Bon Jou! (Good day!!) Heyyyy! (Ahhallloo!) What uppppp..!!
I find myself back on solid ground USA, after a life changing week in Haiti. From October 4 to October 13, 2013, I was in Haiti, working with a medical mission team providing care to populations living around Bonne Fin, Sud (about 5 hours west of Port-Au-Prince).
There a very few words that can describe the sights, sounds, emotions and lasting memories of this trip. Words of the late Carols Fuentes appropriately summarize the trip for me....
"culture consists of connections, not of separations..."
Day #1: Arrival to Haiti
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| Haitian coast / mountains - Landing in PAP |
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| Black (PAP), Blue (final destination) = 4 - 5 hours |
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| Waiting for the bus in PAP - TEMP 103 F + |
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| street side markets |
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| Tent cities on our way through PAP |
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| the streets of Haiti - driving through PAP |
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| The first (of many, many) gorgeous Haitian sunsets !! |
Day #2: Church and Volleyball
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| the local MEBSH church - AMAZING !! |
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| volleyball with the gang |
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| post volleyball piano session...so much fun!! |
Day #3: Hospital and Clinic Preparation
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| Entrance to the "hospital of light" |
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| Reviewing X-Rays |
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| central nursing supply cart |
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| teaching IV therapy to ER nurses |
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| ER room #1 (traditional acute care room) |
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| back up laboratory station (near pediatrics) |
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| Dr. Lee reviewing orders with a Haitian ER nurse |
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| housekeeping |
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| ready for clinic day #1...!! |
Day #4: Women's health clinic - La Biche (1 hour from hospital) - 120 patient's seen
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screening tools....
acetic acid (vinegar), lugols, lubrication, speculum and, oh, yeah...gloves |
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| table is ready...bring on the patient's!! |
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| the ceiling of the clinic... |
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half-way through the day FACE
- 75 vaginal exams done and there are more...??! - |
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| all types...some patients walked as far as 3 hours to see us |
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nursing students and their "clinical instructor"....
im pretty sure they taught ME more that day, than I taught them...!! |
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| the drive home...gorgeous |
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a welcome site, after a long day!!
Mona, our cook, totally rocked the Haitian cuisine |
Day #5: Women's health clinic - Plaisance (2 hours from hospital) - 110 patient's seen
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on our way...!!
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| forging rivers to get to clinic...yehhhaaaah |
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| the Haitian speedbump |
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the clinic...at 700 AM
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| patient registration |
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makeshift exam table (EMS stretcher, stabilized by a chair)
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one of my favorite nursing students...Jalean
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| lunch...Haitian spaghetti !! |
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| A much needed lunch break... |
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| another gang of senior nursing students...AWESOME!! |
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Storm clouds moving in...lasted about 1/2 hour!
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| enjoying Haiti from mountainside lookout, after clinic |
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Debbie and Bruce with Frantzou, our trusted translator
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| Sunset on the drive home |
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Tour of Frantzou's house!!
Traditional and modern Haitian kitchen |
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Tour of Frantzou's house!!
the master bedroom |
Day #5 and 6: Hospital, Education, Outpatient clinic - about 70 patient's seen
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| hospital portico |
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| morning rounds |
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Rounding on the ER patients...
it almost looks as if I am going bald...NOT YET??! |
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helping Dr. Sherri suture a wound in ER
no pre-medication and limited local anesthesia |
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| Haitian kids, they love having their picture taken...clearly LOL! |
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| Debbie, APRN, about to do another exam...!! |
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| Radiology |
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| drying X-Rays for review |
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| Entrance to the radiology department |
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Jimmy, the physical therapist
(high school diploma and a lot of ON THE JOB TRAINING) |
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| Jimmy's equipment...mostly donated |
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| one of our pediatric patient's...so stinkin' cute!! |
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| Our one NICU patient...doing very well!! |
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he would scoot around the hospital all day in his wheelchair
- luv this little guy... - |
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the 12 lead ECG of a 6 year old patient we ended up shipping out
for a suspected endocarditis and cardiomegaly |
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the CXR of the same 6 year old patient (AP only)
- sent to PAP / city hospital for ultrasound / ECHO - |
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6 year old patient with endocardial disease
- such a tough little guy - |
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| portable CXR |
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| pretty hard to learn the language....LOL |
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| The entire HL staff...such a great group of people!! |
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| Overview of HL |
Day #7 and 8: Rest, Relaxation and Tourism
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our cook's daughter, true Haitian beauty
- she wanted to pose with her new hat - |
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HAITI through the Cancer Redemption Project
an orphanage for Haitian children!! :) |
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| traditional Haitian taxi |
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tropic vegetation...hard hat required!
coconuts are dangerous and very heavy (if fallen upon one's head) |
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| Dinner with the hospital administrator |
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| Typical missionary house |
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| Local grocery store produce |
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| AHHHH...finally, at last, our last HAITIAN meal !! |
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Waiting for flight at PAP, checking emails, voicemails, etc.
Back to reality, begins....NOW!
UNTIL THE VERY NEXT TIME..!! |
