Disabilities in Shada
Juline and I did a follow up visit in Shada today with regards to two of the initial patient visits. The first lady, with weakness down one side said she had been feeling worse since the cold weather has started and spends a lot of her time in bed.
I encouraged her to continue with the stretches and to move around regularly to prevent worsening symptoms. On discussion on what she enjoys/needs to be doing on our last visit, it transpired that she is very keen to be able to start sewing again. She struggles mainly because her arm shakes when she uses it which makes her lose control and co-ordination. Today we looked into this: by sitting at her table, with her arm supported on a pillow she was able to use it well enough to sew a straight line along two pieces of fabric. Her end goal is to be able to sew some clothes to sell, therefore on our next visit we will look at ways we can make tracing a design onto fabric easier for her.
The second lady we saw was the lady who has lost the use of her legs and has spent the last 7 years on the floor. It was wonderful to see the change in her today. Firstly, her bed room is now fully set up to optimise her function: it is at the right height for her to be able to stand up from, but without getting wet from flooding. Not only has she been practising standing up and sitting down, but she also been walking with the frame we gave her on the last visit. She can now safely walk around her room, allowing her to access the things she needs to cook, clean and wash her dishes. She still relies on neighbours to fetch water, food etc, but her quality of life is much improved.
Hannah Steadman
Cap Haitien Health Network and MSF
(509) 38922129
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