Welcome back to 2-2-2 Tuesday!
Here are 2 Cultural Highlights, 2 Quotes, and 2 Brief Stories for you to enjoy.
Inspired by Ramate and Tikal, Guatemala
2 CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS
1. A Bit of Mayan Magic.
Last Sunday, Farah and I arrived in Flores, Guatemala prior to starting another medical trip. With our new friend, Olivario, we explored the ancient ruins of Tikal, Guatemala. Olivario’s deep roots and love for Mayan culture made him the perfect guide.
This ancient Mayan civilization is flush in the heart of the jungle. And while it’s a tall task to describe the mind expanding experience that comes from contemplating ancient empires, I’ll share a couple of highlights. Let’s just say Olivario delivered the goods. At one point, he stood directly between two massive ancient Mayan temples, he clapped his hands. Firmly. Slowly. Repeatedly.
Created by the sound waves bouncing off the ancient temple walls, the song of the Quetzal filled the air. What’s a Quetzal? She’s the Guatemalan National Bird, featuring beautiful bright colors. Her brilliant blue/green long tail is one of a kind.
Would you believe that some structures in this region date back to the fourth century BC? Mind blowing. As sunset approached, we silently sat on top of a pyramid. We watched spider monkeys swing, toucans soar, and parrots glide between trees. Do you believe in magic?
2. Human Sacrifices?
The Mayans inspired us with many aspects of their traditions. Other rituals creeped us out a bit. As it turns out, crocodiles, iguanas, turkeys, jaguars, and dogs were sacrificed. Yes. Even dogs 🙁
Humans were considered the ultimate sacrifice. Victims were reportedly placed on an altar with their chests opened with a knife and hearts ripped out. The high priest received the heart. Children were often considered a priority due to their innocence. On that note, maybe avoid reading this to your kids before they go to bed.
Why did they do this? According to our friend, Olivario, the Mayans believed the sacrifices pleased the gods. In addition to that, the ceremonies strengthened the bond of the community. In some situations, many Mayans were believed to be voluntarily sacrificed, considering it a high honor. Interesting.
2 QUOTES TO CONSIDER
- “You can’t store corn in a basket with holes.” – Mayan Proverb
- “Before you criticize someone else, take a look at your own tail.” – Mayan Proverb
2 BRIEF STORIES
1.
A Successful Clinic In Ramate, Guatemala:
Ramate is a lovely small town close to Flores, Guatemala. On our first day of clinic, the turnout was huge. We worked nonstop until the sun went down, and cared for patients ranging from pudgy infants to gracious wrinkled elderly folks. The multi-purpose building was hot and humid, which presented an extra layer to the challenges of language barriers and limited resources. We sweat. A LOT!
In the end, we did our best. The students and providers stepped up in a big way without complaining. It was clear that all participants understood the purpose of these trips. In the end, we provided care to 105 patients living in an underserved area. The locals were visibly and audibly appreciative. As a bonus, working at the clinic proved to be a sure recipe for sound sleep.
2.
Sara Is TOO Sweet.
Sara was a smiling diabetic female who walked into our clinic with her 11-year-old daughter. She complained of dizziness, blurry vision, tingling in her extremities, and extreme fatigue. Why? She’s too sweet. Her blood sugar was greater than 500 mg/dL.
To add context, let’s back up just a bit. If you had asked me to guess her age at the time we met, I would have placed her close to 60-years-old. She’s actually 37-years-old. She immediately captured my attention with prominent cheekbones, and lack of any fat or muscle mass. Sadly, she had the appearance of a prisoner suffering from starvation in a WWII concentration camp. She admitted to a fifty pound weight loss over the last several years. On the scale, she weighed in at 76 lbs. But why??
Despite compliance in taking strong oral diabetic medications for many years, she was deteriorating.
“But most diabetics are overweight, right?”, she asked. “Correct,” I answered. As we talked, it became crystal clear to me that Sara is suffering from Type 1 Diabetes, but she was being treated for Type 2 Diabetes.
Here’s an overly simplistic overview of treatments for the two types of diabetes:
Let’s start with Type 2 Diabetes, which is the most commonly diagnosed form of adult diabetes. Most of the time, these individuals can take oral medications, exercise, and change their diet to improve their condition.
On the contrary, Type 1 diabetics always require insulin, because they produce little or no insulin on their own. Bottom line: Oral medications do not successfully treat Type 1 Diabetes.
Sara appeared to be dying from untreated Type 1 Diabetes and, in my opinion, wouldn’t survive much longer without insulin. To further complicate things, Sara lives in extreme poverty, and Guatemala is not set up to support insulin-dependent diabetics.
Fortunately, we were able to seek help at a diabetes clinic about an hour away from the town.
There were no available appointments, but they squeezed us in after recognizing the gravity of the situation. The clinic was wonderful! Sara and I met with both a nutritionist and a diabetes specialist. She received excellent education in her native tongue, and a solid treatment plan from a diabetes specialist. We purchased a three month supply of insulin and will continue to support her needs going forward. Equally important, we connected Sara to multiple patient advocates for crucial support.
Before leaving the town, Sara and I exchanged numbers. As of today, her blood sugar numbers have already improved dramatically. She feels better. She’s not out of the woods yet, but she has a much greater chance at a longer life with her daughter.
(To add perspective, let’s say Sara presented in America with the exact same medical problem. She would have very likely been hospitalized, stabilized, and sent home with a clear education, training, and treatment plans. Affordability is another issue, but we won’t tackle that here. My hope is that access and affordability to life-saving medical treatments will continuously improve for the entire global population.)
Thanks for tuning in to 2-2-2 Tuesday! If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!
– Zack and Farah
