Fingers Splayed

So its been 2 weeks since my last blog. For this I apologise. Especially since the last one was so cryptic and depressing. The past 2 weeks have been - well, busy. As usual. And eventful. As usual. 


I am finishing up my current 3-month contract and transitioning into a different 2-month long one. This one will hopefully be extended further. And its infinitely more in line with my interests and hopeful plans. I cannot wait. The team that I am joining is also all men. Haha. Super cool men, and I am excited to add a little bit of gender balance to the team. I think they need it ;)


So with that, I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off most days - but its been good. I am glad to say that I got most things done and that I hope my multiple supervisors are good with the work I have done. We will see. 


BUT. The MOST eventful thing that has happened in the last 2 weeks - that deserves a story. 
So, a about 10 days ago - last Tuesday to be exact - I had just arrived into the office and had to rush over for an emergency meeting with our Health team. Just a quick consultation, because I had lots to do that morning. They are in a different office, which is about a 1 minute walk away, across a treacherous intersection. Treacherous in that the road is terrible and uneven, and the cars there drive very insane. 


Well, I have my meeting, it goes quite well and I am happily trotting back to my office to work on my various projects. When, all of a sudden, in the middle of the intersection, my show gets caught on a rock. And down, down, down I go. Now, normally I am pretty good at catching myself when I trip - I would say 9 out of 10 times. But with this, there was no way. As I go down, I am thinking, "Oh no! Cars! I am going to get run over!" I scramble back up, gather my things and then look down at my hand, because it feels weird. 


And my left index and middle fingers are going opposite directions. Definitely not normal. A WV employee who I had not met before was walking at the same time, so he saw me fall, ran over to help pick me up, and when he noticed my hand, he said "To the Health team." And all I could think was (sorry mom and dad, but this is what I thought), "Shit, I just broke my fingers...well, at least its the left hand."


So, not 2 minutes after leaving, I return to the Health team, completely covered in dirt, with my middle finger dislocated from the knuckle and my index finger displaced from the joint in the middle of the finger. I stroll in, walk up to one of our Drs and tell him calmly, "So I just fell in the street and I think I may have broken my fingers." Our doctors sprung into action. Thank goodness we have many doctors and nurses on staff and that I have worked quite closely with them because of the cholera response. They are awesome.


I tried acting very strong and stoic about it all, but inside, I could tell I was going into a small shock. I have never broken or dislocated anything, so I am not used to seeing my body like that. The doctors sit me down; I immediately put my head in between my knees. I was fighting a faint for about 20 minutes, I think. Dr. G pulled on gloves, E, the nurse, brought out some iodine and anti-bacterial liquid for my scratches, and with gentle fingers, my fingers were popped back into place (I was biting my knee for the pain) and I did not faint. Or cry. 


When the faint passed, I talked with the doctors. They thought it was not broken, but I went to a doctors office just to make sure. After the x-ray, it was confirmed that I had not broken my fingers. But I had to keep them taped up for 10 days. So, with 9 fingers, I have had to work for the last 10 days.


And my fingers are stiff, uncomfortable and it will take a lot of time before I have complete movement back in them. Geez. Haiti really does know how to through a curve ball at you. 


I look back on it now with a lot of hilarity and quite a bit of embarrassment and annoyance. There are so many much cooler ways to dislocate ones fingers than by tripping in the street. 


But as I go forward here at the response, I am making a name for myself. A name as someone who lots of stuff surrounds. Including now - stupid injuries. Haha. 


Well, onto the next position. Let's see what this one brings.