On Health in a Foreign Land

In late October, I had a nasty experience.

My airways shut down and breathing became laborious. My nose was completely blocked on both sides. Breathing at night-time through my mouth meant that I woke several times, desperately thirsty in the warm Uganda night and gasping for air. A frightening feeling.

This followed a bout of dystenery, when I was forced to my bed for a few days to fight fever and shivers- although proxomity to the loo was a must for frequent visits!

Now here is an admission:  I hate being ill. I'm the world's worst patient. I hate being forced to stop what I want to do. I hate feeling like I'm wasting time in bed during day-light hours! I hate not being able to go where I want when I want. I don't like inconveniecing others to fetch my kids from school.

This means that my family suffer my moaning and complaining when I'm unwell- so a double bout of illness did not reflect the joy I ought to show in this life we have been given! Poor Andrew and kids!

I had two visits to Kampala's doctor's surgery that week. The first for that charming process of giving samples (those of us living in developing countries are very familiar with these kinds of doctor visits!) and then receiving anitbioitics for dysentery. The next visit was a few days later when I felt so afraid about not being able to breathe properly.
On my second visit the doctor could not help and sent me to see the ENT specialist at his clinic in Kampala's International Hospital.
He in turn sent me to the radiologist for a CT scan.

These were the CT scan results:

All those grey spaces are supposed to be clear transparent and show up black, but the report states "complete opacification" of both sides of my nose. In other words, I had very little space to draw in air. Meanwhile, swelling on the right hand side of my nasal passage had started to extend out into my face, giving me a bloated and lopsided look! It was not attractive!

The ENT suggested antibiotics and possible surgery. It sounded rather scary! A sympathetic American friend suggested that her docotor husband could help. He was very helpful- putting me on steroids and anti-biotics, which really reduced the swelling and allowed my nose to return to its usual size for a bit of relief.

However, this was a short term relief. In the meantime, I was advised to start a conversation with MAF and our medical insurance about a longer term plan to help me with this health issue.

It's been a long journey of emails, paperwork and phone calls. It has been somewhat stressful trying to decide on the best course of action. Praying friends and family, their support and love have been a huge comfort as the issue continues.

I have been strongly advised NOT to operate in Kampala, where there are too many horror stories of operations gone wrong and a lack of experience, resources or remedial facilities when things don't go well. This meant that I cannot get treatment in the place where we live.

This is one of the complications of living in a developing country- trying to get access to medical care we feel can actually help to solve the problem, rather than make it worse.

Thankfully, our health insurance agreed to help!

Last week, I visited a recommended ENT doctor in Nairobi- and I was even able to stay overnight with one of my best friends from Dodoma who now lives in Nairobi! I felt so blessed that God put details into place to smooth the way:

• It was good to be able to see a doctor who inspired me that he knows his field and seems trustworthy in giving sound medical advice. 
• It was good to be able to stay with my good friend Sarah and her family.

I flew commercially to Nairobi last Thursday morning for the appointment on Thursday afternoon. When I got to the airport at Entebbe, they calmly informed me taht my flight was cancelled! CANCELLED!!

Kenya Airways simply said that they had put me on an afternoon flight, leaving around 1:30. But my actual doctor appointment was meant to be at 1:30! 

ARGH!!! No Kenya Airways flight?? So what should I do? 

I did what any reasonable, calm and collected English woman would do... (??!!). I burst into tears. 

Then I phoned Andrew and cried and cried and shouted all my stress down the phone about what on earth was I to do? When your doctor' appointment has been arrranged at great cost and is in another country, a cancelled flight is a big stress! 

Amazingly, the ground staff took pity on me. Or maybe they just wanted to get rid of this embarrassing middle-aged foreign lady who was making a big fuss in the middle of Departures! They arranged for me to travel on another airline that was leaving for Nairobi in just 15 minutes! 

I just made it to that plane minutes before it took off. And I happily made it to the doctor on time! 

The ENT doctor wants to see me again next week. He will then assess whether my current steroid treatment is helping me and will advise a longer term solution OR he will go ahead with an operation to remove my nasty collection of nasal polyps on Tuesday February 5th (the day after Andrew's birthday).

This means that we are in limbo for another week. I will fly again to Kenya next week, making further arrangements for friends to help out with looking after our kids around Andrew's flying schedule.

If the ENT doctor deems that my polyps are reduced enough to be managed better with steroid sprays and occasional steroid pills and anti-biotics, he will discharge me and I will fly back from Kenya next weekend to care for my family.

If the doctor believes that it would be a better long-term plan to remove the polpys once and for all, to provide a longer-term solution to this ongoing problem, I will make plans to stay in Kenya for another week and a half. To be honest, I kind of hope and pray that the opreeation can be carried out, so that I don't have repeat episodes of October's proportions and can put this matter to rest. 

If I do stay for the operation, I will then be calling on our MAF community and friends to help out with caring for Esther, Ben and Joel. So many kind friends have already offered to be on standby. 

This is a great relief to Andrew and I. Andrew has provisionally booked the time off work to fly on a commercial airline to Kenya to be with me overnight for the operation. Then he will return to work the day after to resume his MAF duties and I will remain and be well looked after by my friend Sarah. Since I cannot fly for at least a month after the operation, I will stay one week in Nairobi and then travel by road for the return journey- the 15 hour road trip.

I will keep you posted with the final decision next week. But in the meantime, can we ask for prayers for the doctor to make a wise decision about which health plan is the most suitable long-term solution? And that Esther, Ben and Joel know God's peace in this whole messy process of health and medical care arrangements from a foreign land?!

Thank you!