On the flight home this morning. Yesterday Ann and I were in Fort Lauderdale for a relaxing afternoon and evening. She got a mani/pedi while I slept in a lounge chair by the mineral pool with cucumbers on my eyes. (I woke myself up snoring:)). We went out for an excellent seafood dinner with Dr. Jim. Great food, drinks and conversation. I met so many compassionate healthcare workers on this adventure. It gives me hope for the future of healthcare.
I am traveling with my backpack and a small carry-on. I left everything in Haiti and I am thinking now of MaKenzie who has my pillow.......wondering how he slept last night....
I am incredibly exhusted but my heart is full and my worldview has expanded and shifted again. I am so thankful for the blessings in my life....family, friends, clean drinking water, food, enough gas to move freely about and a safe place to call home.
My mind is starting to plan ways to continue to support the wonderful mission of Haiti Family Ministries and people of Haiti.
Thank you to everyone who held me in prayer, supported me and especially the people whom I have met in Haiti who worked tirelessly this past week.
What a life changing experience!
Siging off for now....stay tuned for the next adventure.....not sure when or where but there will be more to come:)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Well....another busy day is done or so I think....my last day working in Haiti. I am definately ready to be home but I will miss so much here. There is such a need and the people have so much love, hope and big smiles. BUT as Ann says EVERYTHING is hard in Haiti.
I spent the day in the "rubble" clinic as it is now called by me. Lots of chronic conditions today such as a woman who has a colostomy who has no supplies. How she keeps it clean is beyond me. A 47 year old diabetic woman with an above the knee amputation. She is out of metformin and we had none to give her. As I write the Rx she says I have no money to pay. We found some at the hospital when we got back tonight and are sending it to the clinic on Monday for her. A 40 year old with a tumor just above her symphsis. Doctor from Aruba consulted....maybe pelvic TB.....WOW....and that is a select few of the crowd that was there today.
Saw a Rat today inside the "clinic" space so Mary and I moved.....crazy. And the smells are burnt into nose, literally. I asked what to do with the plastic garbage bag when we cleaned up at clinic...."oh just toss it on the fire burning on the rubble". It was one of hardest things I have done since being here...sharps and all burnt......smelly to say the least!
Got back to the hospital and showered and went to maternite...28 weeker in pre term labor just broke her water. Not much hope here for her babe...she is alone and crying......2 pre eclampsia patients had MgSO4 IV push then aldomet...... 42 week primip obviously infected, fever and tender....prepped for surgery BUT no anesthesiologist to be found. So the French midwife tells me the doctor said that if the baby crashes then it will be an emergency and I will need to push Ketamine....I say N-O!!!!! I draw the line here. I am not giving anesthesia. I have the interpreter wake up the OB/GYN from Washington to see if he does spinals oh and also wake ip the Resp. Therapist to alert her of the possible 28 weeker tonight.....whew
Now I am in bed. Hoping to stay here until 5am when I leaving for the airport to fly into Fort Lauderdale.
I spent the day in the "rubble" clinic as it is now called by me. Lots of chronic conditions today such as a woman who has a colostomy who has no supplies. How she keeps it clean is beyond me. A 47 year old diabetic woman with an above the knee amputation. She is out of metformin and we had none to give her. As I write the Rx she says I have no money to pay. We found some at the hospital when we got back tonight and are sending it to the clinic on Monday for her. A 40 year old with a tumor just above her symphsis. Doctor from Aruba consulted....maybe pelvic TB.....WOW....and that is a select few of the crowd that was there today.
Saw a Rat today inside the "clinic" space so Mary and I moved.....crazy. And the smells are burnt into nose, literally. I asked what to do with the plastic garbage bag when we cleaned up at clinic...."oh just toss it on the fire burning on the rubble". It was one of hardest things I have done since being here...sharps and all burnt......smelly to say the least!
Got back to the hospital and showered and went to maternite...28 weeker in pre term labor just broke her water. Not much hope here for her babe...she is alone and crying......2 pre eclampsia patients had MgSO4 IV push then aldomet...... 42 week primip obviously infected, fever and tender....prepped for surgery BUT no anesthesiologist to be found. So the French midwife tells me the doctor said that if the baby crashes then it will be an emergency and I will need to push Ketamine....I say N-O!!!!! I draw the line here. I am not giving anesthesia. I have the interpreter wake up the OB/GYN from Washington to see if he does spinals oh and also wake ip the Resp. Therapist to alert her of the possible 28 weeker tonight.....whew
Now I am in bed. Hoping to stay here until 5am when I leaving for the airport to fly into Fort Lauderdale.
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Thursday, April 15, 2010
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Today I was back at the outdoor clinic again. I was with Sharon my fellow Wisconsinite who is a Nurse Practitioner. So we saw lots of babies and women. So much need for education! We saw 140 patients today from 9-4.....busy!!! Can't believe tomorrow is my last day working in Haiti... Still have yet to catch one of those beautiful Haitian babes... The birth gods have not blessed me yet...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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Homesick today.....this is grueling work. Today I am working in the maternity clinic on the hospital grounds. They line up before it opens and get a number with a slip of paper listing their complaint. I am becoming a private investigator. It is so difficult not speaking the language. Wish I would have listened better in high school French class! Conditions at this clinic site are much better than the outdoor clinic.....
The mosquitios are getting worse and I know FOR SURE I have never sweat so much in my life. The people who have been here cooking for the patients, volunteers and a few orphanages since the quake left 2 days ago. No food for the volunteers. Interesting feeling....rationing food....wondering if I have enough protein bars for myself and to share....
We are sleeping at the hospital on cots on an open veranda. The roosters on the street start at about 4am and the pediatric ward is next to us so not much sleep to be had......I am attaching a picture of sleeping quarters
Better go back to clinic....
