Heading Home

Have I told you about M'Boss? Have I told you about Madame Vern?

I just cannot say enough about how much I think of Janet + Vern. They are an amazing couple.

Vern has been here for 3 mos. He does not really get a day off apart from the occasional beach day or trip to the falls. Those things only happen every other week, if at all, and he still has to be the one to set that up. He rolls with everything. He does not seem to get flustered. He is very good at stepping back, making a plan, and coping or adjusting.

Like many practitioners his skills and talents are deep and many...but his seem more so. Put me on an island, and tell me I get 5 people; I might need a Vern.

It may be possible that Vern has an even more diverse/ eclectic music library than I do...but that is probably because he is just a little older than me. I aspire to his level.

He loves golf, red wine, his wife Janet and their daughters Jessica and Anya. He can put running water into your tent, kay, house or adobe and over-haul a wheelhorse tractor blind folded.

I can only imagine how this rotation of practitioners was better for Janet being here. You never really know some people until you know their better half too.

Shortly, after we arrived in Haiti, I was working in the clinic and talking with Jo'el. Jo'el's chat went like this....pretend a Haitian-Jamaican is talking in almost English.

M'Boss, oh, M'Boss is sooo hapi. Yes, I think so. And I am so hapi for m'boss. Mrs. Vern is here. That is so good. Yea man.. He is a veddy, veddy good man...yeah man....cksk...I think maybe, m'boss Vern for whole life...I think so, yeah man....

Janet went to the hospital many, many days, helping to care for the cholera patients and others too. Sometimes she was well received by the Haitians. Sometimes she was not. Still, her report back to us each day gave us a perspective on the clinic and the hospital that I think would have been different had she not been here. Believe me, she put in some long days.

I told Dennis before I left that I am fortunate; my life is filled with shining examples of the kind of people I want to be. I keep hoping it'll rub off, cause I just found two more in Janet and Vern.

We didn't watch the movies that Janet was hoping to, mostly because we kept visiting and chatting with each other as well as other volunteers and hospital staff. We went through a lot of Prestige and a couple bottles of rum.

One of the last nights, Jimmy, the facilities engineer for the hospital stopped in. We chatted for A LONG time. He's from Pittsburgh and has been here 4 years. Every day @ 6am and 6pm, the power to the entire compund shuts off for a minute or two, as one generator shuts down and the other starts up. Jimmy has a small heart attack every day during the shut down, praying the switch over will go smoothly. I don't have a picture of Jimmy, but picture Santa Claus with a slightly shorter beard, longer hair...still red, not white yet, round belly, but not yet fat...in hiking boots and cargo shorts, bottle of Prestige in hand...that's Jimmy.

Having Janet and Vern made me miss my family more and less, all at the same time. We were constantly sharing family stories, challenges and triumphs.

Haiti has been a great experience. Vern, Janet and I were talking about what we are going to tell people about the trip. We all sort of agreed that it might not be much. You can't sum up this kind of thing in response to the question, "Hey, how was your trip?". Still, the blog gave me a vehicle to try to share as I went. I hope you enjoyed it, for now you already know how my trip went.

Haiti is home to many good happy people. People that want the best for theirs. I am heading home now so we can continue to take care of ours.

Thank you, everyone that sent emails or comments. I loved every single one. They helped me feel not quite so far away.

Thank you Vern, Janet, Brendan, my family, Hanger P&O,Inc. and the Hanger Ivan R Sabel foundation for helping me to do this.

Love you all,
Chov Blanc

P.S. If I get to post any other pictures, I will do it here. So, there may be another post. I am waiting for permission. If not, au voir.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&client=mv-google&hl=en&rl=yes&v=wAXYn_hYj2A
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Day 14

Haiti by the numbers.
20 - meals that contained Cabrite
19 - cockroaches currently in the sticky trap near the stove.
18 - times Jo'el says,"yeah man" by noon, on an average day.
17 - times Tcho says "I" inside of 5 sentences
16 - meals that contained noodles
15 - Days since I have seen my family
14 - Great days getting to know a little bit about Haiti
13 - Free range goats I passed on my way...300 meters...to the clinic yesterday morning. The babies are so cute.
12 - Noon, water comes on. Fill up a Boket(Creole for bucket) will ya!!
11 - People on our tap-tap this AM
10 - $ the rate for a non-swindled manicure in Deschapelles, Haiti
9 - The value of 1 US dollar to the Haitian Dollar...which doesn't exist.
8 - Banana and Plantain fritters that I ate the other day. Madame Bebe is A-Okay.
7 - speed bumps on the main road from Port au Prince to Deschapelles. The Creole translation for the things is "police man lying down". You better know where they are so you can slow down. You see then on long straight aways and as you approach various villages. It is a big surprise when you slow down from 80 abruptly to 0, and you don't see a Cabrite in the way.
6 - animals that live at Kay Hanger, Van Goat, 2 cats, 3 roosters. Though I haven't seen one of the cats since Tcho was here last.
5 - people on one Moto. Motorcycle in Creole. Amazing
4 - AM. The time Janet and I are catching a ride to Port au Prince, to fly home.
3 - hour ride to Port of Prince, or Cold showers needed on certain days.
2 - Cuban cigars, thanks M'Boss
1 - Chat
X plus 1 more - number of people that fit on a Tap-tap.

Today was a great capper to the trip. Vern was able to secure our favorite tap-tap drive, Tim Timly for a trip to St. Marks.

Yes, a tap-tap is simply a truck, or very often, what Paul Martin may see as a rescued Hi-Cube. Interestingly, Tap-tap is a blanc term I am told. There is no Creole translation. I don't remember the Creole word, but Yvener said it means back of a truck.

