Haiti the first few weeks

3/22/10
Hello, hello, hello!!

I have been at the job less than a week. I have been handling it okay. I am a little nervous about when my predessesor leaves, how I will handle the stress. Abbey is a medical student and in the same class as I am at U of Iowa. She and I are the World Wide Village coordinators for Leogane, Haiti. We represent WWV, University of Notre Dame, University of Iowa, La Hopital St. Croix, the Episcopal Church in Leogane, the United States... Needless to say I have to keep my temper in check and mind how I say things. Both are weaknesses I have to work on, so I welcome it begrudingly!

I am working with a Notre Dame volunteer, Brennan. She has taken a year off of medical school to help with Disaster Relief and Medical care. She speaks Kreyol very well, and is kind of my partner for scheduling, administrating, and coordinating. She is coordinating the surgical teams, and handling most finances. We are still feeling out our roles, but I am definately on supplies. I am getting a handle on our medicines and our medical supplies. Everyone has been generous but we did not know what we had. The Hands on Disaster Relief volunteers have come in and offered logistics support. I know now what we have in our pharmacy and our stock room. To say they are a God send is an underestimation!!


3/26/10
Hello everyone!!

I am alive and well in Haiti. I am busy, and my internet connection is sketchy at best. Whenever I get a chance to send an email it is to organize or request something with the hospital or clinic that I am working in. I am an onsite coordinator for World Wide Village Health Initiative in Leogane. (worldwidevillage.org)
There are two of us here, we have teams coming down every week to staff the hospital and clinic. We spend a lot of time orienting, addressing dire medical situations, translating, keeping diplomatic ties and relationships with Haitians, NGOs, and our partner organizations.

I just do not feel like fighting to post a blog with the internet on most days so I have not forgotten anyone, I have just been so busy trying to keep a field hospital and clinic affloat I have not had a moment to myself.

I have a few good things to say. My little haitian boy is a grown young man. ti gari, a little boy that came to live with us when I lived in this house 7 years ago is not a young adolescent man. He has the same beautiful face. My mural I painted is present in my old room and I am incidently in that room again. Most of the street kids I used to hang out with are older, a few died in the earthquake... One mother I knew lost 4 of 5 of her children. Her grandmother who is also my Haitian grandmother broke her leg. I got her into see the Orthopedist and she seems to be healing well.

I sweat all day long while I am running between clinic, hospital, and odd jobs. I get a run in most days to the coast where there is a group of children that join us for a little while. I am always watched where ever I go and little kids love to yell "blan!" which is foriegner or white! I like to teach them my name so they yell some version of my name as I walk or run by.

Overall my spirits are good. I am too busy to think or worry about my future. I am moving to Grand Rapids Michigan next year! I will be doing a one year transition program. I did not match in a General Surgery Residency, but I was strangely relieved to not have to do that. I do not think I like being in the OR as much as I thought I did. So I have a new leash on doctoring. I am going to take a year, get some experience, and apply to a program I would really like to do for my career.

take care,
much love and blessing!
kristina