A Raspy Cry

I've reblogged this post from "Deb's Heart in Africa" written by my Aussie friend, Nurse Deb Louden.

 

I've been silent for a while, not knowing where to find the energy to put down the hundreds of words swirling around in my mind. Sometimes life in this place is just about keeping your head above the water while so many things are going on.

I do have one particular story of a 3 year old boy who had surgery on a tumour in his neck that was cutting off his airway. I didn't see him before he went in for surgery but I heard from those who did that it was much like Emmanel from Congo where he was trying so hard to breathe past his tumour that is was distressing to listen to.

This little Malagasy boy, let's call him Naty, went in for this very complicated, difficult surgery and was intubated and sedated after surgery for several days. I often helped out inside the ICU during the time that he was in there.

Naty was a strong boy and despite sedatives, pain relief and even some amount of muscle paralysers, he still moved around. There was a certain position he hated lying in and so even with bolus medications being given before moving him, he'd still manage to wiggle back to his most comfortable position.

Since this cute little boy’s admission his papa or aunty had been staying with him since his mother was 9 months pregnant and had other children at home. Both the papa and the aunty were so beautiful to watch their interactions and care with him. Even when his small body was on the large ICU bed, covered in lines, wires and tubes, whenever he fought against us, his papa would be off his chair in a flash to calm Naty and talk to him.

We tried getting him off the ventilator several times but each time he couldn’t cope breathing on his own with a damaged trachea, so we put in a temporary tracheostomy. He was able to be off the ventilator pretty much straight away. He was out of the ICU and back in the ward less than 24 hours later.

Soon Naty was able to start practicing swallowing water. His papa was so patient with him, spooning water into his mouth as he practiced swallowing. Some days he was improving and other days it felt like he was taking a step or two backwards, but most days I'd look over to their bed and Naty would be sitting on the bed with his papa sitting on a stool next to him, leaning on the bed. The two of them would be playing with a truck or other toys. His papa would say something to him and Naty's little face would brighten with a massive smile.

Days passed by and we were able to remove his tracheostomy and actually hear his cry and have him start swallowing food. When the nurses came to his bedside Naty didn't enjoy it. Mostly he cried a pitiful, raspy cry than was almost silent in volume. His papa was always so tender, calming him for whatever it was that we needed to do.

Last week I did night shift and looked after him. One night when his IV antibiotics had ceased and I didn't need to disturb him, I had a sudden thought to pray that God would close that trache hole that bubbled frothy sputum when he coughed or cried. When I came back from my day off after nights the hole had closed completely!! In fact, in this last week suddenly Naty has conquered his difficulty swallowing, his trache hole has closed over, he has had no more fevers, he is happier than ever and he isn't crying whenever a nurse comes near him.

I went to deck 7 with him and his aunt the other night and it was such joy to see him participate in a little running race with the day crew, his aunt and myself. His face was bright as a smile lit it. When we got back to his bed on the ward, Naty pulled out the pictures of his new baby sister that had been born a few days before. “Zaza!” (child) he proudly said in his raspy voice, showing me each printed photo of his beautiful new sister. “Yeah, your zaza kely! (baby) Tsara be!” (Beautiful) I replied in my limited Malagasy.

This past weekend, our little boy and his papa discharged home and he would have been able to meet his baby sister for the first time. After a whole month of being in our hospital, seeing this little family every day, his departure has left a little hole in our patient community, but I am so happy for them. I am happy that we were able to give this little boy a chance at a long healthy life. His aunty said to me, that night on deck 7, “No one else in Madagascar could have done this surgery.” It’s true, the local hospitals aren’t equipped for all the care that he had on board, but some day I very much hope they are equipped so that boys and girls just like Naty are given the surgical healthcare that they need. That’s why Mercy Ships is here in Madagascar, to bring life to those who aren’t able to access the care that they need and to train up the Malagasy medical professionals who will help strengthen and build their own healthcare system for the future.

Did you know . . .

That you have both central vision which is what you tend to see and focus on and peripheral vision where you see motion off to the side?  And that fluorescent lights flicker which causes problems with the peripheral vision?  And that there is a doctor down by the U that I'm meeting with next Thursday for a couple hours of testing to see if there are therapeutic lenses out there that will help me with my light sensitivity.  Hope is on the horizon  . . . 

Chocolate is . . . Day 10

Woo hoo!  Day 10!  My easiest day ever!  Why?  Lysa wrote, "But, exercise makes me want to cry."  If you've known me for any length of time you know my line is, "But if I can't exercise, I am going to cry!"  After all, today was a 2.25 mile swim, followed with 2.5 miles of walking with Annie!  I so hope it doesn't rain tomorrow as predicted so we can run . . . Isn't it interesting?  We all face our different challenges.  Mine is eating healthy, not exercising.  Yet, "whatever we do, do all for the glory of God."   