The Haitians refer to many things by the name of the most common brand that comes in from the US. Batteries are Ray-o-vacs. Cooking plates are Pyrex. The techs refer to their plaster knife as the General. General tool is on it. I haven't asked them, but I am certain that the box cutters name is Stanley.

Jill had some nurses that came in from Mass General Hosp, including her sister. They came to St. Marks helping to reduce the amount of the Tap-tap.

Dad, Matt + Brian, I actually did the walk around to verify the each wheel was missing no more than 2 lug nuts.

Quite a neat experience riding the tap-tap. On the way out the "corridor". ( This is the rocky dirt road that connects the hospital compound to the main road.). I glance back to see Madame Bebe standing in the back of a tap-tap, so I shout..MADAME BEBE! COM OU YE!!!!!!!

We didn't go to the beach, just had good lunch and walked around a bit. I bought in to a bike shop. You'll see us expanding into the states soon.

Vern and Jill needed some groceries from the Deli-mart. It is an Americans store. Above it is the fast food place where we ate lunch. As well as the IT school where Yvener would like to go.

Yvener met us for lunch and showed us the school, then road back home with us.

We're quite a spectacle...11 blancs in a tap-tap riding across Haiti. We're like the punch buggies of Haiti. 1st want to spot and yell out blanc, wins.

Coming home Vern and I visited Tcho's house. It's a pretty cool place. I took pictures on my real camera, so I can't post those yet. He wasn't quite done with something he was painting for me, so we returned home and he came by after dinner to deliver.

Suzanne, super PT also came by to say good bye. She and I are going to try to skype our classes together. She is one nutty yet cool PT.

I am a little worried about leaving Vern. More than once, walking around with him, he would head in the wrong direction. I'd just stop and ask where he was going.

So, it's been a great couple weeks. Hopefully I gave as much as I got.

It is 5 am now. We are winding our way over the switch backs and climbs over the mountains. The sky is just beginning to lighten, so you can see misty clouds in the valley. All along the roads are people in nice clothes, walking to church. It is still dark. The sky starts as orange at the mountain crests and fads to off white and then to deeper blue as you look up while the sun is still not up.

Vern said he may go to church today with Tcho.

We have stopped for many goats, a horse a donkey, some dogs and on and on.

I am ready to go home. I miss my family.

Okay, the road requires 2 hands at the moment. I'll write more in a bit.

Chov Blanc
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Day 13

Today is really my last day with the Klinik. The morning was another great opportunity to bring these techs along on patient follow up. A van showed up, from an orphanage with some great customers. Vern said that Jill, our case manager, knew they were coming...still for me it was a welcome surprise.

Kids are so fun to work with. They only want to play slightly more than I do. It was good for technicians to see these patients with Vern and I, as many kid patients are the result of birth defects, and thus not your standard below the knee(BK) or above the knee (AK) amputation. The problems are different and unique.

Suzanne and I brought a group of them up to the tennis court again. Charite returned to get some more PT. Alix Paul,the tech also joined us. He seemed pretty excited to see some of the dynamic things that Suzanne was trying to get the kids to do.

I would love to post pictures, but we are not supposed to do that. I can send them out to specific people. I am thinking, that if you left comments on the blog, then maybe you could receive pictures. What do you think?

The afternoon was time to catch up on fabrication with the boys, making sure that Verb is all set to go on Monday.

The klinik crew is above starting with the blanc is Vern, Yvener, Jo'el, Tcho, Rony, Chov Blanc, Cira, Rosline, Paul, Myriame.

Jill is not in the group photo. She is an RN from Boston. She has been down here since May and serves as our case manager.

I need to find pics of Claire and Suzanne too. My 2 weeks here would not be complete without them and Luke.

Till tomorrow.
Bon nuit
Chov Blanc
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Day 12

Ha!! Where am I?
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Day 11

This is Yvener and Charite. Both men are victims of the earth quake.

Charite lost his leg and his home. Upon losing his leg, his wife and kids left him. He says that his wife no longer thought of him as a whole man, without his leg, and left him. She thought there would be no way he could provide for a family.

Charite has been homeless ever since. Today, Charite made leaps and bounds in his progress. For a while he has been plagued by limb issues. But today was like a new day. Suzanne, Yvener and I worked with him for quite a while. You can see from the pic, that we brought him up to the tennis court. Here we did more dynamic stuff.

It is funny that we use the tennis court, because to get there you have to walk about 100meters up a rocky dirt road. Haiti is one huge, rocky dirt road. It is not a tennis court. Still he marched around and we would bark orders at him, so he could test and trust his leg. "Speed up, slow down, speed up again". "Turn, climb over the net"
Suzanne grabbed his hands so he could mimic her movements...grapevine left, grapevine right, forward and back.

Yvener was really excited. We took a picture of Charite to send to Mrs. Mellon. Yvener said that she is the one who found Charite and brought him to the hospital., that she would be really excited to see how well he is doing.

Yvener is not 18 like I guessed the other day. He is 20. He lost both parents and a sister in the earth quake.

Last night Yvener came by the house after work, to visit. Vern had said that he wanted to share some red wine with his boss. Yvener is a great kid. He really cares for the people in the clinic and the patients that come there. As we shared a few drinks, we talked about Yveners family.

Yvener is from Port au Prince. Before the earth quake he had his parents, 2 sisters and a brother. They lived in what Yvener describes as a middle class apartment, on the 3rd floor, over a store. His father coordinated drivers/ chauffeurs for the airport, working very long days and weekends. His mother was a seamstress. The sister that died was in medical school, at the time.

