Thursday, December 15, 2011

On the run.

For hope is but the dream
of those that wake.
Matthew Prior

Dream, hope,
Dreaming, hoping

What makes an event come to pass? A series of other events takes place and then leads the culmination of the new event? A possible idea is thought of and encouraged through the series of other events?

The series of events is taking place.
A friend living in Seguin (the town at ____ elevation in the mountains. This town is the destination of arrival at the top of the mountain pass, before you descend to Jacmel the largest town at the base of the mountain).
Walked the “Hike from Kenskoff to Jacmel” It is a 2 day hike the first day took ~8 hours to arrive in Seguin. The second day was ~ 6 hours before hopping in the back of truck to complete the trip to Jacmel. Walking a Hike is something I had never done before. Doing the distance without the goal to run was a new concept and a difficult one for me. It was an amazing Hike, and allowed a person to see the mountains and people of the mountains in Haiti in a very raw way.
Several realistic discussions with the founders of Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis that the key to sustainability and to achieve the goals for the Mission is to find more money. To achieve the goals of a Haitian operated clinic the clinic will need a donor who supports this cause.
Being surrounded in my life with dreamers and doers. People who think big and continue to act on these things to make those dreams their reality.
The love and need to run.

Thus the idea began: Running from Port au Prince to Jacmel. After watching the publicity and coverage that the Western 100 movie gave to the audience and myself, what if a movie of an event like that could be completed in Haiti??? I love to run, I know a route. What if the publicity could generate funds to provide much needed money to a clinic who do to lack of funding and staffing is now turning away 50-60 people every day......

What if, and the dream begins.
Thoughts on its reality?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pediatrics day.

How do you choose what is right when there is no right? Or when everything is grey?

A child and his mother that I have been following for the last 10 months came today and the mother stated she was ready to leave the child at an orphanage. WHAT?

I am not a mother, I am not a person who has had to take care of a child who has a disability as a full time job, and I am not a person who has had a child with disabilities. But how difficult can it be for one mother with 2 children, one who has severe disabilities, no job, no money, no food, no husband..... To want to give her child away.

I think the mother knows the alternatives. The patient will be left outside of a hospital. Preferably a child's hospital. He MIGHT be taken in, placed in a ward with other brain damaged children. He might and might not be attended to. He will not be stimulated other then to be fed, possibly.

What do you tell this mother in broken creole in her time of need...... That she is the best this child has. His hope for some quality of life.

Which leads us to the next moral issue. What to do with a child who can not speak, can not move, can not feed himself.... What is his quality of life compared to the strain that he is placing on his family?......

As a white women with a government that would support me if I did not have a job, did not have money, and did not have support....What do I say to her?

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Why was this day so good?

Why was my day so good? I started my morning like this:
A man in his early 50's came to the clinic from what we call a "friend referral" after having a stroke. He now was presenting with a limping gait, decreased use of his left hand, slurred speech, and was having difficultly eating. The conversation presents like I am a 4 year old, because that is how good my creole is.

Me- "Mister, When did you have your stroke?"
Patient - 2 weeks ago
Me: Are you taking medication now for your blood pressure?
Patient: No, it is finished, I do not have any more
Me: Do you have a doctor?
Patient: No, I just went to the General Hospital after I fell.
Me: Why did you come to the clinic today?
Patient : For therapy.
Me: Who told you to come?
Patient: A friend.
Me: You need to see a doctor first and have medication. Then you can come for therapy. Come tomorrow morning, early before 7 am because there will be many people here. You can see a doctor and he will give you medication. After that he will tell you when you can start therapy.
Patient: Is he Haitian?
Me: Yes.
Patient: How much money will I need?
Me: Only the money it cost for the transportation to the clinic. The doctor is free, the medication is free, and therapy is free. (smile)
Patient: Thank you very much, you are my daughter. Do you understand that.
Me: Yes, thank you very much.

We are now being able to provide people with a quicker recovery from a stroke, and are assisting with prevention of secondary strokes. Constant communication with the clinic, the doctors, and a holistic approach is achieving these things. Not only that, but it is all free! Amazing quality health care for people who otherwise would not be able to have any health care at all.

