Moun Yo!

Thursday June 3, 2010

Another one for the books. Today was our chosen rendez-vous date to take another carload of patients to the hospital in LaPointe (about an hour and a half away); most everyone for the HIV program they run there. I was nervous right off the get-go just as there were a carload of patients waiting on our direction with a long list of details to get done, in a land that if something can go wrong...it will go wrong. I knew it would be nothing but chaotic trying to maneuver the Haitian medical system (which, yes, it did not disappoint).

Seven am, we departed with four new HIV patients, three who had already been intiated in the program (all family in tow as well) and another lady with ascites of some unknown origen who we wanted to get some lab work done. So off we go, all surprisingly calm and quiet in the car until we arrive at Twa Rivye (the huge river we have to cross to get into Port de Paix). It was so high, I was starting to sweat as it was looking pretty impossible to cross. Dustin (our chauffer) waited and watched for a while - the only car we saw cross was a tap tap which was already broke down in the middle of the river - muddy water up to it's belly and all the ladies with skirts hiked up, trying to push it to the other side. After some time, and with the urging from the Haitians "wi! nou ka janbe dlo a!" and with a personal guide clinging to the side of our car, we pushed through and arrived out on the other side just fine. The water was just below the hood. Yes...our car has a snorkel.

We continued on. First, stop at the hospital in Port de Paix, to get a letter of transfer for one our our patients who had had anything but a nice experience there and we wished to restart her at LaPointe. Not surprisingly, hospital closed...Fet Dieu...thank you Haiti for yet another holiday to not be at work. Frustrating to say the least as we didn't know if we would be able to get meds for Madam Clair (yet again) at LaPointe without this letter.

Finally, we arrive into the chaos at LaPointe. And...no HIV doctor today. Apparently he left to study for something like four years. Sigh...this day was not starting out too well. We stood there in the crowd for a while trying to make order out of the mess, but it wasn't coming easily. There were still nurses working so it appeared we would be able to still do consultations. And, everything came bit by bit and after a lot of confusion and flusteration, a lot of wild goose chases (go to door number 9, now knock on door number 14, after that get your meds at door number 4, etc. etc. etc.), and some help by a very gracious Haitian nurse, we got most everything on our list done, including everything for Madam Clair. A miracle in my mind after seeing how our day started. Consultations, labs...done; meds....given. All we suspected confirmed HIV postiive, even the thirteen month old we suspected whose mom is also positive. And we only had one minor freak out when one of the ladies denied it all in the consulation with the nurse. "I don't have HIV! I will not take those meds!" This even though we had told her, her positive result at our clinic several weeks ago. Apparently it sounds different coming out of a Haitian mouth.

But it got done and the best end of the day was when we snuck over to the House of Hope to check on Gina, the toddler with Tb we dropped off about three weeks ago. We almost didn't recognize her; she was a plump little girl instead of the stick skinny baby we dropped off. She is doing so well; laughing, playing, eating, and even bossing other kids around.

We sludged and slid all over the road back home through the fresh mud (after making the most of our snorkel again), relieved and talking a lot about the nice cold cokes waiting for us at home.