Wow! Today was a long day. My group went back to the leprosy hospital in the village. My job was, once again, to observe and take notes! The difference was, today I had gotten permission to talk to the patients and doctors to try and learn more. I remembered this morning about the other day when I learned about the different levels of PB and MB leprosy, and I thought it would be interesting to take notes on the patients with those different types of the disease. We spent the whole day there before going back to our huts. I ended up getting a lot of good notes! Here are the notes I took from talking to the patients and their doctors:- Most patients with PB indeterminate leprosy- not very serious
- mainly affects skin
- usually only one sore- swollen, red or pale (smooth)
- fighting it off pretty quick- don't need treatment
- some- immune systems can't handle it! bacteria multiplying
- a couple of the cases turned into tuberculoid! got more serious
- Most patients with PB tuberculoid leprosy- a little more serious
- their sores seemed...more obvious
- the sides/edges- slightly more defined
- raised and hairless!!
- a doctor told me it affects their nerves
- Most patients with PB borderline tuberculoid leprosy
- seemed similar to tuberculoid leprosy
- sores were smaller, and a lot more!
- patients had no feeling in their sores!
- some being treated, went back down to tuberculoid
- some- getting worse, up to MB leprosy!
- Most patients with MB midborderline leprosy
- very similar to PB borderline
- more sores
- seemed almost dome shaped
- very dry, kind of scaly, and shiny!
- a little more feeling in sores
- edges of sores- not as defined!
- nerves swollen
- Most patients with MB borderline lepromatous
- even MORE sores
- very smooth and shiny
- very raised
- had small, solid bumps on their skin
- some either getting better- or worse!
- Most patients with MB lepromatous- VERY serious
- doctors said- a LOT of bacteria
- the sores were really big and deep
- in the sores, a lot of bacteria
- seemed to blend together!
- patients losing hair: eyebrows, eyelashes, body hair
- didn't lose hair on head
- eyes, painful or blind
- the skin on their face seemed to thicken or swell
- noses collapsed into face!
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