FCBC 2008 MEDICAL MISSION

Day 14: DESTINATION-BANGKOK

2008-02-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2008

Well today I started out with a bang and a goosh, and whoosh. I wonder who thought of the term “traveler’s diarrhea?” How appro po. I was the 2^nd one that I know of afflicted with this inconvenience on this trip. I won’t mention THAT other person but someone might ask “Ho was that?” Anyway I hope and I think that we should get hazard pay. Now I reported this to our team leader so that he may take epidemiologic statistics for future reference. He sympathetically replied, “Mark, I expected diarrhea of the mouth from you, but I didn’t expect this. I hope that it all comes out well in the end.” Touche! Shut me up! Well, I least my personal physician, Dr. Patton, was caring enough to prescribe me meds to stop up the dam while Pastor Jack hoarded the Depends (he learned from last mission).

ALL ABOARD!

According to our porter, Richard, all 36 bins and luggage are accounted for, and ready to go to the airport packed in a truck. A few from the LEC send us off from the hotel. One small problem. Someone rented the van that we were going to use to transport people to the airport. We scramble and flag down 2 tuk-tuks. How fitting and what a Kodak moment so now everyone has experience a ride in a tuk-tuk. I don’t want to be derogatory so I won’t say what it reminds me of but it’s a plastic surgery term. I can’t wait to go (literally). I’m tired of all this running around. We make it to the Laos airport and Ming does his usual group check-in expeditiously. If anyone wants to go to Thailand, et al, hire Ming, it’ll be worth it. On to Bangkok where we will rest, recover, relax, and regroup for a few days. It will be a stark contrast from the relaxed and quiet atmosphere from Laos. It is a welcomed retreat although some wished they could come home sooner, back to our loved ones. Some aren’t in a hurry because they brought their loved ones with them. We arrive in Bangkok uneventfully and it is one of the busiest cities that I visited. Picture congestion of LA traffic and New York people on the streets and the lights of Las Vegas with street vendors of, well, Bangkok, and you have Bangkok! We say our good byes to Luka our host in Chiang Rai who accompanied us to Laos. (Actually, he missed his flight and came back to see us. I really think he couldn’t bear to see us go.) We’ll see you this summer when FCBC mission trip returns to this same route to bring you Wheels to Heal, Wheels of Fortunate, or Chairs R Us (for wheel). Ming again uses his Thailand connections to arrange transportation to carry all of our luggage and all of us after again smoothly getting us through customs. You have no idea what a saving grace this is.

Bill rewarded us with another stay at the Grand Diamond Suites Hotel. We arrived in late afternoon and enjoy the luxury of spacious rooms and amenities and pampering after two weeks of roughing it. Andy quickly separated the king bed arrangement and put me downwind from the air conditioner to avoid my germs. Little paranoid? No pun intended (this time) but we’re pooped! We’ll plan the next two days according to our energy. Ming volunteered to provide some guided tours to the Grand Palace, Buddhist temples, Bangkok’s version of Epcot Center with architectural miniature versions of the various provinces. Some will catch a Muay Thai boxing match and others will go shopping with the remaining baht. How much difference 24 hours make.

As long as there is a reason to hope to help others we can dream to help. The members brought into fruition this mission to do what Pastor emphasizes: to serve and to sacrifice. You have heard our journey through my eyes and perspective and it is only part of the story. I have enjoyed writing this ejournal and I hope that you could have shared some of the emotions that we, as a team, as well as individually experienced. For those of you who have labored reading these lengthy entries thank you for listening; I hope that it helped some of you go to sleep at night.

I would like to thank a few people. They need no introduction and expect no accolades but when you see them please pat them on the back and say: Job Well Done!

Mr. Luka Chermu: Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Akha. You and your wife Ghan were terrific hosts and I thank you for your hospitality. It’s a pleasure to work with you and appreciate all the connections you had to make this trip a success. By the way, the ice coffee was NOT safe!

Britni Ho: Thank you for setting up the blogspot and taking these ejournals and doing what you need to do to make them available to our family and congregation know what we been up to on this lovely vacation sponsored by FCBC.

Pastor Danny Jack: Thank you for your vision and leadership in the church and the dedication for missions to allow members of the First Chinese Baptist Church Medical Team grow in Christ by this experience.

Mr. Richard Bruce: We appreciate both your brain and brawn giving advice and making decisions to keep the mission flowing smoothly. Your experience on these mission trips and knowledge of the geography was helpful and informative. Thanks for you concern about my health. I’m just getting old.

Mr. Ming Chong: As a member fluent in about seven languages, you are invaluable as a nurse, an interpreter, a resource, a guide, a food critic, organizer, custom agent assistant, and Thailand liaison (need I go on and on). You’re a good sport; we really didn’t leave you behind on purpose. Thanks for always being there when the team needs you.

Mr. Andy Alejo: Thank you for taking me back as a roommate. It’s difficult to be the one opening the floodgates and keeping the patrons behind the line. You were invaluable in directing traffic and assessing the patient’s needs, especially, the children. I’ll room with you anytime. Sorry about my mess and germs.

Mrs. Arlean Jack: Thank you for keeping Pastor in line. Your experience as a clinical nurse was helpful and you worked well in whatever clinic you were assigned too. I am sad we didn’t get to hear a duet with Rachel at the Akha church, maybe next time. Can I at least lip synch with you guys?

Mrs. Cindy Wu: It was great catching up during our 18 hours together. I’m sorry if you caught something from me, but I think I caught it back. Thank you for your laughter as it was always a joy and distinct. Your smile truly brighten up our days. As the better looking half (sorry Andy, I like hair) of the triage team your assessments help narrow down the problem and helped the docs get through the patients at a faster pace allowing us to see more patients. I look forward to working with you again.

Mrs Geraldine Jue: You are so pleasant all the time. I enjoyed working with you on these two missions because you start the day off with so much energy. You’re so nice and so kind; Ben you’re so lucky! You guys make a cute couple. (When can I get my “KEEP OUT” sign back? Thanks for keeping Ben company while David was away.

Mrs. Gail Ho: I’m so glad that you came along. I am sure Bill enjoyed you more than me as a roommate. When Bill’s happy, we are all happy. Your sincere affection for people and your empathy for the patients will have an enduring impact on the lives that you touched. You’re a really nice person and I know where Britni gets her sweetness from. Thank you for starting my day off with a smile.

Dr. David Chow: I didn’t know how funny you were. You kind of have my dry sense of humor. You’re my kind of guy, if I liked guys, but I don’t, but I do like you, but not in that way. You are a good natured guy willing to step up and pinch hit in the optical department without qualms or hesitation. Thanks for being flexible; the team and patients really needed you. Your desire to help patients was made perfectly clear.

Dr. Ben Jue: Thank you for your knowledge and advice of the different drugs and the patience to read all of our handwritings. Nothing seems to faze you. You are a great team player and I enjoy your laugh. You are a generous guy, hardworking, and dedicated.

Dr. Dennis Chinn: You have a no-nonsense approach to visual correction. Your experience over the years helped a tremendous number of patients. You gave them an immediate impact on the quality of their lives and literally allowed them to appreciate the world differently. Thanks for helping the blind so that they can see.

Dr. Akiri Tajiri: You are the epitome of stamina. You have a lust for perfection as a craftsman and optometrist. Thank you for challenging us to keep up with your pace and for the lifelong change to the people who can now see clearly.

Dr. Obregon: Thank you for your experience and the privilege of the FCBC members of working with you again. We gelled as a team even better this time around and we appreciate your leadership and coordination to allow this mission to be as successful as it was. I look forward to our next mission trip together. You are an inspiration for the dedication you have to help throughout the world.

Dr. Jack Patton: Thank you for being my personal physician and treating my ailments during this trip. I really didn’t mean to be a burden. Your soft spoken, Marcus Welby, approach to evaluating and treating the patient was exemplary. If only I could be so kind. Thanks for watching my back.

Dr. Doug Owyang: I would also like to thank you for keeping me out of trouble. Thanks for letting me toss ideas back and forth with you. It’s comforting to know that the patient can get a few opinions all under the same roof. Thank you for letting me know that you like to spend a lot of time on the computer yourself writing your own personal journal so that next mission YOU can be the designated ejournalist

Dr. Rachel Jack: It’s nice to see someone without gray hair on this trip. You remind me what I used to be at your age: energetic, eager to learn, and eager to perform new tricks. While only a rookie, you kept pace with the veterans. Thank you for reminding me what youth is and that I don’t want to act my age.

Dr. Larry Lowe: Thank you for always being helpful and able to troubleshoot any problem. You are a dedicated worker and seem to have that laughter and optimism no matter what happens. You never seem to complain (you leave that up to me) and just go with the flow. You’re just an all around nice guy and pleasant to work with.

Dr. Lester Lowe: You have a great sense of humor and are very resourceful and knowledgeable in just about everything. Thank you all the camaraderie that you’ve given me during these trips. I thank you for all the background time and effort in making those videos and I anticipate another one this year. It takes a lot of time to sift through thousands of photos and hours of video to make a succinct video and it will provide us with a nice representation and memories. Most importantly, it will be a lot easier watching your video than reading all these ejournals again!

Dr. William Ho: aka fearless leader. You really have to be fearless and confident to do the job that you do. You started with a desire and vision of not only seeing this mission trip to Chiang Rai but also to Laos. Not only did you have a vision for the medical and dental and optometric team, you foresaw the need for wheel chairs throughout this part of the world and have that in the works. For the past year you have been campaigning for the mission trips and part 1 has been successfully completely far exceeding our expectations. Although, “retired”, you are still working and you are a dedicated member of FCBC and God’s soldier. Being a team leader is an enormous responsibility requiring patience, flexibility, commitment, coordination, planning, politicking, and fundraising. You do this with economic considerations and practicality. You have been a great team leader and I am proud of you and proud to be on the team. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this team. Nice job, Bill.

Congregation: Thank you for letting me vent and letting me be silly. It help me document some things that I will forget later. Thanks for putting up with my typographical errors and misspellings and tangents and runs ons and so ons and come ons and going on and on and on. I know that I am usually a man of few words but what else did I have to do in my spare time? This ejournal allowed you to experience what we did almost in real time. I hope that you can appreciate the preparation and the sacrifices emotionally and physically and financially that the members of the team incur. The missions can always use your help because the budget dictates how far we can reach. The volunteer workers also have to be safe and comfortable so please support the missions by giving. The church accepts cash check, and credit cards with a photo id. Your hard earned dollars certainly got their money’s worth this time.

To my wife, Lena, Allison, Steven, Jennifer (who I may be able to go with next time): I thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers and emails and whose voices kept me going and lifted me up in times that I was down. I know that you worry when I am gone and I appreciate your concern. Thank you for letting me go on this trip especially during your birthday, Allison. I love you all so much and I can’t wait to come home.

As I gaze through my hotel window, I see a lit cross atop a church sitting in the middle of Bangkok. It is just a solitary light tonight, but with time, as we spread the Good News, we can hope that there will be more to light up the sky. As a congregation we all went to Thailand and Laos in mind and spirit and body. What a trip.

P.S. Good news. This is my last and final entry. Because for the rest of the time…What Happens In Thailand, Stays In Thailand!!!!!!!!!!

Day 13: DESTINATION: HATXAYFONG DISTRICT HOSPITAL

2008-02-29T01:51:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2008

WALK IN THE PARK

This time we strategize our walk. Andy and I get a second opinion on directions and Dr. Owyang goes with us. We’re like the Three Amigos. I feel safe flanked by a kung fu master on one side and a black belt karateka on the others. Master, what is the best technique when confronted by a group of thugs?” I ask. “Grasshopper, your body is your temple and it is sacred. You do not want to blemish the outside fearing that you will have internal disharmony.” “In other words run your butt off and you make sure you are not the slowest one, Grasshopper.” We had a brisk walk to the Arche de Triomphe in Vientiane. The French influence is still apparent in names of buildings and businesses, like “La Petit Sushi.” There are a number of temples and the monks are seen leaving the temple grounds to go through their daily routine of walking and begging. Many people have already been to the market already and surprisingly, there are joggers. One in particular is running around the Arche and punching in the air a la Rocky Balboa. An elderly man is practicing his tai chi. We past the Presidential Palace, Laos’ version of the “White House”, and, curiously do not see guards or military presence. This is Laos PDR (People’s Democratic Republic) not referred to as the “C” word. I guess it is considered an alternative democracy. Lester and Larry have already had a head start and travel past the Arche and we can’t catch them. They get up most mornings and are even seen hitting the streets at night. Dave also likes to go out nights as well to hit the internet café. He had an encounter with a very friendly Laotian “lady of the night” the other night who grabbed his hand and greeted him with “$10.” “For what?!” he said as he grabbed his hand back.

BOMBS AWAY

We head out on the outskirts of the city near the Thailand border. We cross a bridge that connects the countries and is called the Friendship Bridge. Apparently where we are going they still have live ordinances from the Vietnam War in the ground and sometimes an unsuspecting individual will be killed or maimed when one of them explode. According to Richard and Pastor, Laos was the most bombed country in the world. What country in their right mind would have done that to this little country? US as in U.S. Who won the war anyway? Pastor, who is a lot older than me, gave me a history lesson. We travel down the road paralleling the Laos border. You can swim across the Mekong River about 2 miles wideif you wanted to escape Laos. There is not much separating the countries. It’s almost as easy to cross into Thailand as it is to cross the US/Mexican border. You can leave but you can’t come back. That’s the choice you make to escape the country. May you’ll never see your family and friends again. That’s the price of freedom here.

LAST STOP: HATXAYFONG DISTRICT HOSPITAL

Our last stop in Laos and our last day of mission work is at the Hatxayfong District Hospital. It’s somewhat comforting that there is a new addition being built. It is still a small building maybe 1500 sq. ft. The patients are already lining up outside jockeying for position. This is our last day in Laos so we are trying to see as many patients as we can. At first the workers did not seem to be happy that we were there. They weren’t smiling. I think we were more of an inconvenience since we had to move things around. In one “wing” there was a large bee hive with bees flying around INSIDE the building, so we had to BEE careful. I wanted to work over there in case there was a sting operation. The dentists are crammed into a room with a single dental chair which isn’t much use. Larry works in the aisle next to a door leading outside so there is good lighting with a slight breeze at least part of the day until the sun shifts. Rachel, Lester, and Bill are quite intimate by now and make do and it is getting hot inside their room. It’s a pretty routine day for the medical and optometrists. Clinic from my perspective is actually quite fun. I get to play doctor. It’s still a little our of my comfort zone because the perfect specialty for this job is family practice. But my surgical background also is invaluable if I had to do procedures and take it one step further. I have to dig way back into my medical school training to diagnose many ailments. Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria. What is that patient doing in our clinic when it needs the hospital? Whether or not we can treat a patient is another thing and how long we can treat it is even only a short time. Several patients wanted second opinions for upcoming procedures, like a back operation. Many patients have gone to other doctors and are asking us about their treatment plan wanting assurance from the docs. Even a government official opted to see one of the American docs at one of our clinics rather than see one of their own. The patients are fairly appreciative even when we can’t help. Some have strokes, yellow hand syndrome, or burn contractures. I saw a 3 year old with contracted fingers from burns and I saw a 50+ year old with a similar injury. He was afflicted with this contracture where he couldn’t extend the 4^th and 5^th digit since he was a child. “See, it works fine for me” he said as he demonstrated his limited hand movements that he has been living with for 50 years.

AMAZING GRACE: THAILAND 1194 LAOS 891

As far as we know we have just established a position in the Guiness Book of World Records. We have treated an incredible and unfathomable 2085 patients in a week and a half in Thailand and Laos. During the last mission trip we treated about 1000 patients. We’re cooking. While we pat ourselves on our backs for far exceeding our expectations and well surpassing last years numbers we still are saddened by the numbers that were either not seen or we couldn’t offer them assistance with what we had. However, we did offer them a level of sophistication unequalled by their own current health care system. Some countries are sophisticated and still can’t get adequate health care to everyone, although it is available. A small country west of here, USA, comes to mind. The country is impoverished and the health care is a reflection of this state. Some live on $100 US per month. Many have their own businesses or “shops” as part of their home to supplement their usual day job. It was disheartening to see a frail looking mother with her 3 very young children begging at the entrance of the hotel. She apparently was going door to door looking for handouts. If was difficult to see and you struggle with giving them money or food if anything. As I do at home, I like to buy food rather than give them money, lest they use the money for drugs or alcohol or cigarettes. My prejudice extends abroad and I choose to give her food. There is a lady in front of the adjacent building cooking corn and something like a hot dog on a stick. I quickly deal with the lady to give me 4 corn husks and 3 food sticks as I loose sight of the family making way down the street. I catch up with them a few doors down and proudly give her the two bags. I don’t see a smile, nor expect one, or acknowledgement. My act of giving was my satisfaction. Money is the only common language and I didn’t understand what she was saying but what followed was unexpected. I turned back to the hotel as she continued her journey. I glanced back at her and she threw the bag of food sticks to the ground as if in disgust rejecting my hand out. Now, I don’t get it. There are 3 hungry looking children that could have eaten the food. Were they vegetarian? Did she rather have money than food? Isn’t that the essence of survival-food? I wonder if strategically, if she didn’t look impoverished walking around with bags of food in her hand, others would not give her money. I try not to second guess her anymore since it’s not my position to judge but I see this at home where people use different techniques to beg at the mercy of our sympathy. I have seen more beggars in San Francisco than I have seen here, clutching their small baby or reading the newspaper next to the collection cup as they sip their coffee from McDonalds. I think is a difference in work ethic.

