Today I had the opportunity to talk to multiple people at the Health Clinic, however one woman stood out to me more than others. I first introduced myself to this woman when we stopped to ask for directions. She was walking on the side of the road and she said she was going to the clinic as well so we offered to give her a ride. Once we arrived to the clinic she went on to tell us that she has hypertension, although controlled by medication, as well as diabetes. She was thrilled to speak to us and wanted to learn as much as she could about the two disease states. We went over handouts that we had made prior to our trip with her and she asked numerous questions throughout our discussion. She also gave us a good insight into the Dominican culture, especially when it comes to taking prescription medications. She said that most of the people she knows don’t like taking medications when they don’t feel sick, as is the case with hypertension. She admitted to us that she often feels this way as well but was thankful for our explanation as to why it is important to take the medication every day. She said that since she started talking high blood pressure medication and insulin her blood pressure and diabetes have been under control. She said that she knows these two disease states are prevalent within her country and wishes that everyone understood the importance of early diagnosis and management, as all too often she sees her friends and family members get very sick because of disease state complications. She was extremely happy for her good health and was thankful that she is still able to make the long walk to the clinic once a month. Overall, she was a very positive and motivating person!
-Jess
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