It appears that it has been almost a month since the last post to our blog. My, how time flies when you're having fun, staying busy, or going from crisis to crises - whatever the case may be!
It is actually hard to remember what all has happened since the last post to the blog - there's been so much!
First of all I was scheduled to go to the States for a quick Thanksgiving surprise to my family. I was to leave on Wednesday, but on the preceding Friday I was robbed of my purse, which held my passport! Ugh! I thought for sure that this would end any thoughts of getting on a plane on Wednesday. But God in His great mercy and grace allowed for me to get my passport reissued on Tuesday and get on the plane Wednesday morning. It was no longer a surprise to anyone that I would be coming as the cat slipped out of the bag. Well, it was a surprise to my dad and his wife, Janis. I thought this could possibly give my dad heart failure, but it turned out that it looked like for a moment, we would have to do CPR on Janis! They were so surprised. It was a wonderful time with the family and I was grateful to be able to spend the time with them - especially the cutest grandchildren, possibly in the entire world.
Last weekend Dave Gibb, a Mission Lazarus board member, came to visit with his friend Dan Morris. It was a very nice visit - mostly just showing them what's up with us here in Haiti and getting to know each other.
(Side note: did I mention that I am now working with Mission Lazarus Haiti? Well, I am and we are excited to see where God will lead us in His ministry here in Haiti)
On Monday, Dave, Dan and I went out to Thomazeau to visit Bobby and some of our old neighbors. WE got to Bobby's and saw that the work there is coming along quite nicely (orphanage/school and now home construction for neighbors). Then on to visit our friend Mezo, who was our guard at Thomazeau. When we arrived at his house there was a man there who was quite ill, but it was not apparent as to what his problem might be. Signs really did not point to cholera. As we visited the man became very much worse and I suggested we take him into the hospital at Thomazeau. Which is not much of a hospital really. It is where I took Mezo's daughter when she was about to pop her baby back in March. There was no one there to attend to her and she ended up having the baby on the floorboard of the truck in route to Croix-des-Bouquets. Anyway, the Cubans are set up in the Thomazeau hospital and are using it to treat only cholera. They determined that cholera was not this man's (Deris) problem and after doing an EKG - yes they had a unit to do this test, but had to try several outlets and then carry his bed to another room to find a working outlet. It appeared that he quite possibly had a heart attack. Sine they were only treating cholera at the hospital we had to transport Deris to a hospital in Port-au-Prince. Upon arrival they found a doctor still on call and then had him admitted. As soon as we got him admitted it was time to take Dave and Dan to the airport to catch their flight home. In Haiti, one must go and purchase their own meds upon admittance to the hospital, including IV set up and serum. We stopped on the way to the airport at a pharmacy and found 2 of the 7 meds needed. I dropped them off then went in search of the rest of the meds. Miraculously I found the remaining meds at the next stop. Then back to the hospital.
When I got there I found Deris resting a little better - and hungry, which is a good sign. He had not eaten all day. Mezo was out at the time on an errand. In the ward where we were was a man across from Deris' bed. Also when one is admitted to the hospital, one must bring their own sheets and have someone stay with them to take care of their needs - like using the toilet, finding and giving them food and drink, etc. This man had the saddest looking eyes and I noticed that there was no one with him and no sign of food or drink in his area. I was going to send Mezo out for food for himself and Deris (Mezo was staying with Deris for the night) and said I wanted to talk to the man across the way but didn't want to offend him. Mezo asked the man if I could speak with him and he said yes. I asked how long he had been in the hospital and was anyone with him. He had been there for 6 weeks. His wife had been taking care of him, but she died 2 days earlier and now he had no one. I asked if he had eaten and he had not. It was now 6:00 in the evening and I am not sure if he had eaten since his wife died. I asked if we could bring him some food and he readily agreed. I find the health care system (or lack thereof) in Haiti to be one of the most frustrating things I have ever experienced. It is one of the saddest, heart-rending places I have ever been to. And it is the same every time I go.
But the good news is that Deris is at the time of this writing on his way home. It is unclear what his actual problem turned out to be - the patient's diagnosis always seems to be a mystery, never to be revealed.
I'll go out to Thomazeau soon to check on him and deliver ORS packets for rehydration in treating cholera which is taking a toll on the people in the mountains above Thomazeau.
Coming soon : Election Results Protests
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