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

For you enquiring minds who want to know the FCBC Medical Mission Team made the Lao newspaper, “People”, I guess their version of People Magazine. There was a nice photo of the dentists working under the tent from the previous day. It shows Lester working away, and Bill posing for the camera with Pastor Saykham. He was still wearing his mask because he didn’t want to show off his perfect set of teeth. Now, my Lao isn’t very good but loosely translated the article seems to talk about a medical team from America, starring William Ho, DDS, who have come to help people of Laos. Over a three day period the team composed of medical, dental, and eye doctors went to three places: Nashay Church, Xaysettha Hospital, and the Hatxayfong Hospital. The team spent 3 days with people and helped 1700 kids (political propaganda) with a budget of 70,000,000 kip (about $9000 US). People tried to come up to Dr. Ho for autographs and pictures but you know Bill, he’s paparazzi shy.

POLITICS

We had a very nice dinner at one of the local restaurants, Salongxay Restaurant, located in the Lane Xong Hotel. (Bill, remember this one for the summer trip, only $33 US per night.) There was about a 7 course meal for $5. We had a joint dinner with several governmental dignitaries including Minister of Health, pastors from the LEC, and VP of LEC. They exchanged pleasantries and Bill presented the Laotians with tokens of appreciation. Pastor Jack presented them with a framed letter from the American Baptist Church with regard to having the privilege to work here in Laos. They had expressed something to the effect of “looking forward to working with you soon, or else.” We had a enjoyable dinner with about 35 attending. There was a nice show of Laotian dancing and international singing and a contortionist that was a little twisted. As we left I couldn’t help but notice a elderly Caucasian sitting with a young pretty Asian girl at dinner time. They made an odd couple, I thought. Then after dinner she “escorted” him upstairs, I presume for a night cap. Dave, you can ask that fella what $10 got HIM.

It’s time for my night cap…Geritol.

Day 12: DESTINATION-XAYSETTHA DISTRICT HOSPITAL

2008-02-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

February 26, 2008

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY LINDSEY LOWE! Your daddy loves you very much and will surprise you with a brand new car of your choice when he gets back home.

LOST AND FOUND

Okay, need to do some aerobic exercise. I tell my patients that the trick of weight management is calories in and calories out. Simple. The more you take in above what you put out the more weight gain. The more calories you expend, the more that you loose. We definitely be puttin on them calories. In defense, we never know when the next meal will be or if it would be “good quality.” So me and Andy decide to get some calories out. We take our morning stroll. People are already walking early in the am, going to work, or preparing to work in front of their homes setting up shop. Others are sleeping in their shops. Last time we went right, then right, then right, then right and it worked. Andy’s technique worked. Okay let’s try left toward the Mekong River. This is great. My Z coils are becoming part of me. I have to slow down for Andy since I spring forward with each stride. We wave to our monk friends who are walking as well. I should have brought my camera but I feel it might be a rude awakening to have this flash go off in the dark (it could remind them of bombings) or I don’t know if they would be offended and mug us. But then I wouldn’t have missed the Kodak moment with the monkey sitting on the scooter seat and holding on to the driver from behind. So cute! The street cleaners are up using there wisk broom into the bamboo containers. Some are bringing bags of fruits held between two people and a lady is pushing this 10 foot cart balanced by one set of wheels stacked with goods. They are taking it to their kiosks to sell.

We notice a congregation of motor cycles, tuk-tuks look alikes, bicycles, and people carting away food in long wooden carts (also saw a high tech one made of metal). There was a lot of foot traffic, bumping, and shoving. Then it opened up. We found the Lao Farmer’s Market. It was still dawn and there were about a thousand people in the open market. Food vendors with fruit, vegetables, live catfish gasping for air, etc. in there own tiny space that they are squatting sell there goods. A lady is gutting chicken with her bare hands. A shopper is grabbing live frog with her bare hands putting them in her shopping bag destined for a meal. A wooden cart with the remains of a slaughtered cow go to the meat market pass us by uncovered and unprotected. It probably isn’t grade A choice meat. Sanitation is not a priority. Curiously, there are apples covered with the protected netting to pad them. Imported? Hmmm… I am upset I didn’t bring my camera. On the other hand this mob might rip it from me for taking their pictures. There are no formal stores. The vendors bring their goods and ware and sell them. I am told that some vendors get here at 3 am to set up. Early risers and hard workers are competing for your business. They want your kip (8000 kip=$1 US). Where do all the farmers come from? They must have to bring them in from outside the city hauling them day by day. Their trek must take all day by foot. Later I am told that many people have this small business and IMPORT! As it turns out they’re not farmers, they’re business men and women. Many of these foods are imported from China and Thailand and then sold here. Some grow their frogs in there homes for extra money. It’s similar to San Francisco Chinatown but flat. I haven’t seen any rat-on-a-stick here like they have in China. Good for you, you entrepreneurs! We see a man pushing one of the long carts with a lady sitting in it. He must be the chauffeur, or the husband.

AIMLESS AND ANDY

Andy and I find our way out of the market through a side street onto a long street. We past two drunks and its only 6:30 am. There are already about 8 empty bottles next to them. One shouts at us and the slurred words confirm his intoxication. No thanks, we don’t want to party with you. We check our bearings. Andy’s sense of direction is un-uncanny. “I think the Mekong River is that direction” he says with authority. Neither of us, I think, is an eagle scout and the stars are fading away. Some family is outside so we go over to them to ask directions. They don’t understand our Lao. A light bulb pops over my head. A hah! I reach into my wallet and pull out the hotel business card-DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! It has the address on it in in Lao and English. Finally we will find our way home. “You a Speaka Engrish?” I ask. They don’t know. Hmmm, aren’t we just around the corner? It’s getting late because we have to meet for breakfast.

Taxi?!? Tuk-tuk? We see this pair of drivers and their vehicles just waiting for customers. Are they in cahoots or are they going to fight over us. I strategically hand them the hotel business card. Clever, aren’t I. They say 150 baht ($5). That seems a lot. “50 baht I argue.” They volley back with “50 each.” I thought these guys are hard up for money. We are hard up for a ride back. I hesitate and move away like “Hey Andy, we can walk.” Then they didn’t come after us so we reluctantly said “Okay.” As it turns out we were about 2-3 miles away and headed in the wrong direction. And would have continued in that direction. So we headed back for a long ride back with our tails between our legs. At least we got to see a monkey on the back of the seat holding on to the driver of a scooter. What a site. They were just monkeying around. Then we see the team headed for breakfast since we are kinda late. mmmmm errrr errrr … the tuk-tuk gives us away. We at first try to hide our faces but explain to them that we were on a guided tour from this tuk-tuk we chartered. Our feelings were hurt because no one was looking for us. Well, we’re on our own.

DAY AT THE OFFICE

We set up house at the district hospital. There are 4 major hospitals and 8 district hospitals. These “hospitals” would only be classified as a rural clinic by US standards and it would be substandard and shut down by OSHA . Even my own office/OR is more well equipped that this and more sophisticated and sterile. We set up outside on a platform. The dentists are on a field and they move a tent to shade them. It is fairly hot and humid today. It’s always crowded but we have to work with each clinic side by side and bump elbows. We see a lot of gastrointestinal pain, heart “jumping”, back pain, and tendonitis.

One of the interpreters was telling Andy she became a Christian 4 years ago. She was Buddhist. She lost a 24 year-old daughter who had advanced nasal cancer which had metastasized. Apparently she was being treated in Oakland and still she died. She was invited to church so that she might be consoled her since she couldn’t sleep and eat for three days. She started crying as she explained this to Andy. She said she was comforted by the church and was invited to accept Christ. It gave her a sense of peace and hope. Another lady shared with Andy that she was sick with a neck mass. She went to the Buddhist monks “charged her” for them to pray for her and it didn’t work. She got fed up and she was invited to a Christian church and they prayed for her and the mass went away. She in turn accepted Christ. She shared this experience with others in her village and eventually 35 accepted the Lord because of her experience.

Get this. I think Bill tried to console me by giving me an interpreter named, you guessed it Jen. Ohhhh! (sigh) It’s not the same. I saw a 14 year old who looked odd always smiling and not making eye contact. He felt anxious. No suicidal or homicidal thoughts but he felt like hurting someone. Unfortunately, the shootings at the colleges and schools in States come to mind. Further questioning revealed some mental illness. I think he is schizophrenic and had delusions and hallucinations. He needed a lot of help but we only had a few drugs to palliate his abnormal thoughts. He seemed to understand he had a problem and wanted to do something about it but we can only give him limited treatment until his “system” can help him. I got to see some blood and removed a cystic mass behind a reluctant lady’s ear. Her last doctor said that if it was operated on it could spread to the rest of her body. I don’t know if that was poor judgment and he thought it was cancer or he just didn’t want to or couldn’t do it. I thought it was a sebaceous cyst and was able to remove it in a small room under semi-sterile conditions with an assistant holding a small flashlight. She lived.

The dentists are literally out standing in their field (I know, old joke). I guess you can consider them migrant field workers (better?). Anyway, as you gaze over there with three or four patients with their mouth wide open, like an angelic sounding choir, you not only get a sense of the impact that they are making on all of these patients who would have otherwise have rotten teeth, you appreciate the time and expense and the sacrifice of working in suboptimal conditions that they make in a tremendous effort to work with what they have here and bring with them. As the sun moves throughout the day, so does the large tent to alter the shadow to cover the dentists. Ming makes his rounds assisting the dentists in big top. Indeed, it often looks and feels like a circus but all are serious in what they do, except for one guy who clowns around a bit. The docs are getting squeezed tighter on the platform since the sun’s rays are beating on our backs and we head toward the shade for cover. All in all we saw hundreds of patients and we are on a roll. More of the same and in larger numbers. Today went smoother so it was less hectic and more controlled without the strays making their way into the clinic. Some of the strays were Hmongs traveling from the hills that tend to get pushed aside by the natives. Tomorrow will be another district hospital. Since there was some patients that could be seen by Cindy who is a nurse practitioner, she was able to take care of some patients herself and advising appropriate drugs so that they didn’t have to go to the docs. This will help us tremendously and get patients in and out faster. Way to go Cindy; you go girl! The local news media (newspaper and t.v. wear here covering the story. “Makeup!” They mingled and had photo ops. Maybe we will be on t.v. With a lot of us wearing masks it looks like a bird flu quarantine.

CHOW TIME (NOT DAVID)

Our fearless leader decides to take the team and helpers out to a nice buffet. We seem to be going in the direction of the airport. Pastor yells out to Bill, “We’re picking up Jennifer!” Now I didn’t set you up Bill. It must have been wishful thinking. We attend this wonderful buffet at the airport. We like buffets. All you can eat, the American way. What a spread of Laotian food, desserts, sushi, smoothies, soup, steak, and all the alcohol you can drink (no we didn’t). Okay, stop feeling sorry for ourselves. The members of the church team said they never experienced this type or as much food at one time before. A lady said, “Thank you, this is a big treat. We don’t get to eat like this.” It would be just too expensive. Our US cost was $6.00. We are trying to stay under budget. We mixed up the tables to break up some of the cliques and to be more sociable and learn about them. The Americans, as usual, make ourselves at home and pig out. Forget about the calories in/calories out thing. I sat with the daughter of the Pastor or chief of the Lao Evangelical Church. Her English is pretty good and she said she learned it in adult school in 4 months when she and her dad visited Fresno a few years back. I thought that was pretty cool. We get transported in this big fancy bus reminiscent of the Partridge Family. There are about 45 of us and sometimes the headcount is off. Oh well, at least they can call for a tuk-tuk.

Lena told me she doesn’t know when these ejournals end because they seem abrupt with no good-bye. Okay, for me good night and for you, good morning.

I love you Lena and Allison…I miss you…Now I’m going nigh nigh.

Day 11: DESTINATION-EGLISE EVANGELIQUE (EVANGELICAL CHURCH BRANCH OF LEC)

2008-02-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

February 25, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON (I’m such a terrible father)

Sweet Sixteen-WOW! (Everyone please call her and wish her a happy birthday!)

Rise and shine

I was getting a good night’s sleep, one that I hadn’t gotten in a long time. Beep! Beep! Beep! Andy turn’s over to shut the alarm off. “Time to get up already? What time is it?” “5:30” Andy yawns. “Wanna go walking?” “Well, I’m not doing anything, let’s hit the road.” The manager of the hotel sleeps on the ground or couch at night and wakes up to let us out the front.

I didn’t mind walking in pitch black. A lot of the members of the team have had this routine. Bill would jog, the Lowe’s walk, Andy and Dr. Obregon walked etc. Since Andy has his black-belt it was like taking my own body guard with me.

We were walking in dark alleys and streets. All of a sudden a group of monks start crossing the street like ducks in a row. The monks are bald, wear orange gowns, and are barefoot. The carry collection bags to receive money from merchants in the street after they say a prayer or blessing. They walk by quietly and then start chanting at the person’s house and the kneeling occupants and they give them money. I was trying to remember how to say, “I gave at the office” in Lao. The monks quietly walk in a straight line with bare feet arranged either from oldest to youngest or could be tallest to shortest. I look at Andy he could pass as a monk if he had a orange robe. Maybe he’s too tall. I want to pause and tell them about Commandment 1 (Do not worship any other gods) but I think it might be futile. My high tech $$$Z- coil shoes stand out next to their bare feet. I am getting used the bounce and recoil of the shoes and my back feels wonderful but feel like I’m bouncing like a kangaroo. Maybe I need Stride-Rite shoes. Many of the merchants are already getting set up shop. They sleep in their kiosk overnight and there is a man asleep in a chair guarding the bikes or scooters that he will rent the next day. People are walking on the streets already going to work. Weight challenged individuals are rare due to the exercise inherent in walking great distances. We see another set of monks lined up walking coming from a nearby temple.

Andy has a strategy to find our way back to the hotel. He says as we walk, just turn one way and you’ll always turn toward your start point. I said “Sounds great.” (He didn’t know that I took a business card from the hotel just in case we had to ask for directions.) So we head out. It’s great walking. I forgot how to walk. So Lena, we are going to walk more when I get back. Hold me to it, okay because I am one of those weight challenged individuals. He has an uncanny sense of directions. I wasn’t worried but I did eye those taxis or tuk-tuks. We saw a lot of French influence still in the names of buildings and architecture. There is even an Arche de Triomphe in the city. Andy has an uncanny sense of direction and brought us back home as promised. How silly I was to have doubted Andy.

I SEE THE LIGHT

After a meal with the members of the Blue team we headed to a church. Bill had to do political shuffling with the members of the Lao Evangelical Church regarding, well, support for the interpreters. It was an unexpected expense that he had to deal with but he handled it well. We have about a dozen or so helpers including several pastors from the LEC that will accompany us to the various locations to help with translation. Some of us met Pastor Saykham from one of the churches here. They are all under the umbrella organization LEC. We went to the Nashay Evangelical Church.

The dentists were working the in the dark literally. They looked like miners in a coal mine with their headlights shining for illumination. The room was hot and humid. The optometrists worked in there as well. We do well do adapt to the circumstances and facilities that are available to us. We have make shift exam rooms for privacy. For the most part, patients accept not being private. Dr. Tajiri recruited Dave for helping work on the lenses. It is a two man minimum requirement. Gi helped when we were in Thailand and was great at it. Dave helped fill in the gap and is a fast learner. I think he was being groomed in Thailand for this position. That leaves Ben to work the pharmacy but has Gerry to help with pill counting sorting and writing the labels. There seems to be some jobs that are monotonous. I am grateful for the variety of patients that I see and the dentists have their fill with garden variety and complex cases.