Thank you all who supported the race for making this conversation a reality.
Jeanie

Saturday, July 30, 2011

"Centers of Excellence"

What qualifies as a centers of excellence? Many people may think that because I do therapy in Haiti I must be treating many earthquake victims. And though I do treat people that were effected by the earthquake, because all were that were living here, the main diagnosis I see would be Stroke. I know that Stroke is not as sexy as other diagnosis, but it can be.... Before I left for my vacation I was quite aware that we were treating a large number of strokes sometimes up to 8 a day, and that the number was increasing. We are starting to get referrals all the way from Port Au Prince (45 mins away in a car), and from Dr’s that we did not know. These patients were coming to our rehab with prescriptions from real Dr.’s for therapy !! Very cool. But when you are in the thick of things, you treat, provide care, educate, and on, on, on. After I left for the States and then returned to the rehab center, I had a fresh look on our clinic. A stroke patient came in with his family (daughter, wife, and possible son?), he had a stroke within the month (very recent). Looking over his chart (yes we have charts:)), the chart stated the patient had not been walking, was not able to put on his own clothes, and required assistance to feed himself. Before the stroke it stated that he was working construction ( he was a only in his ~50’s). His daughter presented the rendezvous he had been given for therapy 2x’s a week with his home exercise program, and promised that he had been completing the exercises. He was still having quite a bit of difficulty with walking, with both daughter and wife on either side of him for support to walk into to the therapy department. As we progressed through the session, I was able to continue to educate the family regarding his diagnosis, demonstrate to them with just verbal cues he could dress and feed himself independently, provided him with a walker so he could walk with minimal assistance, and watched him smile, play basketball with me, and dance “Kompa” (while sitting) (Kompa is the popular Haitian dance). 2 weeks ago this man had a stroke and his family and him were facing a a very uncertain, scary moment, and now they were laughing with me watching their loved one sit on the mat with his eyes closed swaying to the music and walk out the rehab door with minimal assistance ! This story happens at our clinic, not just once but daily! We do have our stories that are not as successful or “excellent,” but this is what we are striving to do with each person.
So, I have worked at “Centers of Exellance” before in the States,. and after “googling” the definition, I think we qualify.
Web definitions of Centers of Excellence:
1. www.nahu.org/consumer/glossary.cfm
Providers who are selected to perform certain specialized procedures because of their expertise and willingness to provide discounts.

This is us for sure! We are providers who preform specialized therapy for each individual with an expertise and ALOT of willingness. The discount is called “pou gratis.”

2.


www.johnsmurf.com/jargon.htm
Certainly beats centers of failure. Most companies have a nice set of both.

I think this one is funny, but also true. The best way to learn is from your failures. We have had many failures, so I am still learning.

Thank you so much everyone who accepted me back home with open arms, open minds, and open ears to listen and understand my life here. You will never know how much that means to me. Also thank you so much for everyone who works so hard in MANY different ways to support me and this clinic. Thank you for supporting right where you are standing. This is something that I could not do, and I am in constant admiration of you. Love you, Jeanie.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Blog 4

“For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

Fears,
What are you afraid of?
Death, rape, the dark, losing a loved one, disappointment, the future, the unknown....


Some of the reasons I love Haiti so much is that is forces me to address my fears. It forces me to go on faith that no matter what happens it is for a reason. So if things happen for a reason, is there a reason to be afraid?

One of our patients died this weekend. He was a boy in his teens with severe cerebral palsy that had left his body contoured in ways that I did not know a body could contort but a face that still could produce a beautiful smile. As much as a Jon was a part of our therapy his mother was. She always had very sad eyes and a weak voice that begged for sympathy. Me, hating sympathy, was always slightly harsh, but evoking smiles out of her on several occasions. Jon on the other hand would smile easily making it seem that was the one part of his body he could control with ease. Not know the reason for Jon’s departure from this earth, it raises a question.... Was it a blessing that he has passed? For his mother’s sake of not having the huge back breaking burden of his care and for him not to live in a contoured body anymore? The weeks before his death, I watched Erin give her time, sweat, excessive girl power, power tools, brain power, and always stopping to ask for other’s people’s opinion to help create for him a wheelchair that would decrease his pain and assist him with sitting in a less contorted position. Jon and mother somehow broke the first attempt at a wheelchair modification and he was on round 2 and half and hours of attention when he was suppose to return today for follow up to finish the chair. We thought it slightly odd that he did not come, since his mother had not missed an appointment yet. Later we found out through another patient that his angle wing arms took him to another place...
Rest relaxed Jon.
Jeanie.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Blog 3

As I just recently received an email wondering if I was dating a goat and now into wheelchair racing vs running I thought I would attempt to explain in depth the situation for me in Haiti. Do to the brief and few blogs and random pictures I can only imagine the image that would be conjured up... But a reality check is over due. It is easier to post the anonymous picture of a goat, but is quite a bit harder is to post the pictures of the faces and issues that I am directly corresponded with. You might ask why not?? That is ridiculous, but these situation are not easily explained and there is a since of protection there thus needing permission to post a picture and explain a story that is not mine.