When the earth quake struck, Yvener was outside, sitting on the stoop with friends, hanging out after school. He remembers clearly running toward the street and looking back at the building he lived in. He could see it literally falling down, as the ground gave way behind it. He said there was dust everywhere, nearly blinding for a little while.

After the earth quake, buses would come through the area, Yvener said, to take people to hospitals in out lying communities. For five days he did not get on one, because he was uninjured, and all around him were hurt people.

Yvener remembers crawling through he rubble, searching for his family. Around day 2 or 3 he found his sisters leg. He knew it was hers because of how she liked her nails done(pedicure). He said he stay there for a long time, just hugging her leg.

Yvener was closest to this sister. He is the youngest. She was the oldest.

"I didn't eat for 5 days. I was so skinny. When I finally get on a bus and I cannot even stand. I just fall on the floor and they poor some water on me."

Before we knew what had happened, it was 7pm. Madame Bebe had already left. Dinner was nearly cold on the table. Janet offered for Yvener to stay and share with us, and he did.

Today, Yvener lives in Virete, a neighboring town to Deschapelles. He stays with friends there. He is nearly estranged from his living sister and brother, as he says he never really felt close with them. They never really talked to him, they said.

As we talked, I kept looking for hints of emotion from Yvener. He wasn't flat. But he wasn't emotional. He says he is ok with everything. He also says that he drinks a lot of beer in coping.

Since June, Yvener has worked as an interpreter for the clinic. His English is very good. In the coming year, he is hoping to go to school for IT.

Yvener, like many of the people in the clinic are good, honest Haitians. I knew they were here, somewhere. They don't ask us for handouts or money. What they need is our help and guidance so that they can learn to care better for themselves.

Bon nuit

P.S. Yvener says I spell it wrong...it is Chov Blanc...not Chev

Chov blanc
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Day 11

Bonjour

I don't know if I should call this the best day in Haiti. Part of you says there should be no such thing. But if there could be one, this might be it.

It's Wednesday, which means a journey to the orphanage in Port au Prince, again. We were joined by Yvener as our interpreter, Vern, Suzanne RPT-Ph D and Claire RPT.

Fore the long to trip to the city, I sat in the back with Yvener. Yvener lost both his parents in the earth quake. I believe he now lives with a relative in the town of Verette, just outside Deschapelles. I forget how old he is, but I'd ball park it @ 18. He speaks English really well. He's a great guy.

We leave @ 7AM. As we travel out, we see many, many kids heading to school. Here in Haiti, most schools are private. The kids are all dressed in their finely pressed uniforms. Passing some kids in Mirabeles, I hear some them shouting as we pass..."Hey blancs...oooo chev blanc!!!". I chuckled....Yvener says,"you hear them?!". He was surprised. I said, yeah, I kinda like it.

Our driver for the orphanage trips is has been Jafar...like the genie . He's a fairly large guy, a little darker than most Haitians and kinda hairy. I said to Yvener, he's so quiet and stoic up there. He appears unflappable. It's like he's a big body guard that you don't want to mess with. He really just doesn't speak English so well, so this is the effect.

The orphanage brought a few castings. All of them were AKs as a result of the earth quake. One of which is a guy that plays for the Tarantulas, and amputee soccer team in Port au Prince. Turns out, Suzanne knows his coach. There were gabbing like long lost friends, though they had just met, as I was casting him.

While we were at the orphanage, Vern got a call from Jill RN, our case manager at the clinic. She said a new patient showed up at the clinic. We left no clinicians there. Vern asks if he's a BK or AK...answer was BK. He moves the phone from his mouth to tell me what's up. I said, suggested to put Cira and Paul on it. Together, they'll know what to do. Vern and I had the AK casting brims, and it is better to start with BKs anyway, but talk about a perfect situation. This is what we all needed.

We finished early and Suzanne suggested we go to the U.N. For lunch. Apparently, they have an outdoor, roof top grill. This place was unreal. It was a global melting pot cafeteria...on a roof, under a tent. I had a cheeseburger, fries and a coke, while Haitians, Canadians, French, Germans, Swiss, and a few other blancs gabbed around us. Unreal.

As we prepared to return home, I asked to ride shot gun. I needed to get the front seat view of the spectacle that is driving a car in Haiti. Whoa...the van's a stick!! I hadn't even noticed. Twice, I said, Jafar, let me drive!! Twice, he threw me the keys. Twice, I assumed he was just kidding and just passed them back. Still, I wonder.

Don't mistake me. I know what this Haitian driving is. It is fast, slow, then fast again and tight. People and animals of all shapes and size are in danger. The road belongs to the biggest, ballsiest vehicle. That's the rules. Yvener says, in Haiti it is known that if you hit a person, you simply keep driving. If you stop, you will be beaten and probably killed.
We stopped for a minute in PoP to get some essentials, toilet paper...still haven't used a volume even close to the last group.... Rum for Claire's boyfriend, coffee and some Toro (Haitian Redbull).

On the way home, I chatted with Jafar in broken creolish. He'll be driving almost 12 hrs by the days end. I offered him half my Toro...he said he already had one today, and that's his limit. ;)

The ride home brought one and only one casualty...poor little rooster. Maybe I will sleep better.

Upon arriving back at the clinic, Cira and Paul were pretty excited about their 1st solo patient casting. They were like excited kids. The cast was already filled and modified, laying out with the measurement card, so Vern and I could check. It looked supreme. Though I haven't seen the patient, I'd bet money on the fit. I am sad I won't be here to see those boys fit that leg. I am proud of them.

Dinner was some cabrite, and rice with peas and lentils. Madame Bebe and I played our usual game of her trying to take my beer, when I ain't even done yet...and I get very angry...MADAME BEBE!!! Fa fanne!!! I'll bite that hand if you get it too close. Chomp!!!! Though...deep down...she really misses her piti piti bebe...Brian H.

