The Camel Bites Back

The last two days I have been working with the Palliative Care fellows to help them get Special Projects applications ready. There is so much to do, that very basic interventions could be very productive here. These projects might give them a few hundred dollars to do a project in their institution to change care, such as improving constipation control, pain, nausea. I was hoping that someone would want to try a communications project but I think that this is maybe a little too hard at this point. In addition we have trouble doing this in the USA. So I think that starting with these other projects is a good plan.

Eric has come back and is leading a Module Two, kind of like a second level EPEC training for Vietnamese that have taken a course before. Yesterday, I was helping fellows get ready for a presentation and I gave a lecture on End Stage Liver Failure and End Stage Kidney Disease and Hemorrhage. I think back that about how just 10 years ago we were not doing much with non-cancer diagnosis and it is great to introduce these ideas here early in the process. The problem is that a program of home nursing and home care is not yet developed and I don’t think that the Health Care System has a good idea of what it should look like. I hope that they learn from some of experience and miss some of the pot holes we fell in.

Last night was a large group dinner for the Fellows was required. These can be difficult for me with my hearing impairment and when I am not used to a new accent. I transformed myself from button down professor with bowtie to hip guy with sandals, jeans and un-tucked shirt and I now have enough hair to spike it with gel. This clearly caused some delight for the fellows. As one said I was transforming from Ong to maybe Anh boarding on Em - which is roughly Mister, to young man to teenager in my new style. As usual the meal was served in courses which were numerous and family style. There was one dish that was brown meat and for some reason looked a little different. I inquired about this and was told it was camel. I asked “camel?” you don’t have camels in Vietnam?”, but was assured that they had camel herds. This was one of the few things that I have tried that I just could not get down. I am still a little unsure of the camel issue but the gall bladder farm issue turned out to be true so I have suspended judgment. In any case I have extended my types of food even further.

One of the guests commented that I was doing well with chop sticks. I am not bad, but not great, however apparently I guess so many people just do not try .

The city is really getting spruced up for the 5^th Annual International Buddhist Convention and this is the first time to have it here in Viet Nam. I plan to visit several local pagodas this weekend that have been spruced up so that they are really attractive and ready for the new visitors. They are colorful, cheerful and I will put up some more photos soon.