So, unfortunately the generator was not feelin’ it last night and after several fits and starts, it finally gave up….
Luckily we had just finished the scut work for the day, but had no fans to keep cool through the night. Fortunately the night was not too hot and I think most slept well with small battery powered fans to keep some of the moisture off. This morning we had a breakfast favorite…oatmeal a la Ghislene and Adilene. They must have known we were in for a long day and needed something to stick to our ribs.
We were greeted with a mass of patients before we checked the first client in, and the numbers grew very quickly from there. Clinic began at 9:30 and at 2:00 this was the view from outside the “exam rooms”…
When the “Clinic Fini” call finally came at approx 3pm, we had seen 122 registered patients and probably another dozen or more “oh by the ways”. This clinic is always the biggest crush of people and felt as if we saw near 200 despite the actual numbers. Kitty (aka “Big Chief Black Cloud”) was definitely in her element – incising and draining and stitching all the livelong day…with her trusty sidekick Sondra at her side every step of the way (it’s as if she hadn’t been gone a day let alone 8 yrs!)…Minor Surgery & Wound Care R Us – they will need to create a separate logo I think!
I am so proud to be a part of this team…we soldier on for hours straight…drinking enough to stay hydrated and waiting for the return home to eat 7hrs later. Chelsea is providing consultation and treatment with great efficiency – I think she may qualify to take her NP boards when she gets home! Our newest family members Jennifer, Tristan and Maureen have hit the ground running and embraced the culture and work ethic of this team as if they have been with us from the start. We are so blessed!
Once the entire team made it “home”, we had “lunch” – spaghetti and fresh watermelon! We are told dinner is a favorite – chicken, fried plantains and MY all time favorite, piklis!! It has been a very long and somewhat challenging day but we are committed to what we are doing here…for me it is all about connections, especially with the younger generations who will hopefully learn to utilize the healthcare source we are striving to create to prevent illness:
We are learning with each iteration where we need process improvement and at Bwa Bouton, it is clearly crowd control. We must implement this now before we move into a permanent facility if we hope for success…I am confident that the lesson has been learned and it will be put to the test on our next visit in March 2019!
With the cooperation of the weather, the hard work of the construction team…and the generosity of our supporters, we hope to be holding clinic in our new building by this time next year!!
I am standing on a hilltop right now looking out at our clinic site and a big beautiful cell tower on the next hilltop over, in hopes of getting all caught up on our blog entries. It is no coincidence we chose a building site with straight line of site to a cell tower…not so much for blog posting but rather to have access to Web based resources as we meet the challenge of providing care in this remote location.
I am now truly exhausted and in need of a cooling shower before dinner is served. Thankfully, I am told the generator issues have been resolved and we hope to have fans for our slumber tonight. There is still much work to do though before we can turn in – preparation for clinic at Point Est tomorrow must be finished tonight. It has been a year since any medical team has been to this more remote location, so we are uncertain what to expect, however we do know we will likely see some of the overflow from today.
Wish us a cool night, easy rest and breezy conditions tomorrow…and continue to follow our progress right here! The culmination of the dream – ours and yours – is truly within sight, so please don’t forget, we need your continued support to cross the finish line!!
All for now.
Love to All,
The Team
Praying for an answer to all your prayers and for safety as you travel to this remote location.