As I Take My Leave

*Note: I wrote this at work, and am posting at home. Now I am T-12 to NYC, although it will be a bit longer before we are on the ground in Port au Prince. *

I'm at work, though my mind is several thousand miles away. It's my last set before my journey begins, and I'm antsy. There's been so much planning, fundraising (thank you, again), packing and re-packing. Now I'm anxious to have everything begin. It's similar to hoping for a serious call or a fire at work--there's so much preparation on the back-end that we are all itching to put it to use.

In a recent interview (calm down, it was my alma mater's online publication) I was asked what I hoped to accomplish in Haiti. My answer is a little selfish, and that's to see the difference I can make in someone's life. To bring calm where there is chaos. Stability where there is uncertainty. Partially, that's what draws me to medicine. Sometimes, just sometimes, I'm able to see someone's life improved because of what I was able to do. And so I hope this trip goes. From what the other teams have reported, they have been treating somewhere in the range of 500 people a day in the clinics, so at least the odds will be on my side of succeeding!

Here are a couple tangible pictures of what you guys helped bring about. We're maxing out the airline's restrictions on what we are bringing with us weight-wise. Yes, apparently baggage restrictions still apply on humanitarian missions. We have airway kits, wound care supplies, stretchers, first-aid kits to hand out, antifungals, antibacterials, Ibuprofen, a variety of drugs for allergic reactions and chronic illnesses, syringes for oral IM medication administration and oral rehydration powders. On one hand, my heart sinks when I think that this is but a drop in the bucket as far as need goes. And to pull the cheesy charity line, on the other hand it is something. We are doing something and that will make a difference. You guys made this happen.

This is my last post until I return. I'll take lots of pictures, and lots of notes. And I'll report back. Most of all, I will attempt to convey the generosity and open-hearted kindness that I have felt from so many people. 

So that even one life breathes easier because you have lived….this is to have succeeded.

Thank You

I can't tell you how much it means to me that you all gave so generously to my cause. I should say our cause. I've been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, and I feel lucky to have so many good-hearted people in my life.

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of fundraising, planning and packing. The medical team I am deploying with is composed of medical professionals from across the country. I don't know a whole lot about everyone yet, but I'll keep you updated. So far we've had regular conference calls with updates about the conditions in Haiti as well as planning our trip.

The flight plans have changed the most. Initially we were slated to go from Miami to Port au Prince, which change to New York to Port au Prince, then New York to the Dominican Republic to Port au Prince by car, and most recently it is New York to Miami to Port au Prince. As we have been reminded over and over, it helps to realize the fluid nature of the situation.

As for the situation on the ground, it is into a new phase of the disaster effort. The emergent search and rescue phase is over, and most of those injured in the earthquake have been treated. That being said, there are still patients being seen with wounds that have not been seen since the earthquake weeks ago. At any rate, it sounds like some aid teams are beginning to pull out, which makes the patient load on those still on the ground even more intense. The current plan is to start out at the University of Miami field hospital, helping there as needed, and fanning out from that point to clinics across the area. We will be caring for post-operative patients, as well as those seeking basic or routine medical care in a country without infrastructure.

There is still a large hazard from the enormous amount of rubble on the ground, and unstable buildings. Injuries related to this are common. Due to the loss of buildings as well as a general fear to go indoors, there are still large tent cities of internally displaced people (IDPs). These cities are anywhere from 500 to 10,000 people. From these camps are arising malaria, dysentery and sepsis, especially with the beginning rainy season. We expect to have no shortage of patients to treat.

As for gear, we are told to be almost completely self-sufficient. We have tents, sleeping bags, food, water purifiers, and as much medical supplies that we can take. In addition to wound care items, we will be taking down basic items such as Neosporin and min first-aid kits, in the hopes that people can care for themselves after aid teams such as ours are gone.

Now, it is a waiting game. There are a few loose ends to tie up, and a few pieces of gear to grab. After that, I wait with anticipation for March.

Haiti

I've just received word to today that I'll be heading to Haiti.

I'll be deploying as a paramedic attached to a team from International Medical Relief. Every time a disaster strikes, I feel moved to try and do something. Until now, apart from donating, I haven't found the proper outlet. I'm excited for the challenge, and to make a difference on the ground for a change.

The team is supposed to leave March 2, 2010, returning on the 9th. Between now and then I'll be fundraising, getting immunizations, collecting equipment, etc etc. If you'd like to donate, please visit Fong to Haiti.

This should be a new, challenging, and stressful experience. As much as possible, I will make updates regarding the trip on this blog. I'm not sure I will be able to update once on the ground, but I promise an after-action brief. Thanks in advance for everyone's help and support.

Change of pace

I imagine my post here will change a bit, for a while. I'm rotating off the ambulance for the first time in almost two years. We have a student coming to our station who is assigned to the medic unit for 1-2 months. This means I'll be "riding backwards" on the engine. Thinking about this, I decided to clarify some terms.

First of all, our fire department provides emergency medical services. This means the ambulances are run by the fire department, and the same people working on the ambulance one day might be working on the engine the next. That means I am a firefighter and a paramedic, on every day. There is no delineation of duties, other than only those guys on the ambulance transport to the hospital and the ambulance doesn't respond to fire alarms. Firefighter do medicine and paramedics fight fires. One and the same on our department.

When you call 911 for a medical emergency, you usually get a fire engine and a medic unit. This is because there are more engines than medics, so chances are the guys on the engine will get there sooner. It also provides more bodies, when needed, to provide the best care.

The day to day difference to me is that I provide more of a supportive role to the attending paramedic. I may start the call, but the attending paramedic will be transporting to the hospital. I'll "ride in" as an extra pair of hands on critical calls. Meanwhile, I'll start responding to fire alarms (quite possibly the bane of my existence), CO alarms, and gas leaks. Hopefully, I'll still have some interesting stuff to post here.

Wow. Thus endeth the PSA/educational brief on engines and ambulances.