anyone for a leg-thumb x-ray?

Jan 5th
Just have 5 mins, but wanted to say we are having a great time at the camp! We are cranking out the x-rays like nobody's business... would put harborview to shame, partly because they don't even have people wait outside, and just line them up inside the room (not the best for exposure protection but...)

Even though we can't speak a lick of Gujarati to our awesome co-techs (3 men), they are quite a fun bunch and we are working like a well-oiled machine already - one person getting the patient, another grabbing a film, another running the processor, another positioning the tube - go go go! Lots of patients with MANY stones in kidneys and bladder, yet they don't exhibit any pain and just lay there silent, not ever complaining or even wincing. Jamie and I are now experts at IVPs and can give contrast injections, no problem (although most people are rail-thin and it's super easy to find a vein.) Oh, and no turniquets here - one person just squeezes the patient's forearm instead....

Today got a requistion for a "leg thumb x-ray, AP and Lat" which means... great toe (big toe) hee hee

Also had dinner with the US consolate to India last night, and his aids, who were there for the opening ceremony of the camp -- he gave us his personal cell and email in Mumbai should we need anything -- crazy... they introduce us to all the important peeps just because we're a couple of white girls from the US... doesn't feel like we should be getting this much white carpet treatment because we're nobody's in Seattle... but it's super nice and generous. Everyone here is so giving, caring, etc etc and the patients are coming by the thousands to line up in the tents to be seen by the docs. Gives me shivers... we are seeing rabaris, jats, harijans, etc and it makes me feel so fortunate to get to meet them

Also forgot to mention that we made the front-page news of the Katchi newspaper back in Bhuj - somehow we were spotted buying Chikki (indian peanut brittle ) on the street (unbenownst to us we were photographed) and then they put us on the front page... we woke up that morning to a warm welcome from the front desk peeps at the hotel! then when we went village hopping all the locals were pointing at us and chuckling...even the military soldiers near the border didnt' even check our permits because they knew we were from the front page. pretty hilarious. i'll send along the picts later, pretty funny since it's all printed in gujarati script

ok x-ray dept is startign back up in a few mins, so tata for now, - hear you're getting more snow again in seattle... it'll be hard to return from this 70 degree bliss!!! can i just stay here please??