Tenaru

Wednesday, July 19, 2012

4:15 AM

Soon after I closed my eyes from the amount of excitement I had to be leaving for the Solomon’s, I opened them to my alarm going off to leave for the airport.  Sue was graciously willing to drive Clare and I, and so off we went!  We said our sleepy goodbyes and Clare and I headed off for flight number 5 to Brisbane.  After a quick trip through security, we arrived at our gate just in time for boarding and luckily fell asleep on the plane for the hour flight.

After arriving in Brisbane, we took an air train over to the international terminal and got in line for check-in. We scoped out our fellow travelers and were so excited to board our final flight.  After a farewell yogurt and muesli breakfast, we sat at our gate anxiously awaiting our flight.

2:30 PM

Because I was unaware of the time difference, we got there in 3 hours instead of 4!  Clare tapped me as she glimpsed the first of the land out of her window, and all we could see was mountainous green forests.  We were so excited and ended up making friends with one of the other travelers (despite the empty plane) who was from Melbourne but has been to the Solomon’s over 20 times for his job for RAMSI.  RAMSI is a special alliance created to help reform and teach Solomon Islanders how to build a successful community.  The organization oversees departments such as police, agriculture, and building so that the Islanders can become capable on their own.  The alliance was initially started to keep peace between the Malaitans and Guadalcanal people during the ethnic tension.  We finally touched down in Honiara, Guadalcanal and breathed a sigh of relief when our first step outside was hot and humid!  After customs, money exchange, and baggage claim, Clare and I waited in outside in the heat, people-watching, waiting for one of the sisters to come pick us up.  After waiting about a half an hour until 3 PM, we realized that we had no idea what the sister looked like, if she even knew where to come to get us, or what car we were driving.  Honestly, we looked at each other and laughed.  We were told that this is Solomon Island time, and we had no choice but to follow it!

Finally out of the corner of my eye I spotted an adorable woman with a white headdress on in the passenger side of a pickup truck waving.  I nudged Clare that this had to be her!  It was in fact, Sister Catie, running up to Clare and I, hugging us and pushing us into the car.  She exclaimed that she was so happy we were here and sorry she was late!  Apparently another sister was supposed to pick us up but called last minute and couldn’t make it.  Sister Catie, all the way from Tenaru (about 20-30 minutes away in a car), set out on foot to come get us!  On her way she saw Brother Henry, a member of the community, and flagged him down for a ride.  I couldn’t believe the way things were working out.  If Brother Henry hadn’t come to the rescue, I have no idea what we would have done without any cell phones or directions.

Clare hopped in the back of the pickup truck with Sister Catie and our bags while I sat up front with Brother Henry.  I had some packages to deliver to the sisters at Panatina Ridge, so we were on a mission to deliver.  Brother Henry gave me the grand tour, and I couldn’t believe my eyes as I glanced out the window.  So many people were walking barefoot on the roads to their respective fruit and vegetable stands, while some children ran around without any clothes.  The display of skin and hair colors were all a variety, and I later learned that Honiara is the “melting pot” of the islands.  The country is absolutely beautiful and untouched.

We arrived at Panatina Ride where I met a New Zealand volunteer and Sister Leonie, whom I had a package for.  She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and treated at St. Vincent’s and Santa Sabina in Sydney, so I was happy to deliver some medications for her.  After a complimentary banana and warm welcome, we headed off to Tenaru to see Sister Catie’s house at St. Joseph’s School.

Brother Henry drove us down dirt road after dirt road, filled with potholes and mud.  There was recently a flood and the roads were not in great condition.  I was simply in awe of the beautiful people in every direction, totally content in their way of life and always seeming to be on a destination.  Even after my travels to the Dominican, I cannot fathom that there are so many undeveloped countries and so many cultures that we are unaware of.  We arrived and drove into St. Joseph’s headquarters and marveled at the blue teacher houses on stilts, the gardens, chapel, student dorms, and finally Sister Catie’s house.  It is set up high resting on many poles, and Clare and I climbed up the stairs to meet Sister Stephanie.  She and Sister Catie live together.  We were welcomed so warmly and given a tour of their house. It is truly beautiful and simple, with decorations all around.  They even have a table set like an altar, where they keep memorabilia and notes of Sisters who have passed.  I am seriously so grateful to be here, to which they responded that they were the lucky ones.

