Gratitude – the appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to oneself; a
general state of thankfulness and/or appreciation.

The majority of experiential studies indicate that there is an association
between gratitude and a sense of overall well being.
“We know that grateful kids are happier [and] more satisfied with their
lives,” explains Hofstra University psychology assistant professor Jeffrey
Froh in an article this week in The Washington Post. “They report better
relationships with friends and family, higher GPAs, less materialism, less
envy and less depression, along with a desire to connect to their
community and to want to give back.”

In a study of early adolescents, Froh found that kids who journaled daily
about their good fortune, over a period of two weeks, were less prone to
depression and more satisfied with their lives overall. And that optimism
and satisfaction made them more likely to take care of themselves
physically in the long-term.

That’s not all. It’s also believed to boost immune systems and lower blood
pressure over time. In a Temple University study, patients with
hypertension lowered their blood pressure just by calling a “gratitude”
hotline everyday. If it’s that effective on adults with health problems,
imagine what announcing the good things in life at early age can do.
One study showed that the gratitude group also reported getting more
sleep, spending less time awake before falling asleep and feeling more
refreshed in the morning.

In a related study, researchers at the University of Connecticut found
that gratitude can have a protective effect against heart attacks.
Studying people who had experienced one heart attack, the researchers
found that those patients who saw benefits and gains from their heart
attack, such as becoming more appreciative of life, experienced a lower
risk of having another heart attack.

The research on gratitude challenges the idea of a “set point” for
happiness, a belief that, just as our body has a set point for weight,
each person may have a genetically-determined level of happiness. The set
point concept is supported by research that shows that people return to a
characteristic level of happiness a short time after both unusually good
and unusually bad events. But the research on gratitude suggests that
people can move their set point upward to some degree, enough to have a
measurable effect on both their outlook and their health.
Summarizing the findings from studies to date, Emmons says that those who
practice grateful thinking “reap emotional, physical and interpersonal
benefits.” People who regularly keep a gratitude journal report fewer
illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more
optimistic about the future. Emmons conclusion is that gratitude is a
choice, one possible response to our life experiences.

Pyschologist Robert Emmons, author of the book “Thanks!” explains it this
way: “Our emotional systems like newness, [but] we adapt to positive life
circumstances so that before too long, the new car, the new spouse, the
new house-they don’t feel so new and exciting anymore. Gratitude makes us
appreciate the value of something, and when we appreciate the value of
something, we extract more benefits from it. ”

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR GRATITUDE
If you would like to increase the level of gratitude in your life, here
are four suggestions for getting started.

Keep a Daily Gratitude Journal
This is probably the most effective strategy for increasing your level of
gratitude. Set aside time daily to record several things that you are
grateful for. (Typically, people list three to five.) You can write when
you get up or at the end of the day. Pick a time that you will
consistently have available. The important thing is to establish the daily
practice of paying attention to gratitude-inspiring events and to write
them down. In Emmons’ words, the act of writing “allows you to see the
meaning of events going on around you and create meaning in your own
life.”

Use Visual Reminders
Two obstacles to being grateful are forgetfulness and lack of awareness.
You can counter them by giving yourself visual cues that trigger thoughts
of gratitude. Emmons says he puts Post-It notes listing his blessings in
many places, including on his refrigerator, mirrors and the steering wheel
of his car. Another strategy is to set a pager, computer or PDA to signal
you at random times during the day and to use the signal to pause and
count blessings.

Have a Gratitude Partner
Social support encourages healthy behaviors, because we often lack the
discipline to do things on our own. Just as you may be more likely to
exercise if you have an exercise partner or participate in a class, you
may be able to maintain the discipline of gratitude more easily if you
have a partner with whom to share gratitude lists and to discuss the
effects of gratitude in your life. Emmons says, “If we hang out with
ungrateful people, we will ‘catch’ one set of emotions; if we choose to
associate with more grateful individuals, the influence will be in another
direction. Find a grateful person and spend more time with him or her.”

Change Your Self-Talk
We all carry on an inner dialogue with ourselves that is often called
“self-talk.” When this inner conversation is negative, our mood is usually
low. Research has shown that we can change our mood by changing the tone
of the things we say to ourselves.

