Another day done here in Chidamoyo! Today was a slower day compared to yesterday, but it included a new experience in the form of a visit to a near by village to see patients who are unable to travel to Chidamoyo. Before visiting the village, we saw two patients: the hospital’s minister who complained of medial knee pain after a bike fall and a lady with a below the knee amputation.
The patient with the below the knee amputation came to Chidamoyo from Harare where her procedure was performed. Her lower leg was amputated a month ago due to complications with a wound related to uncontrolled diabetes. The family present and the patient wanted to focus on allowing her to be more independent with mobility in the home. We addressed her independent mobility by providing her with a walker. We also stressed the importance of residual limb maintenance as her residual limb was very swollen and unwrapped. Finally, we talked about the importance of skin checks for both her residual limb and her remaining foot and in the process found developing neuropathic ulcers. She visited the nurse after the session to address her developing ulcers and uncontrolled blood sugar. This patient reaffirmed the importance of screening a patient’s integumentary system, especially when they are living with a disorder that affects wound healing and skin integrity.
After seeing the morning patients, we headed off to Chigede, a village that is about a 35-minute drive from Chidamoyo. Ben and Brian gifted a boy with a basketball and played pass while waiting for our patient to arrive. Our patient, Glance, was a 9-month-old girl with Down Syndrome who was cute as can be! Her mother was concerned about Glance’s inability to crawl. Sara worked with cute little Glance on a yoga mat under the shade of a tree in the small village. She taught the mother how to facilitate Glance’s trunk muscles as she transitions in and out of sitting. She was even able to get Glance to bear some weight in supported standing! It was nice to see that Glance had fairly typical motor development, despite her diagnosis of Down Syndrome.
Back at Chidamoyo at the end of the day, almost all the PT students decided to go for an evening jog around the area. It was great to stretch our legs and see more of the area. We got a lot of waves, smiles, and even pictures taken as we ran by the locals. After a scrumptious Taco Tuesday dinner with Sister Kathy, we are off to bed.