joynbelize

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Progress in Progresso, Honduras 🇭🇳

The embodiment of progress in Progresso, this 1 week medical service experience confirmed that global health will have persistent space carved out in my medical career. Fully medical student-run, Podemos was impressive in their efforts. A far from perfect medical brigade, with so many lessons learned and motivations sustained. My last vacation was devoted to egg freezing so snuck in some beach time on the islands off of Honduras, Utila and Roatan - bliss doesn’t fully describe it! Now a certified scuba diver, I’ve fully activated my inner mermaid. Ideally up next is a 1 month rotation in Roatan in 2025!

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Ok yes I was tubing in rainforest rivers and jumping off waterfalls and catching baracuda in the deep sea and eating said baracuda and dancing to Garifuna drumming and staring at the stars on the back of a motorcycle and looking for toucans in the trees. Yes I fell in love with Belize across so many different moments but I was also on a CLINICAL ROTATION! In fact, the most practical, educational, high-yield clinical rotation of medical school.

Hillside Clinic, run for over 20 years, has been bringing student doctors, PAs, physical therapists, pharmacists, and even public health students to learn how to practice medicine with innovation and resourcefulness in a community so unique, yet so informative to our own future practices. Some key things I learned and saw on rotation:

• Every single patient I worked with was a person of color. The fuel unearthed from these interactions, the immediate rapport, the pride, the understanding and trust… this is my why. This is who. I have confirmed that my ideal community of practice are supporting, advocating, and caring for people who are just like me in more ways than our appearance.

• I have a medical intuition. Don’t know when that happened! Sure, I’ve passed my board exams, med school tests & trials, and overachieved in my core clinical rotations, but I had never trialled running solo - without the help of an EMR or all the modern resources at my fingertips. My gut in diagnostics and management was right? PHEW. I’m proud of myself and excited to be… a doctor.

• Leishmaniasis, Multiple Hereditary Exostoses, Bell’s Palsy (Progressed Lyme Disease)… the zebras I’ve read about and memorized without imagining ever seeing, are out here. The horses are too: diabetes, hypertension, asthma, injury, scabies (this one was the most common path I saw in Belize, especially in children).

• Writing paper charts was a lot to get used to. I don’t know if you’d call my style of EMR charting lazy but wow was I pressed writing out those physical exams. A great lesson! Now as I’m writing, I’m more thoughtful of order and precision the first time around - because there was no backspace. I’m sure my note writing will be 10X more efficient and with the brevity of 15 lines on paper.

• My greatest established hack: if you don’t have lidocaine, numb with an ice + ethanol bath.

• If you’re a pharmacist, watch out, I will be your BEST friend. Having pharm in the next (air conditioned) room over, was supreme. The productivity brought on by collaboration and proximity is how I want to work forever. Besides, remembering dosage and formulary is a special gift that I’ll leave to the experts ;)

• My true last rotation is virtual medical spanish. Although Belize is an english-speaking country, there are a handful of patients who do speak spanish primarily. I desired so much to provide for and engage with these encounters meaningfully. So with a current 60 day Duolingo streak reigniting 7 years of school-based spanish (in the midwest…) and this upcoming course, I am making it a priority to master medical spanish.

• Medicine is fun! Kids are incredible. I am so glad and honestly relieved that I have decided to be a Pediatrician. Less of a calling, and more of a blessing, Peds will never get old. If you ever need stickers, I’m your girl.

• Working amongst and collaborating within a fantastic, interdisciplinary team in socialized medicine…! Can we get a lil of that up here please!? If you know me, you know that I am a fierce advocate for universal healthcare. A low resourced community, Punta Gorda recognizes that free health care is a right and we as a society should prioritize access to this right. It was an incredible experience sharing this sentiment with a beautiful team. And now it’s ip to us to carry our growth and insight to our distanced corners of the U.S. to spread ideas of equity and access of wellness.

