Real Life Stories: ON HAVING A SICK CHILD.

I remember I was planning seriously for my birthday and 6yrs wedding anniversary which was supposed to be on the 4th of Feb, how I will bake cake, cook fried rice and all, but God had other plans. Precisely on Friday 2nd Feb I noticed my third child who was 8months old, her body was warm so I guessed it was due to her new teeth growing and I gave her bonababe but she couldn’t sleep throughout the night which was unusual because whenever I give her Bonababe for teething the fever usually disappear, the next morning I told hubby let’s go to the hospital which was even unlike me (normal me I would have given the drug for at least 3days before going to the hospital) but this time I didn’t know what was pushing me, even hubby wanted to object but when he saw how serious I was, he obliged.
We got to our hospital and they said it was malaria so she was placed on 3days injection which they gave her on her buttocks the first day, we went back home. That night again she couldn’t sleep a wink was crying throughout the night I was just praying for day to break. In the morning of Sunday 4th feb I wanted to bath her so we can go for her injection, Lo and behold when I removed her overall I saw my baby’s right thigh swollen as you see in that picture, I didn’t even bath her again and called hubby who was already in church to come back immediately and take us to the hospital. That’s how our journey started,when the doctor saw her the first thing he asked was whether the injection was given on the thigh but that was not the case because I was the one holding her for the nurse who administered it. Immediately we were placed on admission, they got her veins for line because at this point the fever was skyrocketing. Before we will settle down in the room my baby started convulsing, quickly I alerted the nurses who came and injected her(thank God the line was already fixed) she was placed on Very strong antibiotics because they said its an infection. (I answered questions tire from people , did she fall? No. Do you have maids who carry her when you aren’t around? No. Maybe she match poison? I don’t know, pikin wey never Waka dey match poison.) Her fever was so high and refused to come down Even the doctor could not understand how after 1min of administering the drugs the fever comes back higher. When you feel her body outside will be normal but when her temperature is checked it will be high. The doctor was so patient and monitored her closely. Before you know, it was shortage of blood, hubby had to come donate for her. We stayed in that hospital for 1week the fever came down but the leg was still swollen. They discharged us and said after some time it will form ‘face’ and burst then the puss inside will come out, we were given penniccilin ointment to apply. After some days it formed and burst, if you see the amount of puss that came out of that leg you will faint. I was doing all pressing amigst all her wailing (oh how she suffered). After 3days there was no more puss but water would not stop coming out. We went back to the hospital and reported the situation to the doctor, who now told us to go to an orthopedic hospital. We drove straight to the one we knew in town (because my baby was still in pains so there was no waiting). We met the doctor and explained everything,this doctor was busy arguing with us insisting it’s only injection given wrongly that can cause the swelling. We had to keep quiet since he didn’t want to listen to us. He ordered for X-ray and culture test, we came back after 3days for culture result, he said he didn’t see anything in the culture and in the X-ray he could see something like infection forming around there knee but it’s small and not very clear so we should go and come back after 2weeks, no drugs nothing and this girl was still in pain. I told hubby if hospital cannot see anything let’s go traditional. Another journey started from one traditional doctor to them other as recommended, still no result just inflicting more pain by pressing there leg with useless herbs and hot water. Hubby’s company now employed a new doctor in their clinic so we went to see him then day he was resuming, we were his first case,lol. Immediately we explained to him and he saw the X-ray,he said it was osteomelitis but he was surprised it could happen to such a little child. He ordered for another X-ray which we did to confirm his diagnosis,he immediately referred us to an orthopedic hospital at Mkar. The specialist there could not believe that we saw a doctor in the first X-ray who told us to go without medication, that only an antibiotic would have cleared the bacteria but since time had passed, the bacteria has eaten the bone on that thigh, the good news is that a new bone had started forming so we’ll have to wait for the bone to connect. Her leg was placed on cast(its just like POP) to channel the bone properly every 6weeks for a 6months duration ,she was also on Zinnat antibiotics everyday for that 6months plus other drugs plus special diet to help the new bone formation. After the final cast was removed we were then booked for surgery to remove the decayed bone. Last week of August we finally left the hospital to come back after 3months(November ending) for checkup. People were asking me if my daughter will walk again, but I told them she will walk even if it takes 5years I don’t care I will carry her as long as my child is okay, because I could remember there was a time in the hospital I was praying for my baby to cry she couldn’t even cry bcoz of pain she didn’t close her eyes becos she couldn’t.I prayed until I couldn’t, sang till my voice left me, read every part of the Bible,i even prayed the illness be transferred to me but nothing. So when people visit me in the hospital and tell me to be prayerful I tell them to get the hell out if you’ve got nothing to say. People even come and say “your pikin dey sick and you still fat”not knowing that some of us actually become fat with stress. Let me not bore you guys o. Before we went for November checkup my baby started walking to the amazement of everyone. The doctors couldn’t believe and they call her miracle baby. Her older brother and sister will say doctor went to draw leaf on EBOH leg because of the surgery scar and I will tell them yes it’s tattoo lol. She’s a year and 7months now and she’s our boss lady in the house.