Photos from Port-au-Prince, 28 Feb 2010

A building in downtown Port-au-Prince. About half the buildings in the center of town look like this.








Another building in downtown.
















"Preval, tell Haitians what you are going to do with the country"














"He believes in a better tomorrow. We do too!"











Julio and I on a moto ride! They're my favorite mode of transportation, although dangerous.









A collapsed building, I believe it used to be four stories tall.








A building on the main road, minor damage.

third time's a charm

It's been far too long since my last blog post, but it's not my fault, I tell you! Here at the clinic, with the new doctors trying to get settled and learning Creole, and discovering how the radiography machine functions, and working with sisters in the clinic who don't speak any other language besides Spanish, means there is very little, if any, time for me to just relax and take some time to write my thoughts down. Or type them. Whichever, it's the same thing.

In the past two weeks (wow, it's been two weeks already!!!!!), I have done about 4 or 5 radiographies, two of which were failures and I had to redo. I will be redoing one tomorrow, on a 9- or 10- year old boy who may or may not have broken his pelvis in the earthquake. He's the son of one of the women who works in the kitchen and we don't know how badly injured he was, but he was put in a full pelvic and leg cast, so he must have been in bad shape for a doctor to take such drastic measures. I took three shots today of his pelvis and leg, then as I was developing them, each one I took out was completely black. I had to refer to the on-call x-ray tech, Charlie, back in Tennessee, and find out the problem. Still, I am not sure about exactly what is causing the x-rays to fail, but I will be working on it tonight and hopefully taking some lovely x-rays tomorrow morning. I'll post some photos of my previous, and successful attempts, with a woman with tuberculosis, a boy with an unlabeled and unrecorded forearm cast (the mother didn't know anything about it; where he had gotten it, when, how long he'd had it, nothing), and another girl who goes to school on the compound and thought she broke her writs earlier that day (she had only sprained it, so just a sling and pain meds for her). I'm getting better at it, but just yesterday, the red light bulb burned out and we can't find another one to replace it. After some collaboration with Charlie, I decided to do it mostly by feel, or with the light from my phone, if needed. The biggest part of the problem is that the room is only kept dark by cardboard duct-taped over the door. There is a lot of light that can still enter, and does. Still looking for better options for that.

The new group of doctors (Natalia, a dentist; Paloma, an obstetrician; and Alejandro, a general physician) has started working this week, only working with the previous doctors (Carolina and Gonzalo) for one day. They are doing a wonderful job and I think it'll be a wonderful six months. It sounds so cheesy, mucho queso en verdad, but I really think so. The biggest problem for us is language, but they speak enough English and I can understand and speak enough Spanish that we somehow seem to slog our way through a conversation.

There are an incredible amount of donated medications at the clinic, and we are lucky enough to be able to give lots of the extras to other organizations, like Heart to Heart International. There is also the Red Cross of Colombia staying here at the compound and they are going into the community to do health care for people who can't go elsewhere. Visiting nuns from other countries are also helping around the compound, and that makes for a very international group of people living here (international, yes, but mostly unilingual...I don't know if that's really a word, but let's just pretend it is for my sake. Most people speak Spanish, that's what I mean). A group with Pharmaceuticos Sin Fronteras just left a few days ago, and they will be continuing to help with the clinic in future weeks. They helped to organize all the donations and will be continuing to do so, which will be a HUGE help for the clinic. I am really excited to see so much focus on the clinic and so much assistance for the people around here.

I can't think of much else to write about the clinic, other than it is going really well and I am really enjoying it. It's super hard work and everyone is still trying to figure out how to function, since everything has changed so drastically, but it's still going quite well. I'm excited to be here for the next 6 months. Still haven't made up my mind about one year, it's possible, but I'm only dedicating myself to the clinic for the next 6 months, then I'll make up my mind after that whether or not I want to stay for another 6 months. One thing I must do before I stay for another 6 months is go to South America and visit all my friends there. Chile and Colombia at the least. Maybe make my way up through Peru then Central America, we will see. Before I commit to anything, I have to develop my Spanish. It's severely lacking now. However, I am proud to say I had a bit of foresight and I brought a novel in Spanish (El Leon, La Bruja, y El Ropero). I think I'll start on that tonight, see just how well I do.

Alright, after reading all that boring stuff, I'll sign off. It's about 80 degrees here, I'm at the Cruz Roja Colombiana and I think they'll be starting a movie later (yesterday, it was Casino Royale in English. Excellent.), and it's about time for my dinner, so I'll be heading across the soccer field in a few moments. For everyone in the states (and, actually, around the world), enjoy the Olympics for me and email me if anything exciting happens: margogoboots@gmail.com. I'm glad I'm not being bombarded with the tele and commercials and everything, that's for sure. But living like a nun is just about as much fun as it sounds, so I think I would probably appreciate a little distraction. Thank you Brian and Scott for setting me up with movies and shows and music, it's not going unnoticed.

I'm back!!!!!

(Written 12 Feb 2010)

I'm writing this after only being at the clinic for a few hours. Once we got off the plane, or luxury jet, shall we say, we were picked up by security guards the previous group of doctors had hired. We said our goodbyes to the previous team, a brief picture on the tarmac, ogling Air Force One, having just landed, then into the cars to get to the clinic. Greeted by surprised sisters (Gordon only told Father Joe, who didn't relay the info to the correct or pertinent party), we were given rooms (Liza, I have your old room, by the way), then were off to say hello to Fr. Joe. On the way, I met up with a little girl, Daniella, I had made friends with the last time. She's nine years old and likes to play with my hair and give me earring advice and we trade off practicing French and Creole, both of which she excels at. I was greeted with a kiss and a huge smile, which was the best icing on the cake that is today.

