Adoption process: Day One

Well the last couple of months have been a blur. My grandpa ended up in the hospital shortly after the last posting for heart surgery. Then we left for Haiti (more on that in a bit). When we got back grandpa ended up back in the hospital for a craniotomy. Plus work has been out of control for me! Christmas was wonderful and New Year's brings new beginnings, especially since today I just mailed our application for adoption to our soon to be agency, International Adoption Net. It was pretty crazy because I have filled that application out at least four times but haven't sent it so to put it in the mailbox today was quite a moment. We have slowly been telling close friends and family about our decision and have been met with such positive and loving responses. We will appreciate all your support in the year to come!

Back to Haiti. WOW what an amazing experience! I can't say life changing because I still love my heat/air conditioner and all the other amenties that make me spoiled but I have become very thankful. The best way to get a feel for our trip will be to write out my journal entries that I wrote while we were down there. Beware: this is a long post so get comfortable.

Friday, Oct. 29th: Got the Bismarck airport, met Dr. Cleary (from now on will be referred to only as Cleary) and Dr. Rainwater. I almost didn't make it on the plane because my ticket printed out with my maiden name and I had left my marriage license at home at the last minute. Thankfully, the only friendly Delta representative I have ever encountered worked it out and I made it on the flight. Arrived in Fort Lauderdale, walked the boardwalk along the beach. Went to bed early because the next day was going to be long.

Saturday, Oct 30th: Woke up at 3:00 to get to airport, met some interesting people in our hotel lobby at that time (ask me sometime I will tell you all about it). We checked in with IBC (the airline that flies from Fort Lauderdale to Cap-Haitien), they still use pen and paper and they weigh you in front of everyone on the luggage scales. Awesome. Flight uneventful and they even feed you (I turned up my nose to the sandwich they offered). Arrived in Cap-Haiten, mob of people outside airport to "help" with your bags. Ray Delnatus (the CFO of the compound where we stayed) picked us up with three other volunteers. Our bags were tied to the roof. Cap-Haitien is full of people and pretty dirty. Got to Milot and the compound in about 30 min., apparently the road is much improved from the last time Cleary and Dr. Rainwater were there. Met Emily, Smitty, and Blair at the compound, they are long term volunteers. Karl didn't even get a chance to put his bag in our room before he was whisked off to a project. I put some scrubs on and Cleary gave me a tour of the hospital and ORs. Impressed, they have three new anesthesia machines and are getting piped O2. After the tour we went to the clinic to see pre-ops. We had a couple of earthquake survivors to see in addition to the rest of the urology patients. After clinic Karl, Cleary, and I went for a walk through the town of Milot and to the palace. Met by our "friends" Serg, Johnny, and Charlie who gave us a tour of the palace and town. Interestingly there is a jet ski parked in downtown Milot that everyone is proud of. Of note there is no place to ride the jet ski in Milot. Food was great and the shower refreshing. Hard to sleep due to excitment and roosters.

Sunday, Oct. 31st. Up at 6:30 for breakfast. Karl went to work on a saw. I hiked to a waterfall with Emily and some of the other women volunteers. On the walk Haitian mothers bring there babies up to you to take pictures with them but charge "one dollar." It is very hot today. We got lost and ended up in someone's yard and the little boy (about 6 years old) walked us through the jungle to the waterfall. Only wildlife encountered was a goat. Karl still working on the saw (he is very frustrated with it). We start to hear about Hurricane Tomas that is heading to Haiti. It is a category 2 at this time. No need for us at clinic today so hung around and read a lot. Cleary was consulted in the afternoon for a pediatric case. A little girl had a perforated bowel due to worms. I was lucky enough to get to see one of the worms the next day, gross. In the evening Karl went with Tim (Karl's boss while we were there) to the Bapist church to fix their generator. They were having choir practice and sang to them while they were working. Karl fixed it and Tim was very impressed. Saw a tartantula outside the dinner hall. Fresh avocado for dinner (called zeboca), SOOOO GOOD! After dinner, Jackie (one of the Haitian workers at the compound) slaughtered some chicken, plucked them, and cooked them over a fire Haitian style. Discussed preparations for Hurricane Tomas, now a category 4.