Sister Catie drove to pick up her nephew from the airport again, while Stephanie showed Clare and I around and told us a little more about the school.  Sister Stephanie teaches the students, form 1-6 (ages 14, 15, 16), agriculture.  They go to school from 7:20 AM until 1 PM.  After school is out, depending on the day of the week, they have different activities such as sports, planting or harvesting rice, or studying.  Sister Catie works in the clinic, which is open to all students and some surrounding villages.  Clare and I will be participating in both activities, but we will primarily be focused on our specific healthcare/teaching interests.  Sister Stephanie proceeded to open up and tell us about her vows to become a sister and how just a couple of weeks later her mother died.  She recounted this tale with such grace and genuine honestly, and said that when she talks about it, it means she is feeling better, not sad.  Her mother was in a tragic car accident when a coconut tree fell and hit the truck she was in.  No one died except for her mother, who she was supposed to see the next day.  It was so upsetting yet inspiring to hear her tone and take on the story.  For being so young, Sister Stephanie is wise beyond her years and  I am lucky to learn from her.

Pacifika, Sister Catie's loyal parrot

When Sister Catie arrived home, we shared a delicious meal of chicken, corn, cabbage, and rice.  We all spoke over dinner for a long time, and once again, it felt surreal.  After sorting out all my clean water issues and cleaning up from dinner, Sister Catie said that I was sleeping in her room.  I refused but she insisted that she is so grateful and that I need to have her room.  Sister Stephanie did the same for Clare, and once again we are being treated!  I am blessed to have come this far and to be a witness of people so genuine and kind as these Sisters.  Right now I am dousing myself in bug spray under my mosquito net, and waiting for the school bell to ring at 5 AM to walk to the Morning Prayer service.   It is the least I can do after being granted this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Right now I hear the sounds of the choir rehearsing, surrounded by a jungle of coconut and avocado trees, in a house on stilts.

Friday, July 20, 2012

1:47 PM

I am writing right now on my lunch/free time break from the clinic this morning!  At around 5:45 AM, Clare came in my room to let me know Sister Catie had woken her up for mass.  I wasn’t really sleeping too deeply because of the roosters and humid weather, so I was glad to get up and start my day.  Throwing on some clothes and grabbing a flashlight, Sister Catie, Clare, and I headed off to the Marist brother’s church down the road.  After hopping over mud puddles and dodging holes in the road, we finally reached the church only a little late.  We walked in to Mass where there were 3 other brothers praying.  The priest was from Holland and was happy to meet us after the Mass.  Sister Catie introduced us, and by the time we got out, it was light out.

We came back to the house for breakfast and Clare prepared some oatmeal on the stove while I set the table.  Right when we sat down and took a bite, Clare and I smiled and tried to be so polite but soon Sister Catie spit out her food.  She accidentally added salt, too much salt, to the oatmeal and said she might have forgotten and poured it in twice!  After being relieved about not having to crunch the oatmeal anymore, we all shared a laugh.  After some toast, Sister Stephanie left for school while Sister Catie insisted we take our time and go to the clinic “whenever.” I love this place!

St. Joseph's Tenaru Clinic

But I was so eager to see inside the clinic and begin seeing patients with Sister Catie!  Sister Catie had patients waiting, but took us on the grand “steady” tour of the two-room clinic.  I was getting anxious while her patients waited but everyone was so calm and absolutely no one is impatient or objects to waiting.  I could hardly believe the lack of supplies that were in the cabinets.  They were stocked with various items such as gauze, bandaids, tape, and cotton rolls, but only some remained.  Clare spent a good amount of time making cotton balls!  I saw the medicine cabinet with amoxicillin, penicillin, and doxycycline.  The most common cases Sister Catie sees are malaria patients, students with a cut or open wound, villagers down the street with coughs or cuts, and those that need injections for infection.  After taking me through each and every one of her supplies, she handed me the patient book in which I was to take the name, age, sex, status(returning or new), address, form(if applied), a medical history, and treatment or diagnosis.  Um, OKAY!  I had no time to worry or second guess myself so I delved in to the patients who had already waited about 30 minutes!  The first patient I saw brought his own battered medical history book which was barely legible.  It was so sad to see such a lack of care for this man, and he could not report his exact age.  I learned from his book that he was to take penicillin injections (4 mL) for 5 days for a chest infection.  The next woman came in and she had already been to Central Hospital, which is about a 20-30 minute drive to Visale, and had stitches.  Sister Catie said she already took them out the day. I started attending to a student who had cut his big toe during soccer.  Finally, I met a man who was complaining of chest pain and also a swollen cut on the inside of his right foot when he was chopping firewood with an axe.  Due to the moist climate and bacteria in this country, open wounds become infected in the blink of an eye.  Even a cut as small as a simple hangnail on my finger must be doused in iodine and bandaged immediately.  Even though this seems like such a simple and easy task, it is appalling that so many Islanders do not even have access to antiseptic or bandaids.  These supplies would be gifts for them, and are definitely something that not many Americans step back and appreciate.  When wounds become infected, the area on the appendage can swell so large that amputation is necessary for survival.  I became so thankful for all that I have been blessed with.   In order to address his cough, which he said prolonged for months and came with a wheeze, Sister Catie suggested a round of amoxicillin.  I took out his correct dosage and placed them in a bag for him.  He is to come back when the dosage is done for a check.

