Primary Care Strike Team 4

This picture was taken after we visited the Baton Rouge warehouse for the 1st time. The warehouse manager came out and took this with each of our cameras - what a great sport.

Top: Jason (me), Rich, Cliff, Rueben, Pam
Bottom: Cindy, Jen, Tracy, Jim, Mehrdad

Halloween 2005 - Buzz & Rex

Alex dressed up as Buzz Lightyear for Halloween this year - costume that he has been talking about for about 11 months now. He's already planning next year's. The goggle have headlamps on either side that turn on by clicking the goggles down over his eyes. This "Buzz pose" shows up so often in our un-costumed family pictures that it has banned from serious photos - this however was the perfect occasion for it. Aaron was about the cutest dinosaur we have ever seen. He even practiced a cute dinosaur stomp and roar.

Halloween Pumpkins 2005

This year Alex designed his own pumpkin with a scary face, complete with moustache, and Grammy carved it. Becky did a dragon in front of a castle and Jason did a werewolf. Happy Halloween!

Back in Toledo

I'm not sure how many have been following along with this blog, but I arrived in last night to the wonderful arms of my family. I ate, played with the kids and unpacked a little. I slept for 11 hours and I'm glad I've got today to gather myself before plunging back into my life. I am working at the residency tomorrow morning and I'm on call for the weekend which includes Saturday AM office hours. I'll have more stories to tell, but I am going to get some pictures back and illustrate them.

Another Team 4 Blog

I don't know how long this link will last, but to read a little more from one of my teammates, go to this link and look for the entries from Jennifer Holmes. As of now they are right on top. There are some pictures of her and Camp Allen.

Into New Orleans

I am back at Camp phoenix housed in the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (where they have a computer lab) after 2 days in New Orleans. Our team met a mobile truck from a VA hospital in New York that has 2 exam rooms, vaccine fridges and some medical equipment attached to the walls. On the 1st day I sewed up a police officer's finger and a 17 yr old Hispanic laborer's head. We gave out a lot of vaccines, especially tetanus shots. The team stationed there today was short 2 doctors and I volunteered to go with them while the rest of my team served shelters in the surrounding area. I am going back with my team to New Orleans tomorrow (Monday). We have felt very safe and all the people are grateful we are there. I only brought disposable cameras, but I will be posting pictures as the weeks go by once I get back. I plan to annotate them and give more detail. I'll likely never do anything like this again. I have been changed in ways that I am only beginning to sense - most of them positive. I am already more flexible - our team motto is "Semper Gumby" - Always Be Flexible. I realized with absolute clarity that I have a good life that won't ever be taken for granted. I can organize myself and other people quickly when the need is there. Give me a cot, a sleeping bag, and ear plugs and I can sleep anywhere (tonight is a school gym). I can eat MRE's and enjoy them. I can be pulled out of my element and make new friends. I can take to patients in Spanish and not totally embarrass myself. I only cried once, in a police station bathroom at Port Fourchon where everything hit me all at once while listening to Pink's "18 Wheeler" on my iPod - the devastation I had seen, the patients who are try to simultaneously survive in shelters and rebuild their lives in a ruined city, missing my family and friends. I'm back in N'Awlins tomorrow with my team. I'll be home soon. Thanks for all your support that you've shown Becky and I during this time.

Port Fourchon/Grand Isle - Part 2

Port Fourchon/Grand Isle - Part 1

Down on the Bayou

Becky's update from Jason

Jason just called and his team of 10 is off to another mission. They have a caravan of a RV, minibus, minivan and a Range Rover. As Jason mentioned in his audio blog, they are going to rural Louisiana that hasn't seen any health professionals since Katrina. That makes my heart hurt. They are heading to Tribido, LA and plan to stay at least one night. He took all of his camp gear except the cot. He said they had a place to stay and will let me know where that is when he calls me tonight. It sounds like they will be doing some incredible and desperately needed work. I am so proud of him. There are times like this when I am convinced this is why Jason was meant to be a physician. What an amazing experience!

Recording Becky's e-mail update

I just wanted to have my e-mail from today to have on hand to look back on in the future.

