19th Dec.

We are enjoying our visit back to LaGonave. It is interesting to see the changes.

The kids have played with their friends and dogs, watched some videos, done a bit of school work and have been checking out the changes. [Photo from mainland early on trip]

Cory bought the many boxes that we shipped from Michigan this summer over to the duplex so we could sort thought the stuff. Yesterday afternoon we were able to complete the job so today a truck load of hospital supplies was sent to the hospital. We have a few boxes packed of personal items and tools for the North as well as a few boxes of clinic/hospital supplies.

The hospital hasn't been to bad but an OB kept me up most of the night. Finally after much prayer and work we delivered a healthy baby girl. Helped with a C-section on Monday for a mom with HIV-it went very well and she finally has her boy after 3 girls. Both mom and baby are receiving treatment. I asked a nurse about how many people they had diagnosed with the new AIDS/HIV program and she thought over 140 with about 10 currently receiving treatment. The patients have to have certain lab values and met criteria to be placed on medications. On Sunday when I was given report on the hospital patients there were 7 patients infected with HIV.

We have a preemie in the hospital who is starting to improve. A small 12 month old who had been in a coma for over a week. He had been receiving treatment for meningitis and seizures. Yesterday Kris increased his seizure medication and he improved a bit. His pupils are more reactive, he nursed for the first time last night and he is withdrawing from painful stimuli today.

We have two cases who should be transferred to a larger hospital but are reluctant to go because of the cost and distance. One is the mother of a nursing assistant at the hospital. She has a large bowel obstruction-don't know the cause. She is a Christan. The Cuban doctor is going to try to decompress the bowel with NG and rectal tubes. The second case is a Type 1 diabetic in her twenties with 2-3 toes that need to be removed. She has been in the hospital for a month. One toe is dry and black, the second one swollen and dark purple, and the third has a little better color but has a lot of pussy discharge. It is so hard to see patients in these situations. But I'm thankful that the hospital is here to give them care and support them and their families. Both of these cases have been brought to the administrators attention and the staff will see if the patients will agree to referral if they can receive assistance with the cost.