Before the storm-- preparation

There's a lot about this cholera outbreak in Haiti that brings back into my mind the panic that surrounds two sets of circumstances that I've experienced at times earlier in my life.  Snowstorms and hurricanes.

Now, while I grew up the first half of my life in New Jersey and the second half (pre-Haiti of course) in North Carolina and so you'd think the snowstorms would apply to NJ and the hurricanes would apply to NC.  Not so much.  Really, NJ was pretty used to big snowstorms, so even thought they would come and go, people didn't get their panties in a bunch about them.

Now.  NC is another story completely.

For whatever reason, when there is a hurricane/tropical storm watch impending, OR the suggestions of the possibility of snow flurries... all heck breaks loose.  People leave work early days in advance to stock up on  milk, bread, and eggs.  Water.  Snow shovels.  De-icing spray.  Generators.  Snowblowers.  Shelves in the stores are empty and there are lines of people shoving their way to the cash registers while attempting to hide and protect their coveted supplies.

With the outbreak of cholera inching it's way south and the expectation that it will hit Port Au Prince in a somewhat significant way, we've been doing our own "before the storm" preparation.  We've been going tent to tent in the camps in Jacmel handing out Kreyol flyers that explain basic sanitation practices, explains how diseases are spread and steps people can take to protect their family.  We also are handing out hand-washing instructions and bars of soap.

Yesterday though, I started realizing that this is all well and good, but what if cholera actually makes it to MY home?  I have 10 kids and 6 adults who live in my house.  I realized I probably needed to head to the pharmacy to stock up on antibiotics, rehydration salts, IV supplies, bottled water, etc.  And so out I headed.  I expected that this late in the game, some of these things might be challenging to find.  But I was wrong.  At the pharmacy they had everything I needed and there were no lines.  The merchant (unaware that I was buying stuff preventively) asked who was sick.  I told him that no one was sick, but we had an orphanage and wanted to be prepared with necessary supplies if cholera reached Jacmel.  He sort of raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh yeah, that's a good idea."  (As if the idea had never occurred to him.)

And then it hit me.  Yeah, the idea wouldn't occur to most people in Haiti.  There's a stereotype present here that Haitians live for the day.  I have found some merit to that.  Why would people save a bunch of money, when they don't know if tomorrow they are going to get sick and die?  Or a hurricane would come wipe everything away?  Or an earthquake.  So yeah, that's the first reason it wouldn't occur to Haitian people to prepare in this way.

The second factor is simply economic.  We have the reserve to spend $50US to do a little preparation for our family in case the worst happens.  Not so much with most families here.  In fact, that would be out of the question for nearly all families here.  Especially considering the hospitals will (should) have these supplies and they can get them for free.  Sure, you have to fight the lines of puking, diarrhea-ridden people for a corner of space on the ground as you wait for a doctor or nurse to see you, then go find the supplies (which they hopefully have) and then get you hooked up to fluids... but it's really your only option.  And it takes time.  Haitians are good at waiting, but when we're talking about this cholera killing in literally a matter of hours...  well, will there be time?

So I have these dual emotions tugging at me.  On the one hand I feel like I've made wise choices trying to get some basic supplies prepared in case the worst happens.  But on the other hand, I just feel like a stupid rich white girl... thinking about myself and my family and setting up things so that we'd get better medical attention in case the worst happens.  

It's a hard line to walk.  One which I think there simply isn't a good answer.