December 30, 2014
The hospital was pretty packed again when we went in, and I had told Minel I was interested in pediatrics, so he placed me with the pediatrician Dr. Pluviose for the morning. Compared to the ER, it was much more like any normal primary care office..I was actually surprised how similar to the US it was. One big difference was that the doctor saw all of his patients and sent them for any necessary labs, and once he got through the initial appointments he called each patient back to discuss their lab results and write prescriptions. It makes for a long stay for the patients, but he explained to me that they come from all over the area and some from far away, and asking patients to come back in a few days for a follow up isn't always realistic. Even though I couldn't actively help much and I mostly just observed (although I did get a screaming baby to stop crying and fall asleep, so that was my success for the day), Dr. Pluviose did an awesome job of explaining each patient's case to me and why he was prescribing certain medications, etc. Since its a tropical area this probably shouldn't have surprised me, but a large portion of children who come in with abdominal pain have worms/parasites in their stomachs..kind of interesting to think how people in the US would react to that. There were also a few patients he tested for anemia, pointing out that some families here have 6 or 7 kids and not enough money to feed them all. After seeing some pretty sad things in the ER and the rest of the hospital, it was reassuring to see that people who need a simple checkup or just have a cough or cold can come in, get lab tests, and be given a prescription. Minel showed us the hospital's lab and pharmacy and they were really pretty impressive, so most people who come to Bethel can get the treatment they need.
After lunch Minel introduced us to the coordinator of Bethel's HIV/AIDS program. He also speaks English, and talked to us about what Bethel is doing not only to treat HIV and AIDS but also to raise awareness and prevention in the community. It was interesting to learn that compared to the US, there's not really a stigma attached to AIDS, and people who have it don't tend to feel outcasted or ashamed. Education and awareness seems to be a growing part of medicine in America, and it was great to see that even though Haiti is a third world country, the same efforts are being made here.
Minel was going to give us a tour of another part of Fond-des-Negres, but I guess it was a big market day and a not a good time to brave walking through the streets, so the rest of the day/night was really pretty uneventful. We're not sure why we get so tired in the middle of the day, but we did some blog writing, talking with Daphline, and relaxing until dinner. Tonight's dinner menu: spaghetti porridge...I'm not sure who came up with that, but it's absolutely delicious. So Michelle and I are coming back determined to make Americans like porridge. It was another early night after that, we can't believe we only have two full days left!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
December 29, 2014
December 29, 2014
Hi from Haiti!
I was planning on writing blog posts every night, but Michelle and I have been struggling with quite a few distractions - sharing a room where we'd rather socialize than sit in silence and write..and once again sharing a room with a lizard that about gave us a heart attack when it shot out from behind the curtain. So now we're staring intently at the wall trying not to lose sight of it. Should be a fun night!
Well today was interesting to say the least. Cars here like to step on the gas and honk their horns just for fun, so we had a peaceful 6am wake up. We expected to be in the hospital at 7, but going along with the theme of everything starting late, we soon found out that meant breakfast at 8:30 and heading downstairs at 9. It was completely packed compared to yesterday, which we learned is common for the mornings. We briefly met with one of the doctors and were told we would spend the morning observing the nurses in the "ER", a very small room with two beds. I think Minel did a good job of explaining that we only have one semester of med school under our belts, and while we're very willing and excited to learn and be useful, we can't really be left to fend for ourselves. Even though all we did was observe, the morning definitely had some challenges. We weren't following the English speaking doctors like we anticipated, but it seems like the nurses run the ER, where the cases that are probably most beneficial for us to see occur. But I quickly learned I had no way of knowing what was wrong with each patient, and hadn't looked up how to ask. Thank god Michelle knows some French (more than she thinks she does) and we were able to communicate at least a little with the nurses. Enough to learn that of the first two patients we saw, one was in the early stages of cholera, while the other had AIDS and tuberculosis. It's crazy to think how different the diseases are in different countries...having AIDS or cholera in Haiti really takes no one by surprise.
Side note: in Haiti, when someone is brought to the hospital, they are expected to bring at least one family member with them. They have to provide the majority of the medical supplies, as well as cook and clean/do laundry for the patient. It's such a foreign concept to me, and seems to add to the chaos when patients bring multiple at a time. ALSO, if a patient passes away, the family is expected to deal with the body and take it away from the hospital. We have yet to witness this, but it's a good example of a lot of the cultural differences in medicine between Haiti and the US.
