Week 4: Commitment
It is an incredibly hot day here in Nalerigu. Perhaps the
hottest we have had, and as I sit on my bed typing this post, I am sweating
despite the lack of exertion. We were hoping for a little stroll on Bart’s
bikes later, but the heat may deter us.
Towards the end of this week, I began to wonder how anyone
can do this for more than a month at a time. My respect for the long term
missionaries increases each day that I am here and the more tired that I feel. They are such Godly and wonderful people who
have given up so much to serve God. Writing about the missionary families feels
very fitting this week, as a new family arrived on Wednesday to work in
Nalerigu. It sounds so daunting to hear them talk about getting on a plane with
two suitcases…not to return to the states for at least one year.
The patient that is really on my mind is a little girl that
came in yesterday afternoon. She was having a difficult time breathing, already
on oxygen and receiving a blood transfusion. Basically, her heart is not
working well. I would guess she is no more than 8 years old, and she can’t
breathe because her heart is failing. What can we do in a center like this?
Even the oxygen is not pressurized, it is only an oxygen concentrator. For the
medical readers, she is started on Lasix and digoxin. As of this morning, she
had stopped peeing as of yesterday and her abdomen has gotten more distended. Joel
used the ultrasound to look at her heart only to see the ejection fraction is
very low (it does not pump blood very well). Joel put down the ultrasound and
says, “I think it would be a good idea to pray for her now.” I have seen Joel
in the OR doing some impressive procedures: he saved a child with a typhoid
perforation just the other day. But, I was more impressed by his prayer and his
faith than anything else I have seen him do.
There are four American families here: the Gibbs, Hewitts,
Dickens and now the Corims. Bart Gibbs is a nonmedical missionary who does a
lot of ministerial work through the hospital and in Nalerigu. He has three
daughters, and one lives with them here in Ghana. Earl Hewitt has three
children and he has been in and out of Ghana over the last 25 years. He speaks
the language and has amazing dedication and wisdom. Joel Dickens is the Ob-Gyn
(and in Ghana general surgeon) at the BMC, which means he is “on call” nearly
every night. He also has three little children. The new family will be in
charge of organizing volunteers in the guest houses and will connect with the
schools and orphanage. They have 2 children and are already committed to stay
here for one year.
I am very pleased to report back on the uterine rupture
patient that I have mentioned before. She had a prolonged hospital course with
sepsis and infection of her incision site. To make matters worse, she does not
have insurance and her family had no money to pay her hospital bill.
Arrangements have been made from previous volunteers to take care of her bill
and get her back home.
Prayers for strength for us and healing for our patients.
Sometimes the medical is so busy it becomes easy to forget the mission side of
what we need to be doing.
More to comeJ
So amazed at the wonderful work you are doing there! I have so enjoyed reading this blog! Makes you appreciate how easy we have it in the states! Keep up the great work. Thoughts & prayers continued to come your way.
ReplyDeleteThe weather has been perfect for cycling here I just logged my 1000 mile for the year! Look foward to riding with you when you get back!!
Cheerio Hays
Great blog, Cat! I'll pray more.
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