This is a long one!

I feel like I keep giving you all a play by play account of my activities in Peru. So before I give you today's experiences I thought I would maybe tell you about some of the little things I experience here that I normally wouldn't talk about.
On my bed stand, in the bathroom, on the table and everywhere possible I have lined up large and small bottles of water. The altitude, dry air and the sun makes us all very thirsty. I keep my toothbrush in my bottle of mouthwash to keep it fresh and from getting wet with tap water. My suitcase is long overdue for a cleaning. On that note I think tomorrow I will send out my laundry. The courtyard in the hotel is very beautiful but it echo's the sounds of my fellow team members waking me up around 6:30 or 7am every morning. I drink two cups of hot Coca tea with a Peruvian bun and jam every day for breakfast. I drink my Coca Cola warm from glass bottles. I feel sad when seeing all the local wild dogs on the streets and on rooftops. Most are very friendly and will sit and wag their tails hoping for food or some love. The colors of Peru make me happy. I will never again see the color azul without thinking of the montestary or ride in a yellow taxi without remember the feeling of immanent death. For me the experience is just as much about these little experiences as it is about the big life changing ones.
Now onto today. I spent a few hours in the Pediatric Ward with a translator. Once again I am astounded by the differences between America and Peru. I had gone down to see what supplies I had that I could donate. One of the student nurses/translators (and my good friend) Gloria asked for me to come and see a patient with her who was blue. By the time I came into the room they had already inserted a breathing tube (which is apparently reuseable here). I asked if they needed help with the 2 month old infant or if I could set up the ventilator. I was informed they don't have ventilators. Basically they take turns squeezing the breathing bag sometimes for days. Not only is this stressful on staffing but its also VERY bad for the patients. This two month old baby is going to die but if he were at home in the states he wouldn't. His parents were unable to afford the drugs to help him relax or to take away the pain and his lungs will be damaged from the prolonged use of a breathing bag. Yes, I dropped a few tears again. I spent a long time in this room. I provided nursing and physician education on different equipment I had found to donate and tried to help in anyway I could. I am going to try and help this pediatric unit, maybe try to email around for a donated pediatric ventilator. This is the largest public hospital in town serving thousands and thousands of people and they don't even have monitors or ventilators for their babies.
On to a happier note so I can leave you in a better mood. We all went out to dinner to celebrate Janine's birthday. I couldn't finish eating my meal due to the fact that I was laughing so hard my stomach had cramped up. Gloria, her mama and another translator, Vincente, decided to teach me some more spanish. I learned very important phrases tonight such as "Dame un beso papasito" (kiss me gorgeous), "Te Quiero" (I love you), "Teine Condon" (do you have a condom?) along with a few more phrases that I am unable to spell! Needless to say I burned more calories than I ingested due to severe laughing spells. Gloria's mamacita suggested I put my phrases to use with the very good looking intern at the pediatric hospital. No mom, I do not plan on putting these phrases into use!! Off to bed, tomorrow I give a pediatric respiratory presentation to the nursing students, nurses and a few MD's. Wish me luck!