This morning I followed the other doctors around on rounds while Dad did a few hysterectomies. I finally got my sea legs enough to see the gross wounds in the men’s ward. One man had a few colostomies, and they didn’t want it to get infected, so they left him open. He has this plastic patch covering his abdomen, so his guts don’t hang out. In Dad’s first hysterectomy, the uterus weighed 6200 grams (7 lbs). A normal uterus weighs 70-100 grams. This one was like the size of a baby! While he was doing the second hysterectomy, a woman came in labor and was delivered by the midwives. She was 34 weeks, had severe preeclampsia, and the baby was breach. It weighed about 2 ½ lbs. It is so cute and tiny! The nurses were trying to put an IV in this afternoon and it was like threading a needle. They got it in though. Dad also admitted a 28 weeker who had severe preeclampsia. She is ok now, but if she develops what is called HELLP syndrome, the baby will have to come out. In the States, it would probably do ok in a NICU, but it may not here. Just pray that the mother does well and the baby continues to “cook.” It turns out the malnourished baby that I told you about isn’t actually malnourished. It has what is called Hirschsprung’s syndrome where a segment of the bowel doesn’t really work. The baby can’t go number 2 on its own, so it gets too full and won’t eat. She will have to have a colostomy in a few weeks when a surgeon comes. Ironically, another baby with the exact same thing was admitted today. Dad finished early, so we went and visited the cuisine. It’s like this small group of covered spaces and cooking fires where the families of the patients stay and prepare food. It was amazing to see. There was a little Bible study going on while we visited. It’s hard to believe that’s where people stay for weeks at a time, but I guess it’s just the African version of a Ronald McDonald House. Please continue to pray for the patients and the long term missionaries. They do such great work here, and they are spreading the love and joy of Jesus.
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ReplyDeleteMary Katherine, I was curious if you guys have seen any patients with fissures? I saw a show a couple of years ago about very young girls in Africa becoming pregnant and because they were so small in stature that they would push and push without being able to deliver the babies and as a by product would tear a whole. I think that a Fissure Clinic was even created because it was such a problem.
ReplyDeleteMary Katherine, this is Bryan Cox, a friend of your dad's from Parkland. We met once when I came to Fairhope; I believe you were about 11 or 12. I just heard today from our friend, Joel Nelson, about your trip. How fabulous! I am so proud of you and your dad! I look forward to following your blog and will keep you in my prayers. May God's richest blessings be upon you! In Christ, Bryan
ReplyDeleteMartha, no we didn't see any fissures due to labor, but I have heard about that clinic. There is a pretty high C-Section rate at the hospital, so I think they avoid any complicated labor.
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