If you haven't read my little preface to this post and Kalukembe, check it out here
A series of stories of the people I brought with me but left behind.
1)
It was that hot Thursday morning
while we’re doing our first patient rounds on the wards. I remember this one
lady, in particular, who had a wrapped left leg. She’s one of the many, many
people at Kalukembe who have something or other wrapped. So why was she so
remarkable? Because after what I’m assuming to be a long time of being
restricted to her bed, Dr. Annelise told her she could walk again. The lady’s
face was stoic. However, she started grunting and awkwardly clapping. She did
this little dance with her hands as she swung them back and forth from shoulder
to shoulder. After briefly confirming that she was indeed happy about the news
and not having a seizure, we smiled and celebrated with her. By the time we
walked away, she had tears streaming down her face. She could walk again.
2)
Friday afternoon, when Dr. Young,
Wilson, and I need a break from the OR, Wilson pipes up and asks me, “Do you
want to go give candy to kids?” This is Africa, so it’s not creepy. After a
brief medical discussion between the three of us on why NOT to be give candy to
admitted kids, we headed out to find the pediatric ward. We were a
pulmonologist, an OB-GYN, and a nurse—not dentists. We can do what we want.
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| Courtyard outside of the pediatric ward |
We find a courtyard with families
camping out, waiting for their kids to heal inside. Wilson starts handing out
candy to ladies on the sidewalk, any baby we could find, and this one old lady
that yells at him until he gives her a lollipop. We find a room and hand out
candy to little people and their mommas. In one corner of the room, there lies
a little boy on whom Dr. Annelise had done an echogram. Dr. Young and Wilson
take a look at the new x-rays that had just come in for him. I linger back. I went
to a community college—x-rays weren’t really our specialty. I camp out near the
door, where some nursing students have accumulated (shocking) nearby. One was
about to have her picture taken when I jump in to photo-bomb with my thumbs-up
in front of me.
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| Ladies on the sidewalk |
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| Nursing students |
A little friendly heads-up: if you
photobomb these nursing students’ pictures, you’ll have your picture taken with
about 4-5 young girls taking turns next to you. A brief moment of brilliance
strikes me (just one that my mother would be proud of) and I pull out my phone
and ask one of the students to take a picture. Mom was really happy. Wilson
gives the students candy.
After the impromptu consult with
Baby Echogram, we empty out our bag of candy. We laugh. We smile. It was a lot
of fun. Next time, we’ll bring two bags of candy—or maybe 15.
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