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An Arrival into a New Kind of Freedom

A superbloom: a moment of extreme growth across resilience / a recognition of what life is worth living for / an burst of joy, beauty, and finesse.

If Belize was the layered oreo ice cream cake of my dreams, San Ignacio was the buttercream frosting with water-falling petals on top. One week left. This adventure was coming to a close, but not without the reckoning of solo travel and recognition of how I need to twist my way into imbedding global engagement, natural beauty, and social energy into everything I do - even medical training. I had my first day of online class (Transition to Residency AKA “How to Be a Doctor 101) overlooking a breakfast of savory fry jacks overlooking an infinity pool overlooking rafting waters pouring through Mopan River overlooking the rainforest jungle. It was a dream. The trend of taking class amongst an incredible backdrop continued all week long as I logged in from SI’s top sites, with an excursion awaiting after every dismissal. I hiked, swam, jumped, and especially laughed my way through the city. With COVID restrictions lifted on Monday, there was a relaxed sweep of relief through the town and a vibrance of community that heightened my natural extroversion. SI was delightful. It was the perfect end. It was freedom.

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A Departure from a New Family

Saturday was a day filled with goodbyes - keyword good. The extraordinary friendships, worthy revelations, and rebuilt wonder was magnified to our time in Punta Gorda and Hillside came to an end, and wow did we have it good. The departure was not without tears; but like the rainforest rains, those cleared quickly and opened to a sky of potential.

The sky in this case was met on a tiny Tropic Air jet, seating 12. My view from the cockpit was exhilarating (realizing that most pilots fly without a view of what’s in front of them was pleasantly terrifying). We flew from PG to Belize City where I said goodbye to Tope, Aboli, Will, Maddie, Zoe, Hannah, and Kristy as they boarded for home (Oklahoma, Boston, Indiana, and the like). I did not however say goodbye to my girl Natalie, we were destined from one last jungle [cat] adventure, the Belize City Animal Conversation Project.

This “zoo” was amazing. Like many, zoos make me uncomfortable as hell, but this project was very different. Short fences meant mostly to protect the animals from us (many of the smaller creatures could not be bothered by the barriers), all of the animals are rescues local to Belize. We saw the national bird, the Toucan, chatty and colorful Parrots squawking “hello”, spider monkeys dancing within trees, and the most majestic creatures I’ve ever lied my eyes on… Jaguars.

After the zoo, Natalie headed to the airport, heading back to the midwest and I headed West to my final destination and independent week, San Ignacio.

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“Filled with future promises, waiting to unfold”

From the rainforest’s best acoustics, to city sirens and Chicago winds; from a compound filled with friends, to two floors to myself; from a couple delicious Belizean options for dinner, to a city’s cultural melting pot of flavors; to $5/gallon gas (although it was higher in Belize), to Hadestown the musical (sooo good, go see it don’t wait), and seeing my mother’s enthusiasm for life (clearly passed down to me) as she picked me up from the airport. After a week of re-awakening, I’m back in reality.

Mentioned before, but not detailed – my life has been frozen in amber for 2 years. After my dad passed away and Covid and daily terrors of different flavors, I did not fight, I did not flee, I froze. I’m not even sure I knew that that’s what I was doing until my life burst back to life in Central America. Working in Hillside Clinic proved my competence and intuition – I will be an astounding doctor; the beauty of the people and the organic rapport reminded me of my whys; the subtle reminders of my place in this world and the vigor that regardless of strain, worry, or newness has never ceased to outflow from my being – Belize allowed me to move again, to breath in and not just out.

This final week in San Ignacio was perfect. There’s something impressive about traveling solo. I’m blessed to be surrounded by so many good people, my friends and family that got my back. But the appreciation stirred by the successes of solo travel proves that there’s no one that’s got me the way I GOT ME. From safety, to pursuing joy without compromise (while still getting all my schoolwork done) was reminiscent of my trip to Spain & Morocco - 5 weeks of solo journeying that flooded my spirit with confidence and wander before starting medical school. Belize in sum was exactly that, but this time in preparation for residency. I am ready.

