Monsoons

The "Monsoon" season has begun here.  This means that any afternoon thunderstorms can occur. Most afternoons there are only clouds and real rain only falls occasionally.  The rain can vary from sprinkles to over an inch in half an hour. The thunder and lightning can put on quite a show and one can watch the storms almost fifty miles away. Foolish people like myself drive up to the mesa just to see the display and watch nature in action.

Two nights ago we had our first real thunderstorm with thunder. lightning, and rain. There was even a double rainbow as an added attraction.   We lost electricity for a while as several transformers were hit.  There was not enough rain to help the drought or fill any of the washes but it was welcome anyway. There are many stories of people camping near a wash or canyon and being swept way by a sudden rainstorm

Chinle after thunderstorm

Thunderstorm in my backyard

Sad to say that I am losing my student physician assistant who is going back to North Carolina tomorrow.  She was a dietician for several years before going back to school.  She has been a joy to work with and has a great future ahead of her. She has a gift of working with all kinds of people in a positive way.  I so enjoyed teaching her and being taught by her.  Godspeed Laura.

The big bang theory!

Yesterday I did something that the American Academy of Pediatrics would cringe at. I bought and exploded fireworks with some male friends (of course). Here on the reservation it is possible to buy all manner of explosives from the small fire cracker to the "Please don't tell Homeland Security" variety. I was amazed at the great mortar fireworks the shoot balls into the air and explode just like the ones at the great displays in Portland with many colors and lights. As the evening wore on we were exploding larger and larger devices. I had one about the size a coffee can that was the called "The Big Bang". I knew it was dangerous when it said on the side to be at least one hundred feet away after lighting. It was impressive and left a nice crater in the ground after almost blowing out my eardrums. After that explosion one of my native friends goes back to his car and pulls out one the size of a wash bucket called "The Nuke". ( I still can't believe they make these things.). This time I put cotton in my ears and moved almost to the next mesa. There is a nice long fuse which allows one to run for good cover. "The Nuke" turned out to be a multidirectional display that shot rocket like balls in all directions and then ended with an explosion similar to the "The Big Bang". After that testosterone fueled event and counting our fingers we returned to town. The "Fourth" may be an anticlimax.

Class, Culture, and Customs

     This week I had for the first time a non Navajo patient.  One of the physicians brought in her baby for an exam.  I walked in with the medical student and immediately noted how different the interview was. There were lots of questions from the mother, an in depth discussion of breast feeding and an ease of presence that I have not seen since I left Portland.  The past difficulties of obtaining a history were gone and the parent and I could readily see a connection

     It brought to mind how much of a cultural and class divide I have with many of my families. I often find myself struggling to get answers to very simple history questions from the parents and children. I still feel this must be a better way for me to interact with my patients so I can make the connection that will help make a healthy child.   Perhaps if I were Navajo I would know better things to say or do that would help the therapeutic process along.  Having worked in clinic where half of the population were African-American was a snap compared to relating to the Navajo. It is not that I have had any bad interactions but that I have not been able to make the connection I find necessary for a successful visit.

Ancient Ruins from the Chinle Outback

      It brings to mind how difficult it must be for couple who come from different cultures to have a good relationship.  The Jewish-Christian,  Black-White, and Navajo-Anglo couples all must deal with great barriers to make the relationship last. We have a few physicians who have married Navajo and I would love to ask them how they make a go of things.  Meanwhile,  I will seek out other physicians who have been here a while to see what they do to relate better and bridge the cultural divide I see.

Alvina Begay

Alvina Begay is a 31 yo runner from the Navajo Nation and a local woman who comes from Ganado near Chinle. Every great runner has a story of overcoming adversity and Alvina is no exception. She adapted from the not so academic life of Ganado to be become an academic all American at Arizona state. This year she qualified for both the US Olympic trials in the marathon (2:43) and the 10,000 meters (32:40 qualifier). She has given much to the community here and has infected many young people with running bug. Her mother is a pediatric nurse who heads up our outpatient clinic in Chinle. So when you watch the olympic trials in Eugene this week give a cheer for Alvina who makes all of us so proud here in the Navajo Nation.

Navajos Run Hard

The men's top three finishers.  Prizes included bicycles and Pendleton Blankets!

With the medal after the race.

