Up 3000 feet above the snow tipped dark gray mountains next to the almost frozen ocean and it is scarily bumpy. We’re in an 8 person Cessna air caravan but the mountains below don’t look inviting for an emergency landing. I keep having images of the airplane scene in Almost Famous where they think they are going to die and start to bear their souls about how hateful they feel towards each other only to be saved and have to live with the consequences of their words. I am not feeling hateful but not ready to die. My friend Marc provides an arm for me to squeeze and the rocky “road” passes. It is always an exercise on how not to freak out when things get scary. I had a colonoscopy a few years back without anesthesia, not looking for a medal just wanted to see what it felt like and hate the effects of sedation, and remember the averted freak out when the scope was coming around a flexure and poking through my belly. I knew I had to take care of the doctor who was more worried about an awake patient freaking out than I was in any real danger. Freak out averted on the plane and on the operating table. We made it to our first stop, Whales, not the island off the English coast and on a clear day you can see Russia! Meds and a case of cup a soup dropped off and next stop Nome. The up and down in these small Cessna’s are pretty smooth considering there isn’t a few tons of weight to take off and land and moves with the ease of a minivan. No other traffic in these parts except for the occasional Raven so probably safer than driving on the highway. I’m always wondering how many ups and downs one get before you’re shit out of luck and crash? My flight numbers are exponentially increasing.
The week prior was picked up in Teller by the clinic van driver, Isaac, who is in charge of picking up any health care staff, patients returning from medical appointments in either Nome or Anchorage and medications/blood draws. In the clinic we order the meds that are flown in on the commercial flight from Nome the next day. I’ve seen it work every time with more accuracy than sending to the nearest pharmacy in NYC. The Indian health service covers every Alaskan native with comprehensive medical services. I can’t say the same for availability of food and have been watching people slowly die from lack of calorie weight loss or excessive empty calorie weight gain and the associated medical conditions. Did a home visit today and they were talking about the small amount of food they have left, some dried fish, frozen berries and seal oil. All subsistence food that they or a family member hunted or gathered earlier in the year. Have been trying to figure out renewable energy sources to start a container crop farm to supplement with some plants but my month has come and gone and Teller is not my assigned village. The clinic is staffed by local health aides who take care of any health needs between doctor visits which are few and far between. These young women have seen it all and can react fast if they want to or slow if they don’t. I want to make sure they know how much I respect their abilities and position in the village. Who am I to waltz in and take over although they looked happy for a little reprieve from having to make all of the medical decisions. Now back in Nome it feels like a huge, warm metropolis with two stores, a few vegetables and 20 degrees as opposed to 10. Everything is perspective and what we decide to think about it.
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