NEXT!…

Those nurses triage (direct patients) for 6-7 working hours in the hot sun with crowds vying for position in line. “I was here first.” “How much longer to see the doctor?” “Is the doctor on time?” The apparent disorganization is really organized. The patients have to be themselves (patient). They are the gatekeepers. Now, Andy has been working for Children’s hospital for 22 years (mainly ER) and Cindy has 25 years as a clinical nurse, teacher, and FNP (Family Nurse Practioner). By the time we docs get the patient there is a lot of screening done and history taken and sometimes we just need to sign a prescription. So they are excellent in what they do and they make a great team. We see a lot of children so it’s nice to have Andy’s experience in acute care and Cindy who can be thorough as a nurse practioner. They fill out a form and assign them a number and the patients wait to be called and escorted. It can be monotonous.

The pharmacists have tens of thousands of pills to first find and then sort, count, package, and label for all of the dental and medical patients. I think they end up cross-eyed and will have to see the optometrists. The worse of it is trying to read the doctors’ handwriting! They must really like what they do-pushing drugs-by sorting by hand. But it can be monotonous.

The optometrists and Dave along with Arlene and Gail are a sight for sore eyes. They planned their department with foresight and you can see clearly why they can process so many patients through the production line. Every day, all day long. How many eyes can you examine? Don’t they all look alike? How many visual chart exams can you do before the chart looks like a Rorschach pattern? Does Dr. Tajiri ever break? How many lenses can he whittle away to fit the lenses? Is he enjoying himself? I hope that he doesn’t have an axe to grind. Dr. Chinn must be a sharp shooter by now with his PAR gun. Now that seems monotonous.

GO WITH THE FLOW

Variety is the spice of life, right? Not! I first get hit with this lady with a mass the size of a softball on the side of her cheek. How long has it been there, you may ask. 19 years. It feels like a fatty tumor or it could be a salivary gland tumor. I think this disfiguring mass should be taken out. So where can we do it. It is hard to get cooperation from local hospitals. Sometimes it is difficult for us to express our thoughts and desires through interpreters. The hospital would need to charge $300-500 US to “support” this patient so they ask who would “support” this patient. Certainly not the hospital or government. We brought most surgical supplies anyway and we just needed a place to do it. The logistics to set it up, get a preop workup, and no follow-up was weighed and we decided not to pursue it. It may have taken 2 docs away from clinic and put the added burden from our absence on the remaining docs in clinic so no go. “Hey, since I am here can I get this tooth extracted and get some glasses?” she asks. Why not!? That has been the burden because some patients want multiple clinic evaluations and at first we went with the flow.

CLUELESS

The next patient I see breaks my heart. She’s skinny, weighs about 65 lb. Her neck looks like a tree trunk with two large firm masses along side her face and neck. What the neck! It has been getting bigger over the past two years. It is starting to affect her swallowing and certainly her speech. She saw a doctor who said go to Thailand. Apparently Thailand has more sophisticated technology, doctors, and treatment. There is only one CT scan for four “major” hospitals in the capital city, Vientiane. In Fresno there is one on every major block. She cannot afford to go to Thailand, much less afford the treatment. I look at her and think she is going to die. This must be cancer. Some lymphoma. I reach way back into my medical school training. Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Burkitt’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Don’t-matter-what-kinda-lymphoma. Infectious lymphadenopathy. The mass is stiff and hard about 5 inches by 3 inches on ONE side and 4 inches by 2 inches on the other. It is hard for her to speak. How am I suppose to tell this patient with her angel eyes, who is only 20 years old, that she is going to die? She traveled from afar to meet the sophisticated doctors from America and what are we going to offer her, vitamins?” This case belongs on “House.” This is a ROYAL pain in the neck! I’m frustrated. We have grand rounds with the other docs. She at least needs a biopsy of the tissue. No clue. No help. Is this some exotic cancer indigenous to the region from a source or influence that we know nothing about? Maybe I can make her comfortable. I learned this hospice thinking when Lenas’ mother was dying from lung cancer and was medicated for several months just to ease the pain especially when her mom developed shingles on top of the cancer.

I send her to the pharmacy to give her pain medication to make her comfortable and advise her to go to Thailand. I imagine she is thinking, “Great advice, doc. Go to Thailand to be buried? I can do that here. Thanks but no thanks.” Even if she were to go and get a biopsy and the diagnosis could be made, the tumor could be so advanced that she may die anyway. She walks away no better than she came. I feel useless. “You’re too empathetic”, I tell myself. “Be detached, I’ll live longer.” She’s about my daughter’s age. Parents aren’t supposed to outlive their children. I have to clear my mind to address others that I MIGHT be able to help. What great medical advice can I tell the next patient? I am feeling useless. I need to cut something out to cure the patient. I’m a surgeon, not a medicine doctor. Perhaps a witch doctor could help. A few patients go by and I am feeling my confidence back. I see a familiar outline of a person’s face, which I cannot see, with the bright background. Another “Tree trunk Syndrome”? WHAAAT!

A young boy in his twenties at this same clinic who lives far away from the other girl has a similar condition, except the masses are smaller. I can make out several large lymph nodes the size of marbles adjacent to the solid firm masses above. They parallel his neck line and obliterate the jaw line. He only had these masses for two months. Why so fast growing? Cancers are fast growing. Some infectious process may be as well. The docs discuss this and we don’t know what it is. If someone reading this has a clue, LET ME KNOW! Please! I go to my iphone and search the internet. I can’t find anything useful. Even if I knew what it might be how could they can afford treatment. I get the girl back and talk to them together to see if their was some epidemiologic connection. I find none. If by chance this was a benign process or an infectious one by some odd ball organism, it might respond to antibiotics. So I prescribed some antibiotics with pain relief which hopes hat something might help. The consolation is she accepted the Lord earlier in the day. I pray for her comfort and healing. She may be terminal but she is saved.

As the day grew longer, we got more exhausted mentally and physically. We had a lot of patients and could not see everyone. Some patients sneaked through and said I lost my paper. Naively I would get them another one so they ended up cutting to the front of the line. Some would go to one clinic and then complain about a dental or visual problem and then they would go to the front of the line at that clinic. One Hmong family apparently travelled far. She said they had a number. I said, “What number.” She pulled out a 2” by 2” piece of paper with the number “117” written in neat red magic marker. Her friends pull our “183” and “185” This paper looked unfamiliar to me or anyone else. I want to be fair so I go to registration and triage. We were not using numbers so they were fake papers. Were those patients duped by someone else or were they trying to dupe use. What nerve! They go to the end of the line. She was pregnant with two kids and she may have traveled a great distance, but we had to turn her away.

We are ready to go back to the hotel. We pack up and I don’t have a total for today but we helped a lot. Others, weren’t helped at all. I am ready to go back and rest. I decide not to join the group for dinner with the LEC helpers. I need to chill, and jounal (that’s why you got two yesterday). The team went to a restaurant and we took the helpers. They are trying to budget (especially with this new expense) and ate for about $6.00. Good thing it was a 13 course meal. The team was gracious enough to bring me dessert and left-overs. I did eat the food which was fairly good. Well I’m beat and need to go to internet café then I’ll catch some zzzz’s.

Day 10: Destination-Huisan Akha Village Church/Vientiane

2008-02-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

February 24, 2008

So Long, But Not Good-bye

We said goodbye to Chiang Rai today, the 1^st leg of our journey. Last night, some went the night bazaar, others went to Swenson’s (the local hang out for the team), and some at the internet café. A few souvenirs for fun, but mostly fond memories are what we take home. Our hosts Luka and Ghan were unbelievable with the arrangements that they made and the food that she cooked for us, nearly 30 people each time. We are going to miss the food and water. We had our last breakfast at the Golden Triangle Inn. There was a bottle of water that we were given in the last few days: Yellow Surprise. Gail tasted it and said it tastes a little funny. Surprise! (Why do you think they call it Yellow?)

Reflections of Passion…Yanni

Our last meal was a time of devotion and reflection of the first week. We patted ourselves on the back for treating nearly 1200 patients. We are a Mean Team Machine. The following is the best accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Dr. Chinn expressed his appreciation of Dr. Tajiri’s lens making machine and universal frames. Without it, it wouldn’t have turned out as good. “New eyes, what a gift.”

Andy Alejo felt that the trip was extraordinary. He expected to work (and he did) and enjoyed it. He felt everyone did his or her part. He said that we are like the body of Christ, like a body and the parts, are all necessary to work efficiently together. He gave a “2 thumbs up!”

Dr. Tajiri felt that “Pastor was a slave driver (and he is)” and chuckled. LOL. He felt that it was a wonderful experience and gratifying. He was grateful to be able to test his theory and invention in an actual setting. He never quit and hung in there. His stamina put a lot of younger members to shame.

Cindy Wu expressing herself with tears of joy felt that the children and the family live a simple life, yet are happy. They play and love each other and are happy. (What more do you need?)

Richard Bruce felt that he was not a significant part of the team since he didn’t have a health care background (a roar filled the air, commotion “That’s not true”, “You are equally equal”, “You’re our security.” See Andy above about body.)

Pastor Jack felt that we were here to serve the Lord. We were here not just for the physical healing but our presence and caring was equally important. We used skill, compassion and professionalism.

The dentists felt it was amazing how they, especially, the children were able to trust the dentists (considering the vulnerability they experience along with the painful injections).

Gail Ho said we served so many people and she was nervous not knowing if she could help since she was out of practice for so long. The fellowship was good.

Dr. Obregon felt that we had a great team to work with. We work well together.

CHURCH IN SESSION

We packed our bags and piled them into Mark’s room for convenience to pack later. I think that they were boxing me in on purpose. We headed to the Akha church that we worked previously in the week. We were greeted by the patients and the members of the church. Thank God, I mean it, thank God we did not have to sing this time. Pastor gave a nice sermon in which Luka translated. Sometimes it looked like Luka was giving his own sermon. Since there was a translation we had to sit through Pastor’s sermon TWICE! Brutal. The women gave their roses to the church and placed them in front, like Laura Lum used to do. After the service we went out and witnessed 6 baptisms. 1 girl and 5 boys, I think. The pastor was standing there in his own clothes that he wore to preach in this cement pool about 8’ by 6’ The baptismee kneeled in their regular clothes and the pastor prayed and then suddenly dunked. One after the others were baptized all the while the congregation was singing. It was quite an emotional sight. Then the Akha gave us another gift a gourd which we added to the collection of a cup made out of bamboo. Gi gave a cd of their Akha music that they recorded so that other Akha throughout the land could learn the music. Correction, there is no Akha in the Philippines that Luka knows of but the music is sent to the Philippines and broadcast out of their to Ahka populations. My betel nut partying partner gave me a bracelet that she made from shells from the river.

We made our long good-byes and hugs and well wishes. I took a picture with “A” and said good bye. I didn’t hug her because I don’t know if that would be forward. But as we were walking down the hill she reached out and she hugged me. That was some show of gratitude. Some of the team will be returning in the summer (Lucky Bill). The team headed back to town for a final lunch with Luka and Ghan. I was surprised that Luka was accompanying us to Vientiane. He wants to extend his ministry and get to know some of the people in Laos.

We loaded the trucks and said good-bye after a slight delay. Our flight route had to be from Chiang Rai to Bangkok to Vientiane. Delays and more delays. Going through customs was fairly easy. Dr. Patton got held up in the security check. He had his personal medication with him lined in a row of bottles. “Are you carrying drugs?”, the guard asked Jack. “Yes these are for personal use.” (I was thinking-you should see what we checked through). The young girl with authority seriously asked “Do you have Viagra?” We all kind of chuckled since she didn’t look like she needed it. Dr. Patton said “No.” Then she discovered 4 pocket knives. “Ahah! You can’t bring these onto the plane!” Scary since they already made it through one security check. These were Dr. Tajiri’s as he was using them for gifts. They confiscated them. We only wonder whether or not we could have got the knives through if we had the Viagra to barter with. We finally arrived at the hotel around 11:00 pm. We are at the Douang Duene Hotel. You did good Bill. One of the members pointed out that it reminded him of his name: DOU(g owyY)ANG. That was Laosy.

The days seem to get longer. It takes awhile to get the rooms settled and the 50 boxes and luggage organized. “All here!” says Richard. Bill assigns the rooms.

Good News! Andy and I are back together. (I knew he and Dr. O wouldn’t last). He has taken me back for a roommate. Funny, we went up to our hotel room and found a king sized-bed. We looked at each other and said, “Let’s take this slow.” So we exchanged rooms to a two full-sized beds. Later that evening, I hear a knock. I peek around the door, half naked, and see Pastor. I say “Yes?” “Oh, this is not working. “I’m looking for my wife!, he said with intimidating and suspicious eyes that were about to explode in a jealous rage (temper temper Pastor. Remember Commandment 6: Though shall not kill). I sheepishly pointed across the room (she’s the one we switched with) and whispered, “She’s over there.” “Oh.” Come on Pastor, I know Commandment 7: Do not commit adultery. Good night, Pastor, sweet dreams.

Day 9: Destination-Phamee Akha Village

2008-02-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY 23, 2008

Quote of the Day: Dr. Obregon had shirts made specifically for this mission. He had “T-AMF MMI” with logos on sky blue shirts (the color of the King Mother). T-AMF stands for Thai Akha Ministry Foundation Medical Ministries Incorporated. Bill noticed how well his shirt fit him. Bill sincerely asked if he had his shirt tailored. Ming replied, “I have a good body!”

Happy Birthday to Wu,

We’re glad you came too.

You’re laugh is infectious,

You look great, it’s true.

Happy Birthday Cindy Wu! You look great and haven’t changed as bit! (You haven’t had plastic surgery have you?) We’re glad you’re doing better and your flu is gone. (Mark doesn’t feel so guilty now.) We were afraid that you were going to pass the flu bug along but we found that only your laugh is infectious. It’s great to have you here and thanks for celebrating your with us birthday today. Thanks for sacrificing to be here with us on your special day. We love you and have missed you so it’s great to have you along for the ride…a long ride.

Love, FCBC Medical Mission Team…Now get back to work! Sorry.

SPANK YOU VERY MUCH

At breakfast time we wished Cindy a happy birthday one more time. Lester and Vicki surprised her with a digital keychain loaded with Cindy and Bob’s children in various stages of their growth. She was very touched. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to give her birthday spanking as anticipated because we really couldn’t figure out how old she really is because she looks so young.

A LONG TIME AGO...

IN A GALAXY (seems like a different world) FAR, FAR AWAY…G. Lucas

Somewhere back in time in some distant land the Akha tribe was formed. There are three main Akha tribes: Ulo Akha, Lomisa Akha, and Phamee Akha. We are at Phamee Akha village where Ghan grew up and Luka Cherumin is from the Lomisa Akha tribe. Here’s a little history on Phamee. If you look at this village and contrast it to the typical villages that we have encountered, it is modern and seems like a lot more affluent here. Now, there’s no corner Starbuck’s, or 7-11, or KFC, or Nordstrom’s Rack but it is nicer than most. There are homes along the mountain with great views of the valley and just over the hilltop is Burma, now known as Myanmar. (After the name change it seems like it is always referred to as Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Kind of how Prince is “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” which is now “Prince, the Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” Can’t they just go back to Burma?) It’s quite a contrast from some of the other Akha tribes. Quickly, opium was abundant in the hills of the Phamee and there was money to be made. The King’s Mother (I’m not sure what her name is but Ming says it is “So Long”) recently past away (so long) had an interest in the Akha and wanted to subsidize them and develop the King’s Mother Project. So she said, my children, NO GROWING OPIUM. Instead, I’ll give you money and build you houses and give you land to grow other things, such as leeche, tobacco, coffee, etc. but NO OPIUM. (Do you think that if we tried that in the States our kids would say, “What ever you say mommy.” Doubt it.) And you have to work. So the Phamee honored the King’s Mother and as a result…BINGO! (Commandment 5: Honor thy Mother and Father, here that kids!) I think that was decades ago so now the forest has come back and is lush and the Akha have flourished, at least for the Phamee who are now in the “high rent district.” Interestingly, even in the States, we still have our areas of slums and low rent districts. We may not be that far ahead of Thailand as we think. Unfortunately, those who are born in the villages have no where to go. They are stuck there if they have no “papers”, no birth certificate since there is no paper trail of whom you are or where you belong. No paper, no money from the government, no access to medical care. For those of you who are wondering “why are they there?” THAT’S WHY WE ARE HERE!” Many of the tribes people, not only the Akha, but maybe a eight hill side tribes don’t have access to medical, dental, or eye care. They can’t even come down the mountain or they might be deported if they don’t have ID. So they live and die in the mountains. That is their only existence for some. So “we boldly go, where no man has gone before, to seek out new worlds” (plagiarized that from Star Trek) to offer health care and also to spread the Good News. It will take time. Thank you God for creating eternity.

TWIN PEAKS

Okay we have to get there first. We travel toward the Burma border out west. If we go too far we will be in Burma which is currently, with the political uproar is nick named the “Wild Wild West.” We see the “Lady in the hills” as we approach the Phamee village. As you recall, it is a mountain range and it appears that the there is a lady lying on her back. You can make out the face, nose, lips, and neck sweeping down her breasts. Curiously, this year, she looks like the breast portion is higher. Did she have something done? There seems to be an eruption of mountainous proportions.