After dinner, Vern announced that he made a few special purchases at the market, some red wine for he and Janet, and a couple Cuban cohibas for me and him.

After a great call to my family...anyone remember how to factor a number?...kids, math homework... Vern, Janet and I sat on the front porch and enjoyed the drinks and cigars. Suzanne and Claire came over for a bit, to say goodbye. Claire returns home to Scotland tomorrow.

The night was so clear. We turned out the porch light, and with no light pollution from typical American cities, the stars were so impressively bright.

Cheers
Bon nuit
Chev Blanc
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Day 10

Fellow Hanger-haiti volunteers...can you imagine Tcho and Jo'el as Saturday night live characters? I so can.

Happy Birthday, Janet.

I felt like I finally slept last night. Most nights have been pretty restless. It is so humid, you just feel sticky all the time. I have not even had an inkling to sleep in. I wake each morning @ about 5am and I am done, just tossing about till the water comes on.

The cold trickle of a shower seemed old today. Someone could spit in me and get me wetter. Still, it is enough to get clean.

When the shower is done, it is helpful while there to cycle the hand pump to ensure the toilet tank is full. 20 pumps gets a pretty full tank, though 14 is really sufficient. Then you need to empty the small buckets into the big, place the small bucket under the trickle to fill until the water is shut off.

There were a couple times last week when the water did not come on at noon or 6pm. Apparently, a couple pumps broke and the huge water tank was down to 20% capacity. The cholera had really increased the demand.

Breakfast was cereal and warm powdered milk. The only cereal here is corn flakes. Though, Vern has a stash of homemade granola, which is a welcome topper.

Madame Bebe brought out the sugar bowl as we began to eat, and without missing a beat Vern and I exclaimed in unison, "you think she de-anted the bowl?".

No, I haven't had the sugar since I realized a family was living there.

The clinic was great, today. We started with a little class on fit, alignment + trouble shooting. The boys are still like sponges. Upon announcing that we were ready to start, Alex Paul raced to get is notebook and be the 1st seated and waiting for school to begin. It was pretty funny. He and Cira speak the least English, but it is not hard to see that they are picking up the most. I am so glad when you can see when they get a concept.

The Israelis came in 2 van shifts, today. The 1st came around 11am. True to our plan, Vern and I had a tech with us for each patient casting, fitting or adjustment. We thought we were going to be working late, but utilizing the techs as assistants, really helped us be more efficient. Tcho, Paul and Cira seemed to really enjoy working with the patients. Paul and Cira really shined. You didn't need to know Creole to know that they were communicating well with the patients about what problem was, and how we were going to fix it.

For many, bedside manner is the kind of thing that can't be taught. You can tell people to communicate and have compassion...but it really just needs to be in you.

It just made for a great afternoon.

Dinner was Madame Bebe's famous hot dogs and spaghetti...thing...of course with a little shaved cabrite(goat) sausage. There is some American pasta noodles served almost everyday. Cabrite also seems to find it's way into at least one meal a day.

Noodles. I do love noodles.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLMUsXnHdGbA&v=LMUsXnHdGbA&gl=US

After the noodles we enjoyed a little birthday celebration for Janet, with a little Prestige + Rum-Cokes with a few of the hospital volunteers...RN's, PT's, and some others....but the capper of the evening happened just at the end of dinner.

A pleasant, Haitian lady appeared at the door. She had her manicure tools with her....Janet, then stated that she must have agreed to a manicure from this lady without knowing. She is a nurse in the hospital. Her name was Marjorie.

The manicure standard rate is 10$. Marjorie spoke a little English; was very charming. I offered to pay for the manicure as a present to Janet.
She seemed to understand.

Unbeknownst to me, while I was in the bathroom, she asked Vern to the kitchen and told him she needed more money. I came out of the bathroom, and people began to arrive for the party. Before she left she gestured to me that she was done and ready to go. You can imagine a semi-crowded room, everyone talking. Vern sits down next to me and says something to effect of, "I took care of her". I didn't catch it at first..but as we continued to talk to Marjorie...it started to settle in. I was just amazed at the gall!! I shouldn't be at this point. As she left, I followed her out, and nicely asked for the correct change back.... "Oh, I thought that was a tip." She said.

To then go back in and put everyone's stories together, made for quite an exciting evening.

The pics above are ...little Cabrite, Madame Bebe + Chev Blanc, and Janet + Marjorie.

Bon nuit.
Chev Blanc
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Day 9

Sing it with me..."Cat, hat, in French chat chapeau. In Spanish El Gato wears a sombrero...." But seriously, the weirdest thing is watching an alopecian cough up a hairball. Eeeh, eehh, eh

My man Tcho, came through this AM. The boys and I shared a little kitty treat. I wouldn't say that it tastes like chicken, but it is a sweet meat. He spiced it up, and I tell you what, it was goud...he purred. Yup...I said Goud.

Today was training day 2 for the techs in the clinic. Day 1 last Friday covered below the knee prosth. Anatomical landmarks,
Measurement and casting for a BK. PTB. We had a patient model, each tech could practice palpating and. identifying the areas on an actual patient.

Today we modified that BK, then moved to AK. We had a decent patient model for this as well. Instructed on fitting and use of the Berkly Brims, covered the related anatomical landmarks, casted and measured.

At different times throughout the day, all 4 techs commented on how much they appreciated what we were doing. I tell you they are like 2 year old kids... I don't understand what they say, and they learn at an astounding rate. Their questions are outstanding. Alex Paul's notes are exceptionally detailed. Tcho's re-drawing of my anatomical drawings, could go in a text book.

