Posted: 4/17/07
Making a difference in Costa Rica
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
The essence of the field of chiropractic medicine alleviate pain. In that respect, it is a rewarding occupation. Kris Buege, who recently completed her coursework to become a chiropractor, returned recently from Costa Rica, where she and other health professionals treated the poor of Costa Rica. The month-long stay was full of enough rewarding experiences to fill an entire careeróand she is just starting out.
Kris, who will graduate August 4 from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, was one of four people selected to travel to Costa Rica for the Christian Foundation for Children and the Aging (CFCA). The four students served a month in Costa Rica, dividing their time between the cities of Alajuela, San Ramon, and Cartago.
The students and their supervisor served the uninsured who were sponsored by the CFCA. Costa Rica has a national health care plan, but the sponsored patients were not covered because they were not working. It was a vicious cycle, Kris pointed out, because the patients could not work due to pain or injury, and because they could not work, they could not get the care they needed in order to recover enough to work.
"This was the only health care they had," Kris explained.
Krisí patients ranged in age from 2 to 92. One memorable patient, Juan Carlos, was 38-years-old and had radiating leg pain and could not work. Because he could not work, he could not support his six children, and he had to give them up. He had an appointment to see a medical doctor, but the appointment wasnít until July of 2008. He had already been living with pain for two years.
Kris was able to work on the man and alleviate his leg pain. But she discovered another problemóhe was sitting on a wallet that was two to three inches thick because of all the photos of his children he kept in it. She advised him to carry the wallet in his shirt pocket because sitting on it was contributing to his pain. He returned to the clinic and tearfully told her, "Thank you for getting me my life back." He was able to return to work and got his children back as well.
Another memorable patient was Arelis, a four-year old who could not walk. The problem, Kris discovered, was that her hip was not sitting properly in its joint. When the hip was put back into place, she was able to walk.
"They think you are doing magic," said Kris of the patientsí reaction to their treatments. The patients responded with lots of hugs, kisses, and blessing of the caregiverís hands. Often, they would bring trinkets to show their appreciation.
The volunteers worked from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. four days a week and had Wednesdays off. Kris saw 200 patients in three weeks.
Their patients typically lived in 10 x 12 ft. homes with dirt floors, no running water and no bathroom. The outside walls and roofs were generally made of corrugated tin. Houses had to be rebuilt every two years because of water damage.
Close quarters
Living in Costa Rica for a month was an interesting experience, Kris noted. The four students lived in close contact, so it important to get along.
They ate mainly beans and rice, and occasionally meat. They always ate what they were served, and it didnít always agree with their digestive systems. Still, they had to persevere because a sick day would put an unfair burden on the others. They put up with primitive bathroom facilities, large spiders and oppressive heat. Kris said that her high school Spanish didnít take her very far, and the students were glad for the services of an interpreter. The occasions she did try speaking Spanish provided some humor, however.
Another difficulty arose traveling by taxi. There were no street signs, so "you darn well better know where you live," because you have to give directions instead of an address.
Kris said she would not hesitate to return to Costa Rica, and looks forward to having another opportunity to do so.
About Kris
Kris is the daughter of Robert and Joanne Buege of Caledonia and a 1996 graduate of Caledonia High school. She worked in ophthamology for a while after college, and then decided to return to school to pursue a more challenging career. Her first inclination was to become an orthopedic surgeon, but she found that even though she worked as an EMT, she could not handle being in an operating room. She decided she should choose something in the medical field that was non-invasive, and chose chiropractic medicine. She has completed her coursework and will do an externship this summer in Austin, Minn. She hopes to work under another doctor for a year and then start her own practice. She said she would like to return to Caledonia to practice.
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