Some patients' stories stand out. Here are some that stuck with me this week.
One was a one-and-a-half-year-old child who was admitted with severe protein-energy malnutrion, or kwashiorkor, as well as a pneumonia. His hair was a silkier light brown instead of the curly black hair the other Zambians have due to protein malnutrition. We started him on the PEM protocol here, but his prognosis is still guarded.
Another was a seven-year-old with a broken tibia that was the first patient on whom I have put a cast, or plaster of Paris (POP) as it is called here.
I rounded one morning on TB wards this week and was struck by the number and diversity of HIV-positive patients there. It seems that nearly all of the longer-term patients with tuberculosis who stay here for treatment for a time also have HIV. I am sure that the HIV-positive people in the States are also a very diverse group age-wise and health-wise, but being in health care thus far has exposed me to a small proportion of them, so I am seeing a lot more relatively healthy young and old women and men as well as children here who have HIV than I have previously. We test about everyone who is sick enough to get admitted to the hospital for HIV.
More stories later when my friends let me borrow their computers again. I'm looking forward to going to church here tomorrow and hearing the African-style music!
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Neat stories, Amaris. Keep us updated on the little boy with kwashiorkor. I remember learning that word in biology at some point... I'm sure it's different to actually see it in person than just learning the concept. Love you!
ReplyDeleteI like your patient stories..those are the people for whom you are there. I try to imagine you in the hospital, though I am sure it has changed drastically since I was there to visit your mom and dad and my well loved nieces!
ReplyDeleteThe singing in church is amazing, isn't it?!
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