The season for burns and Tabu's healing

As always, Allison and I were late making it to the hospital this morning. We have troubles getting out of bed. We made a pact to always wait for the other person, and we have never both been on time on the same day. Today… we were really late. I continued my shift in male ward, but didn’t spend much time in there for the morning shift. Unfortunately, it was burn dressing change day. I absolutely hate burns. We were only supposed to have three, but there was a new admit today of a pediatric with fresh burns. I seriously am so sick of burns. When we walk into the ward with the stretcher, and to the side of the child’s bed who needs a dressing change, screams fill the entire ward. As we wheel one child at a time to minor theatre, everyone’s heads turn to observe where the noise is coming from. Many times, we try to sing to the children and hold their hands as we bring them to surgery, and as they are being put under short acting general anesthesia. Slowly, their eyes start to close, and soon enough the grip of their hands in our own lose strength and we know that they are asleep. And then we begin to remove the pus filled, blood covered, potent smelling dressing on the child. Beneath the dressing is fresh skin, exposed to the air. Most of the burns are only second degree, but poor Ezekiel has some third degree areas. The worst burns are on the face, the hands, feet, and the genitals. I have seen all except the face. 

Above is a graphic picture of a child’s hand, before the dressing change. The skin looks as if its peeled back, and there are visible blisters. The skin, peels away like paper. Then i had to peel the fingers apart, because if not they would fuse together. You must remove all the skin that comes off easily, and scrub the raw skin with normal saline to cleanse it. Then we cover the skin with silver sulfadine cream, cover it with petroleum gauze, sterile gauze, and then wrap it with more gauze. When we finished Nazifa’s dressing change, I got to help wheel her back to her bed. I picked her little body up off of the stretcher and placed her on her freshly made bed. Her mother was there by her side. As I placed her down and helped tuck her in, she was coming out of her anesthesia—she reached for my chin, and smiled. Normally, after a dressing change she doesn’t smile around me for a day, and then warms back up to me a day later. Her skin is also turning pink, and healing wonderfully. We didn’t even have to cover her chin today.

As the day progressed, things slowed down. Our dear friend Tabu showed up again. She was the one who had the Steven’s Johnson reaction to her medications. Here is a picture of her before and after.

 

This is a picture of when i first met our dear friend. The sores that you see on her lips and face are throughout her entire body. They do not just appear on her external surface--what you see on her lips continues inside her mouth and down her throat. These sores often are so inflamed that the eyelids are unable to be opened.

Tabu's skin has cleared up and she no longer has open sores on her lips. She did come in with a sore on her hand and had to get surgery again. Her feet used to be completely covered with one large blister, encompassing the entire surface of the bottom of each foot. These have completely healed and she is able to walk again. Praise be to the Lord! Continue to keep this woman in your prayers as her healing is still in progress.

Before we left for the day, Allison and I went over to play with Jeremiyah and Odakis, the two young boys in traction. We played ball with them, blew some bubbles, tickled them, and took videos with them. They love looking at pictures and videos of themselves. We heard them laugh today. I am very impressed with the children here. They are so patient, and sit in their traction for weeks without complaining.

Tomorrow we plan on hiking the mountain behind our house. Pray for no snakes!!