Ohh what a night.... 5 people in my house were severely ill last night...my roomates were crawling on the floor for 3 hours barely able able to move....they got taken to the hospital and are still there on an IV...still unsure what they have, but say a prayer for them...they are miserable....one of the new volunteers got air flighted to Lima this morning, because she had these rather large bruises forming all over her body that were a black color....yet she had not run into anything....they think it is her blood clotting from a sever reaction to the altitude...im pretty worried about her...but here there is 1 doctor for 3000 people...so the healthcare as you can imagine in less than marginal...to be determined.

You know.... I feel very safe her as far as the people and culture...but these illnesses are spreading like wildfire...I am 1 out of 4 roomates who is somewhat healthy...I am looking forward to leaving for the coast this afternoon...escape all this craziness...I will be back on Monday afternoon...so more updates then...excited for sand boarding...

Started placement yesterday at the mental health clinic...worked with people diagnosed with schizophrenia who are in occupational therapy.....they make the most beautiful pieces of artwork...tapestries, jewelry....etc....they are all very calm....I suspect due to medication..not what I expected, but are able to live with their families and still maintain a career....4 times a year local vendors come and gather their artwork and sell it around Huamanga (Ayacucho City)...we also observed an evalutation for a boy with severe autism....I feel as if he had something more though...he was not your typical autistic introvert...and seemed to have subtle social skills...results come back today...I also met 2 doctors from P.A.M.S....Peruvian, American Medical Society...who were making their rounds for 8 weeks in local clinics...it was refreshing to talk to Americans...it has been awhile since I have seen any besides fellow volunteers...I am going to home visits today to help with physical therapy with patients that are bed ridden...looking forward to it...hopefully they will be more productive than they were the first day...I was sad to leave the school, but am really looking forward to learning as much as I can at the mental health clinic...alright off to placement and then the coast!....I'll share more after the trip...Have a great weekend!