WE ARE FAM-I-LY

We arrive to a very modern looking “village”, more like a town with well paved, buildings throughout, with water overflow plant. Every one in the village is wearing smiles when we arrive. It appears that they are “One big happy Phamee.” The crowd is growing quickly. They arrive before we even have time to set up, similar to a garage or yard sale in the a.m. Triage is very busy directing traffic to the various clinics. We’re generally set up in about 30 minutes and the first patient is ready to go. We set up shop on the school floor. There is a nicely tiled floor with different elevations. Actually too nice since, Dr. Obregon tripped, I tripped and someone else tripped since the steps blended in so well. Maybe we need new glasses.

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

We see a variety of injuries and illnesses. The docs see a lot of repetitive stress injuries. The Akha are very hard working people. They’re muscles are naturally ripped from repeated use of the muscles. However, although they are strong, after years of abuse, it does take its toll on the body. Many have tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and musculoskeletal pain. This would be a worker’s comp nightmare. They have no choice to work so they live with their aches and pains. We can only hope to alleviate their symptoms for a short time and give trigger point injections and anti-inflammatory injections and teach them ergonomic postions and strengthening techniques.

We see a victim of stroke we cannot help but give aspirin to prevent another. I think they just want the American doctors say that he will be okay. We see burn scar contractures making a 3 year-old’s left hand almost useless. Three fingers are literally welded to his palm in a flexion contracture and he has barely a pincher function with his index finger and thumb. He needs surgical release that I cannot do here. There is a lady with neurofibromatosis (Elephant Man’s disease) with multiple nodules that can’t be removed. There is a child with a 5 day old wound packed with chewed betel nuts placed there by his mother to relieve the pain. It’s impractical to teach her wound care so her technique may be as good as anything I can teach her. I tell her not to chew the nuts, rather crush them. That’s a novel idea. There is an elderly man with a draining wound, probable chronic bone infection. On closer inspection one leg is shorter than the other and a bone is bulging to the side. It represents an old fracture he sustained when shrapnel tore through him in the war as a soldier serving the Americans. They wanted to amputate both legs. He wanted to die whole. So he lived but the bones healed crooked. He was only able to stand a few years ago and he is grateful that he has the strength and courage to do so. He was also sporting new glasses that Dr. Chinn and Dr. Tajiri made. We may not be able to offer a cure or treatment for the patients but as Pastor says, maybe just being here, caring is equally important to them.

HI HO, HI HO (and Larry, Lester, Rachel, Richard) IT’S OFF TO WORK YOU GO!

Again there is a power struggle for the 220 volt outlets by the dentists and optometrists. The dentists try to get some outlets from the optometrists but it’s like pulling teeth. “How many outlets are you going to use?” asked the DDS’s. The optometrists replied, “You’ll see!” The docs get the desks no one else wants and make do. I can’t stress the success that the optometrists achieve with their lens making machine. The dentists are extracting left and right. I see one time there were 3 dentists, Larry, Bill, and Rachel. I think they found a gold mine with all the restoration needed. There was Richard with his apron (I thought it was a large bib at first) and dishwashing gloves. Nannette would be proud to see him so domesticated. Is he like this at home? Does he do windows?

MISSION: mmm(definitely)POSSIBLE

Kudos and props to the Mission Team. In the past 6 days we have seen and treated over 1194 patients vs. nearly 900 in 8 days at the first Thailand mission trip. The estimated distribution 595 medical, 339 dental, and 260 optometic patients treated in Chiang Rai. The eye clinic really made an impact on the patients bringing clear vision for the first time. What a wonder gift of sight. The dentists relieved pain and halitosis and removed teeth in the wrong places with their portable dental chair. The medical team improved the quality of a patient’s life by either curing their infection or palliating chronic problems. We showed patience, understanding, and compassion. Most of all we demonstrated sacrifice from ourselves, our family, and our employment and pocket book. Today’s devotion by Pastor Jack stressed sacrifice and service. I believe Dr. Owyang said it last trip: “It is easier to give money than to give of oneself.”

PATIENT QUOTES OF THE WEEK (from Pastor’s private collection):

“DO YOU REMBER ME?” (Three girls looking at Pastor Jack.)

“SOME DAY I WILL BE A DOCTOR” (Little girl in the clinic.)

“YOU CHRISTIANS SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONES THAT CARE”

(Norwegian prisoner.)

“LOOK I HAVE NEW EYES” (Patient with new glasses.)

“YOU ARE MY LAST CHANCE” (Prisoner who needed surgery)

“PASTOR WE ARE CHRISTIANS, AREN’T YOU PROUD” (results of prior

Baptist missionaries year before us. Yes, Pastor is proud!)

“WE REMEMBER YOU” (interpreted as a surprisingly “You came back”)

LAST SUPPER

We had our last supper together at a local Chiang Rai restaurant hosted by Luka and his wife, Ghan. All the members of the team including the interpreters were there. We had an assortment of food, seafood (langostino) soup (spicy), string beans (spicy), cashew chicken, fried fish, shrimp balls, We were at an American disco type restaurant playing the popular hits of the 70’s. It’s sad that I recognized so many of them. We just needed the disco mirror ball. There was a game show in the background on TV called Dear or No Dear. Forgive my accent. Dr. Obregon presented a bouquet of roses to all of the women helpers and team members. What a nice gesture. They were all deeply touched and we expressed our sincere gratitudes.

Congregation, we know you remember us in your thoughts and prayers and we feel the support for our well being as well as for the success of the mission trip. Please pray for the patients that we treat so that our presence has an impact on their health, well being, and spiritual growth. Thank you so much for allowing us to help serve people in need and by teaching as an example of God’s love for us.

DAY 8: Destination-Akha Youth Development Center

2008-02-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY 22, 2008

So, sorry, I mixed up the days on the ejournal. It should be:

February 19: Day 5

February 20: Day 6

Okay, I’m recovering from my drug-induced coma from the beetle juice, betel nut, the Beatles or whatever it’s called. When I say it was a blur, it was. The only thing I’m hoping was that Bill was NOT was giving me mouth to mouth resuscitation. I’d rather die.

We finished up unfinished business. We returned to the AYDC because we couldn’t go to another prison. Okay by me! These kids and families deep rooted in the Akha culture. We had about 20 eye patients that we couldn’t do yesterday so they were scheduled today. That was a good move. We only worked a half a day since there were fewer patients today. The eye docs finished their patients, the dentists, the usual, the med docs same. One of the last eye patients was rushed up to the medical clinic because she had to see me for an evaluation. Dr. Chinn saw a lady with a pigmented lesion under the eyelid and an ulcerated lesion on the top. It was really black. It didn’t look to good. A skin cancer was a possibility. When I saw the patients, I turned red-faced. It was my patient from the day before. I had removed a lesion and used silver nitrate for cautery. When the light hits it, it turns black so there was some transfer to the lower lid. It looked like pretty shoddy surgery, but, come on people, look what I am working with! We finished up seeing the last patient. We won’t be back to this clinic for awhile, but I have the feeling that we will be back before you know it.

THERE’S NOTHING, NO, SOMETHING WE CAN DO

One child particularly broke my heart. The chief complaint was: patient not walking for four years! It was a four year-old boy carried in by his petite mother. “What can a plastic surgeon in a tiny village help this young boy?” I asked myself. Instinctively I steered the patient towards Dr. Patton who gave a thorough musculoskeletal exam. The boy was one of twin boys who were born premature at 7 months. The brother died 5 hours after birth. He developed cerebral palsy. Mentally he seemed somewhat normal but physically he was quite challenged. Obviously we could not cure him but we wanted him to be as healthy as he could be so to balance his diet we gave him vitamins. He didn’t need surgery or antispastic medication or really any other meds or any other treatment. We recommended physical therapy by mom to strengthen his weak side and perhaps later a brace could be made. “Is vitamins the only thing we can offer this poor individual imprisoned by his body for the rest of his life. Could we make his life sentence any more comfortable? What about mom’s life sentence of responsibility? Then as they were leaving the clinic, no doubt disappointed, a light bulb popped over my head. Wheel chair. We have a wheel chair ministry! Thanks to Bill Ho a team from FCBC, the College and Career Group, are coming back to Chiang Rai this summer to assemble and distribute over 550 wheel chairs. (Maybe Jennifer can go on THAT mission trip.) We can get him and his mother a wheel chair because it will be soon that she will be unable to carry him and then he won’t be ambulatory. Great! Sometimes it really is the thought that counts; you just need to take the time to think.

FOR EYES

There was this one student at the school that we went to. She had such terrible eye sight she had to sit at the front of the class. Dr. Tajiri’s system only could correct vision up to -6.00 diopter. They shook their heads that day to saying, “We’re sorry, we can’t help you.” We could SEE her disappointment. Dr. Chinn had an idea and thought that if they made a pair of glasses from their strongest lenses, it might at least help her by giving her some, if not, perfect correction. So one of the officials brought her back to the Golden Triangle Inn this evening and they fitted her to glasses and she was so pleased and was looking around appreciating her new found visions. Way to go docs.

EXTREME MAKEOVER

One of our interpreters is Auntica, or “A” as she is known among the villagers. She is young and has quite striking model quality features. I see a lot of pretty patients in my field of work that some men, but not me, may categorize them as “drop dead gorgeous, hot mama, and tight.” But out of respect to my wife and children I want to set an example and I don’t use those terms. Instead I use the phrase “she has nice features.” I think most would agree that she has nice features yet one very visible distraction. She has vitligo. I saw her last mission trip and vitiligo is difficult to treat, even in the States. She has brown patches of dark pigmented skin like tears of a clown with equally white skin. There’s a spot on her chin and around her lips. The hands and legs show more extensive vitiligo. Michael Jackson as this disease as is a well-known news anchor, Lee Thomas, of a Detroit news station. He recently came out of the closet with his condition and wrote a book, “Turning White.” Lee Thomas is Black. Imagine that.

So this trip I brought a mixture of make up with foundation and sticks of this color and that color and samples from my aesthetician and skin bronzer and body makeup to test on her. She was initially excited to try on the makeup. I am no makeup artist by any means but she allowed me to put it on her. I put the foundation and watched as the pigmentation disappeared. Then I applied a makeup with a natural color and blended the entire face. Her nice features became nicer. Her skin was more even and if you glanced at her you wouldn’t be distracted. It looked even better in photos and she was amazed at the difference. At first she didn’t know how to react. Do we make her skin fair or dark like her native villagers, which would have been more of a change for her. She did SEE the difference but I know it would take getting use to. She was embarrassed to see her friends at first because they would see something different which would bring MORE attention to her. I am sure she has the same issues as my plastic surgery patients. What will others think? Why did she do it? Vanity? Should I have gone darker? Will people recognize me? Rather than doing something to attract attention, she is doing something to lesson the attention. This is a major step for her and unfortunately, vitiligo often is progressive.

JUNGLE BOOK

We had time for some Rest and Relaxation. So we went to see the elephants again. We took a boat up north to the elephants. It was like going on the Jungle Cruise in Disneyland. The shallow water made the boat ride treacherous but the drivers negotiated the path well avoiding the bottom of the river. One of our boats we were in broke down in the middle of the ride. We waved at them as we passed by but don’t worry, we were going to get help AFTER the elephant ride. We saw another boat bailing out water to keep from sinking. He wasn’t about to abandon ship. We approached the petting zoo. These gargantuan beasts were tamed by banana or sugar cane and a little help chained at the ankle. Each had a “driver” that spoke to them in Thai. We passed on the 100 lb python that we could pose with. Some needed a lot of work on there tusks but the dentists were not up to the challenge. They just gave out tooth brushes. We had a nice stroll throughout the tourist-prepared street vendors doing a little window shopping. This time we went through alternative route through the river. These animals had no problem walking in the river although they did slow down as if they liked squishing the mud between the toes similar to those who had mud bathes before. As they defecated in the river, I was really happy that I chose not to drink the water. I was afraid of getting elephantiasis or something. Whoa, when they pee they could put out fires. My understanding is that a male Asian elephant have tusks, females don’t. Richard considered gluing tusks to the female Asian so there won’t be discrimination. Both the African elephants grow tusks. It is thought that if there is a male without a tusk, he might be gay. That’s a useful fact.

PRAISE THE LORD

Faith and Socorro have been saving for new church ministry. They built a church since the last visit. Several members of the FCBC) donated money to help support the church such as the Fungs (Foogey, Barbara, David) the Bill and Gail Ho, and Ben and Gerry Jues to name a few. To show their gratitude for assistance they made genuine Filipino dinner. Loompia,, thick won ton, pork chops, mango and sticky rice with coconut milk, chicken, sweet pineapple. That was quite a spread. The church was really big and modern. There were accommodations for sleep-over for out of town guests. It’s amazing what you can build from $135,000 US. Anyone want a retirement home in Thailand?

KEEP OUT!

Bill never gets his privacy or time to himself. He really spends a lot of time behind the scenes. I know people bug him from time to time (I have no clue who he or they may be) but he never shows his hostility. I worry about those people. Bill don’t get mad, he get’s even. Sometimes he’s needs time just to chill. I’m the keeper of the pharmacy bins at night. I saw him going through the pharmacy bin and I asked if he needed help. Oh, just trying to get something to help me sleep”, he says. “Find what you need?” “I think so,” he said sheepishly as he tried to hide some blue pill with the letter “V” on it. I said, “Okay, let me know if you need help.” “Sure.” Well later that night I needed to ask Bill something but he wouldn’t answer his cell phone. I went over to his room and there was quite a surprise. There was “Caution” tape criss-crossed across his door. There was this huge sign with flourescent orange letters saying “KEEP OUT!” On closer exam, there was another sign on it saying, “Please do not disturb.” He really wanted to get his point across. I thought there was some noise inside and was going to get security. Then it was quiet. So it must have been nothing. I am glad I didn’t get security; that would have been a boner. Bill is a good sport. We tease him because we love our team leader. Incidentally, after Bill took the KEEP OUT sign down, Gerry coyly walked over with a sashe strut and asked “Bill won’t be needing that will he?”

Day 7: Destination-Akha Youth Development Center

2008-02-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY 21, 2008

Disclaimer: the following accounts are either real, unreal, or surreal

Quote of the Day: Beware of old ladies with red teeth…Jack Patton

LUKA’S MINISTRIES

Not too far from the Inn is the Luka’s compound. It’s located on about 15 acres that Luka has for the Thai-Akha Ministries Foundation. He has a big spread with a nice home and guest house overlooking a valley of tea plants. The AYDC houses over 80 Akha boys and girls who live on the grounds and go to school nearby. At the center they teach Akha so the children can maintain their cultural ties and language and also learn Thai so that they can converse with the rest of the country which helps them to obtain a job later. There is a library where we set up clinic for the dentists, medical docs and pharmacists. The optometric clinic is set up underneath the concrete frame for a tea factory in the making. It was donated by a Mennonite group. It will take 1,000,000 baht ($330 K) for the equipment. Right now a variety of tea is grown here and then taken to a factory 2 hours away to get processed and packaged. We brought some back last trip to support his Tea Ministry. They are hoping to eventually do everything here, on-site.

Within the library is a recording studio. Many of the group, in which we work, including Luka, are self-taught musicians. They play piano and guitar. The group records Christian songs and hymns in Akha. This Music Ministry sends the tapes to various places such as the Philippines for Akha who live there. Many of them cannot read so the hymnals in Akha aren’t useful. But since they can understand spoken, or in this case, singing Akha, the songs can be enjoyed and used as an evangelical tool. Are music videos on the horizon?

We meander down this road flanked by banana trees and the like to two large ponds, one recently dredged. They raise fish such as catfish and Talapia in these ponds for food. They feed the fish with leftovers from the children’s meals. Waste not, want not. Near the ponds are some garbage pits, not unlike our landfills in the States. Luka would like the property to provide a lot of the resources to support the compound and children. In the distance are rice paddies owned by someone else but he would like to eventually purchase the fields to grow there own rice. In the distance we can see cattle grazing which is used for food as well.

Ghan, Luka’s wife cooked an amazing spread and we were glutens. Spicy pork curry, chicken, bread, regular and sticky rice, mango, banana, apple fritters, guacamole dip (yes, guacamole!) and chips, salad, and drinks. Luka and Ghan have 4 young girls from 4-12 years old. They helped do the dishes which I appreciate because I had to do dishes the last mission trip. You should have just seen us rubbing our bellies with our feet up with the toothpick cleaning our teeth. We are very comfortable with each other belching and whatever. We didn’t have to do that maneuver of hiding the mouth with one hand and picking the teeth with the other because we knew what you were doing. Come on, who are you kidding? Hey, is that broccoli between your teeth?

