27 hours and counting......

Well I have officially been up for 27 hours and 35 minutes. You could say I'm exhausted but I'm also still on an adrenaline high. I had the most amazing night in the Miami Field Tent Hospital! Let me paint you a picture. When I say tent hospital that's exactly what I mean - it is 4 large tents right next to each other with over 100 smaller tents off to the side. There is a huge supply tent, a OR/ICU/NICU/PEDS tent, an OB/MEDSURG tent, an ER right outside those two tents and then the last big tent and all the small ones are for volunteers to sleep in during their stay. It seems like most are coming for one week and then leaving, although the nurse I worked last night went home to Florida for a day and then he came right back for a second 'tour of duty'. It's amazing to meet people who would come give such service in not prime conditions. It's not a break whatsoever. Most work 6 or 7 12-hour shifts in a row which seems nearly impossible since most of your shift is spent thinking up ways to make do with what you don't have yet trying to give the best care. But the up side there is no bureaucratic crap to deal with - you can just practice medicine! The hospital was started right after the earthquake by the University of Miami. It was intended to be a disaster relief hospital but now it looking like it may be more of a permanent thing. I was told last night they are looking for a more legit structure and that currently they are the highest level of care in Haiti. I think that will be a fantastic thing, especially if they will use it train Haitians. Don't freak out Dad and Garlan but I'm already finding out how I can come back and just work there for a week.

I was placed in the ICU which had 3 patients in one corned off section and 3 more in another section. I teamed up with the nurse for the 3 hardest patients and we literally ran all night. I take that back, I sat down for about 10 minutes to eat some pretzels so I wouldn't pass out. Not only are you limited on resources but you exhaust your mind trying to think up every trick in the book to make what you have work. We were fortunate to have a doctor assigned just to ICU since we placed 2 chest tubes, intubated, mixed and hung IV drips of every kind, stopped seizures, helped start a central line as if I was the doctor, were our own pharmacists, helped deliver a baby emergently, helped the neighboring NICU as they intubated and scrambled to save little lives, and the list goes on. So for the adrenalin junky in me - I had the best night ever! To some that might sound like chaos and it was and is but at the same time it brings out the best skills that you have buried deep in you. I have to admit it wasn't all fun and games. I watched a hydro cephalic baby die with no parents at her bedside (she was abandoned like so many are) and then there were row after row of pediatric patients that were so sick that it made your stomach churn!

I can't wait to get back there later this week although I think I want a day shift. haha. I want to go back tonight but I can only sleep a few hours today before I'm needed in the clinic here. Plus! I get to go to Notre Mason tomorrow and check on our little boys - Jameson and Edson. Although there is now a third little brother - Michael. Don't know where he came from but I'll soon find out. Wish you were here Mom so you could go with me and work your magic like you always do. And even though you aren't a certified nurse I think you would have loved helping in that hospital. Well at least the people would have benefited from talking with you. Our poor social workers are working around the clock. There are so many stories for people to tell to help them start emotionally healing.

Well I better head for bed before I start writing things that really don't make sense. Sorry for all the rambling but it's part of my journal and destressing tactics. I love you all and hope things are going great back at home!
Mandi