From the day we got here there was already a rehab in effect at the St. Charles. 3 "rehab techs" staff a 7 bed inpatient/outpatient rehab and a primary care facility. In March the inpatient is sadly closing... Sad due to Haiti is losing a much needed resource, an inpatient rehab. Funding has been cut, so thus changes had to be made. The clinic as of next month will be an outpatient clinic only.

For the last month and half we have discharged 3 patient's, one left on her own, and the next three will leave the following week. It is amazing each one of those patients I could write for days and blogs on.... Thus the lack of writing at all, but I really want to share one that impacted me thus so far the most. Benny.

I say, Benny, meaning Benny and his Brother Frebrear. They are a joint because one's outcome effects the other, much like all Haitian families. Due to Benny's injury Frebrears life has been completely altered as well. Both are caregivers to the other. Benny is the older brother of Frebear, and thus the designated caretaker, but due to sustaining an T-10 spinal cord injury, Frebrear is now the caregiver of Benny the older brother. Throw in a side of Mother abandonment and father dying within the last year and you have yourself the making's of a Haitian story. For toppings try that Benny's back was never stabilized after the injury and he has two wounds on his bottom. If you are too depressed at this time, please fill free to open a bottle of rum and take a nap.

Now that you have the setting now the character. Benny: "mwen renmen travay" I love to work. The 23 year old Haitian stated.... Whatever we ask of him, Benny completes with overzealousness, with huge brown eyes staring at you for acceptance, and whatever else you are willing to give him. Your cell phone, tennis shoes, work, attention, exercises, a hug, cookies, care for his brother....

Due to his wounds, Benny was not able to be discharged due to the fact that he would die. He lives in the country side and he and his brother never attended school. Freberer, 13, told me after much prodding that he was a gardener, but had fallen ill due to "magic line." What that is your guest as good as mine, and is some form of ill placed on a person via voodoo. Medically he probably got ill from something he ate or contracted tending too the garden.
Anyways, back to Benny being discharged and dying or surgery. Miracles do happen and a somehow a far away land called Cap Haitian was able to take Benny and complete a surgery for him. A plane will be carted on Monday and he will be flow there. Frebere through no choice of his own, will go willing as his care taker. When I asked him what he wanted, he stated, "What choice do I have."

Limited choices, limited resources, but sometimes it works. Celebrate when you can. As for the rest of it and my work here. Struggling with that daily.... How do I make the maxima benefit in such limited time with such limited resources is the goals in mind. As of right now we have goals for a stroke prevention class. We have currently graduated our first back (pain) class, which have willingly decided to continue to come for an exercise class! Yes I had them running around the soccer field! Its one small step at a time and trying not to tackle too many problems at once. Thank you again for all of your support and love. Jeanie

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Port au Prince

Picture of in the city. You can buy a movie or a tire...
Posted by Picasa

blog 2

Let love and faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck write them on the tablet of you heart.
Psalms 3:3


When I came to Haiti I did not know what to expect. The photos show a very grim desperate picture, and even thinking about how to present rehab to this picture was mind bogling. But after being here for a month I am beginning to see a different picture of Haiti. Please do not misunderstand this, there are some very grim desperate places and moments here. The average American would be appauled to live the life of an average Haitian. It involves no to minimal luxuries, using ones body as a mechanism for hard labor, and a very fragile unstable government and economey.

But what an amazing life that could also be. The Hatians place a huge emphasis on family. The 7 inpatient's demonstrate this us everyday. During rehab in the morning, at any given time a variety of family members are present during therapy, children, nieces, wives or a variety of relatives. The outpatient's demonstrate this through the lengths the family will go to, to get their loved one to therapy. Which is equally amazing is the length one will go to to get to therapy!!
Example: A young man who was continuing to have a decline in function from being able to walk Independently to having to be carried by family members arrived on the back of a moto (mo-ped) sandwich between his brother and nephew!!! (are you kidding me) Not only that, but this man and his family have traveled to the clinic 3 x to receive treatment and supplies. This is huge !! This man can not walk and has difficulty moving his arms, but his family has supported his care by carrying him (literally), assisting him with dressing, eating, toileting, will sit in the sun all day to wait to be seen by a clinican.  When I asked the patient's brother who he was, he proudly stated, " I am his brother." Amazing.

