A Day in the Life

Greetings friends! We just had a group from New Jersey and the week absolutely flew by! Dr. Wolf had asked me to write a little article for the Friends for Health in Haiti newsletter and this is what I've thrown together. I'll try to write more about the past week soon, but we had a little incident with tiny ants moving into the laptop for a few days and now it's touch-and-go with this poor little Dell.  Anyway, enjoy the article!

When I met with my friends Drs. Garry and Mitzi Barker in April 2013 and asked if they had any suggestions for medical experiences in Haiti, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was that they knew Dr. Wolf. Now that I’m here I realize I’m even more fortunate that Dr. Wolf and Cherlie agreed to let me come and stay for 11 weeks this winter. Not only am I being given an invaluable opportunity to improve my Creole and my EMT skills, I’m fortunate enough to bear witness to the incredible amount of work that these ladies do each and every waking moment – which, for Dr. Wolf, is quite a few moments!

Mornings here start shortly after dawn with a simple breakfast and a strong cup of coffee. By the time we have arrived 12 miles up into the mountains and grown an hour older, the caffeine is fully circulating and we are set to open clinic. Despite drinking the same coffee, Cherlie seems to have an extra source of energy. She always arrives ready to give her invigorating morning message to the waiting patients. People laugh, they nod amen, and best of all they come away with an understanding of the heart of the clinic.

What follows can be anyone’s guess. Patients arrive for follow up visits and treatment plans are altered as needed. The day continues in this fashion, with patients varying from chronic hypertension to acute synovitis, along with a plethora of adorable, occasionally febrile children. People often arrive on stretchers made of wood and banana leaves, the bearers sweating beads in the cool of the morning. It’s a testament to the difficulty of the terrain, the distances people are willing to travel, and the incredible respect the Centre de Sante de Gatineau has earned. The day up at the little clinic ends when the last patient has been given careful instruction from Cherlie on how to take their meds, return precautions and loving reprimands on whatever each person needs to hear – somehow she always seems to know exactly what that is.

We next spend time at the new clinic site, the magnitude of which is heightened by a comparison to the amenities currently available in the area – no electricity, no running water, no two story buildings, few roofs made of anything but tin or thatch and certainly no other health facilities of this caliber. It is a testimony to the power of belief and perseverance. Construction continues on at an encouraging pace. The roof is being framed with a maze of bamboo supports and the masons continue to smooth and beautify the seemingly endless concrete structures. Through it all, Dr. Wolf documents and compares the physical clinic with the architect’s plans, patiently keeping everything progressing.

The workers clean up around four o’clock and we tend to leave Gatineau by 4:30. The day is far from over, with many more moments to work. We are home and setting the table for dinner by 6:00. Cherlie is an excellent cook and her enthusiasm for produce has us all eating well. Once the table is cleared, it’s time to pack medications for the next day, record the finances and double check the log books. My day’s work has ended and I often retreat to the balcony to study and relax. From there, I see the light of Dr. Wolf’s office on until the wee hours of the morning, taking advantage of the quiet and what seem like endless waking moments.