8/16

Things in my site have been going well.  My health promoter training group (Hogares Saludables) has been meeting now for 4-5 weeks.  I’d say the most interesting meeting I’ve had with them thus far was the week during which we were discussing breast cancer.  I had invited a health promoter from a nearby community to come help me with the charla.  As I was talking about breast self-exams, the promoter, who happens to be an overweight bearded woman (not important at all, but thought it would add to the color of this story), turns around and says, “Look! I can even give Jessica a breast self-exam.”  WHAT?  Unfortunately, I didn’t run quick enough.  This overzealous lady proceeded to fondle me inappropriately in front of a dozen women from my community.  Apparently my face was priceless, because everyone got quite a good laugh at the expense of my future mental health.  It’s weeks later now and I’m still having night terrors.  Anyways, moving on.

I’ve also been traveling a bit to the neighboring bateys for day trips to help with the training of health promoters in their communities.  It’s nice to occasionally get out and work with different women and see different sites.

August brought our first storm.  It was relatively uneventful.  Two days full of rain.  We were put on standfast (not allowed to travel out of our sites) just as I began vomiting into every container I could find in my house.  Of course, this also all happens around 1am.  The timing in my life is impeccable.  12 hours later I was fine.  On another personal health related note, I’m actually in the capital now to get a tuberculosis test.  I’ve had a cough now for almost 4 months.  (Yes, I should have said something sooner).  It really wouldn’t be that bothersome if it wasn’t for the large amounts of blood that’s also coming up.  Oh well, we shall see.

P.S.  Mom, don’t freak.  I was kidding about the blood.