After this exhilarating experience, I cannot wait to begin my career as a medical professional.  Clare and I headed off to the school to see Sister Stephanie and met some of the teachers, children, and the principal.  After that, it was around noon, and Sister Catie took us back to the house to have lunch.  We had crackers and an egg/veggie combo, and waited for Sister Stephanie to come home after school was over.  As soon as she was back, she decided to take Clare and I to the Honiara Central Market for some shopping.  Clare and I were eager to repay the sisters and could not wait to buy them fresh fruit and vegetables.  We walked about a half a mile down to the main road with Sister Stephanie and waited for a bus.  I was surprised to see a over-sized white van pulling up right when we got there, which apparently was our ride!  We handed the man at the door 5 Solomon Island Dollars and awaited our journey.  Listening to some reggae, I enjoyed the mountainous view out my window and the beautiful villages on either side of the road.  I was enjoying the ride until about 15 minutes later when I realized that bus’s capacity are basically as many people as you can fit in 8 seats.  I started sweating profusely and began to laugh as everyone stared at me like, “What is she doing here?”  Clare and I stuck out like sore thumbs.  Finally, after what seemed like a long time, we arrived at the Central Market.  But Stephanie’s phone rang and it was Sister Veronica, who we are going to stay with on Sunday, and she wanted me to go about 15 minutes back down the road to the District Medical Office for business I needed to attend to about working in the Visale Clinic.  There was no stress, no impatience, we just got back on the bus and met Sister Veronica.  When we arrived, I met her by the gates and received a warm welcome.  She is absolutely adorable and so friendly.  She guided me into the official office which I think made her very nervous.  I think I should have been more worried than I was, but when I went in, the man made me take a seat and asked me what kind of work I would be doing in the clinic.  He specifically asked if I would be conducting research on the Islands.  I explained that I was only here to “look-and-see” and help as needed.  I did not have the proper permit to research, nor is that part of my program.  He then believed Sister Veronica and granted me permission.  Apparently some groups come from other countries and collect data, which is not supposed to be released.  I felt horrible that they thought I would be doing this.

After this tense meeting, the staff lightened up and some people even came up to me and asked if I could help in their village clinics because they needed help.  This was very heart breaking.  I want to go everywhere, but I have so little time.  Sister Veronica was laughing and apologized for the meeting.  They wanted to verify she was telling the truth by having me come along to “testify.”  After that little experience, we hopped on another bus in heavy traffic and waited to arrive at the market once again.  We finally arrived, and I could not believe the masses of people that were under this enclosed area.  There was mat after mat laid out with all different kinds of fruit and vegetables.  Many of the sellers had the same goods but were competing for prices.  Everything is so inexpensive compared the American dollar.  After getting about 1,000 more stares and giggles from everyone in the market, I really started to enjoy myself.  I was certainly a spectacle as we picked out every fresh fruit that Sister Stephanie wanted.  Our purchases ended up being: lettuce, shallots, pineapple, sweet potato, cucumber, squash, and 2 coconuts for Clare and I to drink.  As we hauled ourselves through the stifling heat, I could tell that Sister Stephanie was thrilled with our produce selection.  We looked through the displays of hand-crafted jewelry and shell money, and made some more purchases.  Finally, we picked out 4 beautiful apples for Sister Catie, her absolute favorite.

Sister Veronica and Sister Leonie picked us up, essentially rescuing us from the people who sat one foot in front of me on the sidewalk staring at me.  One group of passersby even took a picture of me (seriously?!?)  Clare and I were hysterically laughing.  This is certainly an unforgettable experience.  Sister Stephanie could tell the natives were getting restless, perhaps because Friday night is a big drinking night and countless numbers of people were chewing and spitting beetlenut, which is an intoxicating seed that stains the teeth brown, causes mouth cancer, and has a narcotic effect.  We drove back to Tenaru after stopping at a breadshop, and another (Solomon time), and we all went inside to start dinner.  I was so surprised when Sister Leonie took our coconuts and literally chopped them in her hand with a huge knife.  She then took out all the meat and peeled them for us to eat.  I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but it was an interesting taste.  The water was also refreshing but very sweet and heavy.  We enjoyed ourselves as Sister Catie started chopping up our vegetables to cook.  Clare and I made her close her eyes and handed her the apples we bought and she was so happy! 

