goodbye Port-au-Prince

March 8, 2010 am

Just sitting here in the sun feeling a jumble of emotions. Feeling good because the sun is out after several days of wet and cold and just finished my golden cup of Stumptown coffee that our friend from Portland left us. Tastes like a little bit of home.

Yesterday was our last day of work; kind of a surreal feeling. I finished up with two days as Diquini Hospital, the setting at which we spent a week and a half at, at the beginning of these four weeks. The work there is the most labor intensive, but also the most rewarding as the sickest of people are there. I worked over the weekend and it was just a good two days to end this stretch of work in Port-au-Prince. When I arrived on Saturday morning, it seemed like a different place. It was dead and was lacking in the normal chaos and crowds I was used to from only a week or so before. The fact that it was Saturday, the fact that it was raining, and the fact that it seems like the hospital is transitioning from disaster relief mode to a more long term, sustainable mode by charging new patients for exams, made for a much quieter place. It was odd...

I worked in the ER this time around. A huge team had come from the States to work there, so there were so many hands on deck that at times there was not much to do. But a few serious cases did come through, like a man who suffered a gunshot wound, and two ladies who were hit by a truck while they were at the market. I helped out where I could, but honestly, was probably more of a help with language than my nursing skills (that are not so skilled in emergencies or fast-paced nursing). It was good experience, but the most satisfying was seeing the familiar faces, mostly Haitian, who see me in the hall, break a smile, and ask, "Where have you been?!". It was a good ending for me to say the least, especially to just see the hospital functioning well with a mix of Haitian staff and visiting teams from around the world. Who knows how it will be next week...

Seeing this Port-au-Prince journey coming to a close is a tough one. It's been a ride, so good and horrible all in the same breath. I have learned so much more than I ever anticipated from the plethora of medical people I have been in contact with everyday, as well as the Haitian people themselves. I have seen a new side of Haiti in this city but also see how all it's people are bonded through this mysterious place called Haiti.

But it's time to move on. Yesterday, seeing all the newbies coming in fresh from the plane, almost shaking with excitement and ready to jump in and help, made me realize how much I've changed since arriving here (as we are dragging our butts out of the car everyday after work). It's easier to give up the job here when you see so many eager to get to work. Still, it's sad to say goodbye to new friends, the staff here at Quisqueya who have taken such good care of us, and just the way of life here.

There is a need in the north, in Passe Catabois, that is calling, so onward we go. A more settled life, sleeping in a real bed, and living inside the real Haiti, sounds pretty nice. Not to mention the work there which is just so satisfying. We will be heading up there tomorrow. Please keep us in mind or in your prayers as we transition; that we'll have the wisdom and strength to do what is handed to us and do it well.