Nov 6: Thank you Leslie Gibbs!
Our stellar rock star Nurse Practitioner, Leslie Gibbs, leaves today. She has the kindest bedside manner and is highly skilled medically. We are going to miss her BIG TIME. THANK YOU LESLIE!
Nov 5: With open hearts & determination we show WE CARE
We have figured out more efficient, less chaotic management. Sadly, the stories and situations, frustrations and lack of resource have become our “normal”. I hate this because we have no choice but to work within this parameter. And we accept it. I don’t want this to be the “normal”. We should never accept this . [...]
Nov 4: The choices people have to make to survive
Dr. Dan, the pediatrician, is here and we had lots of kids for him to see. He did really well the first day, working with refugees in our make shift clinic. Kids coming in with asthma. The cold season is just starting and the fires to keep warm have started exacerbating their respiratory issues. The bed [...]
Nov 3: Today was sick baby day
Today was sick baby day. Our pediatrician, Dr. Dan, arrives this evening but they couldn’t wait. Lots of fevers and coughs and the cold rains have not yet begun. The kids all have rashes - chicken pox, scabies and bed bug bites are rampant. We set up another tent for discharge, a nice big ten person [...]
Nov 2: The circus is back . . . and Karen’s Hug & Rub Clinic is open
The Flying Seagull Circus is back after two days off. They are amazing, working with these refugee kids. The noise level is intense but it’s all laughter and giggles and how can that be bad? Karen’s HUG and RUB clinic is very popular and sometimes I think it is the best we can do for [...]
Nov 1: No solid plans for the future, only hope
The team is working so well together. I would not say smooth going … but great creativity and resourcefulness and somehow we are still smiling for our patients. There is a chicken pox epidemic. So many kids with fevers and pox, they are miserable and can you believe there is NO CALAMINE lotion on the island! [...]
Oct 31: A day off
A day off yesterday! Some of the team got to swim in the Aegean in a lagoon by a waterfall. Tama and I had a meeting with MSF, restocked supplies and had a video conference with Omar, who is on Lesvos at Moria camp. He said there are now over 16,000. The camp capacity is 3,500. [...]
Oct 30: Man’s inhumanity to man
74 patients today, some pretty intense stories. I struggled today between absolute frustration and horror at man’s inhumanity to man. Both from war and torture and for allowing people to live in this desperate situation and allowing there to be nothing done. It’s just so wrong. We had several sick babies today and I was [...]
Oct 29: The miserable conditions are just beyond imagination
Day 3: There was a huge crowd when we arrived. So many refugees on this island and so little resources. Again, only one doctor in the Greek clinic who is not an MD but a microbiologist and one ngo the Med Equality team from France. There are over 6,500 people here. Alex from Ghana, who [...]
Oct 28: We are now seeing patients
Second day and we saw 78 patients, sent three to the hospital and managed wounds, injuries, and all levels of ptsd, abdominal and respiratory issues, chronic hypertension, pneumonia, etc. It was BUSY BUSY BUSY. It is a challenging way to practice medicine - we all have to be extremely flexible, creative and CALM. To add [...]