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

There is also a Bull Ministry. FCBC can take credit for establishing a bull ministry in Thailand. That ain’t no bull! So far some families have been reaping the rewards. FCBC sent $5000 to Luka to buy a bull stud. This bull has to make his rounds to three villages to families who have a cow. The bull does his thing and then goes to the next village, and so on, and so on. I’m sure that the bull is thinking “It’s a tough job bud someone has to do it.” He’s strutting his stuff. “I’m a stud. That’s what I’m talking about!” They recycle this guy is until the family has three calves. Men, is this right, being used like this? (Let’s take a vote at the next Men’s Breakfast.) Then the momma cow and calve #2 get sent to another needy family. And the cycle goes on. At sometime the cow will be slaughtered and used for food. Then the calf moves up the food chain. I think there are 13 cows, 4 calves, and one bull. Happy cows make happy cheese.

Some of us checked out the cows the other day. We were hoping to see the bull but only saw some of the cows and some calves. It was out to pasture 100 miles away. The owner was there and you can tell he is out standing in his field. Luka wanted to demonstrate the finer techniques of bull riding. “Yih—Hah! Ride him cowboy!” I think that was a bunch of BS. Speaking of BS, there is, well it’s not exactly called the manure ministry, but even the cow manure is collected and sold for fertilizer for income. I guess its part of their waste management system. We checked out a pile of bags of manure and I tripped and fell. Oh shoot! (paraphrased) I was up to my neck in crap! Kind of reminded me back home. Lester had an idea for a fund raiser-cow chip tossing contest. Maybe we can do that at the next Food and Fun. We’ll have to take it to the Board because I understand that they also deal with a lot of crap. We wanted to see Larry milk the cow. By the way, have you ever seen the star of the teet. You have the person look at the end of the teet to see the “star” (nipple) and then squeeze the teet as they look and they get squirted with milk in the face. It’s hilarious! GOT MILK? That would have been udderly funny. Riding back in the car we smelled an odor. Did someone step in something? Not me. You noticed it first….Luka!!!

AKHA FREE CLINIC

Today was a fruitful day. The medical, dental and optometric clinic saw about 67, 62, and 45 patients, respectively. I can’t tell you how many patients that the eye docs have personally MADE lenses and glasses for. They have given out nearly 26 DOZEN reading glasses in addition to making other glasses. They really are the production workers and Gi and Dr. Tajiri are a two-man assembly man being fed by Dr. Chinn. It got so busy that they had to turn away 20 and try to get to them tomorrow. An 87 year-old man had tears of joy because his sight was restored. The docs continue with their routines, but it’s the nurses and helpers and Pastor that keep us going with the flow. The nurses screen and triage the patients giving clues toward the diagnosis. They also assist with procedures and they are always available to lend a helping hand. Pastor Jack continues his popular “male escort” service and brings the patients to the doctors personally. Oh, I cannot stress the importance of our translators. We could not communicate without the help of Luka, Ghan, Gi, Prah, Auntica, Totu, Socorro, and Faith and of course, Ming. They are invaluable otherwise it would be difficult to pin down their complaints and symptoms. The village people are primarily laborers even well into their seventies. So they have a lot of muscle and joint type pain and inflammation. Many of them want moles and skin tags removed. The dentists continue over loading the tooth fairy aS Richard services four dentists around the clock. At least the medical docs get to sit but the dentists mostly stand all day. That’s brutal.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS

We have a great time at these villages. We see baby, mother, grandma, sometimes great grandma. They look great. There age often doesn’t match their appearance. It may be some natural BOTOX. Well, many of the older patients are very traditional. They wear their traditional garments and sport their thick red teeth. It is a dentist’s nightmare for cleaning. Forget about it. There was an elderly lady who had the prettiest smile which also exposed her teeth. It’s almost a status symbol to have teeth like that. Luka was explaining how the teeth got like that. The villagers like to suck on or chew the betel nut. It’s a drug and it’s addicting. The betel nut is the seed of a palm tree. They take the leaf of the Piper betle, which is a different plant and has its own drug, and put edible lime (yes, that caustic stuff, not the fruit lime) powder in the leaf and then add crushed betel nut.

The elder carries all these ingredients and drug paraphernalia in her purse. Luka is explaining and she starts making one. We’re giving her our undivided attention and curiously thinking, “Oh, that’s how it’s done! Hmmm.” Then she raises it to give to someone. Everyone surrounding her except me steps back. So you know how that works, it looks like I stepped forward. She points it at my direction. I smile and in the universal language of shaking my head and saying “no, no…no thanks, thank you any way”; she doesn’t get it. She’s smiling and shaking this thing in my face (I’m getting dizzy from just the smell) and my comrades are egging me on. “DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!” they chant. I hear Lester in the background, “Give it to Mikey, Mikey will eat anything.” I’m Markey, not Mickey. She impatiently continues to shake this toward me, toward my mouth, as she’s loosing her smile with beady eyes. Give me a break, what do you tell this 90 year-old woman? I reluctantly open my mouth out of respect. I’m hoping she washed her hands. I put it in my cheek, smile and say “Hmmm, good.” She smiles; I have redeemed my self. She gives me some piece of bark as a chaser, I guess. “Chew it!”, she motions with here jaw clenching her thickened red teeth chomping her teeth. I’m thinking, “How do I explain my red teeth to Lena? Will she ever kiss me again? Am I not the man that she married?” Now I’m going to have to go to the dentist to get my teeth whitened.

I chew and chew to gain her acknowledgement. She nods like a metronome, pacing my chew. It’s so bitter. It stings my mucous membranes. The Drano is burning a hole in my tongue and cheek. I’m drooling profusely, foaming at the mouth. “Don’t swallow!” “Who said that?”, I think as I search around the room. What, will I die if I swallow. I look to spit in a bag. This dark red fluid comes out. Am I bleeding? I look at her to see if she disapproves of wasting the “score”. Everyone is smiling or laughing but me. Ooh, it’s bitter. I go outside with a liter of water to rinse my mouth. It takes four times in order for it to get clear spit. Whew, that was awful! I am glad to get that taste out of my mouth.

I’m standing near a ledge and have to catch my balance. My vision seems blurred and I get dizzy and the room is spinning. My face feels flush and numb. (Hey, can you make me another). I’m thinking, it’s a good thing I brought emergency meds and the defibrillator with us on this trip. “Am I going to die?” “Someone, call 911.” I look at the lady and she is looking at me in disgust. I think I can make out what she is saying. I’m reading her spinning lips and she is saying “Loser! Lightweight!” Am I hallucinating? Visions of Oliver Twist enter my mind, “Please sir, may I have some more?” “This is some good stuff!” Dr. Owyang worsens the situation by saying “You’re not really here.” His Luka laugh imitation follows. I am loosing my balance and have to sit down. “Are you okay?” my esteemed colleagues inquire. “You better lay down.” “No, I’m okay.” “Okay, then, you have to go to work now, you’re getting behind.” I am thinking, you idiot (no, me). What was I thinking? I really didn’t know that this was a drug. Hello, why do you think it is addicting? I think the lady gave me HER usual dose. I start to examine a patient; its 11:30 am. Cancel surgery. I tell her to come back at 2:00 pm. I go lay down for a little bit. I am not capable of surgery at this moment. I am an impaired physician. This recipe is definitely not making it into the Ho Mei cook book. Later I tried to ask her if she was interested in trading some of my Eclipse wintergreen gum and she gave me the Akha sign language of “No Way!” So I’m NOT responsible for anything that I write from this point since a few of my neurons may be still disconnected.

WHERE’S WALDO? HOW ABOUT MING?

After a hard day’s work we were being treated to a very nice buffet dinner at the Dusit Island Hotel (I can’t believe this wasn’t considered as an optional upgrade considering the 13 hour workdays that we experience. Perhaps it wasn’t cost effective since we weren’t, in fact, spending much time in the hotel in the first place. Weren’t we over budgeted last time and there is actual surplus that could have been forwarded to present or future projects? How much Chinese torture are we to endure?)

We all were excited to treat ourselves to a nice well-deserved buffet. Most of us have lost weight since we have been on the trip. Most of us could afford to loose a few pounds, but if Rachel or Cindy loose anymore weight we are going to have to put a feeding tube down them. It could be due to the worms or diarrhea that is responsible for the weight loss and fatigue. So the culinary delight is welcomed and the timing couldn’t be better. Our eagerness to get there was fraught with oversight. Bill collected money from us to pay for the anticipated bill. Bill wanted it to make it simple so he was just going to charge it. Out of gratitude he did not charge Ming to thank him for all the ancillary things that he does for the team. With zeal and mouth watering anticipation we loaded into the vans that Ming arranged for us. We go through a gated entrance toward this brightly lit hotel-Dusit Island. Whoaah! Didn’t we NOT stay at this hotel last time? Didn’t we save up enough over the last two years to give this place a consideration? Is it too decadent contrary to our humble servitude? Are we not deserving? We parade out of the two vans toward the buffet dining hall.

What a spread and we can’t wait to eat. Bill is trying to explain to the Thai hostess that we made a reservation for a party of 20. She doesn’t seem to under stand him. Ming, who made the reservation, is expected any moment. Any moment passes by and another any moment. “Where’s Ming?” Bill inquisitively asks. “He’s upstairs” someone replied. We are getting impatient since all of us want to eat but we want to pray first and give thanks and we are waiting for Ming. What can he possibly doing that takes so long? Someone wonders if he is checking into the hotel (I don’t blame him). Maybe he going to the restroom and taking his time enjoying every moment to sit on a real toilet instead of squatting on those porcelain holes in the floor. “How rude of him to keep us waiting. Doesn’t he know we are waiting for him. Dr. Chinn goes to look for him. Several minutes pass by. Bill asks, “Who saw Ming last?” Did someone see him board the van? He was out there next to the van before we left someone says but something about forgetting his cell phone. “He wasn’t on our van, was he on yours?” He sat in the front someone recalls. I polled each table. “Did anyone actually sit next to Ming?” “No.” “No.” “No.” There was a unanimous, “No.” We think we left Ming behind! No way, someone saw him board the van. Someone saw him get out of the van. Someone saw him upstairs. We’re sure about that.

Then Ming comes strolling into the dining hall about 20 minutes after we have arrived. “Did we leave you behind?” Bill asks. “Yeah, I forgot my phone and came out and the vans were gone!” Good, now we can go to the buffet. We’re starving! Then we recall that the driver of our van received a call during our trip to Dusit. He’s speaking in Thai. My Thai isn’t too good but I believe he said, “Hello? Opus (Ming’s Thai name)? Hey, where are you? Golden Triangle Inn? You didn’t want to go? Oh, they left you, HA HA HA! They left without you? I can’t believe it; those foolish Americans! Hey, who’s supposed to pay me! You? I better come back to get you. We still going out drinking and getting massage like last night; you still owe me from last night. No I want cash, not betel nut! Okay, Ciao.” Sorry for not speaking up, I wasn’t sure who Opus was so I didn’t make the connection. Bill, did you not have Ming pay because that was a subtle hint for him NOT to come? That’s not right. We shouldn’t have driven off like that. We hurt Ming’s feelings. Ming, I care. We all care. Thanks Ming. You’re a sport.

P.S. This is actually something I typed as I typed myself to sleep: Perfur revomy. (I have no clue, must be the residual betel nut.)

DAY 5: DESTINATION-CHIANG RAI PRISON

2008-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

February 20, 2008

Quote of the Day: We are all prisoners of Sin

We are gelling as a team now. Earlier in the mission when we first met in the morning for breakfast it was WAY to formal. We were to stiff and professional. We would look at each other with a serious face, nodding at each other for acknowledgement and saying, “Dr.” “Dr.” “Nurse” “Dr.” “Pastor” “Mr. Bruce” “Dr.” “Nurse” “Dr.” “Dr.” “Nurse” “Nurse” “Dr.” “Dr” It’s been 5 days and now well gelling. We’re more comfortable around each other and more camaraderie. Now it’s, “Whassup doc” “doc” “Whassup” “doc” “doc” “What’s happenin’” “Say what?” “Get out!”

Chiang Rai Prison Resort

We headed for a new venue. We are going to Chiang Rai prison in the outskirts of the city. Watching Prison Break makes me nervous but gives us ideas just in case. We know how it is in the United States where prisons are like there own city with their own government. What goes on behind closed doors is anyone’s guess. It could be worse than communism (but not including Laos where we are going to. We like Laos!). We don’t know what to expect and who we will meet and how the prisoners are going to receive us or if they will hold us hostage. We know that there are no hostage negotiations. But if they want a hostage, we elect Bill because he would have been responsible for getting us in this mess. We are going into the lion’s den. I hope we are as lucky as Daniel. We want Pastor to check it out first. Luka says, “Don’t worry, I know them.” Hmmm, “old Luka hangout?” Don’t ask and don’t tell. There may be a bunch of BAAAD A__ dudes with tattoos and serial murderers with primal lust burning in their veins in their bulging biceps. Will they look at us and think “fresh meat” and smack their pursed lips feigning a kiss? Do they like Chinese food? We will soon find out. My paranoia is mounting. Will we be able to get out? I hope they like Luka. Luka, head of T-AMF (Thai Akha Ministry Foundation) is involved with a Christian ministry that offers medical care and dental care, when it can, when professionals are available to Chiang Rai prisoners. We approach the prison and curiously there was a statue of a little naked woman perched under the prison sign. I wonder if it is one their idols. For Americans it is certainly one of ours. (Commandment 2: no idols). I’m not sure if it is supposed to tease the men as they go in reminding of what they are missing on the “outside.” We drive up through the guarded gates and get a pass. Fortunately this is a minimal security facility. We nervously approach the guarded gates. Hey, they look friendly. We relax. We are led through tall thick metal doors and have to get a badge and give up our cameras and cell phones. You can imagine they may not want us to record anything or show the layout of the prison for obvious reasons or allow prisoners outside communication. We hear the ominous baritone “Clang! Click! as the heavy door is closed behind us. “Does someone have a spare key?” We hope that this trip is one way. I pretend to sneak a note to an unsuspecting gentleman just on the other side of the bars. Oops! I think he is the warden. Bill slaps my hand and says “behave!”

We are surprised. It is a relatively new, 10 year-old facility, with gorgeous landscaping. People are smiling. I’m not kidding when I say it looks like a resort. Expensive palm trees surround a play area. There is lush greenery throughout. There is a billboard advertising “Sports Behind Bars.” Hey maybe I’ll give up my Gold’s Gym membership and join…naught. The barbed wire takes a little away from the landscape and reminds us where we are. We are surrounded by a bunch of capped uniformed gentlemen in black shorts and tee shirts with some writing on the back. I don’t think it says, “Got Milk?” They have batons. They are fit and see their muscular definition through their thin tees. The men in our group instinctively surround the women in a protective circle. If we have to make a break for it, “women and children and ejournalist first” is my suggestion. It is very orderly. They corral us like sheep and direct us watching out for strays. I don’t think that they are there to protect us but to guard us. We head to the building. There are tents and it looks like we are expecting over a hundred patients who are sitting there. We were told not to wear the blue scrub tops since they looked too much like the the prisoners. Good idea. We wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a prisoner. Ghan, Luka’s wife, assured us that certain individuals wouldn’t have a problem (like Richard and Jack) but Bill would not have a trouble blending in. He kind of looks Thai, and with those beady eyes, well, make yourself at home. The prisoners are wearing either blue uniforms (sentenced) and brown uniforms (awaiting trial). It’s fitting then as Christians missionaries we are wearing blue. Believers have their life sentence in heaven and non-believers are awaiting trial at judgment day.

Prisoners of War

What do the prisoners look like? Like you and me. In other words, they look like any one else, your relatives, or friends. In fact, Luka saw his former policeman friend in prison. He asked, “Hey, why are you here?” ”Drugs.” Luka says his was a bad policman. There is definitely a war on drugs. Ghan was surprised to see a distant relative here. So, now she knows why she hasn’t been coming to family functions. The patient/prisoner do not look like hardened criminals. It is surprising that the overwhelming majority of offenses that got them into jail is drugs. You do the crime you serve the time. Mostly life sentences. Apparently drug trafficking is big business in Thailand but a No-No. Methamphetamine is overtaking opium as drug of choice. I had a glimpse through the window of men bathing outside at the community wading pool. They were pouring buckets of water gathered from a common tank of water, similar to how you would bathe camping. Other workers were putting clothes into a large bin and pushing down clothes, lifting up, pushing down, add soap, add water and rinse-The human washing machine.

