Another popular question I get is "how bad is the medical?". It is funny when we preface a question with "how bad".
My answer is this. Roatan's private hospitals are great clinics. Roatan's public hospitals are terrible at best. Overall I was very happy with all my trips to the private hospitals. I would highly encourage anyone to go and visit Miss Peggy's and make a donation to her free clinic. The clinic has grown over the years and I would feel safe going back with its medical capacity it now has.
I know that my feelings about the public hospital situation sounds harsh so let me explain my own personal observations and feelings for each hospital type on Roatan.
The private hospitals such as Miss Peggy's and Anthony's key are staffed with Doctor's who are given the appropriate equipment for your entry to mid level medical care. I would consider this care from any type of scrapes to compound bone fractures. I do not believe they have the equipment or trained staff to pull out a clot causing a stoke. I have never found either hospital above to unsanitary or untrained/unsupervised staff. My family and I have taken many visits and even had house calls performed by both of the above listed hospitals and have found them to be professional, trained and prepared when needed. The cost for either hospital I believe is $25 bucks to be admitted plus your prescription which total cost never exceeded by $15 dollar copay in the US. I really wish the US had set ups like this.
The public hospitals are in need of great help in Roatan. I would really need to be on my death bed to be admitted to either one of the public hospitals that I am aware of in Coxen Hole. Inappropriate equipment, staff and training are key factors to these hospitals functioning. Our last visit to one of these hospitals was for my sons circumcision. You would not think that circumcision these days is too difficult a task, but knowing of the problems that had happened to others we decided to only use the chef of the bay islands surgeon for the job. What was supposed to have been a 15 to 20 minute ordeal turned into 48 hours of near death from our child. Looking back at the experience I can only say the following things: 1. The hospital does not carry any child or infant sized needles. 2. They do not have any medical equipment for monitoring children. 3. The incubators they put children in are rusted shut. 4. The oxygen units do not exist for the incubators. 5. Insufficent pediatric care avaliable. 6. Insufficent trained staff to assist patients medical needs especially during the night shift. 7. No running water. 8. Unsanitary equipment. I am not saying that they do not try hard to make end meet in the public hospitals or trying to demean them in anyway. They need a lot of work and those who are working hard need more help.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Our children
One of the first questions we always get asked is "what did your children think?" Our kids had an amazing time. They lived a pretty normal life if you ask me. A bit more spoiled than I ever was as Jamie and I had employees, but the kids only had friends. They loved the staff and the staff loved them.
It is easy to let time fly by when you are having fun. I often forget about how young our kids were when we actually moved to Roatan. This picture was Kiah on her first Birthday shortly after we arrived. We were couped up in one of our future rooms... me, Jamie, Kenda, Kiah and my Mom who came to help! Gabe was born on the island in our bedroom much later.
This is a picture of the girls and Gabe. They were so excited to have a baby brother!
Life for the girls was pretty normal. Especially after we got Meg who was the runt of bunch of rot puppies. She really turned out to be a great dog and now resides with some of our good friends who adopted her. Poor judgement on my part really... if you are going to own a resort don't buy a dog that people can wind up at breakfast and then expect the non-dog lovers to be happy when she comes and grabes their childrens hands still trying to play. Not a good idea... maybe in hindsite I could have got a spider out of the jungle:)
One nice thing about Central America for the kids is that every birthday came with a pinata! The kids always looked forward to everyones birthday because no matter how young or old you are someone still gets you a pinata! This one was for my 30th Birthday. Kenda sure did try hard.
My wife and I still laugh at this photo with Paul the fireman. He is our resorts fire dancer who became our kids rolemodel in life. They still dance to his fire music which really is not that great for a 5 year old to listen to and talk about how much they miss him. We made a ton of friends in Roatan which we are really to have met and try to come back and see as often as possible.
The one thing that Roatan always had for the kids was sand. Lots and lots of sand was available. This picture was taken in the front of the resort prior to our departure back to the US. I don't know why kids think the sand was always so much fun, but they always enjoyed building something out of it. I always felt bad after they would do something like this thinking it sure would make me mad if I had to come and rake this out, but never a word was said. The employees loved the kids so much they would help them find sand crabs under stuff around the resort for the kids. They would tear the legs off the crabs so the kids could play with them without getting pinched! After a couple of talks with the employees it was decided the kids should only have small crabs that they could hold without getting pinched.
Great hair was always a plus too for the kids. Nicole at the top became a lot like a second daughter while we were in Roatan. She was the daughter of one of my favorite cooks Nona-Sue. She started helping out Jamie on Saturdays when the guests would check in. As the kids became older Nicole helped out more around the house and with the kids. The kids still talk about her and miss her like crazy.
