After a lovely breakfast, complete with mangos, prepared by the cooks in the Healing Hands for Haiti guesthouse, we boarded the van for our first day in the "Physio Klinic" at the Haiti Community Hospital. We are 3 OTs, 1 PT, and 3 interpreters. Also on board are our pediatrician and nurse for a treating the folks lined up already when we arrived after 1/2 hour drive. The route follows bumpy streets with hairpin curves on steep hills. We have packed our van with all the dufflebags and suitcases filled with the things you have donated for medical and therapeutic use...The hospital does not have their own therapists, so it welcomes the volunteers who come through HHH and Global Therapy Services and Handicap International who initiate our own process and procedures.
At 8:40 it's already hot and humid. There's NO air conditioning here that I've experienced, including the hospital. But you need to know that the new Physio Klinic is run outside, on a cement patio covered by a large tarp (that leaks during afternoon rainstorms). The people come for free therapy services, and today we worked with several amputees, traumatic injury patients, Melanie, Kathy and I set up the supplies in the middle of the patio as we have been instructed to do yesterday, also reminding each other all day long to drink water! I decide to keep on my cowboy hat all day to minimize glare and hide my wet hair! That with a scrub top, shorts and tennies is my "uniform". Surrounding the Klinic are chairs for those who have signed in and waiting for attention but the young boys who come to watch from the nearby tent village are ever-present. Perhaps we are entertaining for them to watch, but they are all hungry for food and attention too. And they all ask us for new shoes.
A note left by the last OT/PTteam asks for an assessment of a new CVA in-patient. I check in to take a look and decide I'll see her after working with Madame Laura, a sweet tiny elderly lady who had a hip replaced the other day. Her son is aghast that I am about to get her out of bed for the second time in order to walk her down the hall. So my translator (into Creole) explains to him that this is "normal" vs. premature. Gently Mdme. gets to the edge of the bed with my help and trepidaciously stands up with her walker. She is not yet looking me in the eye. With much encouragement, she slowly walks toward the door and was surprised to learn that I expect her to go into the hallway. Son is still scared and must be told to let go of her... The door has only one hinge and falls sideways if not opened properly, I quickly learn. Anyway, 30 meters and 30 minutes later she has done a wonderful job of walking--and with no complaints. She makes us laugh, speaks animatedly to people in the hall, and now looks at me! She returned to her room and sat in a chair and I instruct her and her family what to do at home, since discharge is later this morning. Mdme. is relaxed, insists on getting my address and photos with her.(Wish I could upload from here, but I don't yet know how) We are now good friends and she invites me to do therapy with her in her home every day! Instead, I invite her to the new Klinic outside for PT every day! She--and her son-- gladly accept.
Did I mention that I am sweltering and dripping? all the time! even in front of the fan as I write this at 10 pm
Outside again by noon after evaluating the lady who had a stroke #3 and teaching her family to re-position her frequently and to feed her only baby food. The hospital, which is not free care, does not provide food unless it's paid for and families bring in all the bed linens too,,, We use lots of disinfecting hand stuff.
Lunch is what we brought from home. I have a tin of chicken salad, a granola bar, and am full. That's normally not normal for me. But it's so hot that all I can do is drink more water (which we've brought in a 5 gal jug). The little boys look at us beseechingly and finally ask for some water. One of them shows me his woven name bracelet -- do I want one? Yes! What color? I point to my scrub top of blues, purples, white, pink and he asks me to print my name. A few hours later, his older brother appears and they gesture to me, presenting a lovely bracelet with turquoise, pink and white "SUZIE" woven on top. Billy asks for $2, one for his brother who did the marketing.
Note-writing is not for anyone but ourselves and we do it for ourselves and each other. Gail, the doctor, and Chris, RN come down from their indoor space on the other side of the parking lot and start telling stories of the people they just treated, including a teeny 4-day old premie infant whose mama is too sick to bring her herself because of hunger/ the father brought the baby who Gail reports is the tiniest she's ever seen. We process more of who and what we've been dealing with to problem-solve while learning more about each others' skills and thinking. This is really teamwork! I love my team. We already trust each other. I love my team!
Dripping and drinking water but having a wonderful day. The patients are all done and we start cleaning up. I found some balloons and gave out 8 to the 8 shortest kids on the patio. Soon there are soccor and volleyball balloon games going and Chris, our nurse, Gail and I are playing with them. They are beautiful, sort of dirty, and totally curious. They like having their pictures taken and then want to see everything in my camera. I had 10 or 12 hands trying to move my wrist/camera around in a circle for them all to see. A balloon pops during play and the first real belly laughs we hear from them affect us all deeply.
