First, Rosali. Rosali had her surgery and although she was dry, she was retaining urine. She wasn't able to fully empty her bladder after she went pee. She was taught how to catheterize herself as she was going to have to do this at home. The longer she was on the ship though, the more she was able to empty her bladder and the day she left she didn't have to catheterize herself anymore. Rosali went home dry and healed! The day she left I went to give her a hug and to celebrate with her. She gave me a hug then grabbed my hand and rubbed it on her bottom and exploded with a huge smile and loud laugh. She had wanted me to feel how dry she was and this brought her so much joy!
Then there is Adjovi. What to say about Adjovi... She occupies a corner bed and I can't help but smile and laugh when I look at her. She has had two surgeries already in the short time she has been here and although she is finally dry, she too is retaining urine like Rosali. Please pray this changes and she will be able to empty her bladder and not have to go home with catheters. She just makes me laugh though. Whenever I look over at her bed she is always sitting up talking. Talking to who? Maybe she's praying, but this woman likes to talk. She speaks Tchicossi, a dialect from the north of Togo that only one translator on the ship speaks. When I walk past her bed or she comes over to where I am, she will talk and I will nod my head and smile. She knows I can't understand her and I'll talk to her knowing she can't understand me. I love these moments of speaking but not having a clue what the other person is saying. It happens so often here with patients, with friends from other countries, with taxi drivers or people in the market. I think Adjovi just needs someone to talk to.
Here are some pictures of the ladies. Some are from the screening day and some are from the first dress ceremony on the ship when the women are dry and get a new dress and we celebrate!
1 comment:
Oh, the VVF ladies! I don't know of much else that gives me the sensation of a big hand give my heart an almost too tight squeeze. I don't know how else to describe it. Your story about Adjovi makes me think of Korto in Benin. That lady made me laugh! I'm praying for dry, well-emptied, healthy ladies who go home reminded of how much their loved...by God, the hands that have cared for them, and also their families. I feel like I know the women in these pictures. I don't, but the eyes are the same. I love the eyes.
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