First clinic day with Team Omega- Cite Solei, Haiti: Monday, July 11, 2011

                  We went to Cite Solei to the same man’s home I worked at last time for our mobile clinic.  Our team today was Mrs. Betty-RN who saw pts (with ‘St’ translating), Sterling (nurse/diagnosed pts) and Dr. Francise, with Mom helping ‘Tar’ in pharmacy. It was great to have ‘Wi’ & Marty help me in triage.  It was great to be able to return to the same mobile clinic site as I had been back in March. 
                 Over all most of the patients had similar complaints of colds/coughs, stomach pain (which we gave rantidine/tums), or bobdy aches/pains (Tylenol), a few children had high fevers in which I gave children’s Tylenol before seeing the doctor.  However we had one lady that came in already in very poor, with barely any ability to move, and about to pass out.  Her glucose was in the high 400’s, and her BP very low 60/50’s.  We had a gentleman help carry her to the back of the house where he laid her on a matrice on the cement floor, and I assisted Sterling in giving her IV fluids. I was very thankful for the family letting us bring the patient in their home.  It was very moving getting to go inside my first Haitian cement block home, very dark with tight hallways leading to a small room with open cut out windows.  It was great to see the home, a boy inside, and a young woman mopping the tile floor.
                             

                 I also had another horrible case of a small girl, maybe 5 years old with a bad electrical burn on her right lower leg.  I thought she may need to be treated at the burn center, but Dr. Francise did an excellent job at cleaning & bandaging the wound.  Mom was great to entertain the children today as they waited, blowing bubbles they loved, and a ball caught their attention for a short time.  Mom also enjoyed giving a coloring gift to the little girl with the burn, helping to calm her crying for a while.  Mom also gave out some clothes to children. I enjoyed seeing two patients today use the nebulizers I sent!! One boy I got his picture, his cough was terrible yet the albuterol helped him tremendously to breathe again.  The little boy was also excited as he waited I brought him a pair of nice new plaid shorts, his face lite up beneath the nebulizer mask.
                                                   

***Our verse for the day: “God’s love for us”- Isaiah 43:1-2; 4-5a   “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you…..4. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5. Do not fear, for I am with you…”