Arrival

Feb 24, 2010
Arrived safely yesterday after bumpy flight. Ride to campus was mostly in the dark--very surreal with candles and small fires along the way and one larger fire on the mountaintop. Crashed into bed after late dinner, as we did not get on campus until 8:30. Medical rounds at 7:00 AM as usual. Saw patients all dayTuesday and today along with the Techs. Many earthquake victims with amputations, wounds, fractures, burns, usually more than one diagnosis.
Net access terrible so writing this in bullets and will hope it goes through!


The hospital is flooded with patients, estimated about 120 now for a facility made for 80 beds. Immediately after the quake, there were 800 people here waiting to be treated.

It is HOT, but not as bad as summer. Bad news--NO beer in the entire country. UN bought it all. Going to go out and look for some rum.

Fascinating lunch yesterday with multi national planning group for rehabilitation in Haiti. There is a prosthetist here at HAS and people are actually getting legs! It took an earthquake with thousands of deaths to awaken the world to Haiti. Surely there should have been another way to do it . . . . .

The experience of working with the patients is exhilerating and exhausting as usual. This AM on rounds the MD'S were examining the leg wound on a young woman while I watched from beside her at the bed. As she groaned and tried not to cry out, she reached for my hand and squeezed it. Then when the pain became worse, she let go and grabbed my arm. No words to express that kind of connection.
Judy