Graduation Day! Graduation Day! Graduation Day!

 

 

 

What an exciting day we had on Saturday!  17 students received their certificates as Barefoot Doctors!

You can see how excited they were.  After three years of hard work, they finally completed their courses and received the rewards due them.

Here Tun Myaing, Class President, expressed the students' appreciation to all of their instructors, the FLC workers, and to all of the supporters who made their graduation possible.

It was a great moment as they walked across the stage and received their Certificates as Barefoot Doctors.  They also received other gifts, including new wristwatches from the Ferraros and the FLC Board in the United States.

Here is a picture of Jung Dangshing, FLC Executive Director, and Timothy and Abraham, our main translators, with the new graduates. These three men have made many sacrifices for these students over the past three years.

I made this last picture large so you can have a very nice picture of our graduates in their traditional clothes.  They are a handsome group, full of hope and promise!  Please pray for them as finish their Bible training this week and pack to go home next week.

The Beginning of the End for the 2016 Barefoot Doctor School

............it is the beginning of the end....

The 2016 Barefoot Doctor School is drawing to a close.  

But the work is far from down and not slowing down a bit.
Dr. Alice and Rick have arrived.

  During this last week Rick and Alice reviewed many aspects of physical therapy.  The students shared that most of the people who come to see them have back problems.  Rick pointed out that the large baskets they carry on their heads and the constant bending over were huge contributing factors.

Dr. Alice demonstrated the typical back exam with Ramsardee as her patient.  She was happy to hear that he had been doing the back exercises she taught last year.

       A daunting chore each year is to count and distribute the medicines to the 18 students.

Over a three day period Nurse Lynda and Nurse Gayle (with help from Frank Johns, Dr. Alice, Dr. Susan, and Dr. Jim)  count and/or package over 1,633,000 tablets and capsules.  The students receive 

Amoxicillin, doxycycline, sulfa, and cipro as their antibiotics.  Mebendazole, minerals and vitamins are given to them by the thousands.  They have inhalers, adrenaline, xylocaine, and gentian violet.  After days of packing the students gather to pray over the medications and for the patients who will receive them.  

Dr. Bjorn and Gayle are giving the students a
medication quiz.  They need to be able to identify
each medication and know its side effects. Safety
and storage precautions are reviewed.

The students had one last task to finish
before graduation.  Their 1000 piece puzzle.
It was explained the first year that finding
a diagnosis was like solving a puzzle - all pieces
must fit.  They were given a 100 piece
puzzle that first year. As their jobs got harder so
did their puzzles.  But they did it!  Most of
the students received over 90% on their final.
We are so proud of them.

The students received new backpacks from the instructors to
carry their medications and instruments as they travel.
They are also given a badge that says Barefoot Doctor 2016

A Stitch inTime

Before Dr. Jove left for the states he had a bit of stitching to do.

The doctors wanted our ER doc to give them a refresher.

A few students have attempted suturing in their villages.

Chan Peram is demonstrating his 

technique using a pig foot.  Dr. Jove looks on.

It seems that a dose of confidence will help.

 Before Dr. Jove left we required his services for "stitching" on our own real live Dr. Susan.
On entering a yellow taxi, she hit her head on a metal hand rail causing a blunt force traumatic laceration. "Out at the land"  we have no xylocaine or sterile environment, but we had Dr. Jove, our ER physician.  With a little ice for numbing, and suture material (like we used on the pig's feet), Dr.Susan is looking as good as new!  What a trooper!! Peram, Yawhan and Ahdang watch the procedure while Nurse Lynda assists. The next day, Dr. Susan was our case study patient.

It was sad saying goodbye to Dr. Jove.  He has been here for

 five weeks and really bonded with the students.  They were

impressed with his 100 mile almost daily bike trips,

 with his sense of humor and medical knowledge. 

 In bidding farewell he indicated that he might just be seeing 

them in Myanmar in the near future.

Decked in Tribal Dress to say farewell

are our seven women Barefoot Doctors

Stress, Skin and Silliness

Nurse Lynda Audia from Toronto taught a session 

on Stress Management and the role of the Barefoot Doctor

in treating the patient. She  explained how the brain, 

and ultimately the body, responds to stress.

       Dr. Susan Parker and Nilar role play.
  Dr. Susan is a "patient"who just learned that
 her only child has been severely injured in a 

  motorcycle accident.  Nilar is demonstrating
how she would comfort her patient and help
 her deal with the stress in her life.

Yawhan and Chan Peram

 Nurse Lynda talked about how laughter
reduces stress.  Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful
heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit
dries up the bones."

Nurse Lynda hands out clown noses to cheer everyone up!