Just ran a 10 k race about 40 miles from Chinle in a small hamlet called "Steamboat".  One of the toughest 10 k  races I have done due to : 1. The heat was 75o at the start. 2. It was at 7000 feet.   3. Lots of hills and steep inclines. 4. Deep sand at times. It was called the "Run for life" ( but was almost my death) and was organized by a 48 yo Navajo, Joe Curly Jr, on his family's ranch.  There were almost 100 runners and it was a well supported event with lots of water stops that were all staffed by members of Mr. Curly's family.  I have now become friends with members of the Navajo running community and the friendship has given me a window into the Navajo people.  Running as I may have said before is one the big sports for Navajo youth with many going on to run in college out of proportion to the general population.  The tradition goes back to the shepherding days when running was a survival skill as well as a way to communicate with others.  I am thankful I can join in with others and become part of the running fraternity. This event had lots of prizes and I got a nice Pendleton Bag for coming from the longest distance (Portland) as well as a medal for being third in the old farts age category. After the race I was even invited to a barbecue of a sheep's head and other ovine organs. I will have to save the barbecue story for another day as this was an event that not only sticks in my mind but sticks right now in gut.  Where is Pepto Bismol  when I need it??

The Setting Sun

As the sun sets I am reminded how lucky and privileged I am to be here. A hard day of work is over and although on call I can enjoy the warm Arizona sun. Every day is in the low 90s now and will be so through September. However, it does cool off here at night in the high dessert to the low 50s by about 0500. The practice of Pediatrics here include lots of "sports physicals" as the new school year starts on August 1 and no one wants to miss practice in July. The big fall sports here besides football are cross country and volleyball. The runners do very well in statewide competition as most practices you run through lots and lots of sand and wind. I have yet to master the art of "sand running" but the Navajo say to make like a lizard to run in the sand. Somehow I may learn the technique but it will take time.

Hope

Last week I participated in an 8 k race near the hospital that was more like a Sahara Slog or a game of capture the camel. We went over a number of sand dunes in 85 degree heat with water only in the mind. One of the toughest 8 k races I have ever done. I took it very slow and even with that I was a bit dizzy at the end. Thought I saw some camels on the course but I think they were just large dogs. Today we had a softball tournement which bought many local townsfolk. The field is dirt and sand which makes for some tough ground balls. There was also the obligate wind storm today which forced the umpire to delay the game many times until the dust died down. I felt sorry for the outfielders as the wind also made high fly balls a challenge.a The great thing for me was seeing all the people being physically active and having a good time. With all the health problems here due to obesity and diabetes there is also a group who keep active and healthy. I get a skewed view of world working at the hospital and am happy to know the local scene is not all made up of poor health habits. I am hopeful we can turn things around here as well as the rest of the country although it will take work. Next week I go back to the canyon for a Tuesday evening run sponsored by the Park Service. Should be fun.

Rocks

Shiprock

One of the oddities of the area are place names with "rock" in the name. As there are no rivers and few features to the terrain besides the rocks it seems like every other location has been named after a rock.  Near Chinle there is Window Rock, Shiprock, and Roughrock.  There is also Spider Rock, Round Rock, Red Rock, and Eagle Rock.  In Canyon De Chelly there is "Duck Rock" which is a location on the canyon floor that looks like a duck in flight. Most of the "rock" names come from the appearance of the formation to the observer. There is often confusion for the Fed Ex and UPS drivers who show up in Red Rock to find out that the package was going to Round Rock. I also have to be careful as I sometimes send public health nurses out to homes and if I get the rocks mixed up the nurses may drive 50 miles the wrong way.  The one "rock" name that does not cause confusion is Mormon Rock.  How it got named is only a guess as it does not look like Mitt Romney or any other Mormon I have known.

I'm back!

After a four week lapse I am back in Navajo Country.  It is warmer then the end of April and all the children are out of school.  As a result the problems I see are different.  There are a lot of "cowboy" injuries from the use of horses, cattle, and ranch equipment.  Today, I saw two horse rollover injuries where the horse has rolled over some poor child usually after bucking them off. There are also horse bite wounds, horse stomp wounds, and horse kick wounds.  Then there are all the cattle injuries from mad cows, brazen bulls, and crazy calves.  Toss in a few ATV and motorcycle rollovers and you have a paradise for the orthopedist.

I am staying in the motel now which is somewhat of a problem for me as there is no place to cook. I am not about to live off the high cuisine of Burger King, Church's Fried Chicken, and A and W so I must improvise.  I think I will buy lots of salads from the grocery and have cold cereal for breakfast.

With the heat, the cows which roam free in town have to find shade.  There are no trees so the cows like to use the telephone poles for the shade.  They rotate around the pole as the sun moves across the sky to maintain the shade.This produces a great time keeping device as you can use the cows as a sundial.  It is quite reliable as there are never any clouds and the cows are easily spotted around town. In my neighborhood if the cows butt is pointing at the motel it is nine in the morning, at the Laundromat it is noon, at the high school it is three and at the gas station it is six.  I am not ready to get rid of my watch yet as they try to keep the cows out of the hospital grounds but they do provide a great back up.  Well since it is about moon..., I mean noon, I must get back to work and that's no bull.