Things are
so different here from Jacmel. Not just the location and living conditions (I
don’t like using that word because it makes it sound like the conditions are bad,
which they aren’t), but the ministry.
We have a
team here this week doing a medical clinic and yesterday I spent the day in the
clinic helping where needed. I started out outside playing with kids who were
waiting, attempting to talk with them :) always fun. I moved inside and helped people find eyeglasses, took people for
urine tests, ran here, ran there. But there were two women who stuck out.
We actually
sent one lady to the hospital with one of our doctors, hoping she’d be able to get a biopsy.
That didn’t happen. Long story short without the biopsy there isn’t a way of
knowing exactly what is going on, what treatment/procedure she needs. Is it an
infection? Is it cancer? Either way it’s not good. If it’s cancer this lady’s
only chance of survival is a miracle.
The Dr.
decided to clean it up and try to drain it (this is the part I got in on) and
based on that she really thinks it is cancer, there was no puss or anything
like that.
(this might
get graphic) But to see that woman’s breast the size of a cantaloupe, burst
open, fungating, leaking “stuff” and not being able to REALLY do anything seemed
so wrong. All we could do was clean it, wrap it up, give antibiotics and pain
meds, and tell her to come back Sunday. The hope is that maybe it will look
better and the Dr. can, possibly, rule out cancer. That is not likely.
I’ve heard
these kinds of stories of course, I know these things happen in Haiti every. single.
day. But I have never personally experienced or witnessed it. To see it
first-hand it hits you like simply hearing about it cannot. I cannot imagine
being in her situation and knowing there is no way to get help. Unless some doctors
come in and see me for free, give me free meds, possibly surgery, all I can do
is live with it. If she goes to a hospital here they turn her away because it is so bad
(they don’t want to chance the statistic of another death).
This woman
was(is) a trooper. She doesn’t really have pain unless she is being poked,
pressed and prodded, thank God, but she sat there and said, “God gave me this.”
She wasn’t saying it in a bad, angry, bitter, upset way. Just matter of fact.
This is from God.
Sorry for
the rambling, still processing.
I don’t know
the whole story with the other lady who touched my heart. I walked up after she’d
been seen and Jessi and the doctor were talking to her. This is what I got
though, this woman was taking care of two children, a two year old and a baby,
who aren’t hers biologically. She was breastfeeding the older child and couldn’t/wouldn’t
breastfeed the younger because she couldn’t produce enough milk.
Jess told
her the older child is doing great and doesn’t need to be breastfeed anymore
but that baby was small and NEEDED her breast milk. Don’t know why but the
woman took this kind of hard. They have her vitamins, they gave her formula for
the baby to supplement while her body produces more milk.
I don’t know
why but as Jessi told this woman how special she was, that God had chosen her
to care for these children, that she was blessed, to stay strong, tears welled
up in my eyes.
I’m sure
this woman has next to nothing to begin with but she took these kids on not
only sacrificing money, food, housing, etc. but her body as well. My mind is
blown away by these people.
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