Perhaps one of the best moments of today was when I was in the clinic with Sister Catie sitting waiting for the next patient.  For some reason, I asked her if she knew a doctor called Roger Webber, because I had recently read a book by him titled “Solomoni” before I came in order to prepare.  Dr. Webber traveled to every island extensively throughout ten years, becoming district medical officer and making huge advancements for malaria treatment.  He was stationed on the islands with his wife and two children, originally from England, and they all fell in love with the island.  I doubted that any of their time coincided, but the dates seemed to line up, so I asked Sister Catie anyway.  She nonchalantly answered, “Oh, yes, Dr. Roger Webber and his two children Sophy and Lucy.”  WHAT!  Sister Catie named the characters I had just read about word for word.  She was more surprised that I knew him rather than her!  As I recounted the information I knew about Dr. Webber, Sister Catie reiterated and confirmed everything.  After his wife died in a plane crash in New Delhi and the two children were the only survivors, Sister Catie actually watched the children in Gizo!  She knew the snacks they preferred and how they loved to swim.  I could not believe this coincidence, and I later gave the book for Sister Catie to keep and all the sisters were thrilled.  In fact, Dr. Webber began seeing a Solomon Islander named Heti Bea after his wife died.  Sister Catie said that she knew Heti Bea and that her granddaughter goes to St. Joseph’s!  Sister Leonie exclaimed that she saw Heti Bea herself today at the airport.  Seriously?  I could not believe it.  Everything happens for a reason, and today certainly confirmed this.

After dinner and cleanup, I experienced my first bucket shower, and never have enjoyed one more.  I hand washed my clothes shortly after.  While I was cleaning, Clare told me that Sister Stephanie asked how to spell our names.  She said that when women come to the clinic in labor, they often ask what they should name their children.  She said that now she has two names to give them.  What an incredible ending to a day I will always remember.

(from left) Clare, Sister Vero, Sister Catie, Me, Sister Leonie, and Sister Stephanie

Saturday, July 21, 2012

5:15 PM

I am sitting at the kitchen table with Sister Catie and Clare after almost 12 hours of a busy day!  We woke up around 5:45 AM and walked to mass again at the Fathers’ chapel.  It was so dark and took us quite a while to navigate after falling in the puddles of mud on the way.  When we got there, mass was beautifully said and we headed back to the house for some breakfast.  After some toast, Sister Stephanie headed to the deputy principal’s house because one of her family members was trying to sell them a pig, while I headed off to the clinic.  The clinic was slower than yesterday because it was a weekend, and it was unfortunate to see that the people who needed to come back for return doses never returned.  I ended up just cleaning and talking with some of the students, and dressing the wound from the woman who was hit by a coconut. 

Because it was a Saturday, the children do cleaning work all day.  This isn’t typical cleaning though, almost all 300 of the students had machetes in hand, whacking the grass that grows overnight in this damp weather.  They were so quiet and no one even complained.  They looked like they were enjoying themselves despite the immense humidity.  Clare and I wanted to help, but Sister Stephanie wanted us to accompany her to the market in order to tell her family that the deputy wanted to buy the pig.  We got a ride from Brother Vincent and headed off into the busy Central Market once again.  I felt like a local this time, and we bought bananas, peanuts, and catnut.  On Saturdays, the market also has a special flower section which were incredible.  I could stare at the rainbow of colors for much longer than I did.  We picked up a bouquet for Sister Catie, and also bought some laplaps, which are sarong type wraps that are handcrafted. 

After the market, we all had a lunch of rice, bananas, and fruit.  Sister Catie and Stephanie were pleased, and Brother Vincent stayed for the meal.  Everyone was exhausted because of the heat, but the students were still diligently working.  Sister Catie insisted that we take a “rest” and before we could object, I fell asleep sitting up in a chair.  Clare and I decided to take a quick nap but could not even stand the heat in our rooms.  We walked down the road and admired beautiful scenery. The bugs were brutal, but I’ve never seen such untouched beauty as the villages to my left and right.  When we returned, Clare and I wanted to help around the house more, so we raked the yard that the boys had slashed before.  I never realized how much we take lawnmowers for granted, how they actually take up the dead grass… So we raked and raked until it started to downpour, which felt amazing.

Now it is much cooler after the rain.  Clare and I showed Sister Catie photos of our family and I received some interesting comments that may or may not be true (she’s a nun she has to be nice!)  I showed her a picture of Collin and she said, “Oooh, so handsome!”  I then showed her a picture of Pam and Bill to which she replied that my mother looks young and my father looks strong.  Accurate?  Maybe…but we were all laughing.  Sister Stephanie prepared a feast of pumpkin, sweet potato, cabbage, greenbeans, and chicken.  She also cut up the watermelon from the market and the pineapple! After they said this was “The Last Supper” and were sad to see us go tomorrow, they gave Clare and I laplaps that they picked out for us.  It was so sweet and they said they wanted us to wear them on the boat to Auki.  Clare’s is blue, yellow, and purple tie-dye while mine is purple and green with dolphins.  They are seriously the sweetest people I have met, and I am sorry to leave tomorrow.  I am excited for Visale and know that Sister Stephanie and Sister Catie are happy for us in our journey.