This week I have gotten presents from 2 patients. The first is from Dorin. She is a 20 or 30 yo with severe asthma. I saw her last week and wanted to admit her because her oxygen saturation was in the 70%, but she said she didn't have the money. Her father died when she was really young and she doesn't like asking her adopted family for money. Since she has a chronic disease she is always needing money to come and see the doctor and get medicines. When she came back on Monday - she brought me the bilum full of vegetables. Onions, cabbage and pineapple. It was quite humbling. Here is a lady who can't afford the 45K for admission - but is willing to give me vegetables and fruit that her family grew. It reminded me of the Widow's offering - Mark 12:41-44. She is a Christian. You can pray that she would continue to be able to get the medical treatment she needs.
The other bilum is from a pt named Willie. He came in with a large pleural effusion (fluid in his lung) on his R side. I did a thoracentesis over the weekend and wanted to admit him, but he didn't want to stay. The most likely cause of the pleural effusion is TB, which is very common here. Anyway, he thought I needed a new bilum - so he gave me one. It is bigger than the one the Lee's had given me before I left, so I now am using it to carry my stuff to and from the hospital. He did come back yesterday for admission. He told me today that since he has been sick, he has been spending more time with the Lord and praying to God. The chaplain today gave him a new bible. So pray for Willie as he starts on his journey as a Christian. Pray that his pleural effusion would go down and the TB meds would work, and he would continue to take the medicines even though he doesn't feel sick.