We set up clinic in a relatively small room. The triage and pharmacy are set outside. They have a great view and fresh air. Dr. Owyang has the best seat in the house at the end of the ramp ready to greet them. It was really sad to see our patients, criminals in the judicial system, stuck for life, yes life. A drug conviction often results in life imprisonment. The language barrier (tribe vs. Thai) is a problem. So while some patients say that they were innocent, others tell you they shot someone. “I took methamphetamine and got crazy and shot my father-in-law.” Well justification in itself, the in-law probable deserve it. That is why I am going to choose the husband for my daughters; I’m going to make sure he likes me first. Some patients have a complex medical history and their medications don’t get continue after they run out. So they are very sick. One man we examined was swollen all over and hadn’t peed for 4 days. It’s likely he was in renal failure. He was also an alcoholic so his liver probably wasn’t functioning well. I think he may die soon but he can always get a 2^nd opinion. We, at least, were able to encourage the nurse to transport him to a hospital today. I got to do a few procedures. On one patient I was reluctant to operate on due to a possible infected cyst. It was disfiguring his chin with a big bulge. I said I rather not chance getting the whole area infected. He said that today was the best day to do it. I asked him why. “Because you are here” he replied. So I removed the mass which was, incidentally, a fatty tumor growing deep into his chin. “The customer is always right.”

The dentists got first dibs in the medical clinic. They even had a nice dental chair; it looked modern. When Rachel went to crank it up, no suction and other things didn’t work either. So they made do like they always do. Rachel later that day said “Larry saved my butt 4 times!” There were some more complex extractions the Larry was able to help her out with. She was just being humble. She learned that from her parents, I guess. As I mentioned, some are very complex cases and there were two patients that took 43 instruments to fix them.

The optometrist start from the word “go!” They have now trained Gi (Martin) to help him make the lenses. He goes to work and they crank out lens after lens. They are a production line. It is becoming routine for them to close up shop last since they are so busy. They’re always the last to finish. The younger folk just can’t keep up with them. We don’t know how to pace ourselves since we just don’t have the foresight.

The prison provided us with snacks and water and prepared us a meal and omelet Pat Thai. We congregated outside and enjoyed the fresh Thai air, certainly better than our Fresno air. We were taken on a tour of the women’s work area after lunch. There are women in uniforms in a Marine type of posture surrounding an area and shielding the women prisoners sitting afar. They are like statues and expressionless standing erect with their hands behind their back palms open, right over left. Detailed and uniformed, they look straight ahead. We were taken to an area where they women cook bakery goods and have a sewing area. There is a store where we can taste some food and buy some. They are learning domestic skills so that when they get released they can be productive and work in a restaurant or factory. In contrast, in American men don’t need to learn those domestic skills because we just find and marry someone who has those skills already. I, for one, have those skills that I received in high school when I took a “Bachelor Living” course. We are taken back to the clinic and as we pass the women guards relax and go “At Ease” in sync. As it turns out, these “guards” are actually prisoners themselves who have earned their way up in the prisoner hierarchy who are close to being let out. We are impressed at their organization and discipline.

There was an obvious foreigner amongst them. There was a Norwegian guy who stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only was he collared by the authorities he had a collar on that signified some pardon so he would only have to serve have of his sentence. He said he, somehow, got a hold of someone else’s credit card=3 years time. Pastor spoke to him and the Norseman was glad to speak English to someone. Can you imagine him? His English is as foreign as a tribal language. Pastor asked if his parents were Christians. He said yes but they don’t want anything to do with him. Pastor asked if he thought about Christianity. He said yes because it seems that only Christians seem to care. Many are awaiting their court appearance while IN prison. Some have been waiting for over a year. The Thai legal system may be great for their country but I prefer OUR system where we are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

QUITING TIME

We close up shop. We tally our numbers and we have treated 687 patients in 3 days. In our last Thailand trip we treated around 1000 patients in two weeks. We’re cooking and we still can’t get to everyone. The numbers are high but as a team we still get disappointed.

We gather our things and it looks like they are going to let us out after all. We didn’t meet the warden or see all of the prisoners. Maybe we were lucky and got the nice prisoners. Richard is disappointed that he didn’t get to see the inside of the prison where the cells are and the inmates are kept. I suggested that he could of hit the guard. “I don’t want to see the cells, THAT bad!” he replied.

We are all prisoners of sin. Some are imprisoned and don’t have a way out. With sin there are consequences. We sin everyday but with God in our lives our sins are forgiven. God has given us that eternal “Get out of Jail Free” card: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and they are available to anyone who desires them. Don’t let Satan monopolize your life.

DAY 6: DESTINATION: SAHASARTSUKSA SCHOOL

2008-02-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

SMILE : )

We had a very different day today at the village school. Contrast today with yesterday where the villagers still live in last century or even the century before. Yesterday we visited the Akha Village and used the church to set up clinic. It ran very smoothly. We saw many of our former patients who remembered us and are still smiling when we saw them again. Some of the elders adorned their full Akha dress with elaborate headdress down to the shins. Many had no shoes. You see generations of the family come together. Some traveled 2 hours to get to this clinic for a consultation and treatment not even knowing if we could help them or not. Now, that is faith. Americans must look funny to them. Some, I’m sure haven’t even seen a “pale face”. Is that why they stare at the Jacks or Richard?

Maybe they’ve never seen someone so tall, an oddity to them. No, Richard I didn’t say you were odd (he’s so sensitive). They let us use the sacred sanctuary and changed it into a makeshift clinic. If Robin saw the mess we made he’d say “Holy sanctuary, Batman!” We reflect upon their gratitude displayed then and now and how they were impacted. CURING their medical or dental disease and CURING their poor eyes site seemed less significant to our CARING. Who in there right mind would travel half way around the world to treat people they don’t even know. I perform a lot of cosmetic surgery for thousands of dollars and taking off someone’s skin tags, all 30 of them, is as important to them as it is to someone getting a facelift. The “human touch” cures more than we think. Since many are laborers we treated a lot of tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome in addition to the usual aches and pains and colds. It was frustrating to see surgical conditions like a chronic sinus tract in the leg present for two years or a 2 inch pulsatile mass on the scalp that may full of blood ready to burst that would go untreated. We realized that we can’t help everyone but I hate that helpless feeling. It takes the sting out when we can see the success stories. Do me a favor. Take your glasses off just for a moment and look around and walk around. Do you dare drive? Are you legally blind? Picture those who see the world in a different light appreciating clarity for the first time after they receive their glasses. Those optometrists are awesome. Kudos and props to Dr. Chinn and Dr. Tajiri. Dr. Tajiri observed the “common language of laughter.” A smile goes a long way. On a sad note, the “fishermen” that we saw fishing on the lake were not fishermen at all. They were poking the waters looking for someone that had drowned. Life goes on.

CLASS IN SESSION

Not too far from the Inn is the SAHASARTSUKSA School. There are about 2000 children but we didn’t have to see all of them. Thank you God! We visited this school last year and set up shop in more modern facility than at the village. This school was initially established by our very own American Baptist Church missionary Mr. C. Carter in 1957. I can’t put it into words but it touches Pastor heart that the school has a Christian heritage and that Baptists that influenced a remote part of the world 50 years ago and that influence persists today. He especially feels the presence of the Lord here and that His work is present and flourishes. Is Pastor actually getting glassy eyed? Dr. Chinn, Pastor has something in his eye…a tear.

The school teaches K through 12th grade and is coed though the dorms are separate of course. This school comprises students of which 80% are from hillside tribes (primarily Akha). The other 20% are from local families. There are about 125 students here who have a parent in the Chiang Rai prison that we will visit tomorrow. So for most of the children this is boarding school and their families are either not accessible or too remote to visit regularly. When we arrived I think there was a school assembly. The children were aligned in the balconies facing this huge soccer field on each of the stories of the building. There were singing in unison and there were several young speakers talking through a PA system. We got a tour of the school in the morning before we started. The school is subsidized by the government. The children live in dormitories which look more like barracks in the military. We smile as we see that some of the beds are dressed with typical “girly” teenager type bedding with which we are all familiar. However, we are easily saddened by the fact that the thin blanket lies directly on particle board on which they sleep. Only a few have a “mattress” which is thinner than some dog crate liners we have for our pets. Some children can’t afford the comfortable bedding which costs about $30 US. We need to make more Doong for the fundraiser. We are impressed that the children do there own laundry. Here that kids? They each have a locker about the size of two school lockers at US high schools for all of their belongings. It’s cute to see the young children in their uniforms and we are attracted to the small group with pink hats waiting to go to the zoo. They crammed about 20 or so students into the packed truck but they looked liked they were having a good time. Kids will be kids.

We unload, load; story of our lives here. Richard is in charge of the boxes and bins. Bin there, done that. Richard has things contained. It takes about an hour to set up and an hour to break down. The day went very smooth. We saw 171 medical patients. The docs treated mostly upper respiratory illnesses. Dr. Owyang was in his own world. He spent about an hour with this one child running back and forth between patients. The child was lying down for a long time. Then he took the child to the bathroom. We hear a loud roar in the direction of the bathroom, “WHOAAAAAAH!_There was this huge chunk of ear wax that came out lying in the sink about an inch long. I thought we were going to need Drano. “I once was deaf, but now can hear.” Dr. Owyang was on a roll. He diagnosed something called “benign positional vertigo.” A child had seen several doctors and was told to do things differently so he wouldn’t get dizzy. Maybe take some OTC type drugs. He was running into things and strained his neck from bending over so much and trying to read. Dr. O taught him simple maneuvers to treat the inner ear (which had a stone floating around affecting the fluid) that controls balance so that the symptoms would be less and be less dizzy. It worked! The boy felt a noticeable improvement.

The dentists treated 73 patients. Vicki, you would be proud to see you boys in action. It was lacking a women’s touch but good thing Rachel is here. Tooth after tooth after tooth. Abscesses, rotten teeth, impacted wisdom teeth, and teeth that don’t belong there were pulled. Halitosis! is definitely not Hallelujah! Rachel is in dental heaven. You go girl. Maybe Bill can work for you when we get back to the States. They are working hard, working fast, working efficiently and it’s like watching a ballet, a Nutcracker. I tried picturing Richard in leotards but I warn you don’t EVEN try to imagine it. Ming did his usual translation: “Pain?” Patient nods. Next patient, “Pain?” Patient nods. The dental patients all have that peculiar look-the “Q-sign”. There mouth is wide open with a dental roll sticking out of the side.

When the optometrists were seen by the children, they were certainly a site for sore eyes. They treated 57 patients so they get credit for 114 eyes. So far Dr. Tajiri’s invention is a success. The children were amazed at how well they could see and read immediately after sporting their new shades. One ran with out stretched arms with the glasses tightly clutched in her hand running to show his friends. They read a lot and have straining and have headaches and fatigue as a result of them. Therefore, proper eyesight is imperative and welcomed with enthusiasm.
One optimistic patient even asked if we had rimless eyewear. So they gave him just the lenses.

TEARS OF ENDEARMENT

As we closed the evening devotion tonight a rarely seen moment of a teary-eyed, choked up Pastor described an incident today where three children were standing around him staring at him. He gazed away as if he didn’t noticed them and the kept staring. Then he looked at them and smiled. “Do you remember us?” one of them asked with youthful innocence. Pastor hesitated and said, “Yes…yes!” “We just wanted to know if you remember us.” It broke his heart of children just wanting to feel important and that someone cared. Kodak moment.

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER!

Okay (deep breath), I just got a call from Vicki Lowe. Its 12:30 pm HER time and 3:30 am MY time. Oh, she just happened to dial the wrong number! Lena’s phone is…6356. Mine is 6357. Jennifer’s, poor Jennifer who should have been here, is 6357 (please give her a call and give her your support. I should give you Bill’s so you can ring up his bill in Thailand! Okay, okay, enough, but “I love you Jen!”) You wonder why I can’t sleep through the night. I bet even Collette sleeps through the night.

“Well Mark, what are you doing?” “Sleeping.” “Oh, well since I have you on the phone, have you sent the next ejournal?” “How is it going?” “Well, REM was wonderful a moment ago…” “Vicky, no the next ejournal isn’t ready. I don’t know when I am going to send it. I can’t tell you how the day went, who we saw, and what we did. If you need to know NOW, please call Lester, HE may be up or you can read about it LATER! Do you have HIS number in your phone, otherwise I can give it to you.” “I appreciate you reading them, but come on, I can’t give you news “hot off the press” and I can’t tell you what I’m going to write about.” Then she said she just wanted to get in the ejournal. Well, she just suceeded. “What did you say, you’re breaking up, must be a bad connection”…click…oops we accidentally got disconnected.
Lester, I’m with you man. You see folks! There is just no way I make this stuff up. I am just taking notes, literally and mental, and just passing on the facts. There’s just no way to keep this ejournal short! Maybe someone can do a Cliff’s Note on this ejournal. Yeah, then maybe even the high schoolers will read it. “Good night, it was nice talking to you. Vicki, can we hang up now?”…………..Great, I can’t sleep….…..Where’s my computer……..Better yet, where’s the Ambien……No, better not, look at Anna Nicole and Heath Ledger…..where’s the mirror….Ewww, looser! Now where was I….REM.

DAY 5: DESTINATION-HUISAN AKHA VILLAGE

2008-02-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

February 18, 2008

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Be careful of what you say, it’ll show up in the journal”

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

Our bodies and souls are suffering big time jet lag but our enthusiasm is what drives us as we tap our energy reserves. Sometimes our bodies don’t know if they are coming or going. We wake up in the middle of the night and don’t know if we should be going to back to sleep or not. The pitch black darkness says closes your eyes. I woke up at 2:30 and guess what I was doing. At 4:30 pm Bill was out jogging and someone was loading something. A few can be heard snoring thru these thin walls and windows. But most of the time there is a peaceful calm now that the hectic part of the journey is over. 6:00 am arrives and the rooster crows like clockwork so we roll out of bed. I think we’ll be acclimated to the time zone today.

DUMPED (read to the theme of “Love Story”)

I have a bit of bad news to start the day. Brace yourself. Rumor has it that Andy left me for another man. Well, sadly it’s true but at least it was for an older man. We had just gotten together and were looking forward to being roommates for the next two weeks. I don’t blame him. The other guy IS better looking, affluent, experienced, likes to travel, and is financially secure. (He has a lot, I mean, A LOT more gray hairs than I do.) And we were getting along so well. Lena warned him about my messiness but I think I scared away Andy. I tried, I really tried. I even was straightening my bins and getting organized. He did comment that I left my underwear around but I was using them to dry my feet; I was willing to share them. We even started sharing DEET together. He was so cute he bought me water when we first arrived. Maybe it was my hacking and coughing in our tiny room that threatened him. I told him I was tested and I was “POSITIVE” for “HIV (Humor In Verse)”; I was truthful and this the thanks I get. HE was wearing the face mask and not me; I feel so guilty. I don’t know. As an ER nurse, I thought he is used to kids coughing, gagging, and stooling on him. He wasn’t specific, but I think it was the germs. Now I am beginning to be a little paranoid. I sense I am feeling quarantined, all alone. Either I am diseased or they don’t want to be journaled. People just don’t want to be around me. I don’t want to be like Typhoid Mary so maybe it’s for the better. Anyway he abandoned me and left me with the room to myself. His last words were, “It doesn’t matter now, you can make as big a mess as you want… you, you hacker!” It’s not a virus I told him, but bacteria. He just wouldn’t listen. His new roommate is you guessed it, Dr. Pedro Obregon, extraordinaire, head honcho. How do I compete with HIM. He’s a living legend, and icon. I thought Andy liked Chinese food! Maybe it was my Oriental orientation. They are both Filipino and I’m sure that they’ll have a lot more in common to talk about. It’s not unusual for doctors and nurses to get together. I just didn’t see it coming. They’ll make a cute couple. I have no animosity and I blame myself. I am happy for you Andy but if there is someway we can get back together; well, I’d like that. I’ll try to get back into shape and I know I let myself go. I look pitiful. With Laos, there’s still hope. Now he sits at the far end of the table from me, with I can’t say it, Dr. “O.” (Why do they call him Dr. O? J. And I don’t even have Jennifer here to console me because of you-know-who! Sigh! Thank you for letting me use this journal to vent; I feel better now that this stuff is off my chest. I just wanted to clear the air.

