Update on the "More than a Rash" baby!

A little while ago we had a post on a baby which came in with a rash, malnourished and a mother who didn't know how to take care of it... click here to see the post, if you don't remember.

They came back for a checkup yesterday and what we saw was wonderful!

The little one has improved so much! 

We were all shocked how well it was doing and so thankful for its progress!

Unusual and slightly strange...

Today, when I came into the clinic to see how things were going, Michael called over to me. Saying that he had something that might interest me, he led me into one of the consultation rooms; inside was a lady which had (what looked like) a small hole on the side of her head. Mis Leida was shaving some hair off around this hole and Michael directed my attention to a strange object he held. 

It was a strange, curved, skin covered object that resembled a small horn. He explained it was a rare type of wart which grows out and begins to curve around like a horn. They had removed it because it kept getting in the lady's way.

It was very fascinating. And slightly strange.

***

Other than that, the normal things were going on in the clinic today...

Anita gave consultations...

People waited their turns...

And the pharmacy workers kept busy dosing out medicines.

A man with cholera...

Saturday morning (5th) an elderly man was brought to our gate by a group of about 20 people; Michael went out to see what was wrong and they told him the man had a seizure.

So, we took him into the clinic and, seeing that he was severely dehydrated, gave an an IV or two. However, as Michael questioned the people more, he came to find out that the elderly man reportedly had diarrhea since Wednesday, and on Friday night collapsed in his garden while working. Since then he was writhing around in pain.

It sounded like a typical cholera case, so he was transferred to the cholera containment tent outside the clinic. As soon as his body regained fluids from the IV's, all the symptoms of cholera began to return and Michael began treatment.

The man was from an area called Quiquit; a good distance from here. Today we had a few more people come by with cholera- we sent them on, up to the clinic in Besace, for treatment.

The man arrives with the group of people...

Michael tried to question the man, but he was too weak to speak clearly.

As he tried to get some answers from others, the elderly man slumps down in exhaustion...

Having been carried into the clinic courtyard, he awaited his transfer into the hospital room.

Michael immediately started an IV and, after a little while, a second one.

As the life-reviving liquids flowed into his body, he began to regain strength.

Michael checks his vitals and is pleased to find the man stabilized.

After 2 days of treatment we were able to send him home! 

We were thankful for his recovery and that the disease doesn't seem to be of epidemic proportions in his area!

Please, don't play in tin cans, children...

Some of us went up into the mountains for a cell group service yesterday and, after the service, a woman came to us with her little toddler- he had blood dribbling down his chin and was looking a bit stunned.

We sent him back to the clinic while we did a house call elsewhere, so when we arrived back home we were all curious how things went.

Michael had taken care of the case and the little guy was now officially minus one tooth on his bottom jaw :)

How did it happen? That was the question on all our minds! After asking the parents, Michael had the story: apparently he was playing and had put his face into a tin can of some sort- someone came by and had swiftly yanked it off, his tooth catching on the can's lip in the process!

Funny thing was, he had the most cheerful attitude the entire time! Such a happy little guy :)

Michael holds the tooth he just extracted...

They said during the operation he was grinning the entire time :)

The tooth had actually pulled out of the jaw bone, instead of snapping off.

"kontan" is the Creole for "happy"

He was definitely a "kontan" little guy!

Ouch... that must've hurt!

What happens when you are working to break up large rocks and one goes flying, smashing into your hand against another rock?

This unfortunate man found out the hard way...

The tip of his bone was actually sheared off by the rock's impact.

The tip of his finger was irreparable, so Michael decided to cut the severed part off and stitch it.

He numbed the entire finger for the operation.

After the finger was numbed completely Michael was able to proceed with removing the damaged tissue.

After about an hour the job was all finished up!

A typical Monday at the clinic...

Some patients await their turns outside the pharmacy window...

Others wait outside for their numbers to be called...

Still yet more wait inside for consultations...

Breanna and Virginia fill prescriptions inside the pharmacy...

At the close of the noon hour, almost everyone is finished!

3 more babies at the clinic!

Over the last week or so there have been 3 babies born!

The first baby's mother had come in for a checkup before she went into labor; the nurses detected an irregular heartbeat in the baby, so they had her go out to town for an ultrasound and further checkup.

She came back a few weeks later to have the baby at our clinic and all went well.

The baby (though healthy) still had a strange heartbeat, so we advised them to have it taken to the doctor in town and checked out further.

Joelle Hess helped with the delivery.

The little boy weighed 7lbs 6oz.

Mis Breanna with the baby...

And Mis Anita...

 The little guy looks like he's waving for the camera! :)

***

The next birth was on the 29th of April.

This little guy presented face first during delivery, so the nurses were hoping and praying that all would go well; things progressed and baby was born!  Baby and Mama both did very well.  Baby just had a swollen face.  Praise the Lord!

Michael and Virginia use a suction machine to clear his throat of fluids, enabling the little guy to breathe.

The suction machine was donated to us a while back and it has been a tremendous blessing!!

Here he is, all cleaned up and ready to go!

He weighed exactly 7lbs!

Michael, Virginia, Breanna and Anita helped with this delivery.

***

The third baby born came just yesterday, May 2nd!

The mother came in to have the baby here at the clinic and had pre-eclamptic signs, but as the labor progressed everything went well!

She delivered a beautiful little girl, weighing 7lbs 9oz's.

Anita and Breanna did a great job as the nurses on call.

Mother and baby, almost ready to go!