For those of you who may not have heard.... On May 22nd, Gerritt (me) had his appendix out... in Haiti.
If you had asked me as we were heading out on this big huge adventure what I feared, I would have told you the ONE thing I was afraid of was having a medical emergency that required surgery in Haiti. Nothing else.. just surgery in Haiti. God really has a sense of humor doesn't He??
So... timeline...
Sunday at 6pm - severe cramping - think I am constipated. at 8 - cramping worse despite intense pushing that is somewhat productive. at 10 - vomit and there is slight blood - now very worried - call
friends here to recommend hospital - call other friends to help us get
there since we have no idea where we are going. Karl and Ann Olsson tell us about Bernard Mevs Hospital, and Chris Nungaster from HIS Home for Children accompanies us along with her Haitian driver James. Late Sunday night - spent
at hospital - crazy stuff going on around us - indications are unclear -
need a CT which opens at 8 Monday am. SO thankful for the rotating teams of volunteer US and Canadian medical professionals who could hear our explanation and respond in English. Around midnight send Chris and James home in our truck - sleep on the
floor of admin reception area which is quiet and has A/C.
Monday -
pain still bad - get CT - vomit after procedure from the contrast. Have
not eaten in almost 24 hours so not very nice. No one to read the CT. Send to
Miami and wait... and wait.... vehicle after vehicle drops off
dreadfully injured or disfigured people. At times Julie and I stare
right at each other b/c there is no where else to look. Call Chris who graciously sends her driver to take us back to our truck. Go home around 2 pm
to crash. Sleep - take lots of ibuprofen - leave for hospital at 5:30
am.
Tuesday - get to hospital - pain worse - presents more and more
like appendicitis - start prepping me for surgery- no food no water no
nothing - 2 bags of IV fluids. We are starting to greet the American volunteer staff like old friends. CT results back from Miami- confirmed. I'm on the O.R.
table at 1 pm. off the table at 3. More on anesthesia later.. By 5pm I am
alert though still numb in areas. I get some pain meds at 7 pm and sleep
in 2-3 hour stints most of the night.
Wednesday I wake and am able
to get to the bathroom myself, walk the hall, and make bad jokes. I
really don't feel the need for pain meds, and I have 3 tasks, drink a
little with no nausea, eat a little with no nausea and either have a
bowel movement or pass gas, which I did both. So at 1pm our dear friend Jeremie (who is an excellent and cautious driver) drops everything to meet us at the hospital and drive us home. And by 2 pm, less than 24 hours post op I am in my own bed
resting relatively comfortably.
It is now more than a week later. My follow up appointment at the hospital Monday was great, Each day I am able to do more with less fatigue, though my appetite is still rather suppressed which is very strange for me. I have intentionally until now omitted Julie's involvement in all these steps since that would make this entry 3 times longer than it already is. She was FANTASTIC. Advocated for me without being pushy - took copious notes - took care of all the details of my care (in Haiti your family/friends provide food/linens/personal care etc at the hospital) It goes without saying I would have been lost without her.
Looking forward to a more mundane post next time! THANK YOU to everyone who prayed, called, sent notes, expressed concern, etc. The outpouring of love and support was humbling and even a bit overwhelming. We have no doubt we are not alone in anything we do or experience down here. You are all in our hearts. - G
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
As Julie posted earlier, we are still taking it day by day. We are on special duty with the girls since the Director is off for at least two weeks undergoing medical treatment in a city about 3 hours drive from here. We anticipate her return around the end of the month.
Here's a random sampling of just the general goings on that we get to be a part of on any given day. One day about a week ago we spent nearly the whole day running back and forth between the Ministry of Immigration complex and the various services around it ( Bank, roadside ID photo booth, photocopy dude etc.) to complete the final paperwork for Julie's Permis de Sejour application. This document is our permanent residency, and kind makes us all official here. It is occasionally frustrating to run into the variability of standards here when dealing with the government. It really doesn't matter if you went online ahead of time and looked up all the paperwork requirements and carefully assembled your package making sure to not miss anything. If the person on the other side of the table wants you to redo your photo you go across the street and redo it. If they say you need an official letter requesting a Permis de Sejour (even though you will fill out a lengthy application to obtain your Permis) you get a letter form someone.
The day before yesterday - Friday (which was a school holiday - Haiti's Flag Day) we had a great morning taking our girls to the Quisqueya Chapel property, and had a great time on the playground swings and running around the open field with bubbles, a frisbee, and a soccer ball. It was great to see the girls have some space to run around. It was also fun to all go out again all together in the big 15-passenger van that was given to us. By that afternoon back at the girls' home things got a little rowdy, there was a food fight during lunch, and the rest of the afternoon was spent disciplining unruly girls with sassy attitudes. You take the good with the bad I suppose.