HOW TO SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE

Send a hand-written thank you note
Many say thank you by phone or when you get a gift. Although the gesture
is still appreciated, there’s something extra-special about getting a
hand-written thank you note; maybe it’s that so few do it anymore. Next
time you have a reason to thank someone for doing a certain gesture,
consider sending a note in the mail.

Give a card and gift for no reason
When someone has been going through a tough time, accomplished a goal, or
did something nice for you, send a card in the mail with a gift card
attached. It can be something as simple as a $10 gift card to a local
coffee shop, but the gesture alone can mean a lot.

Dine out
If a loved one took you out for coffee, drinks, or dinner when you needed
to talk or just go out for a good time, return the favor by taking that
person out to the same place. You don’t even necessarily have to wait
until it’s needed; it could just be a fun outing for the two of you.

Give someone a break
Chances are you know someone who could use a break — maybe the person has
been sick for a few days and can’t make it to the store. If this person
has gone out of their way for you when you needed a break, show your
gratitude by helping out in return.

Give Items Away
If there are any items you no longer need, even something as seemingly
simple as cardboard boxes, ask around to see if anyone needs them instead
of throwing them out. There are also quite a few online sites that have
sections where people can give away items for free to those that could
make use of them. The chance to receive free items can be especially
useful for those that are experiencing a financial hardship.

Sending a note, offering your help, even surprising someone with their
favorite coffee — no gesture of gratitude is ever too small. You’d be
surprised how big of an impact a gesture of gratitude can have.

Complimentary Homeopathic Consultations
Saturday, March 12, 11am–12:30pm
Lisette Narragon, Certified Classical Homeopath of Bay Area Homeopathy
Come prepared with your questions about homeopathy, be it about specific ailments or general questions about how homeopathy works. These 15-minute consultations are a great way to learn more about this fascinating modality.

We really had a great day today, working at the Baptist Mission in Delmar, a section of PAP.

It was a Jesus kind of day

It was our first time treating people directly from the tent camps and neighborhoods of PAP. And we definitely saw some things you could never see in the states, recurrent, periodic fevers (malaria? dengue?), skin afflictions that were rampant (see the photos), LOTS of scabies, and tons of fungus of all types and severities.

These are the guys who teach the Bible school

Getting people to give us the info we need is definitely a challenge. Most people sit down, say they have a headache and stomach and then wait for medicine. When we ask things like “what makes it better and worse? describe the pain? what was happening when you got this sickness?”, they are dumbfounded at first. Then they catch on that this is a bit more than just a laundry list of complaints,

Scabies on an infant

that we are here to truly listen to the whole story. That WHO I am matters as well, with questions like “does the sun affect you? how have you felt since the earthquake, any new symptoms since then? what makes you anxious?”.

We saw many children today,

Only one of the many fungus cases

from the child who was clearly in perfect health, beautiful skin, no digestive problems to the one covered, absolutely covered in scabies and just recovering from a bout of diarrhea.

Sometimes the remedies are crystal clear in the first 2 sentences, and other times we just hope that we have found something close, because there is so little to go on…

We will definitely go back to this place, I can’t help but wonder about that little one with the cracked lips and fingers covered in fungus of some kind, will the remedy help?

She had the worst case of cracked skin I had ever seen

Does she need another dose before I can get back? Sitting here tonight, packing my bags and checking out of the hotel, I feel ambivalent. Sure, i am ready for some creature comforts like a good cup of tea, but today was really the reason I came here and I am filled with gratitude. Many of the kids we saw today do not go to school because they do not have the $250 required to pay for school for one year. One of the volunteers with us, Greg Meyer, is gathering funds to help pay for some of the kids to go to school.

She confounded us all, how could she stand the heat in that dress????

The gate to the hotel

and I was just too tired to write anything. So here goes, a 2 day summary….

A happy patient: no more fever!

Yesterday we were at St. Vincent’s again, and had a chance to see some return patients which is always nice. Here is a picture of one who came with a raging fever and cough, and after 2 doses of Belladonna was totally fine, you can see his big grin in the picture. With this kind of work, it is hard to get any follow up information, but at St. Vincent’s there is that opportunity since we return there every month or so.

