Two months ago, we visited different homes in Nejapa, so that patients who could not travel to the Samaritan clinic could receive medical attention and emotional support while undergoing treatment for their chronic illnesses.
Scroll down to learn about the story of Mercedes, a patient suffering a chronic illness who lives in the area surrounding AMOS’ offices.
“I felt they saved my life” were the first words that Mercedes expressed when asked about how she first learned about the Samaritan Clinic.
22 years ago, she visited the clinic, and after seeing the doctor and some tests, she was ultimately diagnosed with a disease that ended up in the removal of her uterus at a hospital.
Although she felt well cared for at the time, she did not take care of her health again because she was too afraid of having medical check-ups and discovering that she had a disease.
Six years ago her mother died from complications related to diabetes and now all her siblings suffer from the same disease. So, Mercedes avoided going to the doctor out of fear of being diagnosed with the same disease.
Last year, Mercedes began to feel cramps in her legs and was losing a lot of weight. One time she was visiting one of her sisters she felt unwell and her sister had her take a glucose test; the results showed more than 500 (normal range is between 70-100).
Maria Eveling, an AMOS-trained Urban Health Educator, began to measure Mercedes’ blood pressure and advised her to visit the Samaritan Clinic. When Mercedes arrived at the clinic she was desperate because she had a lot of pain in an abscess below her belly button. The doctor who assisted her prescribed the medicines she needed, and gave her a follow-up appointment for her diabetes because at the moment her glucose test result was 360.
The following weeks, Mercedes took her treatment seriously and completely changed her lifestyle. She started to feel better and to enjoy Maria Eveling’s company. During the home visit to Mercedes’ house in April, the AMOS medical team and volunteers from Nicaragua Medical Missions discovered that Mercedes’ glucose levels were already normal.
Mercedes, who has improved her health during the last two months, feels very thankful for everything she has learned about her illness, and commented: “I am grateful to the people who help this community [Nejapa] and people from nearby areas, those who support the Samaritan Clinic, for allowing an Urban Health Educator to be able to represent the community”.
Thank you for helping us serve people like Mercedes! This would not be possible without the generous and faithful support of our partners.