A normal day - if there is such a thing - consists of getting breakfast out and our house guests off on their days, then taking care of guesthouse responsibilities in the morning. Around 1pm or so walking down to the girls' home as they are returning from school to help manage lunch ( i.e. wash your hands "yes Gerdinia, with soap", and everyone sit down at the table and pray before eating) then helping get homework done. Playing video games on my iPod Touch is a high value motivator for the youngest girls to be the first to finish so they can be the first to play. Each day the girls have about 2 hours of homework to complete. Usually 2 subjects of written work, and 2 subjects of memory work. There is still alot of rote memorization in the Haitian school system.
So that's just a smattering of what we might or might not be happening on any given day. There are also the unannounced drop by visitors (It is culturally totally acceptable to knock at someone's house without warning just because you were in the neighborhood - even if you weren't) the houseguest special requests, and the list of things we'd "like to get to soon" that pop up to keep each day interesting. We still say every day we are 110% glad we are here, and 110% convinced this is exactly where we are supposed to be. That's one thing that keeps us sane when things are hard and we feel like we have no clue.
Another thing that keeps us sane is all the love, support, and encouragement we get from our families, friends, supporters, ministry partners, and co-laborers here. Thank you so much to all of you. We really really appreciate it!
Many blessings from Haiti!
G+J
Here's a random sampling of just the general goings on that we get to be a part of on any given day. One day about a week ago we spent nearly the whole day running back and forth between the Ministry of Immigration complex and the various services around it ( Bank, roadside ID photo booth, photocopy dude etc.) to complete the final paperwork for Julie's Permis de Sejour application. This document is our permanent residency, and kind makes us all official here. It is occasionally frustrating to run into the variability of standards here when dealing with the government. It really doesn't matter if you went online ahead of time and looked up all the paperwork requirements and carefully assembled your package making sure to not miss anything. If the person on the other side of the table wants you to redo your photo you go across the street and redo it. If they say you need an official letter requesting a Permis de Sejour (even though you will fill out a lengthy application to obtain your Permis) you get a letter form someone.
The day before yesterday - Friday (which was a school holiday - Haiti's Flag Day) we had a great morning taking our girls to the Quisqueya Chapel property, and had a great time on the playground swings and running around the open field with bubbles, a frisbee, and a soccer ball. It was great to see the girls have some space to run around. It was also fun to all go out again all together in the big 15-passenger van that was given to us. By that afternoon back at the girls' home things got a little rowdy, there was a food fight during lunch, and the rest of the afternoon was spent disciplining unruly girls with sassy attitudes. You take the good with the bad I suppose.
A normal day - if there is such a thing - consists of getting breakfast out and our house guests off on their days, then taking care of guesthouse responsibilities in the morning. Around 1pm or so walking down to the girls' home as they are returning from school to help manage lunch ( i.e. wash your hands "yes Gerdinia, with soap", and everyone sit down at the table and pray before eating) then helping get homework done. Playing video games on my iPod Touch is a high value motivator for the youngest girls to be the first to finish so they can be the first to play. Each day the girls have about 2 hours of homework to complete. Usually 2 subjects of written work, and 2 subjects of memory work. There is still alot of rote memorization in the Haitian school system.
So that's just a smattering of what we might or might not be happening on any given day. There are also the unannounced drop by visitors (It is culturally totally acceptable to knock at someone's house without warning just because you were in the neighborhood - even if you weren't) the houseguest special requests, and the list of things we'd "like to get to soon" that pop up to keep each day interesting. We still say every day we are 110% glad we are here, and 110% convinced this is exactly where we are supposed to be. That's one thing that keeps us sane when things are hard and we feel like we have no clue.
Another thing that keeps us sane is all the love, support, and encouragement we get from our families, friends, supporters, ministry partners, and co-laborers here. Thank you so much to all of you. We really really appreciate it!
Many blessings from Haiti!
G+J
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Day by day by day by day by daaayyyy
This song popped into my head this afternoon and I was reminded of how God is teaching/growing/challenging us each day to follow/see/listen only to HIM. We are so incredibly grateful for all the prayers and advice that has been shared as we adjust to our new life in Haiti ~ they are being felt and appreciated!! Strides are being made with our 17 girls and it is not b/c of us, but what God is doing in-and-through us and them. Each day is a fresh start to show them God's love (and loving discipline) ~ I'm just starting to understand when dear friends have shared that becoming parents is the toughest job you will ever love. Some sweet moments include when they "get" their homework/studying, card games that don't appear to have rules but we were invited to be a part of it and there's lots of laughter/silliness, or you feel them watching you and you look their way to see a beautiful smile :) We still have many hurdles yet to conquer, but for every tough day there are more-and-more great special moments too.
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