Monday, Nov. 1st. Off the hospital at 7:30. Began our first operation. It was great to be able to do spinals again! The patients are amazingly stoic. Such nice nurses. Met Ghande one of the Haitian CRNAs that works there. She wanted to learn some of our techniques. It was fun teaching. Little girl with the worms is doing okay today but still in the ICU. 3 surgeries today. Karl finally fixed the saw among a million other tasks today. After surgery, Cleary and I went for a walk around the north and west side of Milot. Johnny met us on the way back through town. I bought a painting from him. "Dr. Bill" (Cleary) is thought highly of in Milot and everyone thinks I am his daughter (or son if you ask Serg). In other words I feel very safe. I have no problem walking to and from the hospital to the compound (about 1/4 mile) by myself. Drank some Prestige (the local beer) again tonight. Yummy dinner. Blair has been sick so I started on IV on her and gave her 2 liters of fluid and some Zofran. Says she feels better after the hydration. Hurricane Tomas is now downgraded to Tropical storm. 5 cholera patients in Cap-Haitien, we were supposed to get one today but no one showed up.

Tuesday Nov. 2nd: Able to sleep last night for the first time without Ambien. Yippee! Only one case today because it is considered a holiday in Haiti and the people believe if they have surgery today there will die. I taught Marie Jean (another Haitian CRNA, I LOVE HER!) to check the O2 sensors on her new machines). I went back and watched Karl manage his team in moving dirt to make a pad to place shipping containers on that will be close to the Sprung building. Peapop runs the Excavator and he takes great pride in it. Cleary and I went to the hospital to get e-mails out and check up on Hurricane Tomas. Cleary, Karl, and I have decided to stay through the storm just in case they can't get help in. Dr. Rainwater is going to try to leave early.  Cleary and I asked to do other jobs since we weren't in the hospital much. We hauled water in preparation for the hurricane (got to ride on the awesome trike), tore the tarp off of glove mountain, and folded tarps. Cleary left to go see Serg at his house and came back with "gifts for my sister" (Serg and I are siblings because he calls Cleary his "papa" and he thinks I am Cleary's son). Necklaces, paintings, etc. Spent the evening chatting and drinking Prestige.

Wednesday, Nov. 3rd: Ate crepes for breakfast with the spicy peanut butter, unbelievable between those, the fried eggs, and fresh avocados I crave almost daily. Had 5 cases today, Decostyl a CRNA student from Cap-Haitien came today to see Cleary and work with us. What a awesome experience for me to get to teach. He will be a great CRNA! Done at 4:00. Karl rode to the river to fill sandbags for the now Category 1 Hurricane Tomas. Bought is team drinks for lunch. They call him "Good boss". After work we unloaded a shipping container, organized it while the crane moved it, and then refilled it. I have a new view on chartible donation after the experience with shipping containers in Haiti. The Sprung building still isn't finished. Only three surgeries tomorrow so we will be doing more hurricane prep. Karl is putting in 12 + hour days but is enjoying the work. I always admired Cleary and my opinion of him is only growing. I am lucky to have such a great mentor. I am proud of our group.

Thursday, Nov. 4th. Busy day in the OR. Interesting conversation with a patient regarding Viagra (ask me about this sometime too). Finished cases around 4:00 again. The Hurricane is suppose to hit tomorrow evening so as soon as we are back we start more preparations. We unloaded another shipping container after dinner. Got done at about 10. John, a doctor from Ireland arrived today from Port-au-Prince. Updated us about the cholera situation down there. Really busy and tiring day.

Friday, Nov. 5th. Raining this morning. Dr. Rainwater tries to leave but IBC has cancelled all flights out of Haiti until Monday due to the Hurricane. Emptied another conatiner. So exhausting and rainy. The Haitian crew tried to teach Emily and myself how to carry linen bags on our heads the Haitian way. I made it about 10 yards and it fell off. Emily the same. The Haitians were proud of us for trying though. Cleary made it the whole way! After lunch Cleary and I started to tarp the windows of our house but Cleary got called away to help with a c-section so I finished the tarping. Saw a black widow spider. Unloaded another shipping container that evening. It was raining so hard we were all soaked. Formed a line and tossed things to each other to speed up the process. We found unused "cups" (more like stainless steel urine containers but you make due in Haiti) and stole them for our party. Made Haitian Hurricanes to drink. 3/4 bottle of Haitian rum, Tampico (like super sweet Sunny D), and a splash of Sprite mixed in a coffee pot, poured into urine containers. Yummy! Had a Hurricane Tomas party. A really fun night with the whole volunteer crew after the hard work.

I stopped writing my journal on Friday but we left Haiti on Monday morning. On Sunday we woke up at 5 in the morning and walked to the Citadel in the rain. It was a great hike and although it was too foggy to see much it was again a great experience with even better people. Flew into Miami on Monday and stayed in the Expressway Suites, quite a difference from our accomodations in Haiti. Miss Haiti already. Going back next year as long as we are invited. See my pictures on facebook.