Bob's log from Haiti
A volunteer's story of Comfort
For two weeks in February, American Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter volunteer Bob Wiltz served aboard the U.S. Naval Service Comfort hospital ship, just off the coast of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
Wiltz, of Peoria, is an experienced disaster volunteer and an expert on mental health. He holds a doctorate in psychology; at his “day job,” Wiltz works in Morris and Romeoville in an outpatient mental health clinic.
His job after the earthquake? Providing mental health support to translators on the ship. Reached by phone after his Feb. 5 orientation, Wiltz said the Creole interpreters were facing a lot of stress when translating between medics and patients on the 1,000-bed hospital ship. “There’s going to be a lot of sights and sounds and smells that they’re going to have very challenging memories about,” he said. “Probably the most important thing that we will do is help them identify their strengths and how they can build resilience.”
For Wiltz — who has helped at many disasters, including Hurricane Katrina — this deployment has added meaning: “My dad was in the Navy in World War II. He didn’t talk about it much. ... So I want to see the ship.”
Wiltz joined more than 500 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers already in Haiti.
With Bob now safely back in central Illinois, we thought we’d share entries from Facebook posted during his deployment aboard the Comfort.
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2.13.10
Greetings from the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort--all 300 yards long and 10 stories high of it! Everyone's donations have made a difference--I'm watching Red Cross translators and Navy medics working together to make sure doctors and patients can communicate. The Haitian patients are appreciative, recovering, and starting to smile again! And it's 90 degrees here! Who could ask for anything more? --Bob Wiltz
2.13.10
I pulled the night shift. It took 2 days to adjust my sleep. It's taking longer to adjust my stomach to the food.... But I'm doing great. It was discouraging at first--so much happened so fast--but things started getting better ...on day 4, and now it's day 8. I'm meeting the most amazing people, with the most amazing stories!
2.13.10
I don't know when I'll be able to communicate again--go on shift in 15 minutes, then tomorrow have to work a double shift as we "out-process" 8 translators who are leaving, and maybe some others. Project Hope medics, Operation Smile, and Naval Reserves. Working with ...the Navy chaplain, psychiatrist, and psychologist.
2.15.10
ICU. 14 y/o girl, bricks fell on face, fractured orbital bone, palate, mandible. Yesterday 14 hr surgery, peeled back face, fixed bones from inside, put face back. Tonight she points to throat. Translator called, explains she feels she's choking. Nurse tells her thru translator swelling better after today, gives her morphine. She relaxes. Nurse thanks translator, says patient will be not only ok, but beautiful.
2.16.10
While I was in ICU tonite, a 6 y/o boy, cried out. Navy nurse called for Red Cross translator. "Is he in pain or scared?" Creole talk. "His neck hurts and he feels suffocated by his neck brace." Nurse made adjustments, crying continued. More Creole. Then "Can you lower the head of the bed?" Nurse did so, crying decreased. More Creole. "Can you lower it more?" Nurse did so, crying stopped. Then on to the next patient.
2.16.10
Baby Isabella story in 420 characters: Mom pulled from rubble 8 days after quake, 6 1/2 months pregnant, fractured pelvis, water leaking. Baby born on USNS Comfort, 2 1/2#. Rallied with breathing and feeding tube, then deteriorated. Docs discussed with mom, decided to pull tubes, let baby die peacefully. Pulled tubes. ...Baby started breathing on her own. Improved, gained weight, transferred to land facility 3 days ago.
2.16.10
I walked through Cas/Rec (Casualty Receiving) today, and checked in with a Red Cross translator. As we spoke, I noticed a woman in a wheelchair with one arm amputated, watching me. I turned and said "Sak pase?" (How are you doing?) She was oviously tired and stressed, but she managed a sleight smile and responded "Nap ...boule." (Striving) It is the standard Haitian response, and speaks volumes about their character.
2.16.10
Again in ICU, I watched a 7 y/o girl sleep as the Navy nurse and Red Cross translator told me how she had been brought to the ship with a bone frangment in her brain--and tetanus. The brain surgery was successful, but she had to be intubated 7 times due to the tetanus. No land hospital in Haiti has the resources needed for these kinds of patients. She survived, is thriving, and will be discharged soon.
2.17.10
Part 1 of several Parts (due to posting size limitations). I continue to bear witness to the teamwork between the Navy medical personnel and the American Red Cross translators as they work to alleviate the suffering of Haitian earthquake survivors on the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort. This and the next several posts... follow up on the 14 y/o girl who had a 14-hr facial surgery a couple/three days ago...
2.17.10
Part 2...Earlier tonight in ICU the Navy nurse called for a translator and asked him to explain he needed her to take the pain medication he had in his hand. She was wringing her hands, pointing to her chest, and refusing the medication, saying "I can't, I can't." The translator spoke to her in Creole but she continued to refuse. The nurse explained to us they believe the chest pain is primarily due to anxiety...
2.17.10
Part 3...but she is also experiencing intense head pressure due to the reset bones in her face beginning to fuse. Furthermore they have learned from her mother that she was buried in rubble for several days after the quake and in addition to at least 10 facial bone fractures, she had rebar piercing her throat. The surgery was successful but the swelling is only beginning to go down...
2.17.10
Part 4...If she will take the pain meds regularly, the nurse believes it will help alleviate the anxiety. But it's a Catch-22--the anxiety has to be reduced enough that she's willing to take the meds. I asked the nurse if it would be helpful if the translator suggested relaxation techniques, and he said yes. I suggested the translator explain to her that her anxiety and pain do not indicate anything is wrong.
2.17.10
Part 5...but instead are normal reactions to what she has been through, and that she might feel better if she could focus on her breathing, not trying to change it but simply concentrating on her breath as she inhales and exhales. He spoke to her in Creole, and soon the change in her eye contact and focusing suggested she was directing her attention inward. Within minutes she laid back on her upright pillow.
2.17.10
Part 6 of 6...The translator, following directions from the nurse, asked her again if she would take the pain medication. She hesitated, but agreed. Soon she was sleeping. The nurse thanked the translator, who was already was being called by another nurse to translate for a different patient, this time in the ICU isolation unit. And the night goes on...
2.17.10
We are having fun today! Woke up to a fire drill on board the USNS Comfort. Long-sleeve shirt, hat, long pants, life jacket properly fastened, and go to Lifeboat #10. Did you ever see 1100 people in life jackets? Lots of pictures. I was hoping we'd get in the lifeboat, but the drill was aborted to land a helicopter. Now I can go back to bed!
2.18.10
Part 1. My last night on board. 14 y/o ICU pt who underwent facial and throat surgery I've been following was transferred to pediatric unit today. When I came to say goodbye, she smiled broadly and waived as I approached. Her mother and stepfather(?) were visiting. Swelling way down, and she's sitting up with feet on floor talking and eating candy valentine hearts! So I grabbed a Red Cross translator.
2.18.10
Part 2 of 2...and explained to her mother I've been checking on her daughter on night shift, and admire her strength and resilience. Her mother began talking rapidly, and the translator said she was saying how fortunate they were that God helped them to the ship, and how they have been treated so wonderfully and how they will pray for us and all our friends forever. What a going-away present! I'll be home on Sunday!