We saw a whole group of children who had actually  come for a consultation with the pediatrician and orthopedist, but had to settle for the Homeopaths! The doctors never showed, which is not unusual for Haiti. So we helped those we could who had flu symptoms or digestive problems.

Today we returned to the nursing school, but not to teach, to see some of the nurses who had need of help. We treated about 40 of them in 1.5 hours.

Intro to Homeopathy for the Second Year Students

Brief consultations where you are listening for the strange symptom to stand out and point to a remedy, such as headache over the right eye in one particular spot. Or joint pain that is better when moving and worst right when you get out of bed in the morning. A style of prescribing that is quite different from how I work at my clinic, but these people have so little suppression from medications that there are indeed very clear and concise symptoms. It is often quite easy to see the remedy.

After that, we went to lunch again at the Hotel Oluffson and  had a delicious Haitian meal with a woman who is a friend of one of our volunteers.

Then she and her driver took us to the house of an old woman who worked for her family for years. She had an ulcer on her leg that had not healed.

Is that smile infectious?

So we gave her a remedy and some calendula lotion, and on the way out we treated 2 families who stopped us to say they were ill…It was the first time we were in anyone’s home and it is quite an eye opener.

Next stop, Petionville, which is in the mountains above PAP and used to be the nicest part of Haiti. There we could use an ATM, get more money on the cell phone, and do some shopping. You can’t imagine how many people are here, they are in the streets walking, in the shops, selling all manner of things from chewing gum to turtle shells!

We also had to  buy minutes for our cell phone, and

Yes, he is taking water from the gutter

you can stop at any number of red umbrellas set up on the roadside, where a man will recharge your phone and collect your money. It is unbelievable that it actually worked!

So now to the cholera question. Here is what I know: It was brought to Haiti by a group of UN Nepalese workers. There had been an outbreak in Nepal this summer and the workers were set up in a camp on the Artibonite River in the north of Haiti. The first cases were all just down from this camp. there is little doubt that is where it originated.

It has arrived in PAP from people who had come from that area. It is in a tent camp here, and the fear is that it could spread quite quickly from there, being that the conditions are perfect for an epidemic. So, we are being careful, and even at lunch today at the hotel we did not eat salad, as the woman who was with us, being Haitian, warned us to avoid it. But it is not yet rampant in PAP, and is yet to be seen whether it will be.

Four tired Homeopaths

The sad thing is that it has not been in Haiti in 60 years, and is not endemic to this area. However, with the trauma of th earthquake, and the living conditions of thousands and thousands of Haitians, it could become quite a problem. One thing that is interesting about it, is that once again susceptibility plays a role. Not everyone drinking from the contaminated river water has gotten cholera.

Tomorrow we head off to treat we don’t know who in a place we have never been with a driver we just met yesterday. So hopefully it will all work out, and I will post the results of another great day in PAP tomorrow!

Shoes for sale on the street near the Hotel

This morning we went again to the nursing school, Notre Dame, L’Ecole Des Sciences Infirmieres and taught a Homeopathic First Aid Course. This is the beginning of a certificate course we hope to offer over the next several months.

Our translator for the day - Gina

The day went very well, the students (all women) are as enthusiastic as the first group I taught in September. We will be back in January to teach the next part of the course. I will also be fundraising a bit to cover the tuition costs for the nurses, more on that later…

Several of the nurses came up to us at the end and wanted to know if we had a remedy for this or that,

We gave out packets of Arnica to all the students

so we offered to come back on Thursday and run a small clinic for them. They were thrilled, so that is the plan for Thursday, Wednesday we are back at St. Vincent’s.

Lunch was at the Hotel Oluffson which I had gone to on the last trip. There was an art display of voo-doo art by Edmond Ronald. You may see for yourself what that type of art is like!

Artwork in the garden of Hotel Oluffson

We had a great lunch on the verandah of rice and beans and goat cheese salad, a real Haitian treat!

Joseph, our driver’s car broke down, so we had a new driver Joseph hired for us to ferry us around who drove much more slowly and conservatively than Joseph (which was fine with me!) Driving in PAP is such an experience, there is so little adherence to any rules or logic, it is the bravest driver with the loudest horn who rules the intersection.

