Field Health Class! The purpose of this course was to help prepare us to take care of our own health (medical work with tribal people is a whole other ballgame). There is a 2 week course that we could possibly take in North Carolina that would teach us suturing, IVs, bone-setting and more, but that’s still just a possibility on the horizon for next year.
Parasites, worms and malaria were hot topics. Dehydration was a major part of our discussions. We also took a stress test, read articles about the stressors that await us in cross cultural work, and looked at what the stress cycle looks like in our bodies. Oh, we learned what happens if you try to live with your stress cycle always triggered and all of those fight or flight chemicals in you body 24-7 (not good!).
One of our favorite days was a two-hour optional lab where they taught us some important skills for keeping ourselves healthy in the bush.
Vital Signs! (Blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration) 
Otoscope! (He could actually see the anvil on the other side of the eardrum!)
Shots! (I wasn’t afraid of giving a shot, but much more afraid of the creepy-ness of getting one.)
Stethoscope! (checking for gurgly digestion noises and abnormal breathing sounds)
I feel even more inadequate now, that’s for sure!
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