Doctor Visit

I needed to take the new mom & baby to the Dr. to get checked out, & trying to be efficient, I loaded up 7 more kids- 6 for immuniztions & 1 for pink eye. After rounding everybody up (and a few extras for laps to sit on) and collecting diapers, bottles, water, snacks & necessary baby paraphernalia, we headed out to see Dr. Vladimir at the clinic 2 towns away we've been working with. Of course that's easier said than done in Haiti. Upon arrival we were told they had no immunizations and nobody was available to see the mom & baby either. OK, no problem, we'll just shift gears & head back in the other direction, through those 2 towns, past our village, and to the next town to a clinic we sometimes use there. 1st we must wait in line and fill out registration. Then we're told no immunizations- lady not come. Maybe you come back Monday. I figured out a while back if a Haitian tells you to come back next week - they don't really mean next week - they just mean not this week- they don't know when- maybe next week or some other time in the future. So much for efficiency. Not to be outdone- I request check-ups for Mom & baby and pink eye girl anyway.

Now we go to the waiting room to wait our time with the Dr. Have you ever waited for the Dr. with 8 kids? Fun, fun, fun!
More paperwork and weighing in, and blood pressure while waiting, diaper changing, giving out water & snacks, and generally just sweating.

Finally, our turn with the nice Haitian Dr. - Good reports all around. Exam rooms are cubicles with a desk, and a couple of chairs. The Doctor has all the necessary equipment- a stethoscope and Rx pad. Notice there's no sink or running water in the exam room. Niiice. Oh well, at least the Dr. was there this time!