My travel to northern Botswana was great (except for a speeding ticket I got traveling 6 mph over, whoopsies). It’s amazing to see elephant crossing signs, elephants, and giraffes along the side of the road. Warthogs were everywhere, they became nothing special to see anymore. Camping was peaceful, especially knowing there is a guard around the corner, so that decreased the worry I had in wild animals approaching the camp site. The safaris were fantastic. Seeing lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, water buffalo, a leopard, and many beautiful birds all in their natural habitat is truly an amazing site. Victoria Falls was breathtaking. You couldn’t see it all or fit it all in one picture. I felt like it was never going to end. Of course, I did not think I was ever going to get there with the three hours of waiting in line to cross the border into Zimbabwe. African time!

My last two days at the clinic were uneventful. I enjoyed speaking the last bit of Setswana with the people and relieving so much pain that they have been dealing with for years. The people of Botswana are so grateful for the care that they receive, it’s always nice to see them jog in place and dance when they get off the table. Looking back at my time there its intriguing to know what a simple life many people in the village live. Some of them did not know time prior to the introduction of cell phones. They would get up with the sun and eat, eat when sun is above head, and go to bed when the sun goes down. They care about having enough food, water, and getting the care they need when they need it. So when doctors like us come in there and start asking them a bunch of questions about their pain, psychosocial factors, and previous medical history, its very overwhelming, so its easier for them to just say “I don’t know.” That was the most difficult thing when learning about the people. I would constantly say to myself, “Why can they not answer questions regarding their pain, history, or when they saw there medical physician last?” Eventually, you figure out they do not know how to convey such information. Often times knowing an estimated date may be difficult. Some patients knew their age or their birthday, but not both. Imagine that, not knowing your birthday, how old members of your family were or when they died. There were many question marks on intake paperwork for health history for mom, dad, brothers, and sisters. So, family history was often of no help when taking a case history. But when you are more concerned about having enough food to eat, a roof over your head, and getting the necessary work done you need in a day, your pain and your family history is the least of your worries. Now those experiences were mostly people who live in small villages, I felt people who live in larger towns and cities worried more about their cell phone and TV, perhaps the next concert, because food around them was plentiful and they most likely could afford it. The way of life, depending on where people lived, was drastically different.

It is difficult leaving patients I just examined and treated, because I always like to see a patient to resolution. But in the volunteer world, you probably have to get used to it. I am truly grateful that World Spine Care provided me with this opportunity and of course the potential opportunity for many future clinicians, not just in Botswana, but the growing projects underway in India, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Dominican Republic. I am also grateful and thankful for the support of Cleveland University and for providing me with the education and skills to practice chiropractic in Botswana.