Patrick finding more than expected in very many ways

So since my last blog post, we have started internships which have actually been awesome. I was really nervous about Tafelsig just because I didn't really know how much they expected me to know about the field and I expected them just to put me in reception or someplace non-hands on. When we got there after almost a two hour commute, we walked around to each of the different departments. The three other interns and I separated to different units of the clinic. I went to Child Health which turned out to be perfect for me. I learned so much and got to meet so many people from all over Mitchell’s Plain, the district of Cape Town where Tafelsig resides. I learned a lot about the health care field and how much pressure these workers have to go through every day. Here, the nurses are all called sisters and basically have the same power as American nurses, doctors, and pharmacists, all in one. The patient will come in, get diagnosed by the nurse, and then the nurse will give them the specific medications for their condition. It was very interesting talking to the nurses about where they've come from and how they are currently achieving their dreams and how, against all odds, are simultaneously having their own family.

Tuesday was another crazy busy day at the clinic, but what I liked about that day was that Nicky, the nurse I had been assigned to, already started trusting me, asking me what I think about certain patients. Everything she would do, she would have me also repeat the motion, whether that meant checking the child’s ears or looking in their mouth for ulcers. It was incredible and way more than I expected. Wednesday was the best day though because I got to administer HIV tests to kids at Tafelsig High School. I got to actually prick their finger, use a syringe to take a blood sample and diagnose them. This was awesome because it was exactly what I was looking for in an internship, actually going into the field and helping some lives.

Thursday we had Vincent’s and Vernon’s classes which both turned out to be fascinating. I was scared I wouldn't like either, or I would fall asleep in one. But they were both so fascinating and engaging that I even got a bit emotional in Vernon’s class. We had been talking about our reactions to orientation and I just started to talk about where I came from and how lucky I was to be from such a privileged and beautiful family. Out of nowhere I started to choke up because I finally realized how much I had been taking advantage of my life and parents. I truly am so grateful for everything I was given in life, but I can’t live like this anymore knowing how much others don’t have. I realize it isn't my fault that I was given this life, but I at least want to live for the betterment of others from now on. I always thought I knew who I was, but this place and these people have completely changed my perspective on life and I have only been here for 3 weeks. So when I started reflecting on that moment in Vernon’s class, I didn't even feel ashamed, because this place has started to become a part of me. The thing I really am struggling with now is how I tell my family and friends about this experience without them being here, because finally being here and living the experience is so much different than being told about it.