DÉJÀ VU

After a brief breakfast of culinary delight we packed up our bags and loaded the trucks and vans. Richard is our main (PAC) MAN. He’s da beast. Don’t get in his way. Not bad shape for an old…uh…Not bad shape, that Richard, must have been born Year of the OX. Luka tricked us and gave us a smaller truck but we just adjusted. We were all in our blue Smurf uniforms. Who picked that color anyway? It’s common to see Dr. Patton wearing his fishing vest. He’s a fisher of men, you know. Ben and Gerry took pictures in an old bicycle rickshaw. Those newlyweds are always so playful. As a proud American, I was wearing my Red, White, and Blue Harley Davidson dew rag (it looks like a surgical cap). I hope I don’t get shot. We loaded up in the vans which were quite comfortable. Last time we were like packed sardines. We headed to the Huisan Akha Village, Luka’s home town. Déjà vu. We visited this village the last time. The roads were familiar but not as treacherous since the dirt roads were relatively dry, albeit, still bumpy. If there was snow on them they would be challenging moguls. Last time was during monsoon season so now it was a lot drier and safer. We did approach this lake with two boats apparently pole fishing. This lake turned into a river that crossed our path. Again, we crossed carefully because to the left of us there was the drop off. Hey it looks just like an infinity pool! We waved at the villagers as they saw Luka’s all familiar truck and caravan approach the church where we were setting up clinic.

The ride was uneventful and when we arrived at the church, again, it was unforgettable. We saw many new and familiar faces. The patients with big grins displaying their crooked red beetle-bug-juice teeth greeted us with anticipation. There were dozens of patients already in line to for medical, dental, and eye care. Luka introduced us while Dr. Obregon addressed the people explaining that we were a team from Fresno who traveled all this way to provide free medical care. We were a group of Christians that wanted to serve God with our talents and efforts unconditionally. He wanted to teach by example. We cleared out the sancturary to set up clinic. While the sanctuary may be felt as sacred and taboo to work in, it was fitting that this is what God provided to these people and what better place to be working in a temple of God?

NOW, MEET THE DREAM TEAM

Pastor Danny Jack, Dr.Psch. has been out to pastor for 37 years, no bull! He is our spiritual leader and psychological counselor. He makes sure we are accountable to God. That is why we are here on this mission. It is our duty to God. Can’t you see Him smiling. Pastor is our commissioner. We are to go forth to all nations (Is Thailand a nation?) and be witnesses and spread the Good News. Pastor keeps us humble. We thank God for the talents in which we are blessed so that we can contribute to the success of this mission and give praise to God. He is the bouncer at the front door and no one gets by him unless he wants to. He let’s everyone through. His motto is, “What have you done for God lately? Well then, get off of your Blessed Assurance!”

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING…andre agassi

Richard Bruce is in a class by himself. Not only is he our general helper but he is a specialist in efficiency. He’s the traffic cop directing traffic so that the team will run smoothly like a well-oiled machine. “Stop! Okay, Go!” He’s our brawn because who really likes manual labor? It would be hard to do this trip without Richard. We try to stay out of his way. He is part of the dental team. He earned his DDS (doctor of dental support) last year and cleans instruments so that the dentists can have that production line. He really does smile and really he is a nice guy but don’t let on you know. His motto is “Help me, don’t hinder me.”

TURNING A BLIND EYE

The optometrists, Dr. Chinn and Tajiri set up shop center stage. It looked like a workshop with Dr. Tajiri grinding away with his invention. He’s quite an inventor of many things. This one being a machine that can make accurate lenses and frames in the field in 15, yes 15 minutes! This is sort of the trial run to see how it can apply to helping indigent populations in mass quantities with limited time. He started a foundation to help the indigent. Kudos to Dr. Akiri Tajiri! Before, old glasses were given out and one eye might be good but not the other or people picked glasses, not for the prescription, but rather for the style of frames. Don’t we do that too? Our very own Dr. Chinn needs no introduction. He’s been practicing optometry for 55 years treating many of us. He uses this “gun”, the PAR or portable automatic refractor aimed at the eye and like a marksman is able to determine the necessary correction. He’s yelling out numbers “-.75 left eye, -.5 right eye, circle 9, etc.” during the eye exam. A veteran on mission trips he helps Dr. Tajiri give the gift of sight. The prescription is taken to Dr. TJ and the lenses are carved out carefully. One after another it is a production line. With Dr. Tajiri’s experience together they have provided over 111 years of optometric care and are still going! Many of the patients are so pleased the patients grab at the team and shake their hands with newly found enthusiasm and new sight. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. They’re team players since there is no “I” in optometry. Even at 81 years old Dr. Tajiri’s dexterity is great even though his fingers have been cramping up. He also huddles over his grinding wheel which cramps his neck. He’s one of the first to receive a Thai massage this trip. We don’t know if there was a “happy ending.” Their motto is “I once was blind but now can see!”…sing it baby!

STEPFORD NURSES

Gerry Wu, RN was a clinic nurse for three years before she became a wet nurse raising three children. Gerry does a lot of the recordings and help fit the glasses. When she’s not flirting with Ben (those newlyweds!), she’s all over the place wherever the need arise. She works in many departments such as triage and optometry. She was on the first Thailand mission where the steamy romance between Ben and Gerry definitely melted more than ice cream. Gail Ho, RN is Mrs. Team Leader. Make no mistake of her loyalty to her husband (even though she said it’s too bad that Jennifer isn’t here). She’s Bill right hand woman and his rock of Gibraltar. Gail does the eye chart exams and always has that caring smile even when a patient might say “What chart?” Cindy’s practicing the sign language they developed to check the eyesight to dodge the language barrier. They use three fingers pointing north=W, to the right=E, to the left=backwards E, down=M. You get the picture. She also helps with triage collecting vital signs. Andy Alejo, RN is usually at the front of the line receiving patients and leans the docs toward the diagnosis. It makes it easier to direct which patient to the appropriate medical or surgical doc. This is the first time Andy’s been out of the continent and his first medical mission trip. He fulfilled the male quoto for the RN staff. It is a well known fact that Arlene Jack, RN wears the pants in the family. Her leadership is well appreciated and is an asset on the team. It is a privilege to have her be my first assistant in surgery. Although we do not expect any obstetric emergencies we’ll help HER deliver the babies. Ming Chong, RN (15 years) is our very own mental health nurse and our main guide in Thailand. It’s a little known fact that Ming is a big shot in Thailand, at least that’s what Ming says. He is the Thailand Connection and makes the trips run smoothly making arrangements far in advance. He keeps us out of trouble by informing us of Thai’s custom so we don’t embarrass ourselves or him. The nurses are always smiling no matter what occurs. Their motto is “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit!”

DRUGS Rx US

The unsung heroes in the medical dept. are our pharmacists. Sure the docs can call on their diagnostic skills and medical acumen to diagnose the most exotic and unusual diseases from a tse tse fly infection to pneumonoultramicroscopicsilico volcanoconiosis (Fact: longest word in the English language). But what use is it if we can’t treat it. If we don’t have the meds, “Good Luck” doesn’t carry much weight. Dr. Ben Jue has been semi-retired with 52 years peddling drugs. Gerry says he’s not retired. I believe that, how could he, he has an expensive wife. Gerry, while opened her mouth and then slowly closed it, offered not rebuttal. Ain’t that the truth! Dr. David Chow (37 years, no not his age, look at him), whom I’m finding has a dry sense of humor (I kind of like him) has be dealing drugs since he was a teenager. His first job was in a drug store as a youth. Together they have amassed a collection of tens of thousands of pills, which they have to sort, count, bag, and label to distribute to the patients as they walk out of the clinic. And still, we are only giving partial treatment to help their ailments. What they don’t have or what we need they hit the streets and buy more drugs to maintain an adequate inventory. “We give what we can” is their motto. Their work is definitely addicting.

DR. MARCUS WELBY WOULD BE PROUD

The medical doctors are an eclectic group of fleas. We are the last to get off of a dying dog. Dr. Patton (37 years) recently came out of retirement to go on this trip. His years of dedication in Family Practice is invaluable to the treatment of youth and old alike. His gentle approach with the patients and soft spoken words of compassion comfort each of his patients. I might try that; I kind of like that. In this corner we have Dr. Doug Owyang (32 years), noted kung-fu master is well experienced in martial and marital arts. He always finds a way to defeat his opponent: disease with laughter and humility. He had one young lady that recently gained weight, complained of abdominal pain, and nausea in the morning. Oh yes, she also missed her period. He did not want to alarm her with the surprise. The diagnosis was lost in translation, however. “I think I know what the problem is. You’re Estimated Date of Confinement is September 15^th.” She didn’t understand. “The rabbit died.” So, Dr. Owyang loosened his kung grip around her arm and said “You’re with child.” “No, I’m a newlywed”, she replies. In America at least they understand “You’re knocked up, do you know who the father is?” He gently said, “You’re pregnant.” Surprise, surprise, surprise. She’s going to name the child, Doug, if it’s a boy. Dr. Obregon has been practicing medicine for 48 years primarily general surgery. In 1994 he retired as a surgeon but has been working with MMI (Medical Ministry International) by volunteering his services for medical missions since 1986. He is now full time with MMI
even at 78 years old he has worked up to12 missions per year! This is his 117^th medical mission and he has been our team leader for the past two missions to Thailand. His vast experience in medical and surgical allows him to treat a diversity of illness and we welcome his expertise. Dr. Mark Chin, plastic surgeon (15 years), like him or not has been on the last two missions to Thailand. Admittedly he is a vain doctor, and people pay him good money to be one. It has been questioned on his value to the team since if he spends so much time writing ejournals, what else does he do? Like a vampire, he likes the sight of blood and his motto is “Have scalpel will travel.” Just tell me when to show up.

A TOOTH FAIRY’S WORSE NIGHTMARE

The dentists are in a league of their own. They are in the major league and make a major contribution to the team, all without steroids. They are the BLUE Collar workers, that’s why they picked blue scrubs I guess. They produce and produce. While they do primarily extractions, the do restorative dentistry as well, that is, restoring the patients dental health, self esteem, and hygiene. Bill Ho, DDS (27 years) is the leader of the pack. While currently between jobs (since he is a self-made guzillionaire) his humbleness is beyond comparison. While it isn’t easy to be in charge and diplomatic, he makes decision in a congenial manner and in a respectful and thoughtful way. I respect that. Some decisions are hard to make but he has wisdom and foresight beyond the comprehension of some doting fathers. It’s great to have someone plan things out and tell you where to show up. Thanks Bill for inviting me along for the ride. Larry Lowe, DDS (27 years) is a jolly ole guy. He is a great helper and does not have a mean bone in his body. Larry’s a reliable guy and can tackle anything you throw at him. He does amazing things with those patients balanced one one or two legs of the chairs and contorts his body to get that last cavity or diseased tooth out. Lester Lowe, DDS (25 years) is the 2^nd body of the tag team. The Lowes are always in sync and know how to keep things flowing. You can throw any tooth there way and the pile them up for the tooth fairy. You have to stay alert for Lester’s humor or it might just go over your head. He’s responsible for that great DVD last trip and I have no doubt that he is planning another one just as great as last. We look forward to the sequel. And last but not least is Rachel Jack, DDS (rookie) whose daddy must be really proud of having a doctor in the family. She holds her own next to the old farts bringing new energy and vigor and eyesight and the lastest techniques in tooth extraction abandoning the antiquated ways of the 20^th century (i.e. dental floss around the door knob technique.) She may not see pathology as bad as it is here compared to the States but rest assured that she is ready and willing to tackle anything that comes her way.

There you have the lineup for this years FCBC Medical Mission Team. Today we collectively treated 60 patients (or 120 eyes) many who received glasses, 80 medical patients with a few surgeries, and 40 dental patients who had multiple problems in many different teeth. Most of the patients received some type of treatment and a handful of patients did not require actual medical care. We all felt that we had a good day.

INTO THE SUNSET

We wrapped it and the team dinner congregating in the hotel restaurant. Pastor led us with some singing, which we are not proud of, and we had a devotion from the book that he had prepared for us. The lesson was on witness, serving, and sacrifice. We had Thai food and for dessert we had a special treat: Birthday Cake! Who’s birthday you may ask? We celebrated Jack’s birthday which arrived today and Cindy’s is on the 23^rd of February. They’re at the stage where you don’t ask them how old you are. It’s just better to tell someone your age or they will find out another way anyway. We had 2 ice cream cakes. We will celebrate Cindy’s soon with a Thai tradition. They also believe in spanking on birthdays (no one brought it up for Dr. Patton.) So 18 members times her age adds up to a load of spanking which will take a lot time. But we don’t mind getting a little behind.

Bill felt that the day went great. Mark’s Motto: “If Bill’s happy, we’re all happy!”

FINE

MISSION: mmmPossible II

2008-02-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

February 15-16/17, 2008

Day 1-2: Fresno to Los Angeles to Japan to Bangkok to Chiang Rai.

WARNING: I HAD A LOT OF TIME TO KILL AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS……REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT REQUIRED READING

DISCLAIMER: I SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP ME BILL….NOT!

TURN OF THE (HALF) CENTURY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our fearless leader Bill Ho. Today is his actual birthday and he decided to spend it with us. Bill, we all know, is a humble guy and mild mannered who usually keeps a low profile. However, this is different. It’s the BIG 5-0 +!, give or take. (Hey Bill you don’t look a day over 60… but don’t worry I know a good plastic surgeon that can help you.) Actually, the celebration of Bill’s birthday started with a HUGE pot luck at the church last weekend. Over 200 people attended. We intentionally made it look like we were celebrating Chinese New Year but it was really for Bill’s birthday. It was very festive. We just didn’t bring out the cake because “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”. He’s a shy guy you know. Then, he invited a select few to this great big party (sorry if you weren’t on the “Invited Guest List”), got Richard Bruce to rent this fancy tour bus and is taking us to LA and we will be flying on his chartered plane to an exotic destination. He’s been planning this big bash in Thailand for the past year. There will be several dignitaries that will be greeting Bill and his entourage there. Then he’s taking us to the capital of Laos, Vientienne. We might even get to meet the President or Dictator or whosever in charge there. I’m not worried that it’s a communist country; Bill has connections and promised us to get us out. Right Bill? Otherwise Richard will get us out. I think he still has those CIA connections. Then Bill plans to go on a shopping spree in Bangkok and see his friend Pong at the Jewelry Mart. Bill’s gonna be the “Bling King”, maybe get those 24K grills he’s been talking about with a diamond stud. He be phat instead of thin. We’ll be at this 5 star hotel and he will get a Thai massage, have palm leafs waving on him to keep him cool during his manicure while sipping Mai Tais and arranged Thai babes to feed him bananas and papayas and sushi all before we return to the states. And get this; this is the best part. HE GOT FCBC TO PAY FOR IT!!!!!!!!!! He’s a clever guy you know. I mean “resourceful.” Can’t you just picture him LOL (laugh out loud) “Ho, Ho, Ho or Ha, Ha, Ha?” I feel so privileged to be invited….Hey Bill, where we going next year? We’d better make a lot at the next Doong fundraiser ‘cause you’ll have to top this year.

So we all gathered today at the church at 1:00 pm for the send off. We all had our bracelets that Pastor made for us saying: FCBC Medical Mission Team Matthew 28:19. I guess if some of us get separated from the herd, they can corral us together. Some kind of branding, I guess. Some of us had to take work off and the dentists cancelled there tee-off. What a sacrifice. That is this year’s theme: SACRIFICE. The FCBC Medical Mission Team (shouldn’t it be Medical-Dental or Dental-Medical or Medical-Dental-Optometrical-Pharmaceutical-Nursical-General Helperical-Pastorical Team to be politically correct?). Eighteen members and our 36 pieces of luggage/boxes plus carry-ons showed up. Our group is definitely a wide load. Our loving fans and family took the time off work and school and took the time to send us off. Sacrifice. Thank you Lena, Ali, Jennifer, Lindsey, Courtney, Britni, Mary, Herb, Vicki, Dr. Mau, Diane, Vi, Nanette, Dr. Fung, Jerry, Gerlene, Joanne, Edmond, Jeannie, Chris, Sylvia, Sharon, Irene and friend, Liz, Collette, Larry, Moe, Curley. I know I may have forgotten someone, but thank you EVERYONE present, past, and future for your well wishes, encouragement and prayers. Who knows if they’re going to see us again? I know DON”T SAY THAT! We took photos and gave hugs and kisses. Bailey (Lowe’s Yorki-poo) and Kona (our Shih-poo) were sad to see us go and whimpered. Kona protested and left me a present on the parking lot so as to have something to remember him by. Bill donned his birthday hat and finally got his birthday cake, made a wish, and blew out the candle. He was going to change into his birthday suit but we had to go, thank goodness! Thank you all that showed up and gave us your support. See you back again at 12 midnight Sunday March 2 (which is really Monday am). Please bring food and change of clothing!

AND THEY’RE OFF!

