Octember

Uploading lots of pictures from Tuwanda's camera to Snapfish right now, some are from a few weeks ago. There are some good ones so check it out. Yesterday Jeanne and I went to the TB tents prepared to draw about 20 labs on HIV patients so that their CD4 levels could be checked. We ended up not doing this (in Haiti, plans ALWAYS change), and instead helped with compiling a list of everyone's name, phone number, address, and mother's name. Actually, our translator Jameson took this task on himself, and did a great job. Jeanne and I helped Megan with two paracenteses (drawing fluid out of the abdomen). As with most things here, you have to make do with the supplies you have on hand...this means Megan uses a 14 gauge IV catheter (a larger catheter that can be inserted in veins for large fluid volume delivery), inserts it into the abdomen, and connects it to tubing and a drainage bag. We took almost 2 liters of fluid out of the first woman; it didn't go as well with the second woman.

Last night we went out to this restaurant called the Latin Quarter where there is a Cuban band on Thursdays. It was definitely the nicest and most expensive place I've been since I've been here, but it was fun. We slept in this morning (meaning I got up at 8) and had a slow morning until Jeanne and I went to Medishare around 1 pm. We had planned to go over there today and tomorrow to help with the transition they have every Saturday when new volunteers arrive and the current volunteers leave. We have been to Medishare many times with BP when he is picking up people or dropping stuff off, but we got the official tour today and got to meet their current volunteer staff.

I feel a lot safer than I thought I would here...it's not like I would ever go anywhere by myself, and we are always smart, but it's not this "war zone" atmosphere that I had imagined. There is still a lot of sketchy stuff that goes on (pretty much every Friday there are demonstrations that shut down some roads, people will burn tires and be intimidating, etc) but I'm with people who seem to know how the city works, and know when it's truly unsafe to do something.

I don't have as much to say when I update two days in a row. Oh yea, let me explain "Octember." We were asking Jameson when he had to start school again. He says "Octember." We are like "Umm, ok so next month or the month after that?" He says, "You know, like September, Octember...." So that settled it. We let him know it was October, not Octember, and he thought that was funny. He will finish high school in a year and has a bright future ahead of him. He is in some of the Snapfish pictures. He is such a nice guy with a lot of patience.

I feel spoiled with the air conditioned bedrooms in the new house. But it's set off by the fact that I killed 6 cockroaches yesterday (all within 3 minutes of each other as they scurried around a room) and that when we turn on the oven a bunch of little bugs come running out and they run all over the stove and counters, which usually have our food on them. You learn to get over it. As long as the bugs don't crawl on me in bed or something (roommate Nick says he had a late night battle with a cockroach the other night) I'll be alright. Knock on wood. Ta-ta

E