Thursday October 9, 2008

This week has been frustrating to say the least. Three new kids admitted to the hospital this week. The hospital is full so we have some staying at the beds in the clinic. I'm not sure what we are going to do tomorrow with the surgery patients who need a bed too.

Tuesday delivered us a 4 year old girl with the biggest ascites (water in her abdomen) I have ever seen in my life. Not a lot of things shock me much, but when I laid eyes on this little girl, I pretty much stopped in my tracks. Her whole legs were completely swollen as well most likely due to the swelling in her belly that is constricting blood vessels at her groin. The cause of all this we are still not sure. AM felt we had to work fast because the girl was already having trouble breathing. So, we spent the whole morning draining her stomach via IV catheter puncturing the abdomen. Four liters later... ugg...I was frustated and just getting angry. This girl had been sick for a month and the mother had already taken her to the witch doctor. I guess we were her last hope. I just don't understand. She is so small underneath all her swelling. Her face is probably the size of a newborn and her arms are thinner than two of my fingers. Seeing her in that state, revived the hatred I feel toward the evil one who has ravaged this country.

Wednesday, I took our newest malnutritioned patient to the clinic for the day to tube him and give him the new formula we are trying to make for these kids. Kwashiokor is so ugly because the kids are so lacking in protein that their body starts to well up. Feet, hands, face, etc. They never want to eat and have the worst mood on the planet. So...we thought we would try our new plan with Lorenson, our newest Kwash kid who is 2.5 years old. I think it took three people to hold him down while putting in the tube and then someone had to hold hiim the entire day so he wouldn't pull it out. It was a challenge and by the end of the day I was covered in vomit and completely exhausted from fighting him (we bandaged his hands at one point, but still had to hold him and his hands the entire day - and this little one never was still or quiet). At the end of the day, it all felt futile since he threw up most of what we gave him...all that hard work. Oh... it's so frustrating. They don't eat, fight and hit you, and then in the end throw up everything that went down the tube. This battle is a hard one.

Then today, guess what walks in the door... I always want to turn and walk the other way when I see the babies coming in with their swollen feet. Yep a new one today - an 18 month old boy. Now he is staying in the clinic since the hospital is full to the max right now.

Anyway, you can all pray for patience for us and strength to keep going...and for more milk to arrive..