So what did I do in this final week? Lemme show ya…

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Iguana Project, conservation & protection

San Ignacio

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Dear Punta Gorda,

You were so gracious to me when I needed grace the most. You helped me to keep my balance when after two years of feeling frozen in time, my world started to spin again. You were a home away from home and what I craved on a Sunday evening after a couple of days of adventuring out. You gave me friends for life and an ideal for life. Thank you for reminding me that the rain never lasts long and is meant to cleanse; the clouds remembering to breathe. Thank you for 30 days of bliss, learning, and a million reasons to use the word “incredible”.

- Joy

(Photo & edit cred to Natalie)

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My People

Team ‘Panti Rippa’ after our favorite beach bar drink -or- ‘The Kitchen Crew’ because we’re the undesignated chefs for 11 bellies -or- ‘Team Barracuda’, whatever we go by, the folx that compose these titles are my PEEPS. The magic of an experience like this are in the people you share it with. I know I’ve made a lifelong friend, colleague, and candid pact with my Naija sister Tope; a darling running/biking/hammocking buddy w my girl Aboli; a down for it all up for anything Sugar Daddi (cuz the ATMs only work for him) in “Wiiiiiiill!”; and a kindred free spirit aiming for the world in Maddie.

I adore absolutely everyone near in this Belizean atmosphere, but these peeps make my heart sing! We’re all plunging into our careers, graduating from Med, Pharm, or PA school, but without a doubt, our moments of ‘say yes’ together will radiate through our lives for years to come. Leaving this squad as I depart for my solo week adventuring in Cayo District (and multi-tasking online class on how to be a doctor) was a rough. But this next week will be a gem of my life’s collection of wanders….

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Show Me da Garifuna Way

And on this last day of Black History month, I’m reflecting on the Belize Blackness that struck me to my core. To explore this world with my Blackness as a means to blend in, instead of stand out; to serve people of color all day, everyday; to believe the admiration of strangers as praise, not harassment; to feel immersed amongst my kinda people - energetically, spiritually, and ancestrally. Along with my Yoruba sister Tope, we plotted our own cultural day to the Warasa Drum School, a Garifuna-family business. Garifuna are a culture with their own unique language, food, clothing, occupations (like fishing), lore, music, and dance. Their way of life is the sweet coconut hadut blended in a melting pot with French, Spanish, West African, Caribbean, Creole and English as ingredients. The first Garifuna arrived to St. Lucia then to Belize via the transatlantic slave trade with origins from, you guessed it… Nigeria. We share blood. And now, we share stories about a night filled with the rhythm of the Garifuna drum beat.

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Hillside Week 4

Yes, I do realize that I’ve missed 2 weeks of blogging on Hillside but notable by the “Bucket list” energy of this final clinic week, there was hardly time to skip a beat.

On Monday, following the community health fair in PG central and after extending my visa, we went to Grace’s, a yellow restaurant that takes credit card (a necessity for our wallets at this leg of the trip). Aboli, Maddie, Tope, and I tested how well we knew the town by now, roaming and popping into our learned favorites. We bumped into Dr. Nick – a common happening in such a small town, and made our way back to the Abby’s House just to leave again in the pursuit of seaside time.

On Tuesday, Julia and I took our final morning jog, clinic was the epitome of patient connection, and I found myself in my sacred spot – the PG public library, finishing one of my new favorite books at 2:22 on 22/2/22. To say the stars aligned, would be an understatement. I hopped over for some solo beach time before will, my drinking buddy, joined me as we took our likely last time in the Caribbean sea, sipped herbal root bitters (an experience…) with a bartender that somehow looked and had the spirit of all the patriarchs in my family – makes sense as the Garifuna people share ancestry with Nigeria, and made it home just in time for a Tope-prepared family dinner.

