Up, Up, and Away!!

Transport to shore for the land based medical/dental/optical care is now a combo of boat rides and helicopter flights---depending on the wave conditions. I got the helo experience yesterday, when nearly 200 of us, 11 at a time, were flown from shore to the flight deck of the ship. I was seated next to the open door, so it was a thrilling seven minutes!!

Arrival in Dominican Republic

ArrivalAfter a 27 hour cruise to the other side of the island Hispaniola, we awoke Monday morning anchored in the crystal clear, sapphire blue waters off the coast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We spent the next two days disinfecting the unit (the Haitians don’t have very good toilet etiquette!)—and the entire ship’s water system had
to be shut down for 12 hours in order to remove the debris (“many reams of plastic” collected in Haiti) from the condensers. On Wednesday all the staff from our unit went ashore to one of the four land based medical sites set up to triage the surgical patients
onto the ship and serve the medical/dental/optometric needs of the locals. Hundreds lined up---many waited 4-5 hours and had to be turned away and told to come back the next day. Our transport off and on the ship was a bit of a harrowing experience. We boarded the life rafts about 8 stories up and were then lowered to the water by a giant pulley system. The challenge came when we had to leap from the life boat to the hospitality boat that was taking us ashore. By late afternoon on the return trip, the waters were very choppy, which meant timing our “leap” to the 3-4 foot swells that were rocking the two vessels into each other! Fortunately we had strong Seabees hanging on from both sides. I pretty much flew through the air!! The commanders are definitely re-evaluating the whole transport process, as it does pose a bit of a safety issue! Needless to say, all patients will be transported via helicopter. We crank up the work schedule again tomorrow for the next 7 days, as all five ORs will be in full swing through the rest of our stay in the DR (April 30, I think)

Continuing Promise '09 Day Nine in Haiti

We’re going full speed ahead with “Continuing Promise ‘09”. Today 350 pallets of supplies and 1.4 million meals from a number of NGOs were delivered to shore from the USNS Comfort. Meanwhile, back on the ship we are recovering about 30 surgical patients per day. Each is accompanied by an escort, both having to have a chest x-ray to rule out TB before coming aboard. The children are beyond precious, the adults incredibly grateful. My four words of Creole are supplemented by gestures and the teen translators that hang out in the unit. The 10 hour shifts fly by!! Last evening we were treated to Cinema at Sea---saw the movie “Taken” under the stars on the flight deck.

AN EASTER TO REMEMBER

Sunrise service on the flight deck—clear skies, calm azure blue waters, overlooking the coast of Port Au Prince--with an ensemble from the Air
Force band accompanying our singing. Must say it was quite a spiritual experience!! Here’s hoping ya’ll had a wonderful and blessed Easter—I do
miss being with my family on this special day.

FIRST DAY ASHORE April 11,2009

Those of us whose primary work is surgical are assigned certain days to share in the land base medical mission—which means we check the manifest (listing or who goes on what boat to shore) the evening before, arise at 0530 to get ready, collect our MTEs (the military meals to eat!), get sprayed with DEET, and line up to muster (roll call) before boarding the 30’ boats taking us to shore. This military lingo is an experience in itself!! I was assigned to Citi Soleil, one of 3 land bases, where there is primary medical care, screening for surgical candidates, dental, and optical care. I mostly triaged patients to the proper areas and providers (think we had 7 docs and 2 APNs) with over 500 patients seen. The logistics of this endeavor is mind boggling!! But the people are sooo appreciative---quite heart warming, to say the least!! Although they had tents and fans set up for us, it was pretty hot (heat index at 104!)—but I was more then cooled off on the return trip. There were lots of white caps and huge waves flew over (and INTO) the boat, totally drenching all of us! I looked as if I had water skied back!!

HAITI AT LAST! April 9, 2009

After 3 days on the “high seas” (spent in orientation and setting up the unit), we awoke to see the shore of Port Au Prince, Haiti. The Comfort is anchored about four miles off shore, for security reasons, as well as having the capability to desaliniaze the 200,000 gallons that are needed each day. From here the port looks beautiful—small white structures fading into azure waters against a backdrop of small mountains. But as we look down, we see bits of trash and garbage floating against the ship---a grim reminder that the scene ashore is not so idyllic!

ADVENTURE BEGINS April 5, 2009

After connecting at the Miami airport with others Project HOPE volunteers from across the country, we were transported to our new “home, the USNS Comfort. , This ship is humungous---at least a block long, 10 decks high; 12 ORs (we’ll be using 5); and quarters for 1000 crew! Navigating the maze from the galley to my work space to my berth is my challenge for the first week!! Our humanitarian mission is a joint effort between the military and several NGOs to provide medical care and hope to severely impoverished nations, as well as improving the image of the US on the world front.