Pieng Loung Post 3

Nang Yueng is from  Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State.  A month prior she had visited the doctor in a near-death state only to receive news that she must cross into Thailand to receive treatment.  Upon arrival to Pieng Loung she was sent to Pee Bua’s house.  Pee Bua took her immediately to Wieng Hospital, but doctors there were afraid her condition was too sever for their facilities.  She was then taken to a hospital in Chiang Mai.   Doctors told Pee Bua that Nang Yueng had only a 50% chance of survival.   To everyone’s surprise and delight, she responded quickly to the combo of ARVs, TB meds and monitored nutrition, and after just two weeks she was healthy enough to be moved to the Wieng Hospital.  After another two weeks in the inpatient ward, she was healthy enough to be return to Pieng Loung, her new home away from home.    Nang Yueng does not speak or read Thai, but her large bag of meds was only written in Thai.   When we arrived to her house, she was understandably confused at all of the directions in the multiple bags.  Pee Bua took everything out, carefully explained the directions, and double-checked the multiple directions for the ARVs and TB meds.   Pee Bua found what seemed to be a discrepancy in the instructions so she immediately called the doctor in Wieng Heng.   After a bit of explanation, Pee Bua was able to understand the complex meds regimen.    We spent nearly two hours with Nang Yueng, and Pee Bua went over and over her meds and described in incredible detail how to take each one, and what was needed for follow up at the hospital.  It turned out Nang Yueng needed to be at the hospital the following day for a check in with her CD4 counts.    Nang Yueng had a very gentle and appreciative spirit and it was remarkable how Pee Bua was able to answer all of her questions without her even having to ask.