Dr. Jim and his grandchildren

Dr. Susan teaches an afternoon session on Skin Diseases

Nang Kham presents a case of a child with a skin problem.

He has an itchy rash behind his ear.  The conclusion? The child

probably had ezema that was scratched and is now infected.  

The Cases Keep Coming!

Dr. Jove starts a morning review of THE EYE.  If a staple in the eye
doesn't wake you up, nothing will.  All the students agreed that this
was a bit outside of their expertise!

Dr. Jove is leading Chan Peram through his case presentation on a patient with malaria.  Notice how the students work through the symptoms of the patient.  It is a 30 year old male with fever (102 degrees) and headaches for a week.  The other students then were given some questions and a survey was taken. What do you think the patient has?  How will you treat it?  Does your village have mosquito netting?

Mosquito netting helps to protect against malaria

Dr. Bjorn enjoys our instant response system

The students say goodbye to Dr.Susan McDowell. 

 Dr. Susan has been with the class all three years and San San Win is sharing about the tremendous impact she has had on their lives. 

 The skills and instruction she has given them has been invaluable.

  But the love she has shown and the friendship she has given will remain with them forever.

Doctors Coming and Going, Teaching, Loving

The Students had a wonderful couple of weeks with Dr. Charles and Dr. Jeff.  The team of physicians and nurses from the United States and Canada have worked hard to bring their best in skills and teaching to the Barefoot Doctors.  They would all agree with the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 2:8 "Having so fond an affection for you, we were well -pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives, because you had become very dear to us."  Teaching medicine is an important and practical aspect of the ministry, but sharing lives is the heart of it.  Here is Bolu in his tribal costume saying goodbye and thank you.

Dr. Bjorn and Dr. Jeff show the students a picture
of a young boy who was seen by Khaw Taik.
 His chief complaint was ear pain. Below Dr. Susan, jet lag and all, helps Sarep Pung.
  Dr. Jeff has been very helpful in organizing the case presentations.  The main benefit is hearing the train of thought used by the doctors to come up with a differential diagnosis.  What is the problem?
Does the child have a foreign body in the ear?  Is it a simple ear infection? How did you treat the patient?

 Dr. Jim enlisted the help of Elizabeth to discuss the difficulty of treating high blood pressure as a chronic disease.  The students are not equipped to give long term antihypertensives or to have frequent follow up due to the long distances they travel. Elizabeth gave a report on hydrochlorothiazide and its effect on HBP.  Following this discussion, Dr. Jove  reviewed stroke with the students.  It was concluded that many patients have no symptoms of high blood pressure and they were reminded that the only way to know is to check.  Diet, exercise, low sodium and decrease stress was also reviewed. One student had a patient with a blood pressure over 200 systolic and was apparently in a coma.  It was a good chance to discuss our inability to help everyone, but also to recognize their position in providing end of life care and comfort.

Dr. Susan once again joins the Barefoot Doctor Team.  

The students were so excited to see her again.  Dr. Susan is also engaged to be married

this spring.  She and Nang Kham have a lot in common.  Nang Kham's wedding is March 24th.

Life in Myannmar

In October , the Myannmar government signed a ceasefire agreement with eight guerrilla groups to end more than five decades of conflict.  There are still about ten more rebel groups in the country.  Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party said that peace in the country would be the first priority of the new government.  It will come a little late for one of our Barefoot Doctors, but it is promising for Myannmar.  

In July of last year Yawhan Mdh and his family were falsely accused of planting landmines around their house in support of the Karin rebel army.  Yawhan is not Karin.  He had no knowledge of any landmines and certainly would have destroyed them had he known.  He has a wife and two small children.   The "army" did not believe him and mortared his home and the church where he works.  He lost all his earthly possessions and had to move from the village.  He says " I cannot go back."

Yawhan also lost all of his medical supplies

Recently, Yawhan and his family moved to the village of his in-laws.  He has been able to rebuild and recover things.  He faithfully trusts the Lord to provide and has already been blessed, but there is much need and more healing needed.

Yawhan with Abraham at the Jones Building

Still singing praises to the Lord for the safety of his family

It is still difficult for us to believe and understand the sacrifices of our Barefoot Doctors.  They walk long distances to come to Thailand for training and spend two months away from their families. Then they journey home.  The students come from far north to the very south of Myannmar.  They risk being robbed and persecuted.  Another of our students, San San Win, is in the area where there is fighting with the RakHine and Muslim Rohingya, a stateless people.  And the Kachin Independence Army is also constantly in battle.  It is important for us all to be praying for the new government that is forming and for its desire for peace. The government wants to abolish all of the faction groups and have one military for defence.  Please continue to pray for Myannmar and for democracy and the freedom of religion.  We trust God is opening doors to reach many for the Good News.