Today was the final day of clinics in the Colca Valley. It was hard to believe how quickly the week had gone.
We started the morning with devotions led by Sara. She shared about reading through the Bible and spoke about the book of Numbers. It was a thoughtful and encouraging way to begin our last clinic day together.
After breakfast we gathered for a group photo and then walked over to the clinic. As soon as we arrived, people were already lining up at the door.
Sebastian was my translator today and Grace observed. After seeing my first patient, I was asked to see a woman whose blood sugar was quite high—23.6. Thankfully she had no ketones, so we were able to counsel her about diabetes, provide some medication, and encourage her to make dietary changes and follow up at the local health unit.
Soon after that I was asked to see another patient whose blood sugar was even higher—over 33. He also had no ketones but already knew he was diabetic. The problem was that he had not gone to pick up his medication from the doctor. We talked about the importance of managing his diabetes and staying on treatment.
I saw several other interesting patients throughout the morning. As always, people were incredibly grateful for the care they received. One man with significant sciatica was referred to the physiotherapist.
At the end of the clinic we took photos with some of the children and then gathered together as a team to close the day. We circled up and sang the Doxology and Alabaré, which was a beautiful way to finish our time serving in the valley.
The drive back to Arequipa was stunning. We stopped briefly along the way and once again saw the misty mountains of the Colca region. We arrived back at the hotel around 6:10 pm, and pizza was waiting for us at 6:30.
One small but funny highlight was being able to drink Coca-Cola again now that I am no longer taking Diamox—it actually tasted good!
Later in the evening about fourteen of us walked into town and wandered around the plaza for a while. I didn’t buy much, but it was nice to spend time together.
When I returned to the hotel, Sara was already in bed and it felt good to finally rest after a full and meaningful final day of clinic.
