Medical Voyage

November 11,2016
Medical trip
Last Sunday Bob and I loaded up eight people from our village and Gros Morne. We had four people needing surgery, two women that had breast cancer going to get chemo, a young girl needing to see an eye doctor and her mother. The truck was pretty full. We did not know when the surgeries would take place and had I to be prepared to stay in Port Au Prince for the whole week. I was struck by how little the people going for surgery brought for a week away, or should I say how much I thought I needed for a week away.
The trip went along smoothly with Bob and I sharing the driving. The guest house Anita and Elwood were staying at with the Haitians did not serve meals so we stopped to buy food for them. Usually on the street a meal costs between 100 and 125 HG this is equivalent to about 1.50 to 1.90 US. Bob and I got out to buy food for everyone. We went to the stall we normally go to and ordered eight plates. They tried to charge us 250 HG for each plate. Bob had counted out enough money to pay 125 hg for each plate and handed the man the money. Then the man demanded we give him another thousand HG. We argued and were getting nowhere. I went back to the car and asked for help. Two of the people came and they argued, we ended up paying 200 HG per plate.
We got into PAP and met Elwood, he took the people with him and we went to Mathew 25. Where the rest of the people were staying was much cheaper but they didnt have enough room for us too. The next morning after Bob and I got slightly lost we met up again. The little girl and her mother went in our truck with Bob and Elwood to the eye doctor. I went with Anita and the surgery patients to the hospital. The women needing Chemo went to one of their daughters house to spend the day their appointments were not until the next day.
At the hospital I asked for Dr. Jack who is in charge of the team, although he was very busy he came to meet us. He was very understanding about our long trip and having to house and feed the people while we were in PAP, and had the paitients evaluated right away. They became patients 2,3 & 4. We were so thankful.
Unfortunately the fourth ladys evaluation was not so successful; it was thought she needed a hysterectomy. The doctor found she had stage 3 cervical cancer and the surgery would be impossible. The treatment would be radiation therapy which is not available in Haiti. The woman was pretty devastated along with Anita and I. But she handled it so beautifully. She prayed, sang hymns, read her bible. Laid down for a while and then was fine. It is amazing how the Haitian people accept their mortality. Anita received a phone call that the two ladies needing chemo the next day needed to have lab work done. So she left to go and get them and take them to another hospital for the tests. I stayed with the surgery patients. It was a long day of waiting. The team had problems getting the autoclave working so the surgeries started late.
That evening our three came out, surgery went fine but they needed to spend the night. So we all met up at the hospital and went to our guest houses. We left the hospital at 6 for what should have been a 45 minute ride to arrive at Mathew 25 at 8:30.
Abby fixed plates for us, we ate and went to bed. The next morning we had to pick the patients up between 6 and 7 oclock. We arrived to find out they left their things in Anitas car. Bob had to go and get their clothes for them. We got instructions for care, and left the hospital. Bob and I needed to buy tin art for the coming pre Christmas sales so we stopped at the tin village on our way back. The patients waited in the truck for us. We arrived back in Gross Morne at 6 oclock that evening. We took all the patients home and repacked to go to Sr. Jackies and Pats for an election party.
It was nice to watch the election with other Americans. They served us a very nice Chinese dinner, with chocolate chip bars for desert. Anita and Elwood joined us when they got back to town. The young volunteers had good insights on the different senate races and bills being voted on around the country. But by 11:00 Bob and I were beat and had to excuse our selves. We had to wait until morning for the results. The next day is a blog in its self so this is enough for now.
Thank you for your prayers and your interest,
Denise s.d.s.