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GivingMore is a medical non-profit organization with a passion for helping those in need.
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GivingMore Team #5 - Day 5-6: Tortuga and Las Pilas Clinics

11/10/2016

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The last two days of our trip put our vehicles to the test as we traveled on treacherous dirt roads through dense forest to one of the most distant clinics of the week. 
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At Clinica Tortuga, we spent the day ensuring that over 200 local people received general consultations for a variety of health issues, dental cleanings, breast exams, and PAP smears.
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During our visit, we excised an abscess which a 60-year old patient had lived with for over a year. Our dental hygienists worked as a team to extract a tooth that was causing daily pain to an 84-year-old. They also passed out hundreds of toothbrushes, floss and lip balm samples. Our pharmacists made sure necessary prescriptions were filled and helped reinforce the proper dosage for a number of different medications.
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On our last day of clinics, we returned to Las Pilas.  Patients there were receptive and gracious. We even received a welcome performance from a local dance team that showcased Nicaragua's traditional folklore.  We also had a chance to re-connect with past patients, in particular, a young boy named Carlos.  Carlos returned to our clinic for a dental cleaning for the 3rd year in a row, and then spent the rest of the day not far from sight because he wanted to make sure he could say goodbye.
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It was also on our last day that we met some of our youngest patients.
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Although we're excited to be home with friends and family, we've definitely left a part of ourselves in Nicaragua.  Such a beautiful place, with beautiful people, that couldn't receive our love without yours.  

Thanks to the amazing volunteers from the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children for their help, support and friendship. We wish you the best and hope to keep in touch.

​Special thanks to everyone who donated to make this trip a success. Without your generosity, love and encouragement, this past week wouldn't have been possible. 


We look forward to "GivingMore" next year! 
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GivingMore Team #5 - Day 4: Nancimi  

11/9/2016

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Last year, Nancimi was one of our busiest and most challenging clinics, so this year the entire team converged on the clinic once again.  
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We were able to treat over 200 patients, mostly women and children, and even had the chance to connect with patients from previous trips.  One such patient was a 10 year old girl we first met when she was 7. Our psychologist Martis had met with her about some severe difficulties in concentration and focus. She was advised to try cognitive exercises and given a referral to a neurologist.  We were happy to follow up with her today and discover that her symptoms had vastly improved and the neurology consult was never needed! 
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A few kids showed up in their school uniforms, which stood out amid the frenzy of activity around us.  A beautiful lady with a young soul and a warm smile lifted the spirit of the entire team. Even though she ended up requiring an injection of antibiotics, she took it without batting an eye and stayed to converse with just about every member of the team.
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After our clinic day was complete, the team headed back to the FIMRC headquarters to begin tackling our special project of the week: GivingMore Clean Water to Nicaragua. Thanks to the generous contributions of our donors, and through our partnership with WATERisLIFE, we acquired a hundred water filtration systems for families in need and began assembling them one-by-one. Our hope is that by providing these systems to people with little or no access to clean drinking water, we can address the source of many health issues we encounter while in clinic such as intestinal parasites and malnutrition.
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Thank you for your support! ​​
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GivingMore Team #5 - Day 2-3: San Ignacio, El Ramate, Astillero and Las Canas Clinics

11/8/2016

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Eager to get to started, the GivingMore team was up and out early for our first two days of clinics. Each day we split into two teams assigned based on the needs of the population. On day one, Team A headed to El Ramate and Team B headed to San Ignacio (who arrived safely minus a van grill that was lost in a high water crossing). El Ramate is extremely remote and we worked in the home of a local who opened up their homes to the public to receive our care. On day two we visited the communities of Astillero and Las Canas.
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The health issues we treated were vast and varied. They included upper respiratory infections, diarrhea, UTI, rashes, gynecological issues, hyperglycemia, and high blood pressure. In addition, we treated several unique cases that grabbed the attention of everyone on the team including a very sick pregnant patient who required hospitalization and the removal of a foreign body from a child’s ear. The team also offered cervical cancer screenings, reading glasses fittings, and dental services.
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In total, both groups saw and treated over 400 patients.

​Tomorrow we head to the community of Nancimi so stay tuned!
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GivingMore Team #5 - Day 1: The Unpacking

11/6/2016

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After 8 hours of travel by plane and van, Team #5 arrived in Las Salinas, Nicaragua with 16 volunteers including 4 physicians, 4 nurses, 1 physician assistant, 1 nurse practitioner, 2 dental hygienists, 1 psychologist, and 3 translators.




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Upon arrival
 at the FIMRC clinic, team members were filled with a sense of nostalgia from past missions while feelings of anticipation and excitement brewed for the week ahead. Familiar places and friendly faces welcomed us, yet the place had changed, green covered the fields and trees thanks to the recent rainy season.

Facilities had improved thanks to donations and the efforts of local supporters, and children of our local cohorts had grown beyond belief, but despite everything, our focus remained the same.  

