Third World Lab Work - An Exercise in Patience

A mama who had been waiting for her blood draw to be taken to the lab for tests was squirming in pain, her need for a c-section seemingly hinging on the results of those tests. When I arrived at 8:30am, her blood was still sitting by her bed and no one seemed proactive it making sure it actually got to the lab. Little did I know at the beginning of this day, what a central role those labs would play in the length of this mama's labor.

She was 17 years old, in labor with her first baby and surprisingly, very good at managing her pain despite her labor being obstructed. She was only dilated to a sad 5cm, her contractions were coming about every 10 minutes but they were lasting for 95 seconds! The most alarming things were the tell-tale signs of preeclampsia. Her blood pressure was through the roof at 160/120, her catheter bag was full of blood, there was protein in her urine (a symptom of poorly functioning kidneys) and her fetus' heart rate was falling. 

Over the next three hours, her contractions continued to increase in intensity and she couldn't get comfortable. The beds in the ward are old and in disrepair and most are stuck in one position - nearly flat - so I offered to sit behind her and support her so that she could sit up a little more. This worked well and I held her for a long time until she wanted to change positions again. Each time she moved, we had to find the new "comfortable" and a position that best enabled her to cope with the increasing pain. I sat behind her and held her multiple times, the last putting my right leg completely to sleep. When I stood up, I nearly fell over and my friend and I shared a good laugh! I'd like to add in here that when the ward staff inserted her unitary catheter, they filled the balloon four-times bigger than necessary. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that a doctor felt the balloon during his vaginal exam and reduced it's size!

As the mama and I moved and shifted and breathed through each contraction, I was mentally counting the hours and wondering why her blood work hadn't been taken away yet. I asked about it and a midwife went down to the lab and found the door locked. Okay. Now what? Mama's eyes were rolling back in her head and she was muttering like we were making conversation but the things she was saying were nonsensical and irrelevant. The ward staff wouldn't let her eat or drink because they thought she would eventually go for a c-section but again, we needed the darn blood work to be completed first! I still couldn't get to the bottom of what the blood work was for and why it was holding up the show. 

Some hours later, it was revealed that the blood test was for a typing and cross-match in case the mama lost too much blood during her operation and needed a transfusion. Okay, that's good. However, at 3:30pm, a doctor finally came to tell us that the results came back and there wasn't any blood of that type available in the hospital but if we waited any longer, the baby (and the mama) would be lost. Good grief. The blood test was essentially, all in vain and this poor girl waited ALL day for her "emergency" c-section. I could have screamed. Obviously, there was no more time to delay. We needed to proceed with the c-section. I usually stand in the background during these discussions, listen and catch all the information I can and then step forward to be with the mama after the doctor has left. This time, I had been so concerned for SO long, I found myself stepping forward and I heard myself asking questions and then thanking the doctor as if this woman was my sister or friend.

At long last, the OR staff came for her and in usual fashion, asked if she could stand. I blurted out, "NO!" and quickly cupped my hand over my mouth. The doctor was gracious and let me tag along for her c-section though. Throughout the day, I had been keeping track of her blood pressure and the fetal heart rate and so I was thankful for the chance to see the thing through and make sure she and her baby came out the other end unscathed. 

Her operation was, thankfully, uneventful and after a tense 20 minutes of resusitation her baby girl weakly cried. When I left, the baby was pink and looking good and on my way down the outer hall, mama was wheeled past me looking groggy but well. The doctor told me that immediately after her delivery, her blood pressure dropped. Our resilient bodies are a wonder to me and such a testimony of a creative Designer!

On a Saturday two weeks later, I wandered over to Ward 1 to see what I could see and lo and behold, this sweet mama and her baby were there! Mama's incision hadn't been healing well and her baby girl had some sores on her face and neck so she came back in for a short stay. I was able to visit with her for a little bit and get this picture. A story come full circle! And a fun little tidbit: The baby is my namesake! Well, only partially... The baby's name is "Jesni", a creative combination using the names of the mother's father, my friend and myself. Whew!