Quite frankly, we stumbled out of the starting gate. Kinda like Barbaro, may he rest in peace. We got onto 41 and it was congested already. It must have been the 3 day weekend. It looked like it was the start of a long drive so I decided to take a nap, my long needed beauty sleep. When I woke up it looked like we were lost. We were off the freeway along some frontage road zig zagging along country roads. How do you get lost in Fresno County. We were near Ave 80 trying to find the entrance. I have to blame Richard. This so-called “luxury bus” didn’t even have navigational GPS. He was riding shotgun telling the driver to “turn right, no left.” “Get around the traffic.” At one point we were so far into the boonies Pastor asked “Are we in Chiang Rai?” Are they trying to find a short cut to LA? I think the driver was on the verge of asking Richard if HE wanted to drive. Richard, go for it! All of us were wondering if we were going to make it on time for our flight. So four-five hours on the road. We found the highway and as Willy Nelson would say, “Were on the road again”, you know that catchy tune.

It’s only 3 pm and 80 % of us are sleeping. It must be the peace of having the camaraderie and love of brothers and sisters in Christ permeating throughout the bus cabin. Or maybe were just dog tired at the end of our 50 hour work week. I favor the latter. With all this love and joy it’s surreal. (It’s also is a little nauseating or maybe it’s just the bus ride. We’re just killing time hoping to wake up and arrive at our destination. “Are we there yet?” This is actually the short part of our journey. It is estimated that we have to travel over 30 hours door-to-door. I look around and see the serenity of peaceful individuals during the cat nap. A daughter with her head on her mommy’s shoulder napping like in the olden days with the father, nose in the air snoring, gasping, choking due to possible sleep apnea. There is one who sleeping so peaceful with his blankey wrapped around his bald head shielding the rays of light passing through the window. Then there’s the one wearing the visor to cover his eyes and the newlyweds cuddling together resting their heads together like there’s no tomorrow. I smile as I see the man whose sunglasses barely block the eyes and I can see his eyes struggling to keep them open while bouncing his head up and down like a bubble head. Then I realize “Wait! He’s the driver!” He needs Pepsi Max! And it suddenly it dawns on me, I’M THE ONLY ONE WORKING! Pastor overheard me and said “It’s about time”. I think he was talking in his sleep. I have to say, what dedication I have. Thank you Mark. I’m welcome. This journaling will keep me busy; I hope I have time to see a few patients in the meantime. I’m still sulking because I didn’t have much recreational time last time due to my after hours journalistic duties. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy doing these journals but Get Katie Couric to cover it next time. And the dentists got Fridays off last time on our mission trip. Bill seemed to strategically schedule a few days off for R & R (recovery and relaxation). And this trip he said “Luka was nice to us and gave us Friday off.” We don’t even get President’s day off. Hmmm. Sounds suspicious. Well it is Bill’s birthday were celebrating. I didn’t get a chance to go to those famous Thai massage parlors like my colleagues did last time. I might try one on my aching body while I’m in Thailand this time. Purely for medical therapeutic reasons, of course. Don’t worry Lena, I’ll choose a man masseuse. (I’m secure with my sexual orientation.) Funny though, you can’t really tell what some of them are or were. What is the Thai Tickle anyway? What is Tongue-Thaied? Or Thaied UP?

Incidentally, I almost forgot my medical bin (I would have caught heck from Bill!) and I DID forget my computer bag (Thanks Lena for dashing back home). If I forgot that, these ejournal entries would be a lot shorter since I would have had to do them at the internet café like last time instead of at my leisure. Would have been like a short story. Not that I intend to write a book either (what a novel idea?). These entries are mostly on-the-fly thoughts what God happens to pop into my mind at the time so if some of this doesn’t make sense when you read this I may be speaking in tongues. Kind of scary to me. Sometimes I might be mumbling or not making sense. Did that make sense? I have this excuse that I am on prescription medication or it is 3 am and typing in my sleep. So if it seems cloudy, I am not responsible for what is written. I’ll try not to ramble. Lena says I ramble. Sometimes I ramble when I don’t have anything to say. Sometimes I don’t know I’m rambling. Am I rambling now? Do you think I ramble? You can call me Rambo then. What I think is what you get. Enjoy, or not. Fact or fiction, you decide. You have to be a little patient and lenient since I am “volunteering” to journal. Well the truth is that the only way I got to go on this trip is to make myself useful. Bill made me do it. So I’ll try to be productive as the East-West Correspondent and when I have time I’ll play doctor. Free physicals anyone?

We stopped near Bakersfield where we, in Kona’s language, peed and pooped and got fed. It was our last authentic American meal. Truly the epitome of a typical family meal. McDonalds. It’s scary when it says over 10 billion people served. It’s no coincidence then that there are millions of us that are are phat. I didn’t want to use the “O” word either. But I am grateful for the fast food industry. It keeps me busy sucking fat and nip and tucking. Ever see my license plate “TUMY TUK” and “NIPNTUX”? Now that’s a fact. The good news is that I don’t have to hold that sign on the street corners anymore: “WILL SUCK FAT FOR FOOD”. So really the fast food industry has put my kids through college. Kop coon crop! (Thank you in Thai).

Where are we? We must be approaching LA. It’s a slugfest. It really isn’t fun traveling on California roadways. We are in this huge bus traveling 85 mph, cars still are passing us, and we are in the car pool lane. I can reach out and touch the semi-truck next to me (if I had a spray can I could put graffiti on it-LA or bust). Then we hit LA traffic. Snail’s pace. Welcome to LA. We are still wondering if we are going to make it to our flight in time. We have no seatbelts mind you. Kind of like Chiang Rai, though I trust Thai drivers more than US drivers.

And this typing during riding is getting me carsick. So if there are some misspelli ngs, the ke ystrokes get stuck innnnnnnn my vomitussss…….along with the bumpppy riddddeee.

(Okay, this is a good time for a break. You can always put this down you know.)

COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN

Okay, I don’t want any sympathy but I’m sick. Chinese New Year/Bill’s party was apparently too much for me. I have come down with a URI (upper respiratory illness) over the past week. Fact. My doctor says, “Don’t worry but your TB is not contagious.” Okay so I trust him, he’s a doctor. So I haven’t alerted my mission team so not to worry them and I don’t want to be kept off the airlines. They will find out when they read the ejournal later. I have been on two antibiotics, cough medication, decongestants. The bronchitis or pneumonia is barely clearing up but I have cold symptoms on top of hacking up green/brown phlegm. Don’t get grossed out, we are all adults. My cough is barely suppressed by the dextromethorphan. I might need big guns like narcotics. I’m afraid I’m going to contaminate the team. My congestions scares me because even over the Grapevine my ears couldn’t get unplugged even by chewing gum and pseudofed and we are going to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet in a pressurized cabin. I might be confused with a crying infant whose ears won’t pop. My carry on is like a medicine cabinet from A to Z. There is Airborne, albuterol inhaler, Advil, antacid, anti-diarrheal, anti-gas, anti-fungal, aspirin, Avelox, benadryl, Claritin, Cold Eeze, dextromethorphan, doxycycline, hydrocortisone, Lactaid, Naprosyn, Pepto-Bismol, prednisone, pseudophed, Tamiflu, Viagra (how’d that get there? It’s not mine, I swear!) vicodin, Vivarin, Zantac, Zicam, and Zithromax. That’s MY personal pharmacy. No, I’m not a hypochondriac. I’m 50. Okay, things break and fall apart. All I have to say is that it’s a good thing we have a backup pharmacy. I didn’t want to be caught pilfering the pharmacy stock lest some poor needy Thai or Laotian need that last dose of antibiotic. Those drug dealers, Ben and David have a round the clock watch on those pharmaceuticals. I am so ill that Bill had to quarantine me in Business Class! I’ll be away from all my friends and colleagues for 20 hours during the flight. I hope that the lobster and champagne dinner and wide body seats will allow me to cry myself to sleep; I will be so miserable and lonely. It’s a pitiful sight to see a grown man cry.

It’s not just the physical but we have to be emotionally prepared on this trip as well. This is REALLY bad. Most of all I feel crummy since Bill nixed the idea of having my sweet, loving, kind, gentle, dedicated daughter, Jennifer, whom many of you have seen growing up into a mature and responsible women, come with me on this mission trip. Yes, she was making herself available and miss school to come with me to not only take care of me but try to fill the void of since one of the members couldn’t come due to family health issues. She could have been another general helper or a surgical assistant. She even bought me a cane for Christmas noting my declining state. Patty Kunkel had reserved tickets and she could have accompanied me in my fragile state. And I’M going to take care of others in Thailand? Who’s taking care of me? They are going to look at me with pity and say I should be standing in line to get treated. That guy looks sicker than we are. Go to the front of the line, old man. Jennifer even brought her passport with her in the hopes of a last minute reversal in decisions from the powers that be and that Bill would find it in himself to be compassionate. But NoooOOOooo! Was it because she was a relative? Oh, didn’t Bill bring his wife, Gail? Didn’t Pastor bring his wife and HIS daughter. Didn’t Lester bring his wife on last trip and brought his brother this trip. And didn’t Larry bring Lester on this trip too? Or Lester bring Larry. And didn’t Ben bring Gerry last time who was his girlfriend-soon-to-be-wife and bring the new wife now. Is my rambling making sense?! Well, what was it. Do you not like me? One more paper to sign to much for you? No medical or dental experience? Hey, I don’t have much medical experience. I’m a surgeon. When in doubt, cut it out! Cut to cure! No blood on this trip expected. Jennifer always was fond of you,Uncle Bill. Did Dustin and Jennifer have a clandestine relationship in high school and she dumped him? Was it too last minute only 5 days to go? Is Bill saddened that one of HIS daughters in not going? She could have been useful. I don’t know how much strength I have now to continue to write these emails. It might be this from now on:

To Whom It May Concern: Stop. We made it to Chiang Rai. Stop. We’re okay. Stop. See you in 14 days. Stop. Send money. Stop. Send help. Stop. We sincerely miss each and everyone of you (please pass this message on). Stop. Love. Stop. FCBC Medical Mission Team.

She could have continued the ejournals in my absence. WELL THEN, WHAT WAS IT BILL? Okay people, YOU ask him when he gets back or deluge his email at britni@britniho.com Bill’s lucky he’s not rooming with me this trip or he would have heard it from me every day and night. It will be only every day now. It could have been a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know Bill, “Get over it!” I hope I make it back from this trip. Next time I sign up for mission trip it will be Mark and Jennifer Chin.

Well, at least Jennifer was there to console my youngest precious daughter, Allison, holding her head while she wiped away the tears as the bus drove into the sunset. Oh, that was Lindsey Lowe. By the way I will be missing Allison’s 16^th birthday on February 25 (so give her a call or text her). Can you imagine! Sweet 16 and never been kissed! (Hey, an old man can wish can’t he). I’m a terrible father. I could have been a better father to Jennifer had she been able to come along...But NoooOOOooo! I’m a terrible father. You try telling them that God is first. Spouse is 2^nd. Children are 3^rd. Hey kids, I didn’t make the rules. Now I have to wire them money and be a good father. Well, I guess Ali’s now going to get that Hummer that she wanted when she was twelve. She’s smart. She doesn’t want the Jags, too many repairs.

ALL ABOARD!

We finally arrived at LAX in one piece. We had a pleasant greeting from Kelly Lowe and her fiancé Adrian at the airport. I didn’t know who that guy was eyeing our luggage. I was watching him as he was watching our stuff. But then I found out he was with Kelly. His oldest daughter wanted to say goodbye to him. What a sweetheart. At one point, Lester did refer to him as a son-in-law (Freudian slip?). Is that news to you Vicki? Stacy (Chinn) and her husband Doug saw us off too and helped us with the luggage. Kelly’s going home for the 3-day, drive carefully! I think Andrian’s driving anyway. She doesn’t like highways, I’m told.

We met up with Cindy Wu (you remember Cindy?) minus Dr. Bob Wu. I’ll have to digress, again, for a moment. Here’s a little known fact. Bob and Cindy are why Mark and Lena & Co. are at FCBC. I met Bob at Medical College of Virginia in 1982. I was a first year medical student and he was applying for a position in 1993. I think being Asian attracted us toward one another. Remember we were in Virginia where one light-colored-skin guy asked with a thick Southern drawl which restaurant I worked at. With my perfect English, I said I don’t. I work at a downtown Chinese laundry. He nodded his head like that sounds about right. Well I approached Bob sitting in the lobby and I said, “You who! You new?” “Who me?” I’m Bob Wu.” “Who?”, I asked. “Wu.” “You Wu?” “Yeah.” “You married?” I asked. “Yes” “To Who? “No, Wu” “No, to who?” “To Cindy Wu who was Woo and now is still Wu.” “Who to? Cindy Woo-Wu?” “No, Cindy Wu.” “Cindy Woo?” “No Wu now.” I said, “New Wu?” “Yeah, You too?” he asked. “Me Wu?, no I’m Chin.” “No, married?” “To a Woo?” I asked. “NO!” “To a Wu?” “NOOO!” (You know Bob, impatient! Sheeze!) “No I’m married to Lena Chin who was Wong before me. “Wrong for you he asked?” “No, she was right for me, not wrong, but Wong.” “You married the Wong girl?” “Wrong?” “No, Wong.” “That’s right. She was definitely the Wong girl for me.” “I’m from California.” “Me too” he says, “from Fresno.” I paused and with a puzzled look said “Isn’t that where you get gas on the way to Yosemite?” He said, somewhat embarrassed, “Yeah.” Well lo and behold, to make a long story short (like this “email”, Bob went to MCV. I graduated a year earlier and went to Loma Linda University Medical Center for a surgical residency. Then a year after I started guess who showed up at Loma Linda? Bob Wu, that’s who! He went into anesthesia and graduated before me and moved back to Fresno. Then when we moved to Fresno in 1993 after my training, guess who I ran into. Bob Wu, that’s who. “And Cindy, is she still Wu, not Woo?” (Okay, I’ll spare you.) Then he invited us to the First Chinese Baptist Church. Since we were American Baptist it couldn’t be better with all the Chinese culture and the rest is history. Thank you Bob and Cindy, you were a blessing to us. God works in unexpected ways.

Now, to a more serious note. Dr. Bob Wu is MIA. Both Bob and Cindy were planning to make this trip together. Bob recently was in Burma/Myanmar helping out with the Mae Sot Clinic and wanted to extend the trip through there. Anyway, Cindy’s parents Dr. Joseph Woo and Mable were going to watch the kids, Jocie and John John in Tacoma, Washington while the Wu’s were away. But Dr. Woo was under the weather. I think its common knowledge since Dr. Fung was telling me so I assume everyone knows. So Bob had to stay home with the kids and be a good father. We miss you Bob. Better luck next time. Get well soon Dr. Woo. Our prayers are with you. Maybe both Drs. Wu and Woo can come next trip!

So Cindy and I (and Bob) happened to bumped up to Business Class (Thank you God!) and the rest were not in 1^st class so I guess they are in 2^nd class, like 2^nd class citizens I guess. Cindy and I actually were able to sit together but I didn’t want to breathe on her for 18 hours and give her my germs. She didn’t want me to either but I gave up my seat so an elderly couple could sit together. Well there certainly has not been Christian attitude on display by the medical/dental team I must say. It must be the insomnia making them irritable. All these innuendos of prima dona, spoiled, eccentric, hoity toity, came flying my way. While these things may be true, come on and I think I deserved it they don’t have to display their envy (Commandment 10: do not covet your neighbor’s anything.) I’m still recovering and gravely ill so it’s the equivalent to like an ICU bed. You know I need more attention. Otherwise what good am I in a compromised state? I need my rest. Did you see that menu? Roast duck, scallops, prawns, stuffed salmon roll with cream cheese, wine and champagne. I heard that Economy got what we didn’t eat (Ask Ben and Gerry). I did visit the back of the plane and it was quite embarrassing. There was almost a mutiny led by the FCBC group. They were chanting “Food! Food! Food!” “We want Food!” I went back to see what all the ruckus was. Pastor yelled at me “Go back where you belong!” (there were witnesses). Someone else said “I’ll tell you where to go!” Whoa! So I retreated and crawled back into my double wide seat with full reclining capabilities with more adjustments than my Jag where I can even turn on my side and sleep. Fact.

I’m confused. This whole time zone issue. We just lost a day. I guess time really does fly. We’re about 15 hours ahead of you so when you read the day’s happening on the email, it’s going to happen. Like looking into the future I guess. Go figure.

We just landed in Bangkok, Feb 17, THANK YOU GOD!

I’ll let you guys rest. Go back to bed cause we are. I haven’t stop writing as you can tell and now I have writer’s cramp. On a final note today I realized that no matter how many breath mints you eat, it doesn’t cover up 30 hours of body odor.

If you made it this far in one sitting, thank you for your undivided attention Sorry it was so lengthy, kind of like Chinese torture reading it: When will it all end? I’m tired now.

See you tomorrow….Rambo

We're leaving for Thailand and Laos!

2008-02-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

Pastor Commissioning the 2008 Medical Mission Team

February 15th we leave for Thailand!!
We will be departing FCBC at 2:00pm sharp by bus
Please come and see us off!