Justice

                I have wanted to live overseas since I was eight years old. I did not go to nursing school because of any particular dream to be a nurse. I do not find the work glamorous, or necessarily all that fulfilling. What I care about, the reason I held on through nursing school and two years of med/surg nursing was this overwhelming sense that where you are born should not determine whether or not you get the healthcare you need.

                As I traveled back and forth to Haiti in college, and contrasted what I saw (or did not see) for healthcare here, with what I experienced in nursing school something rose up in me. I do not think it is just that I felt bad for the people. It was more that as I came to realize that a woman really can bleed to death, that children really do dehydrate, that a six week old baby can suffer from whooping cough only because they happened to be born and live in a place where healthcare is not accessible, everything in me cried out that something was wrong. No, more than wrong, something was deeply broken. I could not abide the fact that you can miss out on even the most basic healthcare because of where you live.

                In part, it is this crushing sense of wrongness that fuels my passion in this country. Don’t get me wrong, I love these people, I love the vibrancy with which life is conducted here. However on those days when culture shock overwhelms, when everyone and everything about this place is overwhelmingly alien, I am held fast, in part, be my desire to see justice in healthcare for the people around me.

                All of that to say, in the past couple weeks I have been given the chance to be a part of mobile clinics in two remote areas. Last week we did two days of clinic up in the mountains at a church affiliated with the mission. Wednesday we traveled to the island of La Gonave off the coast of Haiti and did a short clinic in a village there. We had some difficulties getting back, which may or may not be the subject of another blog post, but I was so grateful to be a part of what was going on.

                My heart burns to see the people I met in those clinics receive high-quality, regular healthcare. Mamas should not have to sit by and watch their babies suffer from coughs and infections with no recourse, constrained by money or distance. Little girls with malaria should not boil in their fevers because there is no Tylenol. Men with hernias should not be left to suffer just because they cannot afford the operation they need.

               Friends, will you join me in praying for justice in healthcare for this beautiful country? Sometimes, when I pray for things like that it feels too big, too audacious and impossible a thing to ask for from the Lord. Except, as I keep reminding myself, He conquered death, so He can probably take this too. Will you partner with me in prayer to see that happen?

Fritzon Update

    Last week I wrote about Fritzon, our 24 year old patient with the chronic leg ulcers. We were in the processing of trying to set up surgery for him, on the recommendation of a doctor in Port Au Prince. This week, I worked with an American doctor in the clinic, and consulted with a couple of other American doctors who are familiar with the situation. After talking with them, and running some test results through Google translate we have come to the decision that surgery is not necessary at this time.
   For now, we are proceeding with daily dressing changes, and pressure bandages to decrease the swelling in his lower legs. Please be in prayer for Fritzon as we are almost literally pouring salt on open wounds to get rid of the infected tissue. Yes, it as painful as it sounds. Also, please join with me in prayer for wisdom and discernment with this man, so that he can get the care he needs. Thank you.

Language Learning with Leah

     Sometimes, to my chagrin I can start to get a little cocky in the language learning department.  It can be tempting to think that I know something, since I have learned so much since January. This is completely ridiculous, as I am reminded every time I blank out on the Kreyol word for something, or butcher the grammar in the middle of a sentence. Pretty much every time I start thinking that I get a pointed reminder of how much I have yet to learn.
     Yesterday was one of those times. Lack of sleep Monday night made my brain a little fuzzy and by the afternoon my language skills were limping along. I was in the middle of clinic and I had a patient with  abdominal pain. Since I try to be a good nurse, I asked her to climb up on the examining table and lay down so I could assess her. At least, I thought I asked her to climb up on the examining table and lay down. She gave me a puzzled look and I repeated my request, assuming my accent was too thick to be understood. We went back and forth a couple of times and finally she did what I asked. She climbed up on the table and stood there looking at me. Completely flustered, I called someone in to translate for me since I no longer had a handle on the situation. Apparently I had been using the word for stand, not sit all along.
   That, friends, is why I have no business being cocky about my language skills.

Surgery Updates

     I am delighted to report Wodnoson's surgery went well yesterday. He is scheduled to come home today, with a follow-up appointment on Monday in PAP. Please keep praying for his continued healing and recovery. (Side note: that little boy has absolutely melted my heart. If you know me, you know I say this all the time, but he really is the sweetest, most adorable child!)
    In other news, we took the next steps towards getting our other patient, Fritzon the medical care he needs yesterday. He is 24 years old and has been suffering form chronic leg ulcers for the last four years. He has sickle cell anemia, which means the circulation in his legs is very poor, which is part of why they have not healed. Fritzon needs surgery to improve the circulation in his legs, so that his ulcers can heal. After talking with the surgeon and the hospital, it looks like his surgery is going to cost around $600 US. I have never done this before, but I am asking for donations towards the cost of his surgery. Donation information can be found here. You can donate either online or by mailing in a check. Please mark surgery costs in the memo line. To be perfectly honest it feels a little weird asking for money to support something I care about, but it matters that this man get the medical care he needs. Thanks friends!

PAP update

   Our four year old patient who needs surgery should be heading into PAP this afternoon. He is scheduled to spend two nights in the hospital, assuming all goes well. Please keep Wodnoson, and his his mama Marie-Therese in your prayers. Chances of complications are greater since he is so young.
   I will be going into PAP tomorrow to pursue further testing for our patient with the leg ulcers. Join me in praying we get to PAP safely and on time to see the doctor, and that the doctor is actually there?

