Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago, I gave a consulta to a 64-year-old woman who had come in with her 10-year-old granddaughter. They live in a remote neighborhood of our county. On Sunday, they walked four hours to Plan de Flores. On Monday, they came for their health care. On Tuesday, they walked back home. Three days for two doctor visits.

The grandmother had an infection. We were out of the three best medicines for her. I treated her with the fourth choice antibiotic, which is what I had. I find this very frustrating. It is frustrating trying to explain the systemic aspects of poverty. I have no idea how much money she has or doesn't have. I do know that the 10-year-old was anemic. And I know that she may have invested her three days searching for health care to receive an antibiotic that might not help her.

We did have worm medicine and iron drops for the 10-year-old.

The following week, a visiting medical team donated amoxacillin, Cefzil, and cephalexen to the Centro de Salud. We were very grateful. We are now back in action. They also donated a lot of ready-to-outdate anti-hypertensive drugs. Really bummed out the professional nurse, who worries about our hypertensive patients. The rest of us just celebrated the antibiotics available again.

We are in El Pino this week. We learned that Rosel, a man in his early 20s died in August. We saw him in May looking great. He didn't have the big medical work up, but it is thought that he died of leukemia. His fiancee is a young woman we work with a lot since she works with the children's program. Rich people can go to Tegucigalpa for chemotherapy for their cancers. Death by leukemia or death by poverty?

be well,

beth