Thursday April 8, 2010

Success today. Just had a pretty awesome day. We departed this morning in Rob's car to Port de Paix with a long checklist of things to be done in hand. We were transporting a patient we've had in the hospital for the past month back home. He was shot in the low spine and is now paralyzed from the waist down. It's been a tough road with him, but he's going home with a wheelchair and supplies he needs for home care today.

Next, it's my turn. Rob drops me off at the big hospital because I need to get some HIV meds for one of our TB patients. This goal is a little far fetched. We had sent our guy with TB (and his wife) two times last week for the test and to get the meds, but after some very frustrating and body breaking rides to and from Port de Paix they only came back with pokes in their arms and no appointment with the doctor. The wife had gone back another time, since now her husband was too weak to even get out of bed, but they wouldn't give her medicine for him because he wasn't there in the flesh. So...we decided we had to try one more time before we send him home to die, since he is so bad now. And so back at the hospital in Port de Paix, I find the SIDA (HIV) program, talk to the nurse, show her my "official" letter from Dr. Michael and she gives me the meds! Check one...

Next I had time to moto it to the grocery store to find some heavenly goodies you can only find in the city for Esther and Sara. I found what we needed and yes maybe some Snickers bars, check two... Then I moto'd it back to the airport to meet up with everyone. As soon as I walk through the door, I meet Lynn...part of our team who was coming in today, who had just stepped off the airplane! We talked for a while until Rob returned and told us Dr. Michael had found and bought the motorcycle they wanted! Check three. Then Esther returned and said she found the medicine we had been looking for in LaPointe. Check four. After that, the whole Seattle team walked through the gate. Everyone accounted for, check five...

A lot of small victories today that came at a good time in the midst of this week.