For the last two days of colony last week I was on washing duty. This requires helping patients soak their feet in antiseptic solution, cleaning the ulcers with towels and covering the ulcers so they stay uncontaminated on the way over the the next station--bandaging. It is hard for me to explain what it was like to do this. It was humbling for sure, not only to touch the ulcers, but to handle their feet-or what was left of their feet-as well. It is common for people with advanced leprosy to have missing fingers and toes-this happens because one of the main things leprosy attacks are the nerve endings, causing the fingers and toes to curl and solidify which usually leads to irreversible damage. Some times it is so bad that they have to have limbs amputated. I did have a few patients who were missing limbs over the last couple of days. I don't think I will never forget watching one man specifically take off his prothesis and crawl/drag himself over to my station for washing. I felt a big sense of responsibility to make sure that it was done right and done well and that every person who came to me to wash their feet knew that they were of worth. Sometimes it is really hard to know if I am accomplishing that last one when I can't carry on a conversation with them.
Out of sensitivity, I did not take any pictures of their sores, but if you look up leprosy ulcers pictures online there are a lot that look pretty similar to the sores I see everyday. The pics are not for those with weak stomachs--you have been warned. I have been amazed with the size and depth of some of the ulcers. There was one today that had active green infection on/in it. One thing I hate, and I might of mentioned this before, but the flies automatically swarm as soon as their bandages come off. If I did mention it before I will mention it again because it is still really hard for me to see.
Out of sensitivity, I did not take any pictures of their sores, but if you look up leprosy ulcers pictures online there are a lot that look pretty similar to the sores I see everyday. The pics are not for those with weak stomachs--you have been warned. I have been amazed with the size and depth of some of the ulcers. There was one today that had active green infection on/in it. One thing I hate, and I might of mentioned this before, but the flies automatically swarm as soon as their bandages come off. If I did mention it before I will mention it again because it is still really hard for me to see.
The majority of students that come to our school are children from within the leprosy colonies we work in. This is to help them have opportunities that would never be there for them otherwise--due to the caste system they are automatically signed up for a life of begging and probably the eventual contraction of leprosy themselves. The kids to not come back to school until June 1st, but I have met some while out in the colonies.We also had the new students medical exam clinic on campus the other day-It makes me really excited to have the kids come back to campus. I am sure it will be a little bit of a mad house when they do, but a welcomed mad house. Just look at how cute they are!
