After a long time we have admitted a person. She has TB. And a high fever. She is scared.
We know Mrs. Ulema for a number of years now. She married when she was 14. Her older sister and her married two brothers. They all live in the same house. Mrs. Ulema is barely into her twenties now. She got HIV from her husband.
Now that she has developed TB the pressure at home is almost unbearable. They have told her and her husband to leave. The couple have looked around for a rental place but with the prices so high and the deposits demanded so ruinous, they are forced to continue staying with the joint family.
The pressure to 'be well' has not helped Mrs. Ulema get better. We admitted her today to care for her and love and pray for her.
(picture by Matt Scott)We have seen amazing things happen at the centre.
Folks who were on the very edge of death pulling back and entering life.
Mrs. Ulema is not critical - but she is very sick - and needs a lot of encouragement. Reading from God's word and prayer are so vital - just as much as feeding good nutritious food, taking the right medications, and being loved and touched are. They all work together.
Earlier this evening we thought how nice it would be for her to have some music too. I got out our broken CD player, prayed a simple prayer and pressed the button... it seems to be working! Sheba took it over and said it was working when she left the place.
Tomorrow we have the challenge of Mrs. Candy. She has been started on second-line TB medications. She is not doing well. What should we do? Admit her? Send her away? If we take her - we put us and all our other patients at risk - of getting multi-drug resistant TB. If we send her away she will surely die. We are praying and agonising - and moving towards admitting her with prayer - and with a mask (which we otherwise never do) so as to reduce the risk at least a bit.
TB continues to be a harsh foe. Pray for our dear friends whose lungs are caught in the grip of this bacteria - whose immunities are unable to flush them out of the system. Pray for us as we help through medicines, encouragement and steps of love.
I am very, very proud - in the best possible way - of my dear wife who went over to look after Mrs. Ulema. Though we see much sorrow - we also know that it's a great life - and we will move forward with hope!
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