Jason has been very busy the last 3 days. Some of you know that he has been working in a mobile unit (mini van) going around to shelters and churches. He was instrumental in getting the mobile units started. They hadn't had any, just makeshift clinics. The demand is greater in the evening since victims are looking for work and FEMA aide during the day. His team has now expanded to 10 with Docs, nurses, first response firemen (which Jason says has come in handy) and a Dept. of Public Health civil engineer (his normal work is to design and build new water facilities after a disaster). Jason's team is the 4th team out of 4 so far. They are seeing people who have had no health care since Katrina occurred. People have been off their regular meds this whole time. If a victim is living in a shelter then Jason writes a script from a special FEMA pad and that person can go to a local pharmacy and get it filled for free. I know we have heard so much bad press about FEMA and they could and should do more. There definitely should have had more preparedness, but Jason is seeing first hand the bureaucracy between local and federal governments and how difficult it seems to get things organized. Jason is seeing and working with a lot of good people trying to help our fellow Americans. The head nurse on Jason's team (she is also in that capacity in a hospital in Ann Arbor) just got word that her 18 year old son who is a quarterback had to be rushed to the hospital with probably a torn ACL. As far as I know she plans to stay with the team for now. I mention this just to illustrate that there are so many who are sacrificing to help.
In Jason's "tent city" there are 150 residents in his tent and there are about 20 of those tents. There is laundromat like tent,mess tent, showers and port-a-potties.
Jason told me last night that 3 real medical mobile unit bus like vehicles were parked outside and they were hoping to get one of those today.
Yesterday was a big day for Jason, his team, the shelter residents and FEMA relief efforts. You will hear a lot about this on the news. Jason is treating patients at the very first victim relief trailer park. Jason said it is awesome. It sounds like the President may even visit down in their area today or tomorrow. This is the first time something of this magnitude was built for disaster victims. It is in Baker, LA if you want to Google some articles. There are 580 trailers with a/c, water and sewer and they have designed it to look like a neighbor hood. Jason said once the government has acquired the land it takes 2 weeks to lay down power, establish water and sewer and move in the trailers that are equipped with government contracted supplies (sheets, dishes etc.) They can have them totally free for 18 months. There will be more of these trailer communities once they get the land. Jason has talked to many people that have been so distraught for 6 weeks and yesterday they were so happy when they saw their trailer. So many were so happy to have a regular bed. One lady offered to give Jason her air mattress when she heard he was sleeping on a cot. He declined. I sent Jason down there with a big bag of goodies to hand out to the kids. He said they are a big hit. I can imagine the sweet smiles.
The team has taken one of the trailers and using it as a vaccination clinic. The Head of the Department of Health came by and saw the work Jason's team was doing and was so thrilled. He said this is how the relief effort should work. Jason is working with people from all over the country.
Ok, I think that is all I have for now. Jason and I are so excited about the work he doing, so I wanted to pass it along.

Love to all,
Becky

FEMA trailer park in Baker, LA

Serving Shelters in Mobile Team 4

Federalization at the JFO

Arrived in Baton Rouge

Calling Baton Rouge

As many of you already know, my offer to assist medical relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims was accepted by the Department of Health and Human Services. I am leaving today for 2 weeks to work as a primary care physician for those stranded away from their homes and their doctors in the southern Louisiana area. For now, I expect to be in Baton Rouge, but I don't know if that's where I'll end up. The Government is flying me down and providing lodging (might be a cot in a tent) and meals. I'll be "federalized" which will make me a temporary, non-paid federal employee. I wanted to help this way because it is an organized response where they can put me to use right away, though my first impulse was to drive down and look for a place I could help. They saved me a spot, which also means another physician is going to get to go home and be with his or her family, just like someone will come and relieve me in two weeks so I can be with mine. Thank you in advance for all the support you are going to give Becky during these times. Anything you do for her makes it easier for me to be down there to help out. I'm so grateful for her support, your support, and the support of my colleagues, staff, and patients at my office. Depending on cell phone coverage, I'm going to try to leave audioblog comments here about how I'm doing and what I'm seeing, since I seriously doubt I'll be near a computer for 2 weeks. Just press the play button when you see it. -Jason

Aaron saying "Daddy" & "Mama"

MacQueen's Apple Butter Festival

Every year, on the 1st weekend in October we try to make it to the MacQueen's Orchard Apple Butter Festival in Holland, Ohio. This year we were able to go along with some of Alex's friends from school. We got to ride some rides, eat some treats, watch cider and apple butter being made, and of course pick some apples. Aaron tried to pick up a pumpkin about his size. Alex rode on a pony; he swears his name was "Bandam", but I suspect it was something more like "Bandana". This is one of our favorite community events that we look forward to months in advance. We came home with a half bushel of assorted apples, some apple butter, a gallon of cider, and a lot of fun memories. We can't wait until next year!