Wednesday, was a home visit day where we checked in on a warm grandmother who was so very proud to see the faces of two black emerging doctors in her home, there to care for her. It’s moments like this when I acknowledge the profound importance of serving those kindred to you and fulfilling my particular “why” of medicine. In the afternoon, we climbed Cero Hill, a treacherous, steep, and slippery hike to the top to observe our home from above and afar. For a much deserved cool off, we trekked to the farm of Marty & Rick, a self-made envy-worthy paradise. Just BEAUTIFUL. At night, Marlin, one of the Hillside’s dope staff members and “jack of all trades, master of none”, showed us his catering & chef side preparing arguable the best family dinner we’ve had all month. Thank you Marlin for sharing your passion for cooking with us and creating a memory for a lifetime.

On Thursday, Zoe and I went to “Meals on Wheels” Belize style, allowing me to stop by my favorite home visit patient, Eugene at his nursery. Here he taught me how to harvest and gave me a collection of culantro seeds to grow the cousin of cilantro herb at home. I’m not one for souvenirs, but to have a living and edible piece of Belize with me, to propagate and share for years to come, is the best souvenir I can think of. Thank you Eugene for seeing the passion for earth in me and your thoughtful exchanges of herbs and friendship during my stay. At return, we piled into the mobile van to journey to the village of San Miguel for JUNAJPU’ chocolates, a family factory. The women of JUNAJPU should be the cover of a motivational book on female empowerment and entrepreneurship. The Belizean dream, mother and daughter Andrea and Amira have created a business of organic cacao harvesting, fermenting, roasting, and grinding to make chocolate beverages and bars. I’ve never really been a chocolate person, but even so, there was something for my taste buds to celebrate – the sweet and tangy candy-like fruit of the cacao. I could eat it all day.

Finally Friday, our last full day in Punta Gorda was upon us as if we had only just cracked open this fairytale book to realize how quickly it passed approaching the last chapter…

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Alongside our work on rotation at Hillside Clinic, we participate in community service throughout Punta Gorda. Every Tues & Thurs we aid Regina prepare and Jeffery deliver meals to elderly and disabled members of the community. We call it Belize “Meals on Wheels”.

On Monday, we took on the PG park in the town square for a community health fair, taking BP and sugars for self-advocacy and health edu. Nurse Kristine was right, we sure did meet “some characters”. Like the states, hypertension and diabetes plague much of the adult and geriatric populations in all of Belize, but especially in southern Belize, Toledo District where the clinic resides.

All in all, the dynamic of in-clinic and in-community is the blend that I hope to continue in practice as a physician. The full-circle engagements with patients and families in this tiny community made PG feel like a version of home.

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The Jungle’s Alarm Clock

Every morning I wake up to the songs of dozens of tropical birds, some charming chirps others piercing squawks; to roosters rising; dogs yip yapping in arguments across one house to the next; fluttering of wings; rain of the forest - pitter patters on a tin roof or a timed wave of rainwater pouring no longer than thirty seconds; to Security Frank’s beckon of the morning; motos humming; Will’s gnarly alarm clock cause he’s a heavy sleeper and Natalie’s sunshine chime; to frogs (I think that’s what they are); friendly beeps as neighbors pass by the clinic; and wind as it makes a breeze through palm, forest, and bush. This morning melody of Belize has been my morning for over 40 days. If I could capture it in a sound machine, I would. But for when I’m gone, I hope its song sounds in my dreams.

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Jungle bathing, to be wrapped in mother nature’s embrace, meditating to the acoustics of the jungle sounds. Waking up under a mosquito net to the chimes of birds, howls of monkeys, and pitter-patter of the forest’s rain was like my dreams were just the previews to the life I’m blessed to be living in now.

