Doctor's Office

            I visited the doctor this morning because I have not been feeling well.  It started on Sunday with a bad headache that wouldn’t go away.  It came to a head on Wednesday when I spent most of the afternoon lying in bed shivering.  It’s hard to shiver in Haiti when it’s 89 degrees!  I also had a small cut/scratch that appeared infected.  This morning I walked to a local medical clinic that is free. 

            Even though I wasn’t the first person in line, I was able to go in first.  I think it’s because my skin is white.  That bothers me.  I also know that Gertrude has a lot of pull in the community because of the work she does and because she employs so many people.  It still bothered me that I was able to jump to the front of the line.

            The intake nurse spoke great English and told me that if I had any questions to just ask.  The doctor was equally good.  I think he was one of 2 doctors working at the clinic.  At only 9:00 a.m. the area was packed, and my guess is that it stayed packed all day.  They must see patients non-stop, and I can only imagine how overwhelmed they must feel most days.  After I saw the doctor, I had to have a blood-sugar test done before they would give me an antibiotic.  I guess it’s because the most readily available antibiotic is amoxicillin and it can have an impact on the liver or kidneys.  So, I left the doctor’s office and sat on the bench next to the lab door.  I was third in line on the bench, so I waited.  The nurse came by and asked me what was up.  I explained that I was waiting for blood work, and she said “I told you to come to me with questions.”  She took my paperwork and walked me into the lab.  Again, because I am white/American/with Gertrude, I was able to go first.  I would have preferred to wait.  It certainly wouldn’t hurt me, and I don’t like the idea of being given privileges for something that I have no control over (color of my skin or my nationality).  See, worst case scenario, I can always leave and receive GREAT medical care in the States.  I have no need to worry because that option is always available to me.  The neighborhood folks who depend on that clinic and its staff don’t have that luxury.  Those workers are all they have.  One man was driven up on a motorcycle being propped up by a family member.  One woman brought in her twins.  Another lady came in with her malnourished baby.  They can’t go anywhere else for treatment, most likely because they can’t afford a place that isn’t a free clinic.

            My blood-sugar levels were fine, so the nurse again took my paperwork and retrieved my prescriptions.  One was for amoxicillin, another for vitamin C, and the last for naproxen.  They had the amoxicillin, but not the other two.  When the nurse said that they could get the others for me by tomorrow, I said that it wasn’t necessary.  I had both of them with me.  There was no way I was going to take basic vitamins and pain relief readily found in any U.S. drug store away from the other patients.  I go back next Friday for a follow-up appointment.  Well, now you all know more about my health than you ever wanted to know!

            I had my second Creole tutoring session when I got back from the doctor.  Turns out that Creole has irregular verbs just like English!  My homework is to use the verb “to give” as much as possible and listen for when others use it so that I can recognize the patterns.  I already heard the verb being used a couple of times by the kids, and I recognized what the tutor told me  Yea for me! 

            The kids did not go to school today because they were having a big Carnivale party.  But, in order to go, each child had to pay.  Gertrude doesn’t have that kind of money, so the kids didn’t go.  That’s pretty typical of schools down here.  When the school has a “casual Friday” and the kids don’t have to wear their uniforms, parents have to pay for them to not wear the uniform.  It’s basically a way for the schools to make money. 

            I learned that the president said that all schools should be closed for five days for Carnivale.  Not all schools will give the full five days, but most schools will be closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (that way, people can celebrate Mardi Gras on Tuesday and attend Lenten services on Wednesday).  It never occurred to me that Carnivale would be a school holiday, but I guess it makes sense given the predominantly Catholic population in Haiti.  I also learned that the big official Carnivale celebrations are no longer just held in Port-au-Prince.  They rotate the city that hosts it each year so that people in the rural/out-lying areas can participate in Carnivale. 

            So much to learn.