I was planning on writing blog posts every night, but Michelle and I have been struggling with quite a few distractions - sharing a room where we'd rather socialize than sit in silence and write..and once again sharing a room with a lizard that about gave us a heart attack when it shot out from behind the curtain. So now we're staring intently at the wall trying not to lose sight of it. Should be a fun night!
Well today was interesting to say the least. Cars here like to step on the gas and honk their horns just for fun, so we had a peaceful 6am wake up. We expected to be in the hospital at 7, but going along with the theme of everything starting late, we soon found out that meant breakfast at 8:30 and heading downstairs at 9. It was completely packed compared to yesterday, which we learned is common for the mornings. We briefly met with one of the doctors and were told we would spend the morning observing the nurses in the "ER", a very small room with two beds. I think Minel did a good job of explaining that we only have one semester of med school under our belts, and while we're very willing and excited to learn and be useful, we can't really be left to fend for ourselves. Even though all we did was observe, the morning definitely had some challenges. We weren't following the English speaking doctors like we anticipated, but it seems like the nurses run the ER, where the cases that are probably most beneficial for us to see occur. But I quickly learned I had no way of knowing what was wrong with each patient, and hadn't looked up how to ask. Thank god Michelle knows some French (more than she thinks she does) and we were able to communicate at least a little with the nurses. Enough to learn that of the first two patients we saw, one was in the early stages of cholera, while the other had AIDS and tuberculosis. It's crazy to think how different the diseases are in different countries...having AIDS or cholera in Haiti really takes no one by surprise.
Side note: in Haiti, when someone is brought to the hospital, they are expected to bring at least one family member with them. They have to provide the majority of the medical supplies, as well as cook and clean/do laundry for the patient. It's such a foreign concept to me, and seems to add to the chaos when patients bring multiple at a time. ALSO, if a patient passes away, the family is expected to deal with the body and take it away from the hospital. We have yet to witness this, but it's a good example of a lot of the cultural differences in medicine between Haiti and the US.
The woman with AIDS had about three family members with her, and the nurse explained that while she had been diagnosed 7 years ago, she had stopped taking her medication and managed to keep the news of her condition from her family until today. In other words, we witnessed a daughter and sister (our guess, we weren't positive about the relationship), being told that their 44 year old family member not only has AIDS, but had kept it a secret for 7 years. It was extremely sad and really made me realize the extent of some pretty severe diseases here.
Then the real fun came...between the heat, being in a very small room, and most likely being dehydrated, one second I was watching an IV being started, and the next I was telling Michelle I was sure I was about to faint (I've never been queesy about blood or medical things so I refuse to blame it on that haha). I sat down until the dizziness went away and Michelle came to my rescue with water while the nurses stared trying to figure out what was going on. So that was embarrassing, and happened again about two more times in the next few hours, so fingers crossed I redeem myself tomorrow.
We went up to the apartment for a break around lunchtime and had some time to chat with Daphline before we ate. Her English is great, and we talked all about normal 13 year old girl things like what games we play on our iPads, Miley Cyrus, and of course, Edward vs Jacob. Her sister is in college in Florida, and it was really interesting to hear her comparison of the US and Haiti. She pointed out that there are no malls or movie theaters to go to if she wants to go out somewhere to have fun. Thinking of myself at that age, those were really the types of things I took for granted, and probably still do.
After lunch (lunch breaks are extremely long here), there weren't many patients in the hospital so Minel took us on a tour of a small area of Fond-des-Negres. I can't get over how extremely happy everyone is here for the most part. Tons of people were outside their houses and we got very friendly greetings from everyone we walked past. We stopped at Deniese's aunt's house and were served some Haitian beer and "French sausage", and then visited her mom's house. The majority of Deniese's family lives on one big piece of property, which I think is pretty cool..we've learned that family is very important to the people here, and it seems like fewer distractions from technology and material possessions plays a large part in that. People actually sit and talk to each other without staring at their phones or seeming like they're in a hurry to get somewhere. Going along with that, I can't remember the last time I sat down for a meal as long as we do here. It's been really awesome talking with Minel and Deniese, and after tonight's dinner I could tell you all about the current political situation in Haiti (but I won't). I think even though we've spent a little less time in the hospital than we may have been expecting, having time to talk to the people here (at least those who speak English) and learn about a country and culture I didn't know much about has been an amazing experience! It's made me very grateful for a lot of things about America, but also realize we could gain a lot from appreciating cultures like the one in Haiti.
