Haiti: Mountain adventure
we went to the mountains today. it was the most beautiful place i have seen here. it was a very difficult task getting there. we had to bribe our way through one area. the team leader explained that the citizens were repairing the roads and people were “tipping” to get by. as we went up the mountain the roads got so much worse. they became more “gullyish”. there was oner area so narrow we were asked to get off the bus…just in case. the bus couldnt make it. the women loaded into another bus. i think we had to buy it. the men hiked the remaining way. we carried their packs with us and left our water with them. i wouldnt have minded hiking too. long way though. while waiting on them we set up the clinic. very primitive outside. i played with the kids that showed up when there didnt seem anything else requiring attention. they love the simple things that kids at home take for granted…frisbee, bubbles, balloons, hand clap. one little boy came up to me and pulled on my shirt so he could whisper in my ear, “mweh enfermal”. (i am sick). i pointed to the doctor and got him a place in line. we have doc seeing people with the major things. the three nurses and two team leaders saw people with other minor things. all considered doctors. we battled heat today. one older women in line passed out. doc took care of her. he dumped 1/4 of our culligan jug on her and wiped her down with germx. the alcohol lowers your temp. she came out of it and he sat and talked with her. hubert, the interpreter, told me they call that “indisposed”. it was getting a little crazy there after “lunch” time. no one really took a break, we took turns taking a quick snack occassionally. we all kept drinking water constantly. it was my job to entertain kids in the area, i had to lay down once because it was so hot. after the woman passed out the team leaders decided we just needed to make bags for everyone and stop seeing them for specifics. the weather was a concern, we had to get off the mountain before the storm moved in. if it started, we wouldnt be able to. (i know now the seriousness of weather in haiti and the danger of mudslides. i also suspect there was a safety issue that we were not aware of at that time.) we started filling bags. they all need vermox for worms, pain meds and vitamins. so i started helping fill bags. felt fine at that time. someone asked me a question and i stood up to answer, started phasing…unable to focus. then i went down. someone caught me and got me to a chair. one team member held my head while another poured an entire culligan jug on me. (keep in mind water is precious here.) another team member dehydrated yesterday and had to have an IV. i made a joke to one of the nurses that if i needed one i wanted him to do it. little did i know. when he got to me doc was already working on putting a line in. i was incoherent but somewhat aware and tried to beg him not to put an IV in. but he got it started and dropped two bags of saline in. the line hurt so bad. the first needle was defective and wouldnt let fluid in. so doc had to stick again. i hyperventilated after that. not fun. everyone was so great though. pastor boulle put his hand on my head and prayed while they worked. a haitian lady came over and did the same. both praying in creole, i hope they said good things, cause i couldnt understand any of it. junior, our other guide and interpreter, was very concerned and has been checking on me all day. it was a scary moment for all of us. we had to leave and get off the mountain before rain. i tried to walk but couldnt. another team member carried me to a little truck. another team member climbed in to hold my IV bag, i had to sit in her lap. doc and another member kept up with the truck while everyone else hiked down to the bus. we met up with the bus and rode back to the guest house. after another bag of saline doc took the line out. not easy to do on a bus. another team member got sick when we got to the guest house. doc gave her phinagren (sp) and she got better quick.
December 17 2005 09:24 pm | Ramblings
December 17th, 2005 at 9:43 pm
I can imagine how helpless one might feel at a moment like this - both to work with what sounds like people who have so little and to suffer dehydration. I’m here at your blog for the first time and haven’t read through enough to know where you’re volunteering, but it sounds admirable nonetheless.
Michele sent me tonight.