I've only been in Haiti 36 hours and feel it's gotten under my wet, sticky- with -mosquito- spray -and -sweat -skin. A journalism team from Toronto arrived today and tomorrow we're getting our 2nd PT for the team. All of us know why we're here in a way I cannot really express to you.
A bien tot. Suzie
At 8:40 it's already hot and humid. There's NO air conditioning here that I've experienced, including the hospital. But you need to know that the new Physio Klinic is run outside, on a cement patio covered by a large tarp (that leaks during afternoon rainstorms). The people come for free therapy services, and today we worked with several amputees, traumatic injury patients, Melanie, Kathy and I set up the supplies in the middle of the patio as we have been instructed to do yesterday, also reminding each other all day long to drink water! I decide to keep on my cowboy hat all day to minimize glare and hide my wet hair! That with a scrub top, shorts and tennies is my "uniform". Surrounding the Klinic are chairs for those who have signed in and waiting for attention but the young boys who come to watch from the nearby tent village are ever-present. Perhaps we are entertaining for them to watch, but they are all hungry for food and attention too. And they all ask us for new shoes.
A note left by the last OT/PTteam asks for an assessment of a new CVA in-patient. I check in to take a look and decide I'll see her after working with Madame Laura, a sweet tiny elderly lady who had a hip replaced the other day. Her son is aghast that I am about to get her out of bed for the second time in order to walk her down the hall. So my translator (into Creole) explains to him that this is "normal" vs. premature. Gently Mdme. gets to the edge of the bed with my help and trepidaciously stands up with her walker. She is not yet looking me in the eye. With much encouragement, she slowly walks toward the door and was surprised to learn that I expect her to go into the hallway. Son is still scared and must be told to let go of her... The door has only one hinge and falls sideways if not opened properly, I quickly learn. Anyway, 30 meters and 30 minutes later she has done a wonderful job of walking--and with no complaints. She makes us laugh, speaks animatedly to people in the hall, and now looks at me! She returned to her room and sat in a chair and I instruct her and her family what to do at home, since discharge is later this morning. Mdme. is relaxed, insists on getting my address and photos with her.(Wish I could upload from here, but I don't yet know how) We are now good friends and she invites me to do therapy with her in her home every day! Instead, I invite her to the new Klinic outside for PT every day! She--and her son-- gladly accept.
Did I mention that I am sweltering and dripping? all the time! even in front of the fan as I write this at 10 pm
Outside again by noon after evaluating the lady who had a stroke #3 and teaching her family to re-position her frequently and to feed her only baby food. The hospital, which is not free care, does not provide food unless it's paid for and families bring in all the bed linens too,,, We use lots of disinfecting hand stuff.
Lunch is what we brought from home. I have a tin of chicken salad, a granola bar, and am full. That's normally not normal for me. But it's so hot that all I can do is drink more water (which we've brought in a 5 gal jug). The little boys look at us beseechingly and finally ask for some water. One of them shows me his woven name bracelet -- do I want one? Yes! What color? I point to my scrub top of blues, purples, white, pink and he asks me to print my name. A few hours later, his older brother appears and they gesture to me, presenting a lovely bracelet with turquoise, pink and white "SUZIE" woven on top. Billy asks for $2, one for his brother who did the marketing.
Note-writing is not for anyone but ourselves and we do it for ourselves and each other. Gail, the doctor, and Chris, RN come down from their indoor space on the other side of the parking lot and start telling stories of the people they just treated, including a teeny 4-day old premie infant whose mama is too sick to bring her herself because of hunger/ the father brought the baby who Gail reports is the tiniest she's ever seen. We process more of who and what we've been dealing with to problem-solve while learning more about each others' skills and thinking. This is really teamwork! I love my team. We already trust each other. I love my team!
Dripping and drinking water but having a wonderful day. The patients are all done and we start cleaning up. I found some balloons and gave out 8 to the 8 shortest kids on the patio. Soon there are soccor and volleyball balloon games going and Chris, our nurse, Gail and I are playing with them. They are beautiful, sort of dirty, and totally curious. They like having their pictures taken and then want to see everything in my camera. I had 10 or 12 hands trying to move my wrist/camera around in a circle for them all to see. A balloon pops during play and the first real belly laughs we hear from them affect us all deeply.
I've only been in Haiti 36 hours and feel it's gotten under my wet, sticky- with -mosquito- spray -and -sweat -skin. A journalism team from Toronto arrived today and tomorrow we're getting our 2nd PT for the team. All of us know why we're here in a way I cannot really express to you.
A bien tot. Suzie
