Daisy

We were "welcomed" back from holiday to a busy OB/GYN service. Daisy came in early Tuesday morning. She had labored at home and then started bleeding. She went to 3 smaller health care facilities, prior to Tenwek. By the time she arrived, her baby had died (a common and frequent scenario here that we will never get used to). Daisy continued to bleed very heavily. Her legs and feet were covered in blood. She delivered her stillborn fetus vaginally. She received IV fluids, oxygen, cytotec and pitocin to help firm up the uterus, aggressive uterine massage and intrauterine foley balloon placement. Her hemoglobin came back at 1.2! (Normal is 12-14). At this point, the patient was becoming more lethargic but amazingly still alive.

Because she was still bleeding and her hemoglobin was alarmingly low, we decided she needed a hysterectomy. We prayed with her as she was getting prepped. She received her first unit of blood as we began her surgery. Her hysterectomy went smoothly and she was then taken to the ICU.

Daisy is now post-operative day 8 - having received 4 units of blood. She is eating, walking, smiling, and ready to go home. Although she lost her uterus at age 26, we are thankful she does have one healthy child at home.

We have never seen a patient with a hemoglobin as low as 1.2. It's by God's grace that she survived. Please continue to pray for Daisy's recovery. Pray for emotional healing- for the loss of her baby and future pregnancies. Pray for hope. As our time here at Tenwek sadly comes to a close, we will remember and pray for all our patients. A friend of ours who is a missionary in southern Sudan said, "We cannot prevent death, but we can provide hope."