#122 Shanksteps
The nurse called me and said it was urgent. Audrey is sick with malaria. Quinine is making her very dizzy and nauseous. I said goodnight to her and headed to the hospital. A 20 year old male lay on the examination bed in the ER with a large pool of vomit next to him. A cloth wrapped around his middle. The nurses informed me that he had been stabbed in the abdomen by his brother. They had fought after getting drunk on millet wine and sniffing glue. This was the second time he has been here
for being stabbed by a family member. The last time was last August before I returned from my time of recuperation in the US. He had had a huge gash on his left upper lip extending back to his jaw. He had run away without paying the hospital bill a few days later. Now he was back again expecting to be treated. The nurses knew him, because apparently he is a known thief in the market. He hits people with a stick and runs away with whatever they had. Has been in prison numerous times, but is
always let go very soon thereafter. So I’m thinking what I should do with him. He needs an operation, I need to ensure payment to the hospital, and he is stable. So I tell him and his brother that he has two choices: 1: go to another hospital (nearest one is 1.5 hours by motorcycle) 2: come back with the $100 for surgery. I then told them to send for me if they came with money, and walked away. The brother went to consult with the family. He came back with 5000CFA ($10). The nurse played along
with my pressure on them and said he could not call me if he didn’t come up with the rest. They (as everyone says, whether rich or poor) said they had no money. He went away and came back with 4000CFA.
WWJD (What would Jesus Do) is all over America on bracelets, cups, hats, shirts. In my opinion Jesus was forceful when he felt it was necessary to make a spiritual point. So my actions were not the same. I was making a point but not a spiritual one. I feel responsible to make this hospital function as well as I know how to do. I am not trained to direct a hospital but need to do it in this location. So at times I’m very outwardly hard with patients and families. All, whether wealthy or not,
claim to be poor and want reduced cost, or free meds or care. Some of you have chosen to give money specifically to help the poor. For me to determine who is really unable to pay is difficult. They are usually the ones that end up staying here a month or two after they are all better, waiting for the family to help pay their bill. Often the nurses know who has ability to pay and who doesn’t. This helps me decide who to help financially and who not to. So WWJD. Jesus would touch and heal this
man, in spite of what he deserved. He had come wanting help and Jesus would have healed him. As of yet my faith is still growing for being able to pray for healing but God has given me the ability to help the healing process with surgery. So that’s what I did.
He lay on the operating table, groaning. Something poked out of the stab hole in his upper abdomen. The table was at knee height because the hydraulics quit working and I need still to take it apart some evening and see why it’s leaking oil on the floor. So it cannot rise to a normal level for surgery. So we hoist up the heavy table with our arm strength and prop things underneath to get it to a decent height. We prep and drape him. He is put to sleep with Ketamine and Diazepam. I open his
upper abdomen and then explore. I find his stomach has been pierced, the colonic mesentery cut, and strangely enough a small bowl tumor. All else looks normal. I repair both sides of his stomach with silk sutures. Surprisingly his colon is not pierced. I evaluate the small bowl tumor which is smooth and firm. Since I have no way of evaluating this later if I leave it I decided to take it out too. I repair the remaining hole and we are done at 2AM. We clean the OR and head home to sleep for
a few hours. I am at peace within that I did what was right for him.
“God, help me love people as you do. Help me to see this man as a lost, and try to win him for your kingdom. Change my heart that I will want the best for my fellow man in all circumstances. Fill me with your peace to continue the task you have put before me.” Greg