Thanks friends!

In which I learn a little more about healthcare in this country

(Disclaimer 1: I wrote this on Friday and meant to edit and post it Saturday, but then I lost the device that gives me internet access and did not replace it until today. So, some of my time descriptions may sound a little off. Sorry!)             

 (Disclaimer 2: This post is super long! Not sorry.)

    

        I made three trips in and out of Port Au Prince in the last week. Our clinic has two patients who need a higher level of care than we can provide and I have been accompanying them to PAP to help them get the care they need. One patient is a four year old boy with congenital glaucoma who needs surgery to keep from losing his vision completely. We are in the process of getting him set up for surgery and an overnight stay at a PAP hospital Wednesday. The other patient is a 24 year old man who has had chronic leg ulcers for four years. The nurse I am filling in for has been treating him since January, working to get the wounds to close. He has been seen by multiple doctors, been on antibiotics and just about every wound care protocol you can think of.

       I want to describe for you all what it felt like to me getting these patients the beginning of the medical care they needed last week. Our journey starts at 6 am when we leave Grand Goave. We arrive in Port Au Prince around 8 am and get in line to be seen. A large part of getting medical care here is waiting in line. So, when we get to the hospital where we need to be seen, we sit and sit, waiting for our names to be called so that we can get in line for the cashier. Around 11 they call our name to be seen by the cashier.  After the (hour long) line for the cashier, we wait for our names to be called to be seen by the general medical doctors. The general clinic doctor sees us and recognizes that we already have a referral for a specialist. So we get in line to see the specialist. That doctor sees us, but then he wants us to be seen by a colleague. The colleague has a private practice. I exchange numbers with the hospital doctor. We are told to rush to the private doctor because the surgeon is making time in his schedule to see us today. We get directions and rush to his office. After a few wrong turns we get to the surgeon’s office. His (apparent) receptionist says he is gone for the day. We say we were told he was coming, so she lets us wait. She leaves for the day. We call the surgeon (per instructions) to let him know we have arrived. No answer. So we send a text message. We wait an hour. Call again. No response.

      In the meantime I am missing getting directions from the anesthesiologist about my other patient’s upcoming surgery. I call the referring doctor from the hospital. No answer.  We wait another 45 minutes. (Sometime during this process I realize the waiting area has a working bathroom. I am overjoyed.) We call the doctor again. Still no answer. It is now after 3:00 in the afternoon and I am getting nervous that I am going to miss the administration people I need to talk to for my other patient, so we decide to head back to the hospital.

      On the ride back to the hospital the referring doctor calls me back. I tell him the story. He says he is going to call the surgeon and call me back. Okay. We get back to the hospital. The older brother of the boy getting surgery is waiting outside and tells us that his mother and brother went in the building to talk with a doctor, but he does not know where. So we wait some more. I get awkwardly hit on. No thank you. The hospital doctor calls me back and tells me the surgeon is in surgery right now; we can talk to him when he finishes in an hour, but we need to call him. We call. No answer. I call the hospital doctor back and let him know. He says he is going to call his friend again. In the meantime the little boy and his mama come out of their consultation. It is now almost 5:00. We go to talk to administration to get prices for surgery and the hospital stay the boy needs. Everything has to be paid for before surgery. The hospital doctor calls me to tell me to call the surgeon right now about when we are going to see him. We call and decide that since he is not out of surgery yet, and it is so late in the day, we will come back in the morning. So we head off back to Grand Goave.

      The next morning we go back to PAP. We wait for an hour to see the surgeon. He evaluates the patient and decides the patient needs to have a test for the circulation of his legs. We get the prescription for the test and directions to THAT doctor’s office. After some more wrong turns we get to the doctor’s office. He’s not in today. Any other day, so long as we get there by 7 am. Just not today. So we go back to Grand Goave.

       My heart in telling this story is not to complain about the waiting or frustration. I have no right to complain about anything here. My goal is to begin to illustrate the layers and layers of healthcare challenges people face in this country. I have been able to face these obstacles because I have access to money and a vehicle and a medical background. The average Haitian, and most of the friends that I have made here, do not. I cannot imagine trying to get care without these things. Often, it is not possible. Will you join me in praying for my patients and their medical needs? That Wednesday’s surgery would happen without complications and that the other young man would get the care he needs? On a deeper level will you join me in praying for the healing of the healthcare infrastructure of this country, that people would get what they need, when they need it? Thank you.   

First Day!

    I arrived back in Haiti early Saturday morning and spent much of the afternoon familiarizing myself with the clinic and where things are in it. Pessimistic med/surg nurse that I am I immediately located the emergency equipment. You know, just in case. Today was my first clinic day and I am happy to report no one needed it!

   Seriously though, it was and is such a joy to be back in this country. I love being with these people, stumbling over my Kreyol and learning SO much from those around me. (On the medical side of things thank God and the nurse who usually runs this clinic for reference books and guides in med prescription and treatment!)

  I should be going into Port Au Prince tomorrow to follow up on treatment for a little boy with glaucoma and a young man with chronic leg ulcers. Will you join me in praying for them, for our travels and that they would get the care they need and deserve?

  I only have a few minutes for internet access, so I just wanted to give a quick update. I’m hoping to write a longer one later this week. Thank you all for your support and prayers. They are vital