La doctora : the journal of an American doctor practicing medicine on the Amazon River

This doctor still makes house calls. In 1990, Dr. Linnea Smith went on vacation. The result? She abandoned a thriving medical practice in Wisconsin to serve the Yagua Indians in the deepest part of the Amazon rainforest of Peru alone. Today, Dr. Smith routinely hears the midnight cry of ''Doctora!'' from patients facing life-and-death emergencies. Accompany her on house calls where the unknown often awaits. Observe how she treats exotic diseases, alligator bites and complicated births almost a day's journey away from the closest hospital. Taken straight from the pages of Dr. Smith=9's journal, La Doctora offers readers a rare glimpse into the suspense and drama of practicing medicine in a culture far removed from the sophisticated supplies and supports of 20th-century medicine. Learn how Dr. Smith evolved from a ''strange white woman'' to an adopted member of the indigenous community. Her story of adventure, self-discovery and service creates an inspirational testimonial to one person's power to make a lasting difference. Table of Contents......Page 9 1 "My Wife Can't Have Her Baby!"......Page 12 Leap into the Unknown......Page 26 2 My Last Vacation......Page 27 3 Setting Up Shop......Page 45 4 Jungle Medicine......Page 58 5 Indiana......Page 70 Life on the Amazon......Page 82 6 Life Along the Stream......Page 83 7 Life Outside the Clinic......Page 97 8 Red Tape......Page 112 9 Fiesta......Page 121 Jungle Doctor......Page 128 10 Culture Clash......Page 129 11 Necrotizing Fasciitis......Page 142 12 Tropical Diseases......Page 165 13 More Learning......Page 173 Clinic Expansion......Page 182 14 Rotary Rescue......Page 183 15 Juvencio......Page 191 16 Building the Clinic......Page 198 More Jungle Medicine......Page 210 17 Trauma......Page 211 18 Childbirth......Page 218 19 Snakebites......Page 228 20 Failures and Reflections......Page 235 The End of the Beginning......Page 242 21 Coming of Age......Page 243 22 What Am I Doing Here?......Page 255 In 1990, Dr. Linnea Smith went to Peru on an ecotourism vacation. She was so moved that she abandoned her thriving medical practice in Wisconsin to serve the Yagua Indians in the deepest part of the Amazon rainforest of Peru-alone. Taken straight from the pages of Dr. Smiths journal, LaDoctora offers readers a rare glimpse into the suspense and drama of practicing medicine in a culture far removed from the sophisticated supplies and supports of 20th-century medicine. Learn how Dr. Smith evolved from a strange white woman to an adopted member of the indigenous community. Her story of adventure, self-discovery and service creates inspiring testimony to one persons power to make alasting difference. In 1990, Dr. Linnea Smith went to Peru on an ecotourism vacation. She was so moved that she abandoned her thriving medical practice in Wisconsin to serve the Yagua Indians in the deepest part of the Amazon rainforest of Peru--alone. Taken straight from the pages of Dr. Smith's journal, La Doctora offers readers a rare glimpse into the suspense and drama of practicing medicine in a culture far removed from the sophisticated supplies and supports of 20th-century medicine. Learn how Dr. Smith evolved from a "strange white woman" to an adopted member of the indigenous community. Her story of advent