When the cat's away . . .

. . . the mice will play!

Or in this case, Matt and Sam had fun while we were returning cousin Rebeckah to Iowa on Saturday!

Let's just say Micah wasn't quite as thrilled and she popped until they dropped!

 

 

Chocolate is . . . Day 9

The truth of the day:  Self-control is hard.  Bring in to play the verse, "With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26).  That means with God, all self-control is still hard, but it is possible and I CAN make a completely different decision.

Oh, Deer!

On the last mile of our run this morning, I saw what looked like a body on the side of the road next to a car missing a headlight.  A little worried, Annie and I kept running toward it.  Let me qualify - we run in the dark - and the closer we got, the more I realized - the body belonged to Bambi!  And he was quite dead!

I checked with the neighbors - the driver was fine, so we stood around and chatted a bit while waiting for the police.  While we were talking, their three year old son suddenly said, "Look, mama - the deer is fine!" as he pointed at a man walking his yellow lab.  We didn't bother to correct him!

Saving Ronaldo's Smile

This post is reblogged from "Through My Porthole".  What a joy for this teen!
 
Learning to work with an interpreter is just one of many steep and entertaining learning curves I’ve encountered since being in Madagascar with Mercy Ships. Here’s a glimpse of the communications team in action with Ronaldo who ‘dodged a bullet’ thanks to his dental appointment. His is story is below.

(pic: Katie Keegan)

The morning sun is already hot, and the lines of people waiting to have their dental problems relieved are long. In the island-nation of Madagascar, dental care is expensive and beyond the reach of most. Outside the local hospital gates, 17-year-old Ronaldo stands with the men, waiting in a line to be examined by the Mercy Ships dental team. Next to them stretches a restless queue of children of all ages accompanied by their mothers. In the final column, the women patients stand beneath the shade of their colourful umbrellas. From the crowd of approximately 300, about 65 hopefuls will receive dental care today. The rest with treatable conditions are given coloured wristbands for dental appointments on following days. 

Every eye is on the handful of little yellow appointment cards held by dental team supervisor Robbie Lerma as she begins screening and selecting patients. She randomly stops at one line and then another, examining patients here and there. Her seemingly haphazard selection makes it pointless for people in line to  ‘save a place’ for someone else. The result is that each person waiting has an equal opportunity to receive dental care. Balancing these kinds of factors requires God’s daily wisdom when faced with so many in need.

Ronaldo lingers in line with his schoolbag slung over his shoulder, hoping for an appointment ticket and the opportunity for serious decay around and between his front teeth to be treated without charge. He explains, “I have a sister who came here before. She said, ‘Go there if you want to fix your teeth.’ So I came to see what they can do. I thought my front teeth would fall out. I don’t have money to spend at a dentist. Thanks to God I’ve been received.  I did not expect it because it was a long line, and I was at the end.”

When asked what caused the cavities in his teeth, Ronaldo replies, “I don’t really know, but one of my friends said it’s because I’m drinking really hot water and, after that, really cold water. I often do that.” Ronaldo no longer feels pain in his front teeth, so he does not realise that his health is a ticking time-bomb. He is just concerned about preserving his fabulous smile.

After receiving his numbered appointment card, Ronaldo strolls into the Mercy Ships purpose-renovated dental clinic within the Malagasy hospital. He is examined by lead dentist Saulo Gamarra Gonzales who is pleased that Mercy Ships gives quality dental care to the poor. “I will treat these patients the same way I would treat my patients at home,” he declares.

Dr. Gamarra explains the seriousness of Ronaldo’s condition to him. Decay has eaten away at his front teeth’s enamel and caused a major infection to spread from the damaged nerve. As a result, there is now a fistula or split in his gum above the affected tooth. It requires immediate intervention. After considering Ronaldo’s age, the dentist decides to perform a root canal to save his front tooth from extraction. He will also fill the other cavities.

Antibiotics to control the severe infection accompanied the dental work, and Ronaldo got the result he really hoped for – the restoration of his engaging grin.

He is graduating from high school soon, and Ronaldo hopes for a career in Customs and Immigration. He has leadership ambitions, and he really feared entering his adulthood and future profession with his front teeth missing. “I’m not going to lose my teeth when I’m older! Thanks for helping us in need!” he said.

The delighted Ronaldo gives a relived laugh and scrutinises his stunning smile from all angles in the dental clinic mirror. “My teeth are not bad! I can smile with people, and the girls like it!”