Thoughts on a Plane

Endurance

When I think of myself as a physical therapist, I imagine my strong, lithe, 20-something self that I was when I last practiced, not the back-aching, hot flashing 50-something with a fondness for naps that I am now.  How am I ever going to manage a full day’s work in Haiti, in humid, 90° heat?  I really don’t know.  I’ve made an effort to exercise, but I can’t think of any way I can really prepare physically to function such a truly foreign environment.  I will simply have to rely on the grace of God.

Health Preparation

I’ve been vaccinated against Hepatits A, Typhoid Fever, and H1N1, I’m taking medicine to prevent malaria, and I have antibiotics.  I also have a veritable pharmacopia of over-the-counter remedies for every malady I could think of involving head, tummy, skin, allergies and sleep trouble.  I hope I don’t need them, but if I do have problems, I don’t want to tax the supplies needed for the locals.  In addition to that, though, I just really don’t want to be miserable.  I figure if I have ways to manage the normal ailments that might come along, I can put aside that worry.  As for things I can’t control, like the heat and circumstances, I will just have to accept and deal with them.  I hope I can maintain that attitude when I’m in the middle of it!

Packing

I love packing for a trip.  I love the planning, the anticipation of needs and finding just the right clothing or supplies, and then organizing and packing it into neat packing cubes arranged just so in my valise (the right valise, bien sûr).

For myself, I’m taking Solumbra pants and tops, which are light-weight, ventilated, UV protective, and which I’ve treated with mosquito repellent.  I’ve got a sun hat, “hot flash” jammies (it’ll be one continuous hot flash, I’m afraid), running shoes for work and sandals for after.  I’ve even got a swim suit, because there’s a pool on the campus!  I have a neck cooling wrap (that stays wet) and a “Buff” wrap that works as a hat, headband, dust mask, or anything you can twist it into, and it’s mosquito repellent and UV protective.  Plus, I’ve got a fanny pack to hold my water bottle and a few daily supplies.

For sleeping, I’ve got a mosquito net, a silk sleep sac, and a little fan.  The fan will fit inside my mosquito net, because I read that the netting blocks the breezes.  Can’t have that!

There is power, so I’ve got electronics:  camera, laptop, surge suppressor iPod, and  iPhone (which I’ll only use for music and photos).  There is internet at the hospital, so I hope I can get online to post to my blog, check Facebook, and maybe get email.  I’ve got a tiny lamp, a booklight, a hand-crank phone charger (just in case), and a Swiss Army knife.  I even have a some cord, thin work gloves, and a bit of duct tape on a little spool!  I also have a couple of books on Haiti, a journal, and the game Bananagrams.

In the house where health volunteers stay, there is cool running water for at least part of the day, and a house manager who will prepare our meals and even hand wash our clothes.  For extra food and drink, I have a Costco box of Clif Bars, oatmeal packets, tea bags, Splenda, and Crystal Light packets.  I’ll leave for others what I don’t consume.

All of these things (except for extra food, my pharmacopia, the fan, and batteries) fit in a backpack-style carry-on suitcase and a shoulder bag. I also have two rolling suitcases with supplies to use and donate, including:

•  A dozen rubber playground balls with needles and a pump, for therapy and play

•  2 gait belts (to hold on to people) and 4 goniometers (for measuring joint range of motion)

•  3 different Creole/English dictionaries:  one a picture dictionary that speakers of both languages can use together, the second related to health care, and the third a medical dictionary.  These I plan to leave in the library when I leave

•  7 dozen toothbrushes and 200 latex gloves, donated by my friend Cathy, who got them from a dental rep

•  6 sets of twin sheets that I had stored in my garage.  The patients getting new prostheses stay for about 2 weeks in a nearby village in very sparse environs.  “They have mattresses...” I was told, and that may be just about all they have.

•  Perhaps the most precious donation I am taking comes by way of Vicki Whiting, who has a syndicated newspaper page for children called KidScoop.  After the earthquake, she asked her young readers what they were doing to help those suffering after the earthquake. I will be honored to personally deliver to a person in need the donation of a 7-year-old girl:  $1 and some Band-Aids. 

Impending Culture Shock

When I am in Haiti, I resolve to stay in the present, focused on what I have to offer these people, and doing it the best I possibly can.  I further resolve not to be a wallflower, not to be lonely, and not to long for home, for I know I will be back home soon enough.

But I know that at times I will be overwhelmed.  I hope I can get through those times.  The Visitor Guidelines for Hôpital Albert Schweitzer notes the typical progression of culture shock as follows:

Culture shock can take many forms.  The classic process is:  (1) "The Honeymoon," when you just love Haiti and everything about it; (2) "The Fall," when certain aspects of the culture begin to bother you and you cannot reconcile your reactions; (3) "Bottom Out," when experiences and observations become upsetting enough to tempt you to leave, and (4) "Refractory Period," when you regain perspective and optimism.

I will need to push myself to engage with people, relief workers and patients alike, which doesn’t come naturally for a quiet person like me.  The people I’ve spoken to on site by phone have been really friendly, though, and those I’ve spoken to who have gone to Haiti to help have found it to be very rewarding.  When it gets hard, I will try to look for ways to reach out. This, I hope, will bring moments of grace and joy.

Anticipation

Getting ready for this trip reminds me of waiting for the birth of a child.  I’ve been planning and preparing for months. I’ve seen images and I know lots of details, but I do not yet know the essence of this thing I am anticipating.  I haven’t seen it, touched it, felt it, experienced it.  I know the date of the big “reveal,” but I’m going to have to go through a bit of an ordeal, which in Haiti will come in the form a difficult environment and witnessing agonizing circumstances, before I can hold it in my arms.  But after I put forth the effort and learn to know this new presence in my life, I believe that it will be infinitely rewarding.