Plastys

The professional plastics screening team had previously hosted plastics screening in several countries for several years but the exciting anticipation of a whole new screening. I arrived early in the morning and the plastics screening team were already in a full operating mode. Many prayers, planning, and hopes had come in to fruition that morning.

Patients arrived today that had first shown up at the previous orthopedic screenings we had at the beginning of the field service. Many of the same screeners that are present for the plastics screening were also at the orthopedic screening too, and had to turn away certain patients that were not in need of orthopedic care. However, many of the ones we turned away, are present today and are ready to be seen by a doctor. The experts are here and ready to see the hundreds of cases that arrived on the dockside.

C-ward had been converted into a screening room. Pulling people from all departments together and to review the plastic patients’ cases. A curtain went up to give the medical team, a private examination room, and to ask our patients those long awaited questions. The patients are ready to show the burn scars, the disfigured fingers, and webbed feet. Every part of their body is exposed for the doctors and surgeons to review. The nurses stand carefully by to make sure that every process has been documented in the charts and that the screening team knows what can be done for the patients at a particular given time frame.

The doctors sit across the table and asks a female patient to explain her condition. She immediately lifts up the back of her blouse and shows the doctors a tumor like globule in the middle of her back. Later in the day, another woman comes into the examination room, and shows the doctors the tumor like nodes that are hanging from her right wrist, and the ones beginning to form on her left arm. This all happens as her son sits carefully by on the floor and colors in a coloring book with a volunteer nurse. In all tenderness the doctors examine these areas and begin to explain the option that would be made available to the patients. The translators stand carefully by to make sure that every bit of information is appropriately translated too. Every story, and every word, and every term for treatment is exchanged by the day volunteer translator.

As one patient is evaluated, a dozen more wait on the other side of the curtain. In the screening room the child patients use their artistic gifts to color in coloring books. The caretakers of the children spend the time trying to not appear as worried as they really are on the inside. A young man walks in, and explains that he cannot find work because of his damaged hand. He can work just as hard as the other person his age, but they have two functioning hands and for this he has gone without for a very long time. The doctor tells him, that with only a few simple incisions and some time in recovery, he two will regain the use of his hands and have them both functioning properly. Another father sits next to his little girl, holding her little white patent leather shoes. Her legs have been badly damaged from a fire and he is hoping that the doctors can do something for her. And in the midst of all the examinations, Rachel Dix appears and pulls a young scared and shy boy out from his shell. She does this by getting on her knees, and with her broken French/Ewe she tries to tell him a funny story. The story doesn’t seem to work out very well, so she begins with a tickle fest that made him giggle and blast out in genuine laughter.

Once the doctors have finished examining their patients, they conference amongst themselves, and determine the best health regime for the patient. If the medical team is truly able to help them, than they are escorted to a waiting room. There the patients wait to hear from the nurses, and other members of the medical team regarding important steps that need to be taken such as blood work, and appointment availability, etc. This room contains the patients that we will soon see again. In next to no time, the conversion occurs on our ward, which is by far an exciting time for the people of Lome, Togo, and the MS International community at large.

By the end of the day, the dockside no longer has the potential patients waiting. All but two of the medical team have left from the screening C ward area. Linda Van DenAkker is taking down the examination room curtain, and Rachel Dix is making sure the data entered into the computer from the day is accurate. A hard days work, with a great reward reaped. As our orthopedic patients’ portion is nearing an end, the arrival of the operational portion for our plastics patient on the ward has commenced.

More patients, different symptoms, same love and care.