
One dusty summer evening the emergency room at CCH was running busy.
A young girl was rolled in. She was thin emaciated and dehydrated. Her brother recounted
to us that she had not eaten for two weeks. They were running from one village quack
to the other. Now her bowel movements were affected. Preliminary blood investigations
and x-rays were ordered by the doctor. There was concern on her relative’s faces.
They had by now exhausted majority of their money. They wanted to know whether the test
would cost them lot. They were reassured. Physical examination and investigations were
pointing to peritonitis abdomen. She was hydrated, electrolytes were corrected.
Relatives were given a bleak prognosis. They were told that she requires emergency surgery
to save her life and get her intestines working again. They pleaded not to send her to any
other hospital. If sent the only place they would take her was home and let her die. The ER team
after valiant effort stabilized her. She was taken into the operating room. The team prayed
for her. Intra operatively she was found to have a cocoon abdomen. Her intestines were
adhered together forming a mass with multiple tubercles very classical of tuberculosis
of abdomen. A portion of her gut had become gangrenous, which made her very sick.
The surgeon resected gangrenous portion and brought out the end as a stoma.
She remained very unstable throughout surgery and was shifted to the ICU. She had a
very stormy course in hospital. She was finally discharged after the nursing team taught
her stoma care.
But within a few days she was back. This time she had infection of the stoma site. Inadequate
nutrition and improper stoma care all contributed to the situation. The stoma retracted and
that required another surgery. She was distraught, her father and mother were all disappointed.
The second surgery was more challenging.
The stoma was taken down and anastomosed. Two surgeries and inability to establish
appropriate nutrition was taking a toll on her. The disease itself was now aggressively
progressing. She was showing signs of tuberculosis reaching the brain. Even the treating
team had lost all hope by then. Only thing that engaged everyone was that there were incessant
prayers for her. One by one her relatives stopped coming to see her. Her brother was the
only one who stood by her now. She showed signs of severe depression. Staff of the hospital
individually collectively started giving her company and encouraged her; some brought her
food she liked. This was also the opportunity to share gospel with her. She saw the love Christ
in action in the people who showed concern. The young girl showed extraordinary inner
strength to with stand this. As days passed by she showed signs of improvement.
With nutrition taken care of and infection under control, anti tubercular treatment
could be started. Finally there was smile on her face. She could see that the God of the
people treating her was indeed great and He could heal. We in CCH can testify that our
God performs miracles. She went home, but she will require further surgery. Pray that the
God who started His work in her will complete it. All Glory to God.
WHEN ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL
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