Douglass, no real plans. Then I get a call from June (the clinic
director). She sick (I may have been the canary in, this case, the
clinic), she's got it bad and is going to the hospital for IV fluids
and phenergan.
I meet them there, and end up treating a patient by helping with a
jerry rigged wound vac set up on a ghastly sacral incision from
draining a cyst. (Ironically I had heard about the cyst draining from
Jeff who was here shadowing the docs and observing surgeries earlier
this week.) Wow was it a large wound and the lady had no pre-
medication and yelled and sang hymns really loud the whole time! They
use a fish tank filter apparatus to generate the suction, so while it
was hot, sweaty, and the main entertainment for anyone ambulatory in
the place, it was also very awesome. (Marvin took some pictures which
I will try to get my hands on later.)
Did get to spend some time chatting with June, and even got to
practice my IV drip skills (they don't have pumps here, just the
compression slide, gravity, and limb position to keep the IV
pumping). I also got to practice my French/Creole as all our patients
and even ones we aren't working with wanted to stop by and chat with
June, find out what was wrong, say hello, or otherwise she what was
going on.
She was feeling better when I headed out, just in time for the old
gentleman in the bed across from hers to die. Seriously. That family
was crying and screaming, and the orderlies were 'tres vite' in
getting him wrapped up and out of that bed. Again, everyone gathered
around his bed to see what was happening, even family members for
other patients and the more mobile other patients.
There's a strange lack of privacy in Haitian healthcare that still
shocks me. Everyone gathers around like medical or therapy
interventions are a public matter or form of community entertainment.
I still haven't gotten used to that, and today was certainly no
exception.
So...I'm back at the guesthouse, fed and showered. And exhusted.
Sent from my iPhone
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