Haiti 2010: May 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Shopping for art

On the way to airport we all bought art. Art is cheaper to buy than cereal and milk.

Last morning

Sitting on the deck enjoying our morning coffe and spectacular views. We occupy the second story flat. Beautiful morning, we've had such great weather.

Tap taps are these colorful, crowded and loud buses in Haiti. Friday our last day we almost run out of diesel gas. Last three stations are out, no gas. We r running on fumes already late to the hospital. Cliff takes a different route and finds gas. Black market would have been last resort for 9 bucks a gallon.

Pool shark

In writing the last post we were not at the hospital til 2 as it looked in the picture we hit the pillow at 2 .
Lynne challenge Cliff to a game of pool very close game.

Good bye adventist patients

Good night it's 215 am here more later

Done

Just when we think we r done can't find whire to close jaw shut , very strange.

Nadine

13 yo girl born with hpv. Large wound to her abdomen, unsuccessful graft and waiting for new graft to be done. Mom bilateral amp legs most family believe she is dead From quake. Nurses r working on making sure someone contacts family. This girl is amazing.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Last case in Haiti

While cleaning up concrete blocks at his home, one decides to fall on the side of his face and accross his body. Broke mandible and opened his ear. It's now 10 pm we are packing up.

Hand trauma

OK so I forgot to edit my last blog...oops. This is a 15yo boy who hurt his hand using a machine of some kind and deskined most his hand. Not much we can do, wait and see how tissue responds if we repair nerves now could do more damage. Lots of damage to this hand.

Trauma add on

Just finished a hand trauma no thoinking jow to do the mandible fracture and ear reconstruction. Guess no last night pizza for us. 8:30 still here just beginning the eat.

Pharmacy

Great pic of the walking pharmacy.

kerlene

This is our cook/chef we r taking her to surgery today to assess a possible cyst on r forearm. We r so happy to be able to do this.

Breakfast

Lynne and Celeste make crepes with mango at 5:50 am. Coffee is made roosters have been up since 4.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

three cases today

Our big bone case today, after dr chin viewed more recent xray was something that could not be fixed. Too much time had passed and we were only there for one more day.

Cooling off

Lynne comes to the OR for a visit to cool down. It's really hot outside the OR, don't know how they tolerate it.

Store

This store is in the wealthiest part of Haiti. Haiti has about 12 million people and people here say 1 million died from the quake it's not the 250k that the media say.

Star grocery store

We found local Haiti honey.

Ride home

Polluted and smokey ride home but great view of Haitian lifestyle.

Look Close

It's a pig looking for food.

Cliff Bar

Albert says thank you. Celeste keeps feeding him, he is hungry. He also asked for a bed today but opted for a thermarest...

making friends

Jeanty and warren in OR.

haitian rn

Nursing student

Herman

At it again singing and playing guitar for patients.

Nancy RN

She is a kaiser nurse from LA, fantastic wound nurse. She has taught me so much about these dressing supplies. Seeing good results on some patients.

Translater

Lynne makes sure Berman is with her all day for translating while doing wound changes.

pre post

Actual room, there are these two rooms only. The main concern is we have volunteer MD and nurses mostly for the operating rooms but not recovery. The haitian nurses help some. Many patients go home shortly after surgery few stay the night. Administration at the hospital is mow trying to charge for their stay. The kaiser team is getting frustrate , our leap organizer is making sure our patients don't pay since it is all quake related.

pre and post

Actual room

Pacu

More pacu preop and clinic area.

Entry hallway

Where patients are recovered, in this hallway and rooms to the right and left, oh, and preop, and clinic.

Hospital gate

Adventist

Local made chairs

Most trees in Haiti are illegal to cut down but these chairs are made of legal wood. Sorry don't know the name. Did see a man carrying about 6 on his head.

Family sticks together

Always smiling, big brother and little brother.

What's this?

A walking pharmacy!

Celeste and Linnea

In back seat once again going to work. Happy girls.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

5

Bldg. The sad thing is this Island started out poor before the quake and now, looking back poor wasn't so bad. This is bad. People have tents or the streets for homes. We do surgery on them then ask them where they live and so many are homeless how do patients keep from infection. Patients are so compliant, they stay npo for days so they can have surgery snd walk hours to get to the hospital.

4

Corner trash compost

3

Bldg

2

Bldg

1

Bldg

Quake bldgs

A few pics from our morning drive to the hospital. These next few are taken from inside a trick dodging traffic quickly.

Local art

This boy hung out at the Adventist hospital waiting for someone to buy his art that he "maybe" painted. OK I bought one for $20. I'm told it's a Haiti artist named Dambreville.

Linnea and Cliff

Our fabulous hosts figuring out what to buy? Amazing people, always helping the Haitians we are so thankful to be a part of their team.

Grocery store

And who said we had to pack food for our meals? They have it in Haiti.

Suffering in Haiti

Time for wine!

Local housing

Luxury homes by the hospital.

time to eat

Dr chin and I take 5 for lunch. Tuna and mandarin oranges from a can.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Thank you

Thanks to Cliff bar, you saved us today during our 10 minute break. Your donations are wonderful!

water company

This must be where they bottle water.

12 hr day

Well 12 hrs isn't usually to bad but in 100 degree weather it's long. The OR is cold, relatively. Two cases today, one plastic hand case dr chin made a thumb for a 21 yo girl who was burned at the age of 3 while around making honey. Usually in the U. S. Surgeons would have months to discuss. Her hand is completely in a fist with no fingers, although she can move parts of her hand when asked. This girl and her family willbe pleased with her new thumb. She will need more surgeries to create her other fingers. I changed lots of dressings and participated in a code with the kaiser team on a post op hernia boy. Af the end of the day around 8 pm. Patient presented to the ER with full thickness burns. He was trying to remove a mango from a tree with an ironing board and caught an electrical cable. We see him tomorrow.

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Friday, May 7, 2010

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tuesday, May 4, 2010