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First, we needed to unpack.  We were blessed to be able to bring all these supplies and medications because of our awesome donors!!!
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We spent the majority of our first day with the international FIMRC organization sorting medication and dividing our supplies into teams so we could reach more clinics and patients each day.  After completing the assigned duties, we were ready to take on the challenges that awaited us, all eager to serve and carry on #GivingMore to this community.  Stay tuned for updates from our first clinic day with #GivingMoreTeam5!  ​
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GivingMore Team#4 Day 6

12/5/2015

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Our last clinic day was spent in Gigante and Las Pilas. We worked closely with the local physicians at both sites to deliver medical services to the people in these two communities. Besides providing blood pressure and diabetes screening, PAP smears and dental cleanings, we offered patients free medication refills, eyeglasses, and deworming treatment. As Chikungunya and Dengue continue to plague the area, we were mindful about screening all patients presenting with fever, rash, diarrhea, vomiting, and headache. As the week drew to a close, we were thankful for the new friends we made in Nicaragua, for the assistance provided by members of FIMRC (the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children), and for the many messages of love/support and donations we received for the trip. We look forward to our return visit next year! 
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GivingMore Team #4 Day 5

12/3/2015

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​After a treacherous ride through dirt roads, dried up river banks, and lush forest, eight of our providers made it safely to El Lajal, where we spent the day ensuring that villagers had refills on their medications, glasses for those with visual impairment, PAP smears, dental cleanings, and deworming treatment. During our visit, we were able to stabilize a sixty-year-old woman in diabetic ketoacidosis. The second half of the group consulted in San Ignacio. Over one hundred patients were treated, including an eight-year-old patient who had a severe head injury and required multiple sutures. Tomorrow we head to Gigante and Las Pilas for our last clinic day!
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GivingMore Team#4 Day 4

12/2/2015

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Nancimi is in the heart of Rivas, which is in the county of Tola in the southwest of Nicaragua. The clinic is always our busiest because many villagers from the surrounding communities have no access to medical care. As a result, most of our medical providers worked in Nancimi today. We saw close to 200 patients, mostly women and children. Our two dental hygienists did dozens of cleanings and placed 20 sealants. We provided medication refills for patients with hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and other chronic conditions. We screened for breast and cervical cancer, and we referred a pregnant woman with complications to the local hospital. Two of our emergency physicians and the field operations manager of FIMRC (Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children) visited the main hospital in Rivas and donated much needed medical supplies, including IV tubing, catheters, insertions, and insulin syringes. The director invited us to return next year to lecture local physicians on intubation, central line and chest tube insertions, and neurological trauma resuscitation. Thank you all again for your support! It means a lot to us and our patients in Nicaragua.
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GivingMore Team #4 Day 3

12/1/2015

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Today we visited the villages of Las Canas and Astillero, and treated over 250 patients. Besides seeing a multitude of patients with Dengue and Chikungunya (which continue to plague the area), we treated patients for both acute and chronic illnesses. As part of our women's health initiative, we performed PAP smears and breast exams. Because Ascariasis and other parasitic infections are so prevalent in the country, we provided deworming medications to children and adults. Two of our emergency physicians traveled to the Roberto Clemente Clinic to give CPR and first aid courses to local ambulance drivers. Although we only served these two communities today, villagers travelled from all over the coastline in search of medical care. In fact, our last patient of the day was a nine-year-old boy who rode on horseback with his mother for over an hour to reach our clinic! Looking forward to tomorrow's clinic. 
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GivingMore Team #4 Day 2

11/30/2015

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GivingMore's first clinic day went very well. Half of our team treated a total of 104 patients at the clinic in Las Salinas, the other part of our team treated 93 patients at the health post in Ascension. Some of the conditions treated today included dengue, chikungunya, diabetes, high blood pressure, bronchitis, ear infections, asthma, parasites, urinary infections, and many others.  Two of our doctors gave classes in CPR and First Aid to local teachers, surf guides, and workers at Rancho Santana.  Our two dental hygienists helped many patients who have never had a deep cleaning. Our patient pictured above is 93 years old.  He was extremely positive and appreciative of the care he received. Overall, it was a great day.  Tomorrow we will head to two remote villages north of Las Salinas. Thanks to all our supporters who make this trip possible. 
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GivingMore Team #4: Day 1

11/29/2015

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Sixteen volunteers from all over the United States arrived in Managua, Nicaragua yesterday for GivingMore's fourth Medical Brigade to Las Salinas. This year's team is made up of six emergency physicians, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, two dental hygienists, a pediatric ICU nurse, two ER nurses, an interpreter/technician, a pharmacist, and a psychologist. The team loaded up three vans with twenty-five boxes of medications and supplies, and drove four hours to southwest Nicaragua last night. This morning, the supplies were unloaded and organized at FIMRC's medical station in Las Salinas. Tomorrow we will be working at two separate clinics, we will be teaching CPR courses, and delivering medications to the local hospital in Rivas.
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