Yvener was really getting warn out, translating all my ramblings, but we kept some good tunes playing and it was a great day.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&client=mv-google&hl=en&v=9amXoVDT7i8&fulldescription=1

Tomorrow we are going to begin to cover some problem solving, as it relates to fit. Are issues related to socket, alignment, patient, and so on. The Israelis are coming in the afternoon again, tomorrow. They are bringing quite a few patients. Vern and I have agreed to keep one of the techs with us for each patient encounter, so they can see and understand the process, as well as do the work.

Janet, turns 54 tomorrow. Many of the people in the clinic have asked how Vern scored such a young wife. He's 55...but I think the white-grey hair isn't helping his case.

Reports from Janet are that the number of cholera cases in the hospital appears to finally be going down.

In the words of Ian Rawson, that's the berries!

Bon nuit
Chev Blanc
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Day 8

Beach day.... :). Today is usually the day that fellow clinicians have gone to the beach as a day off. Well, for various reasons that did not happen today.

For starters, one of our PT's, Claire, fell ill. Suzanne, another PT did not want to leave Claire. Add to that the fact that in going to the beach we'd be passing through St. Mark's, the place where the cholera outbreak started, and it was an easy decision to make.

Brendan left @ 4:30am today. He will be missed. Vern + I saw him off. We have heard since, he is home, safe and sound. We were a little worried about him being help up for screenings for the cholera in Port au Prince or even Miami.

Vern made almond and banana pancakes today. Dericious. That's right, I said dericious!!!

Shortly after breakfast Ian, the hospital administrator called asking what our plans were for the day. He wanted help prepping drinking water for the cholera patients. We had no plans. All in favor....2 votes, Aye!

No sooner did we get off the phone and Tcho shows up at our door with his daughter. Both were dressed and pressed, his daughter looking cute as a button. They came to see if we wanted to go to church with them. If it weren't going to be a 2+ hour service, I would have loved to have gone.

Vern, Janet and I headed off to the hospital around 8:30am. Janet has been such a saint, putting in long days in such a hot, dank, crowded, sad place.

The place was over-run. The cholera has really effected everything in the area. Patients were at every turn, in the halls, on benches, sitting in chairs, beds that were old, steel and too short for an average human, it seemed. Every ward was over-full. This is a hospital that would not exist in the U.S. It is old and dirty...yet it is one of the cleanest and best of it's kind in the area.

Once there, Ian cornered Vern and I and said he wanted us to prepare water, but he had another job 1st. Ian + I had just met the other day, but somehow he knew the job I needed to have. He brought Vern and I over to 3, what I would call "classic", gurnies. Two, were all mine, pictured above. The tires were off the rims of a couple wheels (tubeless Scott) one needed the canvas restrung and one needed a brake adjustment. You know why this was my job. ;). Still, these were unlike any tire changes I had ever done. For one, my tire lever was a swiss army knife. Two, these tires were old and cracked. Erik Katz, I needed those tree trunks you call forearms. By the time I was done mounting the 2 tires on the rims, I needed to rest...my fingers were numb.

Fellow racers, I did not time this flat repair as I was the only one in the race...winner!!

Vern took the larger, heavier duty gurney that had a large wheel that was ready to fall off. This guy is like McGuyver. I even heard him ask for duct tape...along with some wire. When he was through, you could not tell there had been anything wrong with the bed.
The rest of the day was spent setting up cots in what was the out patient area, to handle all of the cholera patients, as well as manning the hydration stations that were set up in the various hospital areas.

Cholera runs it's course in about 3 days, but people usually need IV fluids and then oral. Vern and I mixed 5 gallon batches of a kind of gatorade-pedialyte mix thing, (tasted like sea water) to load the hydration stations. The stations were set up so patients and family members can maintain hydration.

The hospital system in Haiti is different than the US (no kidding)...you can get medical care, but food and self care, like hygiene is provided by family members.

Before we left for the day, we helped a crew set up a large tent, that will serve as the new as the out patient area, until the cholera patients start to wind down.

Haiti is such a broken country. Over dinner each night we find ourselves debating what is really going on here. It is so close to the US that relief is easy to get. They almost seem to expect it. They appear not to care for each others well being. They beg for everything. White people have always come and helped them out. What else would happen. These are just some ideas that get passed.

Very sad.

I hear that my boy Ben scored a goal today. Man, I am sad to have missed that. We usually let him pick dinner if he scores...this typically is win-win situation for him and me. I really just miss watching those kids run.

Bon nuit,
Chev Blanc


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Day 7

Everyone says, you need to take the sunrise hike, at least once while in Haiti. The hike is up to the top of a hill/mountain. I don't know if there is a name for the hill, but it overlooks the Artibonite river valley.

Today was our morning. Some PTs and RNs came to our door for 5am. And we began walking...The walk started, simply trudging up a dark main street here in the village. Mind you, the streets here are dirt, rocky, loose, slippery and footing is uneasy. As we trudged we were joined by streams of people making their daily journey, buckets and pots on their heads, kids in tow, up to the well/ spout where the town's water flows...at the same intervals as at our house.

As we passed the well, much of the crowd diminished to stay by the well. Our path was narrowing to a single track, but oddly we still had 6-8 Haitian children with us. It was kind of surreal. I didn't know what to make of it. It felt kind of like Rocky Balboa climbing the steps in Philly, or ET leading a band of kids through the air on bikes. They wanted to touch us, hold our arms and hands. Within 2 minutes I found myself holding the hands of 2 Haitian girls. They pushed and pulled on me as we worked our way up the rocky hill. The kids spoke Kreole to us but also repeatedly asked our names, in English...probably the only words they knew in English. For some people, they gestured at watches and cell phones. It was hard to tell if they were begging for them like money, or just wanting to play.
These kids had either no shoes on or simple flip-flops or thongs. At least 6 times, I saved the girl on my left hand from slipping and falling.

