The doctors in Haiti continue to perform surgery 15 hours per day.  Many of their patients require amputations and many are children. The patients have been amazing despite all that they have endured. It has been said that Haiti will be a generation of amputees.  Clearly, that appears to be the case and many of them will need prosthetic devices down the line.  Surgeries are being performed both in the hospital and surgical tents.  It has been very hot each day, making the working conditions especially challenging.

These doctors are making a difference!  In Mark’s case, he packed a few extra items to guarantee his best work.   He plays his Ipod during surgery through a small speaker system he squeezed into his luggage because music is like Popeye’s spinach; it energizes and focuses him. He also packed the Club Helm flag, the official banner for a group of  our friends who wish to send their good vibes to Haiti, even though they can’t be there themselves.   The Club Helm “Board Members” elected to send it to Haiti on a humanitarian mission rather than take it to the outdoor hockey game in Madison, Wisconsin, a more typical destination for the flag.

The days are long and there is no air conditioning in the surgical tents.  I cannot imagine what it’s like to concentrate with unrelenting heat and no end in sight to the number of people who require surgery.   The needs of the Haitian people will not be fully met for a very long time and their needs will extend well beyond this initial phase of disaster relief.  It is overwhelming to think so much has been done during this medical mission but it’s like a taking a brick out of the pyramids: what remains is enormous!

The plane that brought them in sustained damage so new plans have to be made to get them back to the United States on Tuesday.  Hopefully, all will go well so Mark can go on his scheduled ski trip to Colorado with our son Andrew on Thursday.  Cool mountain air will probably feel like heaven.

I received a call from Mark tonight.  He had a safe trip to Haiti aboard a jet donated by a private citizen.  It took a collaborative effort and donations of time, money, and supplies from many generous people to make this trip possible.

They were mobbed at the airport by people looking for help of all sorts: food, money, whatever they could get. Meanwhile, the doctors have been performing surgeries 15 hours per day. The hospital is “decent” and there are teams from Mississippi, North Carolina, Seattle, and Italy. Mark commented that the  injured are putting up with lots of pain as they wait for help but they have been patient. They are in hospital rooms, in the hallways, out on the hospital porch, and in the park.  There are few emergency amputations, only revisions of existing procedures.  There are plenty of  other broken bones requiring attention. Also, they are slowly getting organized making sure the surgical patients receive follow-up care.  At first, it was difficult to do surgery and also monitor the recovery of those who had already had a procedure. They are close to the U.S. Embassy at this point.  They expect to see worse conditions when they travel to outlying areas.  One could see fires tonight, about a mile from the hospital, and Mark speculated that they were  burning those who had perished in the earthquake.

I will blog about this tomorrow once I receive photos. All he had for me tonight was the photo of the plane. Mark has always wanted to be a pilot (and I have always protested insisting it was dangerous),  so I am not surprised he sent me this picture first.  He is forever a funny guy.

On January 28th, my husband will go to Haiti for 10 days to perform surgery on the victims of the recent earthquake in that country.  It is impossible to imagine what he will encounter when he gets there.  Haiti was not in good shape prior to this disaster but now he will probably see enough death, destruction, and human suffering that would rattle most people.  Mark is no stranger to less than optimal conditions having worked in an inner-city trauma hospital in Detroit;  several Jamaican medical missions; and as part of a team performing surgery in Honduras.  This is likely to be much worse though.  It will be hot. Food and sanitation might be limited.  There will probably be bodies not yet recovered from the rubble. The people will be desperate.   How does one keep the edge amid all of this misery?

My husband is a pretty introverted guy.  He is polite but often intimidating when you first meet him. He has South Dakota manners but he is not one to schmooze or chit chat when we have company.  Once he has said hello,  he will quickly disappear into his lair to do medical charts, look at antique cars or trains on Ebay or watch the History Channel.  However, once you get to know him, he can be quite engaging and he is actually quite a prankster.  Still, much of the time he is quite contained.

However,Mark has an incredible capacity to focus especially under the most demanding circumstances.  In 1991, during the Halloween blizzard in Minnesota, he performed 25 emergency surgeries on hands that had gotten caught in snow blowers.  He did them one right after the other for 36 hours straight. I used to think he pushed himself to the limit so he could earn “suffering points” and I would then have to treat him extra nice but I have learned such is not the case.  The harder he has to work, the more competent he becomes.  He also sets high standards for himself and those around him. At times, this can be nerve- wracking for our family. As one daughter put it, “Every time he walks in the door, I feel like I have to be doing something!”  However, once he casts his critical eye, he usually moves on to one of his projects and we can all relax!

Haiti has the right man for the job. I have no doubt that Mark will relish the challenge of repairing as many orthopaedic injuries as he can despite the deplorable conditions he is likely to face.  It is probably to his advantage that he tends to be stoic because otherwise, he might become overwhelmed.  I am somewhat concerned about his safety but I know he is wired for this type of work.  Ever since he missed the first opportunity to go because he left his phone in the car for 2 days (typical), he has been pacing around looking for the inroad.  Now that the plan is set, he is energized.  So off you go, Mark E. Holm, M.D.!  I hope they can find a bed long enough to handle your 6 foot 5 frame!  Probably not…

Since many of my blogs are about the unique gifts of each Myers-Briggs personality type, I might as well reveal Mark’s type.  He is an INTJ, the master of focus, hard work and ingenuity. I know he will use these strengths to bring relief to the victims of this earthquake. Our family is very proud of him!