Kwethluk

This week I made a quick trip to the village of Kwethluk.  Kwethluk is only about a 5 minute flight east of Bethel.  In the winter, when the river is frozen, it's possible to drive or snow machine.  The weather the morning I was scheduled to leave was snowy and windy.  As a result my flight was delayed nearly 4 hours.  Once I got to the clinic, I had enough time to quickly unpack and heat up my lunch.  

Kwethluk from the plane 

The purpose of this overnight was to see home bound patients.  Kwethluk has a population of about 750 (the largest of my 3 villages), with a handful of these patients having significant mobility issues.  Since Kwethluk is so close to Bethel, especially this time of year with the ice road, most patients can easily make it into town, relatively.  Many of the patients on my list to see haven't been seen by a provider for years.  Several of these patients are on hospice care.

No plumbing in Kwethluk.  All water is either
hauled from the river or washeteria.  Homes
either have honey buckets or out houses.

At first I was nervous about seeing only patients with multiple problems, pages of medications and no one to consult with.  That fear didn't last long.  My patients and their families were some of the most pleasant people I have had the opportunity to spend time with.  It was such a unique glimpse into my patients' lives, going into their homes.  I saw some patients over coffee sitting at their kitchen table, some in their living rooms, and several in their bedrooms sitting next to them on their bed.  I had time not only to discuss how they were doing medically, but to also find out who the child in the picture on their nightstand was.

Russian Orthodox church and graveyard

One patient I saw on my first day was hosting Slaviq.  Slaviq is the Russian Orthodox Christmas.  It starts on January 7th and lasts for a whole week.  Members of the church go from home to home throughout the week.  They sing, pray, exchange gifts, and of course eat.  It would be like Christmas morning everyday for a week!  It's a big deal in this part of Alaska as the Russian Orthodox church has many members.  I have been hearing people talk about Slaviq all December and was glad to get the chance to observe the tradition.
It has been several years since any provider has been out to Kwethluk.  I hope my next trip isn't that far off.

 

Kwethluk clinic

My mode of transportation