Still, they journeyed with us to the top. At the top there were no trees, just some tall grasses and rock formations. 2 older women were already up there, sitting on an east facing bluff, praying and singing.

The sunrise was great. The kids love getting their pictures taken.
The people in the big group photo, going from Left to Right are Deb, APRN from Philly, Me, next row, Shawn, RPT from Canada, Janet APRN + wife of Ma-boss Vern, Brendan for Ocala, FL. Claire, RPT from South Afrikan but lives in Scotland and Suzanne, Ph D-RPT from Minnesota. Teaches @ St. Kitt

Vern's wife Janet, spent the whole day at the hospital, again. Starting IV's, changing bed pans and keeping people drinking. She and another RN, Jill from Boston, have been real troopers. I haven't seen it yet, but I understand the hospital is not a fun place to be.

The cholera continues to be a problem, but it does not seem to have gotten much worse. The good thing is that it is very treatable if caught. The patients usually die of dehydration, so they just need to drink and replace electrolytes.

My buddy, Brendan, leaves tonight @ 4:30am. We went down so he could sign the wall in the clinic, tonight. I know he hates to leave, but I also feel quite certain that he will be back.

Parl de men
Chev Blanc
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Day 6

Well, today was certainly an interesting day. As many of you have heard, there has been an outbreak of cholera in the area. You can look it up, if you want to know what it is.
It seems to have started in St.Mark's, which is about 45min from here. There have been between 130-160 reported deaths. The hospital here, HAS is full. Vern's wife Janet has been like mother Theresa, helping to start IVs and keeping patients hydrated.
I haven't been to the physical hospital here. I hear it isn't a pretty sight. They are fortunate that Janet is here.

As of now, no people from DesChapelles have been effected. The hospital compound has it's own water supply, and I am surrounded by medical professionals. The patients in the hospital have been brought in from the outside.

As a result of the outbreak, patient transport to our clinic has significantly decreased. Today we did a few follow ups and discharges, but that was all.

Brendan has opted to go home early, as patient transport to the clinic next week is expected to be significantly effected. His steadfast assistance will be missed.

To make use of the time today, at Vern's suggestion, we enrolled the 1st class of the Haitian extension of Newington Certificate Program....we taught class. Relief work is supposed to be about creating a system that works towards self-sustaining. Rotations of clinician's from the states shouldn't continue indefinitely.

With the assistance of our 2 Haitian translators, Ronny and Yvener, we taught class to the techs. They are a sharp bunch, and I dare say that they know the BK limb as well as most of my other students. Their questions and demonstration of understanding, we're outstanding. Can you name the 6 primary regions of plaster removal for a BK socket? They can. Can you tell me which modifications work together? They can. Can you find them on yourself as well as the person sitting next to you? They can.

We are also fortunate to have with us another super PT, Suzanne, from Minnesota. She has her PhD and has instructed in gait quite often.

If the cholera issue continues to be a problem for us getting patients, then Vern, Suzanne and I will use the time to further train the techs here.

Never before has there been an actual down time like this. The techs haven't been able to simply step aside as a group to learn something. In a way I think it could be a very good thing.

Thanks for everyone's concern with emails and phone calls. We really are fine.

Chov...I can't give you guys everything. You got to work for it. Haiti speaks Creole. They spell it Kreole. It is close to french. Oui?

Za mi mwen
Chov Blanc
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Day 5

This picture is, from left to right, Tcho, Chov Blanc, and Jo'el.

Tcho and Jo'el are techs in the clinic. Awesome guys.

A number of you have asked about the conditions/ living situations here. Let me expound...

Kay Hanger is what I would call a Florida style home. 3 bedrooms with a central living/dining room, 2 full bathrooms and a kitchen. The house used to belong to the director of the hospital. There are a few pictures on some of the links in the blog.

About 75% of the homes at HAS have running water. Water runs from 6am to 6:30am, noon to 12:30pm and 6pm-6-30pm. There are no water heaters, unless you count the sun, and our proximity to the equator. Showers are a cold trickle. Due to the running water schedule, bathrooms and kitchens are usually stocked with buckets to stow water for flushing toilets, washing clothes (by hand), cooking, washing dishes and drinking. The water is not readily drinkable. It must run through a ceramic filter that is used here....special buckets. ;). The shower area is pretty European, with a shallow tile step down, or low wall that separates the shower area from the rest of the bathroom. Still, you are crowded by buckets...for toiletting.

Killer T...there are doors, but some are just better left shut

The house is cinder block and stone with a tin roof. Middle class here is cinder block or stone, not necessarily running water. Poor is wood + sticks with some other natural material for roofing, leaves, wood. Many homes are 1 room. Cooking is fairly common outside, rather than in. The Haitians spend a lot of time out of doors. Hot is hot.

Most homes make decent use of their land, if they can...goats, chickens, banana trees, mangos, corn, avocados....etc.

The food, like the clothing and culture is a mix of traditional Haitian to consistent American relief of a politically broken country. Papayas, mangos, avocados, bananas, corn, plantains, and passion fruit make up a good part of the diet. Add to that goat, chicken and pig, then rice and American relief pasta.

There is a lot of pasta being eaten here. We have also had a lot of goat (cabrite). Tcho has offered me cat,...I'll let you know ;)....he has a good story of how the "chat" is caught.