Overall I would say our kids had a great time in Roatan. While they were there they learned a ton of stuff that other people may never get to experience in a life time. At the same time they missed a ton of experiences here in the US with our families. It is difficult to put one experience above another. Looking back I would have made the same choice, but perhaps traveled back to the states a bit more to see family and friends with them.
It is easy to let time fly by when you are having fun. I often forget about how young our kids were when we actually moved to Roatan. This picture was Kiah on her first Birthday shortly after we arrived. We were couped up in one of our future rooms... me, Jamie, Kenda, Kiah and my Mom who came to help! Gabe was born on the island in our bedroom much later.
This is a picture of the girls and Gabe. They were so excited to have a baby brother!
Life for the girls was pretty normal. Especially after we got Meg who was the runt of bunch of rot puppies. She really turned out to be a great dog and now resides with some of our good friends who adopted her. Poor judgement on my part really... if you are going to own a resort don't buy a dog that people can wind up at breakfast and then expect the non-dog lovers to be happy when she comes and grabes their childrens hands still trying to play. Not a good idea... maybe in hindsite I could have got a spider out of the jungle:)
One nice thing about Central America for the kids is that every birthday came with a pinata! The kids always looked forward to everyones birthday because no matter how young or old you are someone still gets you a pinata! This one was for my 30th Birthday. Kenda sure did try hard.
My wife and I still laugh at this photo with Paul the fireman. He is our resorts fire dancer who became our kids rolemodel in life. They still dance to his fire music which really is not that great for a 5 year old to listen to and talk about how much they miss him. We made a ton of friends in Roatan which we are really to have met and try to come back and see as often as possible.
The one thing that Roatan always had for the kids was sand. Lots and lots of sand was available. This picture was taken in the front of the resort prior to our departure back to the US. I don't know why kids think the sand was always so much fun, but they always enjoyed building something out of it. I always felt bad after they would do something like this thinking it sure would make me mad if I had to come and rake this out, but never a word was said. The employees loved the kids so much they would help them find sand crabs under stuff around the resort for the kids. They would tear the legs off the crabs so the kids could play with them without getting pinched! After a couple of talks with the employees it was decided the kids should only have small crabs that they could hold without getting pinched.
Great hair was always a plus too for the kids. Nicole at the top became a lot like a second daughter while we were in Roatan. She was the daughter of one of my favorite cooks Nona-Sue. She started helping out Jamie on Saturdays when the guests would check in. As the kids became older Nicole helped out more around the house and with the kids. The kids still talk about her and miss her like crazy.
Overall I would say our kids had a great time in Roatan. While they were there they learned a ton of stuff that other people may never get to experience in a life time. At the same time they missed a ton of experiences here in the US with our families. It is difficult to put one experience above another. Looking back I would have made the same choice, but perhaps traveled back to the states a bit more to see family and friends with them.
The begining
This blog is created to help others with the questions that never really get answered. After living on the island of Roatan for over 3 years and having taken many trips prior and after our experience living there I feel my wife and I have taken some time to reflect on our experience.
In all honesty, we both will tell you that it is the most amazing vacation spot we have ever been to. It is beautiful, safe and peaceful. The local people are friendly and tend to work hard to make the ends meet in life that we so often don't even think about. Needs such drinking water, holes in the roof and a good pair of shoes are needs that I have never missed. On the island though for many it is a different story.
Part of the reason we went was to change our own lives and the other part was to change others lives. It has been an adventure doing both. We have learned some amazing lessons and we have shed quite a few tears along the way as well. I guess all experiences are for our growth and in the hands of the creator we can all become better people.
I hope to convey our happiness throughout the project as well as our trials. I believe it is possible in this life to have both together if we have an open mind and willing hands I believe all things are possible.
In all honesty, we both will tell you that it is the most amazing vacation spot we have ever been to. It is beautiful, safe and peaceful. The local people are friendly and tend to work hard to make the ends meet in life that we so often don't even think about. Needs such drinking water, holes in the roof and a good pair of shoes are needs that I have never missed. On the island though for many it is a different story.
Part of the reason we went was to change our own lives and the other part was to change others lives. It has been an adventure doing both. We have learned some amazing lessons and we have shed quite a few tears along the way as well. I guess all experiences are for our growth and in the hands of the creator we can all become better people.
I hope to convey our happiness throughout the project as well as our trials. I believe it is possible in this life to have both together if we have an open mind and willing hands I believe all things are possible.
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