Time to go to bed with one eye open for the lizard. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Arrived in Haiti!
Bonswa! (about the only Haitian Creole word I've caught onto)
Michelle and I have only been here for two days and it's already been such a great experience. Bob and his wife Rae, two Salvation Army officers, picked us up from the airport Friday night and have been a huge help with getting us settled. They're also originally from Chicago, so it didn't feel so much like we've been thrown into a completely foreign place. We were very grateful to not be part of the group of nervous Americans trying to figure out what form of public transportation to take from the airport. We spent two nights in a hotel in Port-au-Prince, so after having dinner with Bob and Rae we settled in with cold showers and lizards on our ceiling.
We didn't start at the hospital until today, so yesterday we got to play tourists for a day and enjoy the sun and 85 degree weather. Bob and Rae drove us to the top of a mountain that overlooks Port-au-Prince, and the whole drive was extremely eye opening. We passed through a few major slums and really got an idea of the level of poverty here. There's really no place for garbage other than huge landfills or just the side of the road , and "houses" aren't much more than little structures built from whatever material is available. But we did learn that not all of Haiti is poor, and there are plenty of people who are well off and can afford education and expensive store bought groceries. Bob and Rae are extremely knowledgable about Haiti after living here for 4 1/2 years, and I think I've learned more about the way of life here from them than I could from any textbook. We also quickly learned that the driving here is pretty terrifying - people just run across the street assuming you'll stop for them, and I think I've seen only one or two stop signs and no traffic lights. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen any accidents yet. People also DO carry huge baskets of things on their heads, so it's not just something you see in movies.
When we got up the mountain we went to a Baptist mission site and visited their bakery, museum, and a small zoo, then had lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the mountains. Then they took us to a Haitian wedding, which even though it started an hour and a half late, the church was about 100 degrees, and I didn't understand a word of it, it was really cool to get to experience some Haitian culture. The little girls behind me kept leaning forward to pet my hair and whisper to each other, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing, but we do definitely stick out here. The community here is really great and generous, and despite the fact that Michelle and I do stick out a lot, we always seem to get friendly, welcoming smiles, which is one thing I've loved the most about Haiti. I originally thought I wouldn't get to see much of Haiti outside the Bethel clinic, so I'm very grateful we had a day to experience other parts and see how the population has been affected by the earthquake.
I think the language barrier aspect of the trip is going to be the most difficult part. A lot of things about Haiti remind me of certain parts of Mexico, and I sometimes forget I'm not in a Spanish speaking country (I've even responded "Si" to a few yes or no questions I've been asked, oops). As much as I love Haiti, I do miss the comfort of being in a different culture and being able to communicate with the people at least on a simple level. If I don't understand something here, I can't really do much but respond with a blank stare.
We finally left for Fond-des-Negres this morning where we'll be staying with Minel, another Salvation Army officer, his wife Deniese, and their 13 year old daughter, Daphline (who quickly became our favorite after connecting us to the wifi we didn't expect to have). They speak very fluent English which I think we're both relieved about. The apartment is right above the Bethel clinic and is actually much nicer than I expected. Minel and his family are so friendly and welcoming and seem really glad to have us here. We finally had a more authentic Haitian meal than the grilled cheese, spaghetti, pancakes, and French fries we'd eaten so far. Their cook made a huge meal of chicken, rice and Congo beans, salad, fried plantains, pasta, and some other fried food I can't remember the name of. I know we were both a little worried about the water situation, but they seem to have endless supplies of bottled water (which we have to brush our teeth with to avoid the tap water), another small thing we never think of being an issue in the US. Minel gave us a tour of the clinic, but since the doctors who speak English aren't there today since it's Sunday, we opted to wait until tomorrow to start rather than follow one of the nurses who only speaks creole. So I'll save the hospital stories for a later post! It's been a pretty much needed low key afternoon full of relaxing and sleeping - I didn't realize how exhausted we'd be by the end of every day. Michelle and I are sharing a room so it's been super nice having her here with me and not being alone all afternoon, and it just makes conversation with everyone here go a lot smoother. We start at the hospital at 7 tomorrow, so we're heading to bed and will hopefully have some good stories after our first official day!
