1st Day at the Clinic/Hospital

This was when we 1st arrived to the hospital on Wednesday..
We had no idea what we were in for but we took the challenge in stride and have made it 3 days with no major problems.. The patients that come to the hospital clinic are most patients that have had symptoms for months if not years and have never seen a doctor.. A lot of stomach and indigestion/intestinal problems that have gone untreated.. Also a lot of the women give birth at home and have no prenatal or after care so they have female problems.. Some have old injuries from the earthquake but very few of them.. We have had a few follow up bandage changes from injuries that are still pretty fresh, from injury or minor surgeries..
When the Haitian Doctor at the hospital found out that Justine, one of our team, he brought in many patients of his to have her consult and treat.. Justine found a lot of treatment devices that will help these patient for long term. KUDO'S for JUSTINE:)
There is loads and loads of supplies that have been boxed up and set aside so Amy and Teri have spent days unpacking and organizing all of them for Junie and set up a stock room.. They and label HUNDREDS of supplies that now can be used..KUDO'S to AMY AND TERI!!!They also Painted about 4 or 5 rooms that had been damaged and repaired from the earthquake..
As for the construction team, they have done the MOST PHYSICAL WORK of anyone here!!! They have been more or less working in a cement box, think of a HUGE HUGE cement basement with a cement ceiling and a here there in it.. The floor is just completely fille with boulders and rubble.. It is like a dusk factory inside not to mention probably well over 100 degrees in there.. and also a gas generator running while they are working in there...I was only there to help for a 1/2 of a day and within 30 minutes of mixing cement with a shovel on the ground and scooping it into wheel barrels I was so and dizzy I had to go outside for fresh air, which was not fresh at ll.. The water and running down the narrow street was from the suers so the smell was awful.. KUDO's KUDO's KUDO's to ALL the construction team, Mike, JR, Tom, Jim, and Vince!!!!
Amanda and Sarah worked for hours in the clinic and had incredible patience for the staff we were assisting.. They do things much different than we would but we took direction from them and did our best...KUDO's to the nurses on our team.. Sarah also helped Steve (our Dr) suture up a very deep wound in a little boys head.. It was open all the way to the skull.. He had tripped or fallen on the stairs.. Steve admited him into the hospital for the night and he left to get Xrays elsewhere as we don't have that equiptment set up at the hospital yet.. She also assisted Steve in suturing a boys hand which was cut pretty deep...
I was the help wherever need person, clinic taking vitals, bandage/dressing changing person, phlebotomist drawing blood for tests, PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN while they were waiting to be seen, unpacking boxes, organizing, what ever needed to be done and I was available..
OOOOOOOOOOO and our construction-Videographer VINCE has gotten some amazing video with a huge nice movie camera and he will be sharing it with all of us once he edits it at home.. UPDATE, he is feeling much better now, he was our 1st team patient with the stomach virus and boy was it bad...
Well I'm glad I had a few minutes to get this blogged.. I feel terrible for telling everyone to read the bog but not contributing to it so here it all is in a nut shell (BOOK I MEAN).... Love and miss everyone.. Keep your comments coming.. Even tho we all don't have time to blog, WE READ EVERYTHING you write......AND APPRECIATE IT MUCH!!! HUGS N KISSES TO EVERYONE..
Donna, Dawn, George, whoever reads this tell Mom and Dad I said HAPPY 50th and wrote mom a short email to her yesterday.. Sorry I couldn't call them but was thinking of them ALL day since I remembered the date!!!!! HUGS N KISSES TO THEM ALSO!!!! :)