Bonswa

Hi all. Back at the Hotel Oloffson to use the internet and there is some Haitian folk dancing or something going on here tonight. Since I wrote last Thursday, Lauren (a nurse) has left, Tuwanda (a doctor from Chicago) arrived, Cassidy came back, Little Paul (LP) came back, and Heather left today. We also have two new roommates- Michelle, an RN, and Arndell (not sure on the spelling of his name). Everyone that's just arrived is great but it was sad to see Heather and Lauren go. They said they'll be back, which is good!

Jeanne and I went to the tents again on Friday with our translator, Jameson. Then that night we went to this really nice restaurant called LaReserve, had drinks and dinner and met a guy named Alex who is trying to make a lot of beneficial changes to the health care system in Haiti. Saturday, Jeanne and I rode with Nick, a guy who lives with us, up to Petion-ville to this awesome patisserie. We got croissants, chocolate croissants, and awesome ham and cheese sandwiches (all for around $15, and this was for a lot of people!). BP then got a call from Medishare that they had a pregnant woman that needed to be transported to what MMRC calls the "baby factory," a hospital where really all they do is have babies. It was crazy to see this place.  Let's just say Haitian women are not particularly concerned with privacy during labor. Everything's pretty out in the open and there's really no such thing as a private room, more like stalls. Anyway, we dropped her off there and hopefully everything went well for her.

Saturday night, we went to this really cool restaurant that is a sugar cane museum during the day...I think. Heather decided that it was going to be my birthday so she got this little mariachi-esque band to come sing me happy birthday. You can imagine I turned red, especially since the song went on for at least 5 minutes. The birthday song that never ends. Sunday was lazy, we ate egg sandwiches and came to the Oloffson to lie by the pool.

Ok....Monday. Jeanne and I spent almost 12 hours at the tents, definitely the most trying day yet of this whole trip. It's been at least a few months since I did anything for 12 hours straight, much less something like this. It was a pretty regular day as far as TB tent days ago, until a patient fell into respiratory distress....her right lung was almost filled with fluid. Megan started a thoracentesis- a procedure that she does regularly for many TB patients that involves sticking a needle and catheter through spaces between the ribs to reach the lung space so the fluid can be withdrawn. Jeanne and I alternating pulling out the fluid with a 60 ml syringe while Megan positioned the catheter so that it was in the correct space. Anyway, we worked with this patient for a long time, but unfortunately she passed away early the next morning. Her brother is one of the sweetest, most helpful men I have met in Haiti and my heart really goes out to him and the rest of his family.

Yesterday, we went and checked out an orphanage....sweetest kids ever, a few needed antibiotics and I think we are going to go back next Monday and bring them more stuff since we now know what they need most. Jeanne and I were back to the tents today, this time with Pierre as our translator (Jameson deserved a break).   It was an efficient day, Jeanne has pretty much mastered starting IVs and I'm catching up with her slowly but surely. We have started to solidify relationships with some patients, and our Creole is improving. GrassRoots United has Creole lessons every Thursday night, so we might try and catch those tomorrow.

A few random thoughts- Haiti is in the EST zone, but they don't do daylight savings as I've mentioned. So the sun rises at 5:15 (seriously) and it's pitch black outside by 7 pm. Still not quite used to it, but my eye mask helps some at night, haha. I had a small ganglion cyst (or bible cyst) on my left hand before I came as a few of you may know. Well, it got smashed. With a book, just like in the old days. Why I subjected myself to it I don't know, but sure enough, it's gone. For now. Another housemate of ours is Kitty Rat, a rat that's so large it almost can be mistaken for a cat. I have yet to see it, somehow Jeanne spots it just about every night. I need to see what I'm up against here. I've almost finished The Girl Who Played With Fire (and sure enough mom and Milly, it has totally fallen apart!) and it's really good. Will be moving on to The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest next, then maybe Slaughterhouse Five. Decided I want to reread the Great Gatsby so I'm going to try and get my hands on a copy of that.

Will be trying to upload Snapfish pictures after I post this, so check it out. Thanks for being in touch!

E