Firsts

In Galmi it appears (for me at least) there is still room for lots of firsts.  This morning was the first time I saw a patient have an eclamptic seizure within 5 minutes of arriving in the OB Emergency room.  And then the first time I saw a repeat seizure within 5 minutes of the first.  An then the first time I have been bitten by a patient (while I was helping hold her arm still so they could start the IV).  I had long sleeves on and I washed the bite with Alcohol immediately, so we’re all good.  Anyways, she was at term with twins, so we went straight to the OR and did a caesarean.  Babies both came out healthy and we are watching mom’s blood pressure closely.  I am not going to show a picture of the Mom right now.  She is still at risk of having seizures and she almost fell off the bed before we went to the OR, so she needs to be restrained.

Another first was – it was actually relatively slow in the out-patient clinic today.  And by slow, I mean I only saw about 6 patients in the first hour and ½.  I diagnosed another set of twins at 9 weeks.  She also looked like she had a kidney infection so I sent her along to the OB ward for IV antibiotics.  Oh, and there was this patient whose chart (a card actually) said she was 43 years old, but this time when my interpreter asked, she said she was actually 50.  That kind of makes her menopause easier to explain.   What wasn’t a first was multiple interpreters.  I speak in French to my interpreter who then speaks in Hausa to the patient.  Unless the patient doesn’t speak Hausa.  Then we get an additional interpreter to translate from Hausa in to whichever language they speak (I don’t want to make a mistake so I am not going to guess).  It takes a little longer to get a history that way, and it’s always unclear whether anything was lost in the translation.

I got an email back from my new friend in Ireland Eugene.  He was happy to be safely back home but still wanted to know how the premature babies were doing, so for everyone interested they are both hanging in there, even the one that started at 714g.  It is amazing what can be done with limited resources.  I learned (or relearned) a few words in Hausa from my interpreter.  Ina Kwana (as it sounds) “How was your night?” which also works for “Good Morning”.  Answer Lafiya “well”.  Ina Yini “How was your day?” or “Good Afternoon”.  Gaisuwa (sounds like Sannu)  “Greetings”.  A gaishe ka “you are greeted”.  There, that it, that’s pretty much all I re-learned today.

Psalm 133:1

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.