Goats and chickens ( roosters included Kathy). Seem to have free roam around here. Though I have been told they each belong to someone.....? They are both, all over the place. Then, suddenly there is one less...mmmm....lunch. Madame Bebe, our cook and house keeper uses a spicy type of goat sausage....in a bit too many dishes. I taste it all night...still there in the AM.

Last night, some non-stewed rooster was confused about the time a crowed for a while around midnight. Good times. He'll be lunch, tomorrow for sure.

Mansfield Center for N+R...no barefoot races yet...but there is still time. And yes, I have heard Blanc (or blan) many times.

They have given me a new name. Want to hear it? Just walk to the market with me, and listen carefully to the onlookers.

Till tomorrow

Chev Blanc
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Day 4

Ahhh, so much to say. Let me try a 3 or more-fer.
Today, Vern + I, along with super PT Luke, traveled to New Life Orphanage in Port au Prince. It is an actual orphanage that houses about 130 children. For the most part, the kids in the orphanage are not our patients. Our Hanger Clinic uses the church at the orphanage to see patients from Port au Prince, saving them the 2.5 hr trip to DesChappelles. We did a few casts and adjustments.
Attached is a pic of the sign @ the gate, the church where we do the work, and the huge mango tree that serves as the waiting room for the patients.

The remarkable thing about today, is that it brought us back to the heart of Port au Prince. The destruction and state of things there is just incredible. As my friend Todd reminded me, in my original description of the city, I failed to mention the stench that the city brews. It's pungent.

The way of life in Haiti is such departure from what many people outside of Haiti have come to expect as clean, safe and normal. Still, as Vern's wife Janet has posed, it does not mean they are not happy. On the contrary, they seem pretty happy.

While Vern and I worked in Port au Prince, Brendan manned the Hanger Clinic, supporting the patients there with follow up as they received their therapy. Next week Brendan will go to the city, I will stay at the clinic.

About half of the amputees we care for out of the Hanger Clinic are victims of the earth quake. The others are the result of car accidents and disease. As a general population, they are younger and more capable than our typical American amputee. As my friend Brian had said last week, the things these patients are able to do with what are really pretty simple prostheses...are just incredible. It does make you reconsider the approach you take with patients back home.

The ride into and out of the city was fun for the crew, as I was really trying to catch a good pic of a bike shop. I got one, but it's not good enough to post. It is just hard when go are thrusting from 0 to 80 and back again. At one point I asked if the street we were on was a one way street....nope..it was an every way street. No rules.

To the fun. I am wrestling with the bike thing. One of the techs in the clinic used to have a shop... His name is Paul... ;). His wife is pregnant with their 1st child. He might help me get a bike. I can at least ride his, he says. We'll see.

Tcho, keeps asking me to play tennis before dinner. I know,...strange there is this tennis court right outside our door. Kids and young adults are constantly playing.

Still, waiting for a beer review???? The local fare is Prestige. It is billed as a lager, though I really have a hard time believing that the Haitian's could really brew and lager a lager. I suspect, and it tastes like a "Steam" beer,...(Lager brewed and aged at normal...or Haitian temp) Still,...it is quite tasty. I give it a 8 outa 10. Somebody, tell Tommy Harrigan, I finally found a steam beer to match up to his. I just might need to try to clone this at home.

Till tomorrow, Cheers!
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Day 3

Addressing a couple recent comments, a Crit is a bike race, typically run on a circuit course, run multiple laps for 45 - 60 min. The area here at the compound could lend itself to a really decent cyclocross/ cross country mtb course. The roads are just wide enough, and rough enough. Might need to run 34mm tires though. Paul, one of the Haitian Techs, rides his bike to work every day. I'll bring it up and report back.

I don't know the temperature here. Does it really ever matter? If you are hot, then shed. If you are cold, then insulate. It is hot, and thick. During the course of the day I go from just kinda hot to dripping wet, back to just kinda hot...the wet again. It depends on the activity and proximity to a fan. I sleep near a window, sheet or no covers at all, with a ceiling fan blowing on high and another positioned somewhat near my feet, blowing directly on me. But I sleep well.....till the cock crows.

Today's morning was a little slower, but still plenty to do. Patients coming for therapy always need some adjustments, and what a perfect setting to do it in.

The afternoon brought the exact opposite. A bus load from an Israeli clinic in Port au Prince came. The clinic was packed. The Israeli clinic apparently, is limited in access to practitioners and equipment. Castings, fittings and deliveries brought us straight out till dinner.

The pic above is Paul and Tcho, 2 great Haitian technicians preparing one of my casts.

Till tomorrow.
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Day 2

Really, more like Day 1. The picture above represents the 16 fitting/deliveries and PT follow up with patients, we had today.

The Physicians for Peace Org. staffs our clinic with 3 PT's. These PTs are awesome. They begin therapy day 1 that a prosthesis is provided. What a perfect world...here in Haiti.?! The patients, upon delivery stay at L'Escale. L'Escale is a boarding house type facility about a mile from the clinic. There they stay and come to therapy @ the Hanger Clinic for 1-2 weeks until the therapists deem them ready to go home.

It was a very rewarding day. I had the pleasure of fitting a patient named Stevenson. He had a Hip Disarticulation (whole leg, gone up to the hip + butt bone, for they lay people). I choose him, cause I knew that my buddy Brian Heckathorn had casted and modified the socket. How many people get that pleasure, to see the fruits of another friend+colleague's labor? Jo'el, the Haitian technician was very proud to tell me he made that leg...pointing to he lamination of the socket. I think Brian trimmed it out. It fit really well. With a few minor adjustments and training, Stevenson, a young man of 14yr was walking with no parallel bars. No cane. No walker.

I should be able to see him progress and follow up with adjustments till he graduates and goes home.