The mosquitios are getting worse and I know FOR SURE I have never sweat so much in my life. The people who have been here cooking for the patients, volunteers and a few orphanages since the quake left 2 days ago. No food for the volunteers. Interesting feeling....rationing food....wondering if I have enough protein bars for myself and to share....
We are sleeping at the hospital on cots on an open veranda. The roosters on the street start at about 4am and the pediatric ward is next to us so not much sleep to be had......I am attaching a picture of sleeping quarters
Better go back to clinic....
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Emotional Day
Today Mary and I returned to Haiti Family Ministry outdoor clinic. The day was incredibly emotional. The first woman was a woman we had seen yesterday. She had a labial abcess that was so painful and large that she could not sit. She had her 3 year old son with her who recieved a sucker and replied with a huge grin. Mary was prepared to lance the abcess but she had followed directions and it was much improved. She was injected with lidocaine for comfort though. She was so grateful. All smiles and kiss on the cheek with a bless you.....a pregnant woman presented with no baby movement for 2 months. She had been injured in the quake and had vaginal bleeding since. A MD came yesterday with a portable ultrasound. I did a scan was able to show her the baby moving on the screen. Good news for once! Tried to rule out placenta previa.....pretty hard under a tarp, on a stretcher, on the ground and I have no formal training in ultrasound...have seen enough of them that I was the resident expert of the hour....
Lots and lots of vaginal discharge In women and young women. They need so much education....like not douching with clorox :0 Hard to discerne the difference between BV or yeast or trich......as there are no tests to be done. Treatment is based on symptoms which are gathered through an interpreter. The money donated by you all was used to buy supplies and medications. And they are being put to use already!!! Things we take for granted like a cup for a urine sample....we are using empty pill bottles.
Had a newly pregnant woman with BP of 150/110. No aldomet, found a possible next best thing (through research on my iPhone) but there is only enough for one month....what happens then?
The people who lived in the house we are working next to came to see their home....a nurse that lived inside was pulled from the rubble and the hole where she was pulled from is inside the screened "exam room".....next to this is a pile of rubble with at least 10 bodies still inside.....the saddness is palpable. Everything is put into context of before the quake or after the quake.
Toward the end of the day a pregnant woman presented walking on her hands and feet. She wears work gloves on her hands. She had polio as a child...has 3 children at home and is due in a few months. Her husband died in the earthquake. As I watched her "walk" away, I lost it... I had to walk and sob....she has no reason to smile but she does and very beautifully! These women are so strong......we ask "Is this your first pregnancy?" and the next question when they say no is... "How many of your children are still alive?". And then hear the stories of survival.
I have met some remarkable young men an women from the US, working with Haiti Family Ministries They give me hope in the future. Also wonderful healthcare workers from Australia, Aruba, Germany and France. We work and sweat together on one mission for the people of Haiti.
Pray for the people of Haiti.
In peace and hope~
Lots and lots of vaginal discharge In women and young women. They need so much education....like not douching with clorox :0 Hard to discerne the difference between BV or yeast or trich......as there are no tests to be done. Treatment is based on symptoms which are gathered through an interpreter. The money donated by you all was used to buy supplies and medications. And they are being put to use already!!! Things we take for granted like a cup for a urine sample....we are using empty pill bottles.
Had a newly pregnant woman with BP of 150/110. No aldomet, found a possible next best thing (through research on my iPhone) but there is only enough for one month....what happens then?
The people who lived in the house we are working next to came to see their home....a nurse that lived inside was pulled from the rubble and the hole where she was pulled from is inside the screened "exam room".....next to this is a pile of rubble with at least 10 bodies still inside.....the saddness is palpable. Everything is put into context of before the quake or after the quake.
Toward the end of the day a pregnant woman presented walking on her hands and feet. She wears work gloves on her hands. She had polio as a child...has 3 children at home and is due in a few months. Her husband died in the earthquake. As I watched her "walk" away, I lost it... I had to walk and sob....she has no reason to smile but she does and very beautifully! These women are so strong......we ask "Is this your first pregnancy?" and the next question when they say no is... "How many of your children are still alive?". And then hear the stories of survival.
I have met some remarkable young men an women from the US, working with Haiti Family Ministries They give me hope in the future. Also wonderful healthcare workers from Australia, Aruba, Germany and France. We work and sweat together on one mission for the people of Haiti.
Pray for the people of Haiti.
In peace and hope~
Monday, April 12, 2010
OB/GYN "clinic" today
Saturday, April 10, 2010
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Friday, April 9, 2010
Okay so I made it through the first round of security in MPLS. A big thank you to Leah for the ride to the airport and helping me lug the overstuffed bags. Oh and thanks to skycap gentleman who looked the other way when the scale was over 50#. :). A call from my grad school friend, Ann (who has been in Haiti 3 days) topped off the wait in line. She says I just won't believe the devastation. She is saving me a bunk by her so we can tell stories into the night.....can't wait to see you Ann!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The final pack
Goodbye Gizzy......
Sunday, April 4, 2010
My baby is 16 today
Happy Birthday Ellis. I love you more each day. I am so proud of the man you are becoming!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Packing and Re-packing.....
So here it is my first post on a blog.....welcome into my world. I am a nurse midwife. I will be leaving on Friday for Carrefour Haiti. My first ever trip to assist with health care in another country. I am excited, anxious, nervous but most of all ready to use my skills to help women and children! I am in the midst of trying to figure out how to pack all the medical supplies I have purchased and that have been donated into 2 50# bags/boxes. I am still waiting for my final supplies to arrive. It is a kit put together by an organization called project cure. The kit should be here Monday and then I will do the final pack. I have the vacuum sealer out and my dining room table has been converted to a sort and pack station. I have been humbled by the donations and well wishes I have received. Many thanks!!
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