6/10/08 - ¿Tiene algún comentario para nosotros?

Today I have no photo, because everything interesting that happened today involved interviews, and I can't photograph those people for obvious reasons.

We completed nine interviews of eligible women today, as well as four or five interviews of men who wanted to participate. (Even though they are ineligible for the study, there's no way I would turn down the opportunity to have a conversation with a Guatemalan man about his health.)

What I want to express today is how amazing it is to talk with these people. NPR advertises an ongoing project where everyday Americans can record their life story for archival at public libraries - in many ways these interviews seem similar. Some women come with children, some are timid, some are in a hurry, but all of them end up sharing part of their life during our five minute conversation. It's a conversation that's all about them, and I get the feeling already that many people are not used to talking about themselves for any length of time.

At the end of the interview, we ask the following question: ¿Tiene algún comentario para nosotros? Do you have any comments for us? Jess suggested that we add this question, because she felt that many patients might like the opportunity to reflect on the survey or their health. It is without fail my favorite part of the interview, because almost everyone does have a comentario for us.

One woman told us how hard it was to get an x-ray done in the city and wished the clinic had one. One man told us about his struggle to overcome the damage from his stroke at age 56, and his program of exercise that he created to restore strength to his right arm (the same arm that he shook our hands with as he left - pretty good improvement). One younger man thanked us for being willing to leave our home and our families to come help them overcome the problems that they are born into in rural Guatemala. He reflected on the structural challenges that life in the valley pose, and acknowledged us as part of a solution to those problems.

These comentarios are often flattering, but not really directed at Kalya and me. They more reflect a deep gratitude for the sacrifices of those who come to serve these communities. And that gratitude is deeply fulfilling.