So headed to the Beach last weekend. Amazing! We (the people at the compound) finally escaped the compound!! Loaded up on the Tap-Tap and headed for the beach. Scoop on the compound is that beyond the compound I can not go. Which for me is a bit difficult. Erin (the PT) and I are able to go less then 1/4 mile away from the compound during a run. A run which feels more like a parade. Trying to be discreet when you are a "Blan" and a girl is not quite possible here in Haiti.  Going to the beach this weekend, there were local Haitians there swimming, and playing with their families. Two young sisters played with a boat, a whole entire family sun bathed, splashed, and washed clothes. It was a beautiful picture to watch them enjoy themselves like typical families. Nothing desperate or needy about the situation. Just good family oriented fun.


Miss you,
Jz

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Week 1.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit.
Romans 15:13

A small sliver of my possible purpose in Haiti was seen yesterday. Friday is a relaxed day for the therapists, we had a slow morning seeing our inpatient's. No outpatient's came in the afternoon that usually keeps us moving and shaking to around 2 in the afternoon. Since Erin (the PT ) and I are mostly in charge (ha, funny thought) we decided Friday would be "casual" (aka wearing shorts vs scrubs) and would be "game day" for the 7 inpatients.

Our first real game was a huge success. Slow to start we divided the inpatient's consisting of a severe femur fracture, 3 strokes, 2 spinal cord injuries, a hip injury into 2 teams to play a game of soccer/basketball. The patient's LOVED it and are extremely competitive. The game continued on for ~45 mins with the patient's completely engrossed, seeing themselves and each other without disabilities. For a brief moment these people appeared to regain a since of what was prior to an injury that has left them dependent on others for care and given to a life of being outcast  from their own society. As Erin and I facilitated an improvement in the quality of life for these people, else where in the clinic was a sharp contrast.

During that afternoon while we were enjoying the game, our coworkers were attempting to save a women's life while going to battle against Haiti's lack of resources and general decreased concern for the urgency of human life. The women was pregnant, but was bleeding. While at the clinic she stopped breathing, after rescue breath were given, the next logical step was to get her to a hospital, but Haiti or the grim reaper is a strong opposition. After FINALLY finding a vehicle that would take her, the vehicle breaks, she stops breathing again and is revived, is placed in a Tap-tap (a caravan taxi type vehicle), stand still traffic, very bumpy roads, and she finally makes it past the armed guard to get into the hospital. Then she has to be carried up a flight of stairs where she was placed in a bed. The outcome of this patient is not known.

 So take home point is that what is life without quality of life. Hopefully in our time here we can find a way to provide that.

Update to my status:
I have transitioned nicely to living in Haiti. 1 week down with 51 left to go. Yes, I am staying for a year. I actually love it. Life it simple and chaotic . The food is wonderful or not edible at all. The runs are beautiful, but short. I am very safe, but very walled.

I was asked if I have fell in love with a Haitian yet. Which my friends and family seemed to think would happen.... The answer is yes. How could you not. The people are beautiful and full of charisma. They have beautiful features, and though are very poor take great pride in there appearance. They are very strong, and have tight taunt muscles. Dark serious eyes, but will laugh and joke with you. They are wonderful teachers, though their patient's for my attempts at Creole wains. They love to dance, joke, and love. So Yes, I am in love.

Love you and miss you,

JZ

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Blessed

No words can describe, that is why blogging is so hard. How do I explain the feeling of support from family and friends. Thank you does not seem like enough, but thank you to everyone. Yesterday was amazing to see all the faces, smiles, and well wishes. Old friends and new friends. Some highlights of the 8 hour marathon party would be 1. the fabulous food at my families house 2. When my mom was trying to get me to speak Creole, and came up with the word "poo tang."  She stated when I get off the plane in Haiti to yell the "poo tang is here." I almost peed on myself I was laughing so hard. 3. Brookhaven 4. The LB girls 5 My soccer ball 6. The slow dance with Josie to Micheal Jackson's Man in the Mirror. What an incredible night, because the list goes on.

My only fear, (besides being kidnapped), is that I dissapoint you. Those are the what if's that I think about. What if I fail, what if I come back to soon, what if I cant handle it, what if I dont do any good at all.


Thank you again for all the love and support. I am so  blessed.

JZ