as screaming it.
Wednesday was unremarkable. Mostly because Jen is writing this entry and she stayed at the hostel and slept in a sweat puddle all day while Whitney and Claudia were out working hard earning that cheddar.
Thursday was much busier. We spent a half day working at the hospital, then returned to the hostel to prepare for a busy night. Throughout the week we acquired various friends, and James the tragic Korean was our companion for this particular evening. We got dressed up (again wearing Jen's clothes), applied makeup, took some ridiculous pictures, and made our way to the outskirts of town to catch the tail end of the biggest Catholic procession all week. We followed it for about 30 minutes and it ended at the Cathedral doors. After that, we went salsa dancing at a place I can't remember the name of. It was loud, full of dancing, and oh so fun. We met a delightful South African named Kenny Gilmore there, who taught Jen to salsa (attempted to), and who turned out to be an adorable happy-go-lucky musician with a great attitude and gentlemanly nature. It was a wonderful last night in Leon with Claudicita.
Friday morning was spent wandering the town square in Leon for a final farewell. Since it was Good Friday, many people crowded the streets waiting for the main Procession to occur. We watched it pass, then sat in a gazebo and played with some local kids for a little while. We returned to the hostel and gathered our belongings, at which point Victor arrived to drive Whitney and Jen to Managua for a flight the next day. We said our goodbyes to Claudia and parted ways.
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