We just went up on the verandah to view the sunset from the third floor of the hotel, and were reminded once again of how we all share the same planet, sky, sun, disappointment, and joy. For me, being here is such a blessing, I feel very fortunate to be able to do this work and be a small part of Haiti’s future.

Wall of a makeshift home...

Had to lean in close to hear her

I arrived in Port au Prince on Sunday morning to a sunny, cool day. I can’t believe how much cooler it is this month than in September, really comfortable temperature in the 80′s during the day and 70 ‘s at night. We have 3 new volunteers with us this time, so our first meeting was to brief them on how things would go at St. Vincent’s and what to expect for the week’s activities. One of the volunteers if a good photographer who has contributed the pictures you see, which is such a treat.

We went to St. Vincent’s on Monday morning and were pleasantly met with lots of activity there. Much construction going on in the courtyard of the school: new classrooms, offices, dormitories, and a place to build the prosthetics were all done or under construction.

An outside consultation

We saw several children we had treated on previous trips, and many new ones. School was in full session this week, so there were many who wanted our services. Some come just to have the opportunity to see what we are about, and have some private attention. We don’t turn anyone away, and for the small ones, we give sugar pellets that are unmedicated so they feel good about coming to the clinic!

The clinic has moved into a "permanent tent"

I did notice that there is less rubble, less trash in the streets, but not much building is going on. I hear that more building is happening in places like Jacmel, Gonavives and Leogane. This is largely because there is more available land, and the land is not owned by people who have no money to rebuild, it is mostly owned by the government.

As always we have met the most interesting people doing relief work here. Two men from Minnesota are setting up a bio-diesel plant in a small village outside PAP using a plant called Jatropha. An easy to grow, quick growing plant that can provide cooking oil or fuel for a generator or car. So they want to develop land here to grow the plant and provide jobs for locals.

Tomorrow we go to teach again at Notre-Dame in the morning. We are beginning an acute care course for the nurses that will run for several months. Things seem to be moving along a bit, but very slowly.     More tomorrow…

Teaching at Notre Dame Nursing School

We had not confirmed the details of the class so did not really know what to expect for the size of the class or the length of it. It can be difficult to get information before you arrive in Haiti, even with email!

So they are ready and waiting for us when we arrive, and turns out we have 65 students and all day if we wish, however I quickly say 3 hours is enough, having truly prepared for 1 hour. But the real clincher was, I had to do it in French, the students did not really understand English well enough, or so they said.

The class at Notre Dame nursing school

This was a HUGE stretch for me, my French used to be good, but is very rusty. However, with the help of one of the teachers who translated a bit, and the girls shouting out the words I could not remember, we got through it. I covered a little history of homeopathy, some basic principles, and 8 remedies for first aid and things they might need there.

The questions were very well thought out and pertinent, and the feedback was tremendous. They were polite, interested, and want us back for more, even had a discussion with the head of the school about coming every month to teach in detail on each aspect of homeopathy.

We had samples of Arnica to give out, which was one of the remedies I taught, and that was a big hit. Everyone had someone they thought of who needed it.

It was something I never would have thought I could do, and that very morning I had said to my team mates, I can teach anything about Homeopathy, but never in French! Hah!

Colonial era restaurant in PaP

After that, we went to lunch at a beautiful, old colonial restaurant and enjoyed the view and the ambiance there. There is not a lot of beauty in PaP, but once you get above the city even a little, it can be quite nice.

View from the restaurant

After lunch, off to St. Vincent’s to teach some homeopathy to the nurse there, Michelle, and leave her with some basic remedies to use. We treated a few people who asked, but were all pretty burned out by then. Back to the hotel for a swim and now a bit of business to take care of. I write this blog and a synopsis for the Board of Homeopaths Without Borders every day.

There is a group of French people here trying to adopt about 8 Haitian babies, some have been trying for 5 years, others only 2. They are staying, with the children at our hotel. It is really something to see, these children so attached to their adoptive parents and yet knowing that once again, they may have to leave them behind if the officials do not let them take them home with them.

