Journal Post #13

The past couple of weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. I don't know if it's because I'm so busy all the time or if something really did happen to the time.. it was a leap year. In all seriousness, I don't think I've had a more productive/ busier week like this in a while. On Wednesday I got ALL of my shots that came out to a ridiculous grand total. I got Yellow Fever, Hep A, Hep B, Tetanus, Malaria, Typhoid, and Polio. Thankfully the only side affects for me were fever, dizziness, and nauseousness. Oh and I still can hardly move my right arm! The shots kinda bruised me! I still need to go back for a follow up Hep B shot, Doxycycline prescription, and Influenza Vaccine. 

I a so blessed to live in America where these diseases are not evident. It's sad that in Africa many deaths have come about due to these diseases. I can only hope for a day when Africa can become just as developed as other countries in the world. I am amazed at the advancement in medicine that allows me to go to Africa and be almost completely protected from viruses. 

My research project is still why do women choose the medical care for their under five children? From my last couple of annotated sources I wanted to change my project to comparing women's education to the child's survival rate but then I quickly realized that it's already been done and this is research I could do EASILY in a library. Both not good factors to get a project approved… So as I push through with my project I still find myself getting a little hazy on the details. I am meeting tomorrow with my hopefully future mentor and a couple of professors to get course contracts squared away. The Field Study instructors have been so helpful and supportive in helping me figure everything out. I seriously feel like a chicken with it's head cut off just running around trying to figure things out. 

I am excited for Africa and the adventure that it brings on with it. On Wednesday we discussed ethics more specifically in relation to Ghana and Jackie made excellent points that I didn't even think about in the last post. One main issue was poverty. I don't see the extreme poverty in America that I will see in Africa. Seeing extreme poverty will affect me in a way I won't even be able to comprehend until I face it.  I love it when Katie shares her personal experiences in class and what she did in certain situations. 

The next topic we talked about was not being the "white all-knowing researcher". I'll be in a hospital setting around lot's of doctor's and physicians who may assume that just because I am from America I will know how to perform a procedure.