Cheesy 1970s Hawaiian Swim Shorts

So this is how it happened... On Saturday Cody and I were driving past this hotel and saw that they had pallets full of used clothes piled ceiling high on their cement first floor. We pulled over and started sorting through the goods. This is not an uncommon event during our days in Puerto Cabezas. There are many places that specialize in used US goods, as their quality is often superior to new Nicaraguan made products. Basically we have a theory that people are either donating clothing from the US or there are people raiding those Salvation Army drop boxes and sending these tresures here where they are then sold at the price of 15-40 cordobas, basically $.75 to 2.00. In one of these towers of musty smelling clothes I happened to find these mens swim trunks that are covered in palm trees and sailboats and Hawaiian scenes minus the hula girls...and I had to have them. So Cody generously paid the 15 cordoba price and they were mine.

So on Sunday I woke up with my outfit all picked out. I decided on the Hawaiian swim trunks, a white tank top, and some high heeled sandals. It was a ridiculous outfit just perfect for lounging out back in the hammocks. While relaxing out back our personal artisan jewlery maker showed up with handfulls of black coral and tortise shell goodies. Cody had been wanting to trade a booty of jewelry for a sander he had brought from the US. We ended up whisking our jewelry man off to his partners home to make the trade. I sifted through gobs of sparkling, handcrafted earings, necklaces, and bracelets until a pile was formed that seemed reasonable to trade for the sander. The deal was made and we were on to our next stop. We decided to see our friend Anhette who was in port picking up supplies before heading back to her coastal community of Dakura. We learned while we were visiting her that her cousin was quite ill. They had brought her the 2.5 hours by panga (speed boat) so that she could be seen at the hospital. Since we had a truck we offered to bring her. The girl was extremely weak, unable to walk, and complaining of severe lower abdominal pain...Cody lifted her frail body into his arms and carried her to the truck, while I tried to differentialy diagnose what could possibly be wrong with her. When we got to the hospital she was laid onto a stretcher and we awaited the doctor. When she showed me exactly where on her abdomen the pain was I started to become suspicious of a reproductive problem...something like an ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy, etc. When the doctor came in the room to evaluate her it turned out to be Aragon, the one that I am working with at the Casa Materna. He allowed me to stay as the gaggle of family members were usherd outside, leaving the patient, the doctor, the girls mother, and me. The doctor quickly ruled out digestive origins of her complaint by pushing and proding on her belly and quickly sent her to the gynecological room for an examination. Probably for the first time in this girls life (shes 19) she had a speculum inserted and a vaginal exam performed as tears streamed down her cheeks...I can say that the doctor is extremely competent but his bedside manner is lacking, and basically is a reflection of how I dont want to treat my patients. Anyhow, as he was drawing the speculum out another woman was brought into the gynecological room...and she turned out to be the lovely Ena, my favorite patient from the Casa Materna in labor, 5 centimeters dilated. I had been joking with her all week that she needed to tell the baby not to be born until I was available. She has no family or friends here in Port and I had offered to be there with her at her birth...and coincidentaly enough I was present and accounted for! She was rushed back to the delivery room while I battled for 5 minutes over whether I should leave my friends cousin and head back to the delivery room, or wait with her, and also whether Cody should bring me some clothes a little more appropriate for the delivery room than short-shorts and high heeled sandals. I decided to peek in on Ena. I jogged back to the obstetric wing of the hospital, but unsure of its location I ended up pushing my head through various doors until I caught sight of Magda the nurse from the Casa Materna. I ran after her and she ushered me into the delivery room. I swept up beside Ena, she grabbed my hand, pushed one time with all her force and with that her little baby boy slipped into the world. And thats how it happened.. that I was in the delivery room of Hospital Nuevo Amanecer in my cheesy hawaiian short-shorts and high heeled sandals holding Enas hand and leaning away from the table to avoid blood splattering on my bare toes.

p.s. the girl had PID and a urinary tract infection