Scalp Abscess, Post By Megan, Edited By Jon

   Sunday afternoons are supposed to be relaxing and stress free…? This was not to be the case, though, on this particular Sunday afternoon. We had just finished lunch and the dishes when there was a knock at the door. Our gate guard came to tell us that there was a boy at the clinic that was in trouble, describing that his head was swollen and soft like intestines. His family was so sure that he was going to die that they had already started mourning his death! So beneath clouded skies and a drizzle that had begun a few minutes before, Anita, Katy and I headed down to the clinic in our scrubs. When we got there, Anita donned gloves and came out to examine the teenage boy. At first glance his swollen head looked like something resulting from a bad allergic reaction but as soon as Anita examined it closely, she knew it was something far more serious! Sure enough, if prodded or pushed, his head literally went in an inch at certain places! Underneath the skin, there was one large pocket encircling his head that was filled with air and pus. With that, Anita called Michael over the radio and asked him to come down to take a look.

   

   A few minutes later Michael walked in and, after a quick look, he decided to try something. Michael took a 3cc syringe and he poked the pocket, and drew out a thick brown liquid. It was a horrible infection that hadn’t been taken care of and had grown to present a serious emergency case! Taking the boy into the hospital room, we laid him on the bed and Michael prepared to make an incision to drain the pus pocket. I could only imagine the horrible pressure and ache this guy had to be enduring at the moment, but strong as he was he just lay there with his eyes tightly closed.

   

   We got the supplies ready then Michael first numbed the area with lidocaine, then, making a skillful cut through his skin, Michael quickly applied pressure to stop the bleeding. After this was done, he placed an IV catheter into the cut and, applying pressure to the boy’s skull, began draining this horrible looking pus and infection into a dish made to catch this type of stuff. Immediately, the room was filled with a horrible smell, bad enough to turn the strongest person’s stomach. After draining it for about a half hour, there was still a large bubble that we had not drained so Michael came up with a brilliant idea to use suction. So, we set the suction up, stuck one end of the tubing into the young boy’s head where Michael had made the incision, and started up the suction. After draining it for about ½ hour Michael could drain little else out and the side of his head still looked like a balloon at certain places. Then we discovered that the abscess was filling up again! We had been going to keep him in the clinic overnight but this is when Michael decided to do some pretty quick action. Taking the 18 year-old boy with him, Michael headed out on grandpa Harold's Bobcat on the 1 ½ hour drive to the Ti-Goave Hospital where a surgery could be done.

   

   The only hope for him is for the doctors to scalp him, fix and clean it all up and put his scalp back on, which if it is successful will need a huge amount of care after words for months. This morning we heard that nothing has been done for him in Ti-Goave and the family wanted to bring him back up to die, this is where it hurts, help is possible but they don’t have money, we are stuck with that thought, but don’t have funds to help people like that and for the continued care afterwards.

   Steve took a pregnant lady with significant issues to Laogone for further treatment today and pick up Anita and Katie in Laogone as well. We found out that the American doctor in Karfu, where Steve had taken Alex would look at the case, and I just heard Steve just dropped the young man of there, we don’t know how it will all go, and what will become of it, we are asking for lots of prayer support for this case especially, I can only testify of the amazing, amazing miracles that we have experienced in a lot of areas the last week, AND WE KNOW FOR A FACT IT IS ALL THE PRAYERS, FROM THE ALLEGRE CHURCH HERE AND ALSO ALL OF YOU AT HOME. LET US CONTINUE IN PRAYER, THE LORD IS HEARING AND ANSWERING.  
                                                                                                                           Megan

    

   

Michael making incision.

Puss is just flowing out of the abscess.

Notice how much is in the collecting unit?

Suction hose attached to his head.