Diario 5 - Hospital de Heredia San Vicente de Paul

Ayer, aprendí a bailar con todos los estudiantes en la casa de Rosemary y fue muy divertido! Cuando era joven, bailé ballet durante 8 años, pero terminé porque mi salud no estaba bien. Los bailes eran fácil para mi - y Laura y yo practicamos mucho. Tomemos los videos también para nosotras mamá ticas! Después de bailar, cuando terminé mi tarea, Maddy y yo fuimos a la AMPM con nosotras mamá tica 's hijo Luca para helado y tuve su recomendación - el mente. Estaba muy similar en los Estados Unidos, pero un poco más cremoso.

Hoy, fuimos al Hospital de Heredia San Vicente de Paul, el hospital público de la región. En total, la experiencia fue muy emocionante para mi. En el pasado, he tenido malas experiencias con los doctores y hospitales, y tengo mucha empatía por los personajes que necesitan tratamiento. Sin embargo, a pesar del número de pacientes y largo tiempo esperado, es un sistema muy efectivo. Hablo "efectivo” porque el tratamiento es solo que es necesario - no más. Las mujeres no tienen epidurales durante el parto! Es una “opulencia” que es solo una opción en los hospitales privados.

Our visit to the public hospital today was by far my favorite experience of this entire trip. As a premature twin, seeing the early stages of care for babies in that same stage was absolutely mind blowing. I was that small once! I also was incredibly touched by our opportunity to share the first hour of a child's life with its father as it learned to suck on his thumb while his mother recovered. This person came into the world after we had arrived at the hospital that day. Seeing how quickly life is brought into the world only furthered my dedication towards bettering it for others.

After our visit to the herb farm, I left with a more concrete understanding of how herbal medicine can and should be incorporated into modern medicine in a healthy way. My biggest takeaway was that it has a time and a place. Many individuals who have taken the “less invasive” approach to healthcare by using supplements or herbal remedies take it to the extreme, preaching that natural means better - this is far from the truth. Herbal remedies have not been FDA approved and are not on track to be, as they are not as profitable as their pharmaceutical competitors.

Lastly, we were privileged to have Jorge Vindas join us to speak on his experience

data tracking the Costa Rican Zona Azul. This was the aspect of the trip that I was most excited about, as it blows my mind that our bodies can respond so differently to our environment and lifestyle changes, extending life decades beyond what those in other countries experience. This was highlighting the importance of preventative care and a low stress lifestyle in order to live a healthy, long life.