Wrapping up the trip...

Thursday…

I slept well, thanks to the miracle of Benadryl. It’s the afternoon break, and most of the group has gone over to see the Te Foyer. I’ve been thinking about the differences and similarities of my three trips to Terre Blanche. This team has been fun for me, because about half of the people are new to me and the other half I know. Many of us have been to TB several times, but we haven’t necessarily been on the same Teams. There are 8 of us sharing the women’s dorm room, ranging from our 30s to 70s, 3 of whom I already knew from my 2 prior trips. There is a husband and wife team, staying in an extra room, Linda and Joe have their room, and 6 men in the other dorm room. It’s always a gamble, throwing together a group of people in close quarters, and expecting them to work and live together for almost 2 weeks. Carl, a nurse from my trip 2 years ago, had become one of my closest friends and I love being on this trip with her. Katie, also a nurse and an HFH Board Member, was on my first trip to Haiti. We have stayed in touch through social media, but have not been able to see each other in person until now, which has also been wonderful. There are two sisters on this trip, who make me homesick for my mom and aunts! I love that they are on this trip together, and I am already making plans to keep in touch with them both. It’s always easy to love the Haitians, they are so generous and loving, but it’s a bonus to feel that closeness to the team. It’s not that Americans aren’t generous and loving, but it is not part of our culture to be so towards strangers, and I have been on trips with team members who did not blend well with the others. I feel very lucky on this trip. Headed back to the clinic, I will write more this evening.

Another busy afternoon in the clinic, followed by our final assembly with the Haitian staff, a quick dinner, rounding for some of us with the inpatients, and the final group grading of the Medical Conference questionnaire. I scanned a set of twins this afternoon, and the mother was kind enough to let me show off her babies to some of the nearby staff. It was her second set of twins, but one of her prior twins died after child birth. Almost every woman I have scanned, that has had children, has had at least one child die. It’s heartbreaking, and makes me think again of Dieunelson. Tonight’s didactic meeting was Schwartz Rounds, which is an opportunity for medical personnel to discuss a particularly difficult case, specifically to discuss how the case made them feel. Losing a patient at the beginning of clinics is a hard, emotional blow for the team, and losing a child is especially difficult. The only good news in the scenario was that the family could bring their boy back to Terre Blanche for a funeral, which is sometimes not an option, if they do not have the money or connections to get it done. This case has weighed heavy on all of us and we have been thinking of the family all week.

Woch nan dlo pa konnen doule woch nan soley. The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun,

Friday…

I could not have asked for a better start to our last clinic day in Terre Blanche. I was up on the rooftop by 5 am, and the sky was spectacular with constellations and the Milky Way. Roosters were crowing all around, and I could hear a RaRa band playing in the distance. The wind has finally stopped and the weather felt perfect. Harold, the pediatrician on the team, usually goes for a walk or run in the morning, so I decided to tag along. This area is much safer than PAP, but we are still asked not to walk anywhere alone, especially outside of the compound. While Harold ran, I walked towards Le Bran, took photographs and greeted people, who were already working in the fields, walking towards town, or heading towards the nearest pump for water. There is no electricity out here, so the Haitians are done working when the last bit of daylight leaves the sky, and start their day at the first sign of light. Except for a few emergent cases, we were able to see all of our patients by the late afternoon, which is always a nice break. I did not get to work with Bluette at all today, which was very disappointing. She has not been feeling well this week, so our training time has been limited. This is a constant source of frustration for me, when I come here, but I am gradually getting used to the fact that this is how it will be. I must remind myself that I am still contributing to the community, even if I am unable to train, by offering a diagnostic service they are usually without. Some of the group loaded into a truck, and went to the neighboring village to visit one of the more successful farms in the area. Another group went on a house call, to visit Madam Mischou’s 94-year-old mother. A few of us stayed on the rooftop and worked on a painting project. Before dinner, we walked up the hill behind the clinic, or down the road towards Le Bran, to see the construction on the recently broken dam. One of the sister’s is celebrating her 76^th birthday tomorrow, so we surprised her after dinner, with a cake and birthday song. On the last evening of clinics, Pastor Delamy likes to have a gathering of some of the clinic staff and locals, to sing and pray with the team, and thank us for coming. Afterwards, we all spend a good 20 to 30 minutes hugging each other, and saying goodbye. We will not see many of them until we come back on our next trip. We’ve all packed up most of our bags, tomorrow we will pack up the clinic, and the rest of our things, and head into PAP for the night. It’s hard to believe the week is over already! I am already planning my return trip.

Pa mete pye nan tout soulye. Don’t put your foot in every shoe. Don’t meddle in things that don’t concern you.

Saturday…

Another early start for me, up on the rooftop at 5am, joined by some of the others at 6. The RaRa band was closer and louder last night, but I managed to get some decent sleep. I am trying to absorb my last morning in Terre Blanche, before we pack up and head out. We will spend the afternoon and evening at a resort, closer to the airport, then take most of the team to the airport tomorrow morning. A few of us will stay in PAP for an additional night, and leave on Monday morning. I will try to post from the resort, if I can get internet, and I will share photos once I get home. It has been another rewarding, wonderful trip, and I cannot wait to return. Thanks for joining me!

Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li. Little by little, the bird builds its nest.

Monday Afternoon…(In between flights, on my way home)

No posting from the resort, but I will share a bit about it… It’s beautiful! My travel friends said I should not post any photos, because no one will make a donation to my “vacation”. :D The resorts in Haiti are quite stunning, and a topic of conversation among many of the team members, after spending a week amidst such poverty. It is a blatant example of the disparity in Haiti, but also an opportunity for employment for the locals. There is also the issue of safety and time management. Terre Blanche is 4 to 5 hours from the airport, and we need to stay closer to Port Au Prince to make the morning flights. The roads are always precarious, and subject to disruption and closure. We left much earlier than usual this morning, because there was talk of large crowds along the way, due to the funeral of the President. It is also Carnival season, which brings protests, parades, and additional risks. The resorts, and higher end hotels in PAP, are often the only places to stay that are safe. They are usually surrounded by walls, topped with razor wire, and patrolled by armed guards. Within the last couple of days, there were road closures on the way into PAP, because of a recent riot, kidnapping, and murder. In Haiti, it is actually the Haitians that are at a higher risk of kidnapping and murder, especially if they are returning to Haiti with an American passport. When we left the resort, the Haitian staff drove our three vehicles, and kept them very close together on the drive. Once we cleared the town of concern, Joe and Linda swapped out with the drivers and drove to the airport. Armored trucks cruised through the town, and armed officers were plentiful. The resort IS beautiful, and a nice way to transition back into our regular lives, but there is also a practicality involved. I am currently sitting in the Fort Lauderdale airport, one flight down and two more to go, before I get home late this evening. I will have 5 days to reorganize my world, and get back on the road for my next travel contract, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Never a dull moment!