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!
PDA