Challenges

I try to strike a balance both on this blog and in life between dwelling on the difficulties and tragedies of what I do and focusing on the joys and fun parts. Next week, I'll be blogging about our trip to the beach for our retreat on the Indian Ocean, so today I thought I would share with you some of the challenges of the medical ward.

1) Poisoning patients. The number 2 reason for admission to the medical ward last month was "poisoning". These patients attempt suicide by the means they have available to them - drinking pesticide. The pesticide is actually quite toxic and patients do die from it. Others are placed on mechanical ventilators and given medications to treat bradycardia (low heart rate). Some are simply admitted to the ICU for observation and discharged 1-2 days later after talking with the chaplain. This week, our hearts are especially heavy as a single mother decided to attempt suicide in this manner because of financial struggles but she also decided to poison her 3 children at the same time. The 4 year old has died; the 2 year old is in critical condition on a ventilator; and the 6 year old is improving slowly. The mother is alive and was taken to prison today. Please pray for her and her children and family.

2) HIV/AIDS. On average, the HIV rate on the medical ward is 30%. This week it has been 50%. The most common reasons for admission of these patients are meningitis, tuberculosis, fungal disease, and pneumonia. Often patients remain on the ward for two weeks or more receiving IV medications. At discharge we refer them to the HIV clinic to be started on medications for HIV - many times they don't follow up and we see them back a few months later with meningitis again, more severe wasting and malnutrition from HIV, and an even weaker immune system. But there are actually hundreds of patients (adults and kids) on HIV meds through our clinic at Tenwek; many are doing well and are never admitted to the hospital.

3) Traditional healers. There is still a significant distrust in the community of western medicine. Patients often pay a lot of money to traditional healers before finally coming to the hospital for their cancer or AIDS. The herbs and other methods these herbalists use are sometimes harmless but they also can cause significant kidney and liver damage or even burns to the skin. Plus they create false hope and delay patients from receiving the care they need sometimes until it's too late. This week we had a patient die from very advanced leukemia within 8 hours of him finally coming to the hospital. He had multiple markings all over his body from the traditional healers. If he had come earlier, we could have referred him to Nairobi for chemotherapy but there was nothing left to do at the late stage of his disease.

Even in these tragedies, maybe especially in the tragedies, I take heart and hope from the words of Romans 8:37-39:
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."