This weekend’s excursion took us to Jaguar Creek in Cayo District (a 5ish hour bus ride from home in PG). Home to over 500 species of birds including dinosaurous toucans and gloriously loud hummingbirds plus the kingdom to our howling monkey friend Arthur and his curly tailed babies, Cayo District is an adventurers paradise. I now understand the lust for birdwatching regardless of my funny fear of flying creatures. I blame the disrespectful city Pigeons.

We went Spelunking in St. Herman’s Cave and hummed the tunes stuck in our heads since childhood - bounced back to us in echo; swam in the Big Blue Hole, froze in stillness to allow the hummingbirds to greet us; tubed down a rainforest’s creek; and hiked to the drum of nature’s rhythm.

Our group of four, having spent the most time in Belize of the larger group (cristy and natalie ending 2 mos, me 6 wks, and Julia starting her 1 yr!), recognized the never ceasing awe we’ve developed for this country, this place, this world. With all this jungle bliss I’m not even bothered by the mosquito bites.

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In my peace. In my happy place. 🌞

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Clinic a la Casa

Hillside Clinic is open Monday through Friday 8 to noon. Located on Eldridgeville, adjacent to Punta Gorda, Belize on the Caribbean Sea. Patients come for many reasons - pain, injury, reproductive care - but for those that cannot make the chronic trip to Hillside, nurse Jennie (with a student or two) comes to them in the home visit van.

Different from Mobile Clinics, which have ceased to deploy to remote villages and Mayan communities since COVID began, home visits are quick journeys to patient homes in Toledo District. Many of the patients I have visited are bed or wheelchair bound and require occasional checkups, med refills, and bodily attn. Nurse Jenni is a pro at catheters, vitals, blood draws, and overall being an incredibly kind and thoughtful human. She also knows this town like the back of her hand, navigating the potholes and mazes that make up the corners of PG.

The patients are humble and enthusiastic, pleased to welcome visitors into their homes. I’ve been given tours of acres of garden run by a man whose disability could’ve easily limited the impressive growth (his and the plants) and have learned about home care management beyond what I’ve been able to see in training in the states with covid restrictions.

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Pre-Pediatrician, Ranked & Certified

It’s easy to forget that amongst all this wonder and serenity that just a week after I return, I’ll encounter a life changing reveal: residency match! With the incredible number of revelations I’ve had thus far here in Belize (about myself, relationships both former & future, and my core values), not to mention living in the mindset & setting I want to embody forever; making a rank list was exhilarating. It wasn’t the stressful attempt to hack an algorithm that I expected. Of course, it helps that I ranked and certified my list with the vision of the Caribbean Sea’s beach peering over my computer screen. If I can attain even a semblance of Belizean happiness in my residency program, I know I’ll be set up to thrive. So we’ll see what March Match has in store for me!

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Placencia, please

This weekend we excursioned to Placencia, a beach Peninsula described by students past as the “Door County” of Belize. I don’t know about all that, but it was magical. For an 80% chance of rain forecast, the clear & bright skies were making a statement - perhaps a celebration of earthly love as we approach Valentines Day. We stayed at an ocean-view airBnB and planned for some “much needed” R&R (not that we’re stressed or strained during any days of the week). The incredible staff of the Meriposa Resort ensured our glasses were never empty, and our days full of beaching, paddling, and gazing towards the sunsets.

The calmness of the sea and a realization of the reality I left behind came flooding back in this weekend. The high of submitting my rank list for residency match and chatting with my siblings was the reckoning before an awakening to the lows of remembrance. A reminder of all that has been lost and the reactions erupting from devastation. It was easy for Belize to be my relief, the actually needed R&R from a world of pain, loss, and futile battles neither won or lost. From exhaustion and from chaotic stillness. But that won’t work. This recognition is pushing me to accept my journey in Belize as a healing and not just as an escape. Because the truth of it is that this escape is halfway to an end, yet a healed return will last forever.

Placencia was a VIBE. Onwards to more healing in every way of the word as we head back to Punta Gorda and Hillside Clinic, just as the downpour comes.