I have been laying in bed for 6 days now. It is plenty of time to reminisce on the many times I have nearly gone insane with worry because of the lack of medical resources here in Tanzania. How I long for the care that is available in the West- for the resources, tools, medicines, sanitation...
I recall being 8 months pregnant and with a terrible cough that had been going strong for 2 months. I told the "doctor" that I was worried about pneumonia. "Not to worry" he said, "You can only get pneumonia if you have AIDS"... I shook my head in disbelief. This man was considered the number 1 baby doctor in our city of 3 million. Not only was his statement WRONG, but he never even thought of using a stethoscope to listen to my lungs.
In Tanzania an individual finishes high school and then proceeds to study for 2 years at a Medical School... upon completion they are considered to be doctors. No need for an Undergraduate degree, no need for anatomy labs or practical work in the medical field... these "doctors" study for 2 years out of antiquated books and then enter the field making life and death decisions for the poor underserved members of society.
So here I am laying in bed - I have had a freak accident, the type of thing that "never happens". It is the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced. We were pushing the car to start it - the battery was dead (not an uncommon problem in Africa where nothing ever seems to work right). Out of nowhere the car overpowered us and began rolling down the incline towards me - I should have jumped, ran, gotten out of the way somehow... but in that fraction of a second the huge 3,000+ lb Land Cruiser had pinned me to the wall of the house. I knew what was about to happen, but couldn't react fast enough. The loud crunch that ensued told me my spine would never be the same. The pain was overwhelming and then there was numbness and the feeling of death below my waist. I was trapped and there was no way to move the enormous vehicle. My dear husband Paul shouted in pain as he tried to pry the car from me - pain of using all his strength, pain of worrying that his beloved wife was in such a desperate situation, pain of feeling that he could have somehow prevented it...
And in his desperation he moved the car, and I was able to pull myself onto the hood of the car where he came and carried me off to examine my wounds. My breathing was short and labored, my vision filled with stars and signs that I would faint... I recall thinking that if I passed out I would die and my poor baby Joseph would be left without a mama. I was overwhelmed and devastated thinking I was leaving my dear husband to pick up the pieces of our life alone... but I didn't die. I abandoned the world and entered a place of prayer - God keep me alive, God heal me, God comfort my husband and my child, God use this for your glory!
My legs regained feeling, the pain returned and nearly took away my breath. I continued to fear that I would never walk again - but I knew I would not die.
We continue to question what will happen to my body. The story is complicated because I am newly pregnant... the doctors that refused to give me an x-ray because of pregnancy had no problem prescribing me with an NSAID for pain (NSAIDs are notorious for causing miscarriage). Thankfully I had the wherewithal to investigate the medicine and stop using it within a day of the accident.
We will travel to Kenya in the morning to see Western doctors who are ready to handle our case with care and professionalism. We will drive 14 hours to see those doctors - such a tragic reality that so few doctors are available in Sub-Saharan Africa... We don't know what they will find, but we know we are in good hands.
I recall being 8 months pregnant and with a terrible cough that had been going strong for 2 months. I told the "doctor" that I was worried about pneumonia. "Not to worry" he said, "You can only get pneumonia if you have AIDS"... I shook my head in disbelief. This man was considered the number 1 baby doctor in our city of 3 million. Not only was his statement WRONG, but he never even thought of using a stethoscope to listen to my lungs.
In Tanzania an individual finishes high school and then proceeds to study for 2 years at a Medical School... upon completion they are considered to be doctors. No need for an Undergraduate degree, no need for anatomy labs or practical work in the medical field... these "doctors" study for 2 years out of antiquated books and then enter the field making life and death decisions for the poor underserved members of society.
So here I am laying in bed - I have had a freak accident, the type of thing that "never happens". It is the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced. We were pushing the car to start it - the battery was dead (not an uncommon problem in Africa where nothing ever seems to work right). Out of nowhere the car overpowered us and began rolling down the incline towards me - I should have jumped, ran, gotten out of the way somehow... but in that fraction of a second the huge 3,000+ lb Land Cruiser had pinned me to the wall of the house. I knew what was about to happen, but couldn't react fast enough. The loud crunch that ensued told me my spine would never be the same. The pain was overwhelming and then there was numbness and the feeling of death below my waist. I was trapped and there was no way to move the enormous vehicle. My dear husband Paul shouted in pain as he tried to pry the car from me - pain of using all his strength, pain of worrying that his beloved wife was in such a desperate situation, pain of feeling that he could have somehow prevented it...
And in his desperation he moved the car, and I was able to pull myself onto the hood of the car where he came and carried me off to examine my wounds. My breathing was short and labored, my vision filled with stars and signs that I would faint... I recall thinking that if I passed out I would die and my poor baby Joseph would be left without a mama. I was overwhelmed and devastated thinking I was leaving my dear husband to pick up the pieces of our life alone... but I didn't die. I abandoned the world and entered a place of prayer - God keep me alive, God heal me, God comfort my husband and my child, God use this for your glory!
My legs regained feeling, the pain returned and nearly took away my breath. I continued to fear that I would never walk again - but I knew I would not die.
We continue to question what will happen to my body. The story is complicated because I am newly pregnant... the doctors that refused to give me an x-ray because of pregnancy had no problem prescribing me with an NSAID for pain (NSAIDs are notorious for causing miscarriage). Thankfully I had the wherewithal to investigate the medicine and stop using it within a day of the accident.
We will travel to Kenya in the morning to see Western doctors who are ready to handle our case with care and professionalism. We will drive 14 hours to see those doctors - such a tragic reality that so few doctors are available in Sub-Saharan Africa... We don't know what they will find, but we know we are in good hands.
No comments:
Post a Comment