So much goes on at this hotel, it is fascinating just to watch the comings and goings and hear people’s stories. I told my husband that yesterday I talked to a 2 star American general without even realizing who he was! He was very nice, too. We met a young woman who was here after graduating with a degree in public health, who had come with a NGO to “rubble” (remove rubble from the earthquake), but had eventually ended up doing excel spreadsheets for the St. Croix Hospital in Leogane, which is funded by the presbyterian and epsicopalian churches. She was happy to leave the “rubbling” for a desk job, but sort of missed it!

Market on the outskirts of Port Au Prince

We leave tomorrow with mixed feelings, it is so very difficult to be here, both physically with the heat, dust, and lack of amenities, but also emotionally – the devastation really gets to you. Sometimes I ride in the car with my eyes closed, I just cannot look at any more rubble, trash, or poverty. But then, after teaching today, I found myself anxious to return, I thought well, the next class can’t occur without me! I am a part of what is happening here in Haiti and want to continue to be!

Mary and Lisette taking a case at St. Vincent's on Monday

Some of the same children and staff returned, but there were also many new people we treated. It is a great place to be, the school is well run, clean, kids are happy and well cared for. It is a joy to help them and especially to see how they help one another. We are on the second floor, (with no elevator of course) and the kids in wheelchairs are helped up by the blind kids, and the blind kids are led by one another, or by the children with other physical disabilities. Truly a place where you are reminded much stronger we are when acting as a unit!

Our last task yesterday was to clear out the storage space we had from the previous trips. It was at the L’Hopital Francais, and was quite a task. Sorting through everything that was brought down here for the earthquake, deciding what to keep and jettison, took several hours. But we pared it down to only homeopathic remedies, and then only those we think we would truly use, and we are fortunate to be able to store them at St. Vincent’s.

The September '10 Team - Lisette, Lauren, Joseph and Mary

The second day, today, we had an appointment with the head of the Nursing School in Leogane, about 25 miles from Port au Prince. She had to cancel at the last minute, but we went anyway, hoping to just see the school, check out the town, decide if we wanted to try to set something up there. And mostly, frankly, to get out of Port au Prince, it is a truly depressing place. There is little to redeem it, and the longer you are here, the harder it is. Always hot, so so so many people walking all over, such destruction still apparent on every street, and not much change.

The trip to Leogane took about 1.5 hours, it is only 25 miles, but we never went over 30mph, the roads were mostly atrocious.

Goats and pigs rummaging in the trash for food, a common site along the road to Leogane

There were some stretches of smooth road, but even that had been altered by the earthquake, as though the road just shifted on one side. But it is a pretty ride, all along the sea, very green, and not many people, mostly countryside. Lots of sugar cane fields, and wheelbarrows of sugar cane being sold as a snack.

We finally found the nursing school, after going to the St. Croix hospital

Weighing the Baby at St. Croix Hospital in Leogane

first, then taking a young man with us to direct us who ended up not really knowing where it was, then stopping and asking people on the street. This group then offered to come with us and lead us there, which did finally get us to the destination. From there it was easy, we met with the head of the academia, got a tour, and met many students. They are open to having us teach there for one full week in November or December, so it was a successful trip. Although I have learned that, in Haiti, nothing is sure until you are face to face with them. Things change considerably moment to moment.

The "sea" vendor at the beach along Route Neuf

We left the nursing school and stopped at a beach on the way back that our drive, Joseph, knew about. The first time I put my big toe into the sea since I have been coming here. It was incredibly warm, warmer than the cold water out of the tap in Port au Prince. But still very nice to see the color and enjoy the green, lush landscape.

Back in Port au Prince now, took a swim at the hotel which is like heaven, you are so hot, sticky and dusty that you feel someone has just lifted you up and dropped you in a tropical oasis here at the Plaza.

A beautiful spot on road to Leogane

There is a large group of American service men and women who are staying here tonight, having been here as part of the UN peacekeeping force. Also many other people from other countries doing all types of work stay here.

Tomorrow we are off to the Notre Dame nursing school, and I am teaching an introduction to Homeopathy class to adminstration and students. We hope to set up some future classes there also.

Better than a tent!

Will write more tomorrow night…

Pictures coutesy of Lauren Fox