A little later, I met up with Tatan and Beatrice, two women who work in the kitchens, and was greeted with a surprised look, but hugs and kisses nonetheless. I asked after their families, everyone was alright after the quake, and they are keeping busy cooking for about 60 people each day. Actually, more on weekdays, when the clinic is open, since we feed the patients as well. It may be their only meal all day, so we want them to stay as healthy as possible.

This afternoon, there was a ceremony to celebrate the archbishop and bishop in Haiti who were killed in the quake, and to remember the Haitian people; today was the one month anniversary of the quake. After the procession to the bishops' grave site, which is here on the compound, there was a mass. Daniella clung onto me during the mass and borrowed my watch overnight, trying to figure out how to tell time with the watch upside down on her little wrist.

Charlie, a technician here who is working to get the x-ray machine in full working order, was sarcastically disappointed that there was no dancing and no party last night. We all went to bed around 9 last night, though, so we would have been the buzzkills if there had been dancing last night.

So, a recap: I'm thoroughly enjoying my first day here, excited for the next few months, hoping I can do what I have been assigned, help organize the rehabilitation clinic, and improve my Spanish (which shouldn't be hard, since I'm starting at zero. It can only get better from here).

p.s.: I'll be using Skype instead of the phone; it's a work phone and I'm trying to keep personal calls to a very minimum. Emails are also a very good way to reach me:

margogoboots@gmail.com

p.p.s.: Haiti does NOT observe daylight savings time, so we will be only two hours ahead of PST once daylight savings time begins. Don't ask me to explain it, I hardly know how it works.

one week to prepare

ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh. I got a message from Gordon on Sunday saying that there may be another spot for me on a FedEx plane that is leaving on SATURDAY! That's right, folks, Saturday, February 13th. That leaves me with all of five days now to visit my grandparents, get my butt back up to Portland, pack my bags, fly to Memphis, and be ready for the flight leaving on Saturday morning. I cannot even begin to express just how ecstatic I am about this. American Airlines keeps postponing their opening of flights from Miami to Port-au-Prince. They just have no idea of when flights will be open now, it's been postponed until further notice. I'm praying and crossing my fingers that there will be an open spot for me on that plane.

I was reading Le Bonheur blog (http://www.lebonheur.org/blogs/lebonheurresponds/?) and looking at pictures, recognized Carolina, a doctor with America Solidaria working at Klinik Sentespri, and almost started crying reading about people I've worked with. Not crying because they're hurt, they're all just fine, but just because I miss Haiti so much and I feel so useless here and, frankly, jealous that they have already made it back to Haiti and are working again. I don't know if it's because USA is such a large country and we have to go through so much bureaucracy, but things are just moving so slowly here! It's incredibly frustrating. So the blog was a much-needed lifeline back to my friends and my other life in Haiti.

The best thing, I think, about going back, is to finally see my friends and colleagues and see that they're alright. I have heard from many people that they were not hurt in the earthquake, but to see them with my own eyes will mean so, so much more to me. To hug them and know, absolutely, that they're healthy and safe will mean more to me than just about anything. Starting work at the clinic again will be refreshing, I will be put to use where I can do the most good. Speaking Creole and French again will also be a joy, improving my communication and becoming more self-sufficient is wonderful in that environment.

Basically, I am over the moon to think that I may be leaving for Haiti on Saturday. A month after the earthquake, I am finally heading back to my other family to see just what can be done to help this country. I'm finally being put to use, doing my part for a country I have come to respect and love and am proud of. I don't know of anything else that can give you this kind of high, this joy, this sense of partnership with the rest of humanity.

Gordon's in Haiti!

I just received an email from Susie, Dr. Gordon's wife, yesterday, then a follow-up today:

Feb. 1, 2010:
"Gordon FINALLY got to Haiti on Saturday. He went with a group of doctors from the pediatric hospital here and they were flown down via FedEx. I've only talked with him once after he got there and he was supposed to be meeting up with a director of America Solidaria to discuss the appropriate time to get everyone back in place. We really didn't know what was going on and he wanted to sum up the situation. He specifically wanted to make sure that there were living quarters available since so many relief workers...mostly clergy...from other places are living on the compound now. So...it shouldn't be long until a plan is in place for everything to be back up and running with you there working. It sounds like they were working on the clinic yesterday to get it organized and functional. Apparently the covered waiting area outside was a disaster with all the crumbled debris from the perimeter wall. Also, the posts holding up the cover were bent and cracked and the entire roof was tilted and not safe."

Feb. 2, 2010:
" I just talked to Gordon and he did say that you would be a tremendous asset down there right not. He is thinking of the right time to have you come...just thought I'd tell you... It sounds rather unbelievable at the compound. The pediatric group from Memphis is working in the clinic along with translators from Louverture Cleary (a school that Haiti Medical Missions used to partner with and hold clinics at before they had their own building)... They have completely made the operating room functional...they have an anesthesiologist with them and all equipment and they are doing surgery...they have done 3 surgeries so far. Gordon has met with America Solidaria and two of their doctors have just arrived that have been before...more later."

I so appreciate knowing that things are going well, although slowly for me. I would like to be in Haiti right now so I could do my part and help, but I will get there soon. For now, I'm glad to know that the clinic is up and functional at the moment and that things are happening there.

It sounds like I'll be heading out soon, I'd like to be there before the end of February. Don't know how much longer I can just sit here, packing up my things, waiting to hear about my plane ticket. Fund-raising and collecting donations is keeping me occupied and right now, I'm at the beach, relaxing, looking for agates, meeting dogs. This is a much-needed break.