Well done Brian.

Interesting set of circumstances...I have come many thousands of miles to work in Haiti with 2 other people born in Binghamton, NY. I was born there too. Must be in the water.

One is Luke, an awesome PT, from Phys. For peace. who seems to share my affinity for the endorphins that reward runners and cyclists. (I am sure we will discuss the barefoot trend as the weeks progress). The other is Mary, a meteorologist turned logistics coordinator for Phys. For Peace. Spiedi Festival anyone?

Did I tell you it starts getting light here around 4:30am?

Did I tell you that chickens and roosters kinda have free roam?

You know what roosters do when the sun starts to rise?

Did I tell you it was hot?

Brendan mentioned something about butt chafe...but then I could be wrong, it was hard to hear him through the rooster and the heat.

Au revoir

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MaBoss & Brendan

Brendan + Vern in the Hanger Clinic
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Day 1

Flight into Port au Prince was uneventful. I met up with Brendan just before the flight.

Dennis, I couldn't believe it myself. He was born and raised in NY, yet the dude was wearing a Red Sox cap. Weird. Brendan is a super nice guy from Fla. At home he has a wife and 4 kids under the age of 7. He is currently pursuing his masters in biblical theology. His mother-in-law is aware that at some point, Brendan will be moving his family out of the country, to go do extended relief and mission work...somewhere. She's not happy bout that.

We also met up with Janet, Vern's wife. She is out to visit Vern during our rotation. She is a APRN-OB/Gyn. She is hoping to do some education for the nurses and mid-wives at the hospital.

Day started @ 4:20am. Getting up for an early flight. Long, but uneventful.

Vern met us at the end of a huge long fence. A dude with one arm came to help with our bags. By the time we reached the van, a DUDE WITH ONE ARM was carrying 2 of our bags. 100yds or more, 75lbs, easy.

Words cannot accurately describe the condition of the city of Port au Prince, but here's a try. The poverty. The crowdeness. The road conditions. The building conditions. The dust. The thickness of the hot humid air. The people, so kind, so polite, but still begging for money. Add to this an earthquake and see the added destruction.

The ride from Port au Prince to Des Chapelles took a couple hours at least. It was hard to tell, cause mostly I was open mouthed and wide eyed just taking it all in.

The cars run from 0 up to 80 mph down crowded windy streets. Haitians littering the streets, mopeds, motorcycles, Tap taps(more later), and people walking, some solo, with babies, stuff on their heads....big heavy stuff on their heads. The van we are in misses some of these people and vehicles by mere inches...all from 0 to 80mph

Outside Port au Prince, the country side took us up and over several lush, green mountains, passing spotted villages and houses all over. Going up an extremely steep hill, we saw a man get out of a huge dump truck. The truck was going down, the steep hill. He was hanging off one side sticking his leg out...as if he was trying to stop the full truck, Fred Flinstone-style. Amputee waiting to happen.

The Hopital Albert Schweizer, is a hospital, but it is also a compound, a former plantation that serves as homes for many of the workers at the hospital. Our house here is fairly decent. Bonnie knows my standards are not high, but yes, I could live here.

Vern gave us the tour of the facilities, which as you've heard are quite impressive. There's a few pieces of equipment that I wish I had in Vernon.

I could thumb forever about so much more, but I need to stop somewhere.

Todd, you'll be glad to know that Van Goat, both ears intact is alive an well. (See pic). Though, I am planning a tasty Creole casserole for later in the week....we'll see.

Oh...it is quite hot here ;)

Chucky, chucky,
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Day 0

Bonswa
So the back story for our Non-Prosthetic readers is that our recently retired CEO, Van Sabel, set up the Hanger Ivan R Sabel Foundation. The announcement of Van's retirement and the start up of the foundation preceded the earth quake in Haiti by only about 9 mos.
Beginning early this year the foundation, together with the assistance of generous donations, several O&P manufacturers, and Hanger P&O, Inc. , set up a P&O clinic at HAS(Hopital Albert Schweitzer). The hospital is in Deschapelles, which is far enough outside Port au Prince to not have been effected by the earth quake.
For almost 9 mos there have been rotations of 2 practitioners or more going down for 2 week stays to man the clinic. Additionally, a lead practitioner has been stationed at the clinic for 3 mos rotations.
Good friends and colleagues including Todd Sleeman from Farmington, CT, Matt Mikosz from Southington, CT and Brian Heckathorn from Mass. have already preceded me on rotations through Haiti
My team leader will be Vern Hostetler, originally from Zainsville Ohio. I will join him along with Brendan Irwin CPO from Ocala, Fl.

I didn't sleep too well last night. Today, I am more anxious than I think I have ever been. I used to say I was scared. My friend, Paul, tells me that I am not scared, I am anxious. He's smarter than me.

I got to watch my daughter, Anna's soccer game this AM. She scored a goal, killing those meanies, as she says. I, of course, pretend the goal was for me. I will miss Ben's game, today.... Man it's tough

I will miss many games and many other things my kids will do for the next couple weeks. Saying goodbye to Ben, Anna and my wife Bonnie was pretty darn rough. I have gone on a few work trips, but the tenor of this trip is far different.

I have never gone this far, this long, to a 3rd world country...and for the moment, alone. It won't be easy on my Bonnie, but then again, she just might be tougher than me.

I am off to Miami today. I should be able to meet up with Brendan, there. We will catch the 6:50am to Port au Prince tomorrow.

To all travelers. I was accompanied on my 1st flight by a pair of 6mos old twins and a dog. They must speak the same language, cause they were screaming and yelping at each other for 2 hrs in the row right in front of me.

Like I tell everyone, I am a very lucky man. :)
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