Resuscitating, Running, Remembering

All this passes too quickly for me to comprehend, or even feel. Being awakened, most often by stagnant heat, or sometimes by action--like this morning with both a late night C-section and then another early a.m. call about an older lady who died from some kind of metastatic cancer. And then work the day: talk, walk, carry, sweat. Computer at night. Pulling off my glasses for bed, I often can barely remember the day.

Wait, stop and remember:
A baby born Sunday morning, depressed. A team makes valiant efforts to resuscitate her, unsuccessful. Mother doesn't want the body, so we give them a box and 500 gds

Before that birth, a woman walks in our door in the midst of an abortion. Pills are cheap on the street. MSF is taking care of most complicated OB/GYN in the area, and reports fervently that dangerous street abortions are currently one of the most prevalent earthquake-related traumas.

But then, a couple weeks ago, I delivered two babies to happy mothers (under mentorship of a dynamic OB doc). Amazing how new life just slips out.

And rode up to Fondwa with a group in the back of John Parker's truck. Suzi packed lunch for the mountainside. [John & Suzi run the HSC guesthouse, wonderful people]. The mountains are deforested, yes. But also thick groves of banana and coffee trees. And plots of bean plants. And signs for farming cooperatives.

Ran to Plage St Luke, a fishing community, with Abbey today [she's a partner in this crazy job]. Followed by all from 4 year old boys to teenage girls. Stopped to talk with the village people once reached the beach. They know our names. I struggle to remember theirs.

We'll keep running, but hope to see more of what flashes by on the way.