Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — First Day in Naypyidaw Clinic 04/06/14
After a wonderful breakfast in the Amara hotel, where I thought I had the sweetest papaya since I had come to Myanmar, the bus took us to the Naypyidaw Hospital. We were told it was the best hospital in Myanmar. After all, Naypyidaw is Myanmar’s new capital since 2005. According to an article in the…
The ‘Great Eight’ Stretches for Runners, Hikers and Walkers
I believe in the 1/3-1/3-1/3 principle of fitness! Cardiovascular activities, muscular strengthening exercise and flexibility should each get one-third of your workout time. This rarely holds true, with the area of flexibility getting short-changed. For some, the rationale behind stretching isn’t strong enough to make it a priority. For others, exercise time is so limited…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — A Day On Inle Lake 04/05/14
Early in the morning, we woke up to a sumptuous breakfast on a terrace overlooking the beautiful grounds of the Pristine Lotus Hotel. I could see a glimpse of the Inle Lake from a distance. This is where we will take a boat ride to see the town and the area around Inle Lake. The…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Clinic in the Nyaung Shwe area 04/04/14
Today we went to the clinic in Naung Shwe, Shan State. As with the other clinics, we arrived with the entourage of women from the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA), a powerful organization in Myanmar, an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization). The members of this group were almost all women and were mostly physicians themselves. …
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Ho-Pone Clinic, 04/03/14
We arrived at the Ho-Pone clinic on a very hot sunny day. The roads leading to the clinic were narrow and the clinic was located at the crossing of three roads. The driver had to park quite far from the entrance. From a distance, we could see hundreds of villagers lining up near the entrance. …
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Day 2, Taunggyi Township Clinic, the Women’s Hospital,04/02/14
Our team visited the town market in the morning, a colorful street market full of flowers and vegetables. Some of the vegetables and roots were too exotic for me to recognize. I remember walking with my housekeeper through similar markets in Vietnam as a little girl. My stomach was much stronger then, as I could…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Taunggyi Township Clinic, the First Patients 04/01/14
I had been awake since 5 a.m. and could no longer fall asleep. I put on my running pants (as women in Myanmar do not wear shorts) and headed out of the hotel for a run. I was advised not to run alone, but I had to do something to build up my energy. The…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — The Bus to Infinity…Road to Taunggyi 3/31/14
We landed in Myanmar on 3/30/14 and it took us quite a while to get to our hotel near the airport, as all of us had to help transport 40 heavy boxes of medical equipment and medication. I had never been on a medical mission before and was unaware of how much “extra” work like…
What’s New in the Brain: Update in Neurology from the American College of Physicians Annual Meeting 2014
Last week I had the privilege of attending the ACP Annual Meeting where 10,000 internists from the United States and the international community meet to attend talks on the state of the latest in the field. Dr. Martin A. Samuels, the Chairman of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, summarized some the major findings in Neurology…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — The Beginning
I have always been one of those who gets confused about the concept of my life being operated by a “master plan” that is inescapable as my religious friends (even some family members) have tried in vain to explain to me. How does such a master plan work? Some say you can’t escape what was…