Michelle and I have only been here for two days and it's already been such a great experience. Bob and his wife Rae, two Salvation Army officers, picked us up from the airport Friday night and have been a huge help with getting us settled. They're also originally from Chicago, so it didn't feel so much like we've been thrown into a completely foreign place. We were very grateful to not be part of the group of nervous Americans trying to figure out what form of public transportation to take from the airport. We spent two nights in a hotel in Port-au-Prince, so after having dinner with Bob and Rae we settled in with cold showers and lizards on our ceiling.
We didn't start at the hospital until today, so yesterday we got to play tourists for a day and enjoy the sun and 85 degree weather. Bob and Rae drove us to the top of a mountain that overlooks Port-au-Prince, and the whole drive was extremely eye opening. We passed through a few major slums and really got an idea of the level of poverty here. There's really no place for garbage other than huge landfills or just the side of the road , and "houses" aren't much more than little structures built from whatever material is available. But we did learn that not all of Haiti is poor, and there are plenty of people who are well off and can afford education and expensive store bought groceries. Bob and Rae are extremely knowledgable about Haiti after living here for 4 1/2 years, and I think I've learned more about the way of life here from them than I could from any textbook. We also quickly learned that the driving here is pretty terrifying - people just run across the street assuming you'll stop for them, and I think I've seen only one or two stop signs and no traffic lights. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen any accidents yet. People also DO carry huge baskets of things on their heads, so it's not just something you see in movies.
When we got up the mountain we went to a Baptist mission site and visited their bakery, museum, and a small zoo, then had lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the mountains. Then they took us to a Haitian wedding, which even though it started an hour and a half late, the church was about 100 degrees, and I didn't understand a word of it, it was really cool to get to experience some Haitian culture. The little girls behind me kept leaning forward to pet my hair and whisper to each other, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing, but we do definitely stick out here. The community here is really great and generous, and despite the fact that Michelle and I do stick out a lot, we always seem to get friendly, welcoming smiles, which is one thing I've loved the most about Haiti. I originally thought I wouldn't get to see much of Haiti outside the Bethel clinic, so I'm very grateful we had a day to experience other parts and see how the population has been affected by the earthquake.
I think the language barrier aspect of the trip is going to be the most difficult part. A lot of things about Haiti remind me of certain parts of Mexico, and I sometimes forget I'm not in a Spanish speaking country (I've even responded "Si" to a few yes or no questions I've been asked, oops). As much as I love Haiti, I do miss the comfort of being in a different culture and being able to communicate with the people at least on a simple level. If I don't understand something here, I can't really do much but respond with a blank stare.
We finally left for Fond-des-Negres this morning where we'll be staying with Minel, another Salvation Army officer, his wife Deniese, and their 13 year old daughter, Daphline (who quickly became our favorite after connecting us to the wifi we didn't expect to have). They speak very fluent English which I think we're both relieved about. The apartment is right above the Bethel clinic and is actually much nicer than I expected. Minel and his family are so friendly and welcoming and seem really glad to have us here. We finally had a more authentic Haitian meal than the grilled cheese, spaghetti, pancakes, and French fries we'd eaten so far. Their cook made a huge meal of chicken, rice and Congo beans, salad, fried plantains, pasta, and some other fried food I can't remember the name of. I know we were both a little worried about the water situation, but they seem to have endless supplies of bottled water (which we have to brush our teeth with to avoid the tap water), another small thing we never think of being an issue in the US. Minel gave us a tour of the clinic, but since the doctors who speak English aren't there today since it's Sunday, we opted to wait until tomorrow to start rather than follow one of the nurses who only speaks creole. So I'll save the hospital stories for a later post! It's been a pretty much needed low key afternoon full of relaxing and sleeping - I didn't realize how exhausted we'd be by the end of every day. Michelle and I are sharing a room so it's been super nice having her here with me and not being alone all afternoon, and it just makes conversation with everyone here go a lot smoother. We start at the hospital at 7 tomorrow, so we're heading to bed and will hopefully have some good stories after our first official day!
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