Continuing of Nursing Skills

Fransisca is getting worse. I am now living with the Berry's to be an extra hand as often as needed (Becca's Home Health Care~ as Lori calls it) to them in the caretaking of Fransisca. In just a few short days, I've been able to use some more of the skills I used to do on a frequent basis back in the states~ Foley catheter placement, giving enemas, bedbaths, and transfering the patient, and A LOT of teaching. The end of the week last week, Fransisca lost her ability to walk with assistance, she can only be transfered from bed-chair or chair-car, which is definetly a lot better with 2 of us doing it, as she is like dead-weight. She still has about a week left of the radiation treatment here in Lima before she is transferred to Arequipa to continue her treatment. Please pray about that. Her decline in health seems to be more related to her tumor than it does her radiation. We are working with Dr Allen in Cusco, and trying to work with the family to get things arranged with her transfer to Arequipa (she has a son there). Please pray with us in that.

Its hard in that, for me the Quechuan culture here it can easily appear to me as a lack of love for their family member (in this case their mother), just in the attitude that presents itself as apathy/negligence, but how much of it is their culture in that they are more closed off, and how much of it is their lack of knowledge/not understanding Spanish well too? I don't know if they understand the severity of her tumor, and if so, it seems like they are just shrugging their shoulders. I am trying not to judge and to understand their culture more because I don't understand why/how they are responding like this. Daily our friend Kike is fighting for them at the hospital (the system is a maze of lines and paperwork and being heard in order to be seen) and Fransisca's daughter who is here takes on a very very very passive role, and she'd essentially be doing this type of advocacy when they go to Arequipa.

Thanks for your prayers!