Shanksteps #63
“She is 6 and was just in a motorcycle accident. She was crossing the path when a moto hit her.” I asked where she was hurt. They said in her head and I should come right away. So I went to the “urgence” (ER). She was looking around stoically with wide eyes. When I took the dressing off her forehead I saw bone fragments and brain matter. I was then surprised that she was conscious. Apparently part of the moto punctured a hole in her head. They said she had lost consciousness and then became
conscious after that.
We took her to the operating room. As you all know I am not a neurosurgeon. But I did learn a few things about it in residency. I cleaned everything and pulled fragments from the hole and cleaned out all the debris. I then put a few fragments back in a “normal” position and closed skin.
God has healed her! She is now 7 days after surgery. Her skin has healed well. She is not running fevers. The family feels she is reacting normally and speaking normally. I am very happy that she has done so well, happy again to see evidence of God working through us.
Another 6 year old patient came into the hospital by his parents a few days ago. He had been digging in a termite mound searching for rats to eat when he reached into a hole for a rat and got bitten by a snake. (That was 17 DAYS AGO) Here the traditional belief is that if you are not a sorcerer then things like snake bites and meningitis do not kill you. It only kills the sorcerers! So of course this child was not a sorcerer so he was “safe”. Well his thumb auto-amputated from infection and
the back of his hand necrosed then started healing with granulation tissue. But his arm started weeping pus around his elbow. So they went to a local dispensary and were seen a few days being given antibiotic injections. After two days the dispensary referred him here. After two days here I finally convinced the father to let me open the arm and remove all the necrotic (dead) tissue. Again praise God, he is doing well and granulating all the area that was opened.
Another was also bitten by a snake about three days before arriving here. He as bleeding from the bitten area on his hand profusely. He was not able to clot, because of the venom. After many vials of anti-venom and debredement of the dead finger, pressure dressings were placed and finally the bleeding stopped. His swelling is gradually going down.
This is now the season for snakes and scorpions. It is hot and they say the ground heats up and these come out at night in search of cooler air. As I well remember last year when a scorpion got me!
We are now out of electricity again 3 days. Two weeks ago was 4 days. We had a large wind come through this week and knocked over a number of telephone poles. The termites eat them then the wind finishes them off. So I am writing connected to a battery, and dripping with sweat. It is times like this that we realize how nice we really have it. Many people here live like this all the time (without electricity and water). So we are grateful for our blessings that we have on a fairly regular
basis. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.
In His Service, Shanks