We had a wonderful two weeks in the small Ash village of Nueva Luz. Always good to be there with
Laureano (an Ash believer) and his family. We "camp out" in Nueva Luz, sleeping in a tent and using
a rustic latrine. Nice to be back in our house here in Breu again with a few more conveniences. :)
We did have an interesting patient this week at Nueva Luz. A little girl (maybe 12 years old)
showed up with a pretty large lesion on her leg. My immediate thought was leishmaniasis, but wasn't
sure, so sent a couple of pictures off to a doctor we know in Brazil. He got right back to me and
definitely thought it looked like leishmaniasis. So, I mentioned to the girl's family going to
Pucallpa for a biopsy and treatment which was met with blank stares....there is no way her parents
are going to take her there.
Then Kamicha took a look at the sore and declared that her son had a sore just like that and it
healed after her treating it with the fluid from the gallbladder of a type of game bird that they
eat. Our doctor friend was actually all for them trying the gall treatment. Most often the lesions
heal on their own and if not, they spread to the nose. If her nose truly gets a lesion as well, I
know that they will be scared enough to take her somewhere for treatment.
When we arrived here in Breu, I went to the clinic and talked to one of the workers who right away
thought the picture looked like leishmaniasis as well. She said that they can give her treatment
here and that they don't worry about the biopsy. I was so relieved to hear that as I know that is
much more doable in their minds, so when we return in Sept, if the lesion is not healed, we'll
encourage her to come here for treatment.
Another interesting cultural incident: one of Laureano's sons shot a pregnant cutia (large rodent).
They delivered the fetus which was still barely alive and let their little girls carry it around
like a baby doll until it was dead. Then, Laureano's sister's family ate the fetus/baby cutia!
-Rebecca
