B ward

Over the last few weeks I have continued to mainly work in B ward, where our patients are all VVF ladies. I really enjoy working on this ward as these patients are here for much longer than many of the other patients, so I have a chance to get to know them. They are a fun group of ladies. There is Elise, who came several weeks ago and barely cracked a smile for the first week. Now, she is always smiling, and likes to have one sided conversations, where she will rattle off to you in her own language, and walks away content, having unburdened herself, somehow expecting that you have understood everything she said. She started to leak urine a few days after her surgery, and sadly the follow up tests showed that her surgery had failed. Then there was Bed 11, a one-armed, deaf and mute woman, who nevertheless managed to always be in the thick of things and who also did not let these considerable communication barriers stop her from getting her point across. What this woman could say through the use of her one arm, and an amazing array of facial contortions still amazes me. Once or twice a week a dress ceremony is held on the ward. The women who have been discharged and whose surgeries have been successful are given a dress, and some jewellery and then they come clapping and singing and dancing onto the ward, and after some singing and a message from one of the disciplers they each have a chance to tell their story. It is a joyful time, a time to celebrate, and a chance to say goodbye.

However, the women who are discharged whose surgeries have failed just quietly leave. We had one patient, Josephine who has been on the ward for weeks. I remember her always smiling and laughing and helping out in little ways. Our conversations mainly conisisted of Ca va? Ca va bien! and a smile. She had the habit of praying under her sheets in the wee hours of the morning. When I came to work for my last night shift this week she had been discharged. I will always wonder how her story ends. Will she have the chance for a repeat surgery? (the Africa Mercy is going to Togo next year, which is next to Benin, and some of the women whose surgeries have failed have been referred to come back next year, if they can make it to Togo). Even though I did not have the chance to say goodbye, my prayers go with Josephine.