OF LIFE, PRECIOUS LIFE

So, I have this passion for teenagers, I love the way they are just so passionate, versatile, crazy, averse to authority but what I admire most in them is their minds, if molded and guided well, they inevitably become very well grounded adults who can make such a great impact our society. And that is one of my passions, to mentor and provide guidance to this very critical age.

so it was in this frame of mind that I attended to this young lady in the wards. Nineteen year old admitted in labour. She progressed and delivered a healthy baby and I was now seeing her on the second day post delivery. I go through her documentation and see that throughout her pregnancy everything was fine. No complications everything went like clockwork for this young lady. I examine her and she looked a little distressed, she was facing away from the child and complained the way she had not slept well through the night thanks to a newborn. ( Understandably, shes a teen mother and a baby is a big responsibility and she would have to make major changes in her life to accommodate the newcomer). So I chat with her a bit, do the general examination and even tell her am considering discharging her home. Young girl gets excited and tells me, she has in fact missed her bed at home and some home cooked food...I mean, who like Hospital food anyway.....

As I am getting ready to take her vital signs, the young lady literally convulses on me! as in, we are talking, next minute she is semi conscious in bed! What? I call for help and we do the baseline assessments, Blood sugar is normal, she has no fever, heart rate is acceptable, and the MONSTER? Her Blood Pressure is rocket high!! What? We rush her to the emergency unit since she will require critical care and treatment is commenced, her consciousness level is still reduced and unfortunately she convulses two or three more times, intractable convulsions. ICU is called in and my teen mother is admitted for intubation and ventilatory support.

So what happened? This young lady suffered from post partum eclampsia which means a condition where a patient after delivery suffers from high blood pressure which is directly related to pregnancy or in this case the after effects of it and leading to brain swelling and thus a convulsion. Eclampsia is every obstetrician's nightmare because it causes a myriad of complications on the pregnant woman. it commonly occurs in TEENAGERS, young mothers, especially in first time pregnancies amongst other predisposing factors. Its first major deleterious effect is on the baby if it happens before delivery. The fetus ends up with growth retardation or at worst fetal demise. On the young mothers, the condition damages the brain, lungs, kidneys and liver.

So the young lady was in ICU for a week, THE DREADED ECLAMPSIA had caused so much brain edema she was declared brain dead and she succumbed, life nipped in the bud, even before it had began. A very sad day for me. She had left behind a child who had not even began enjoying what it feels to have a mother, the child will never know his mother. It got me thinking, how many teens out there engage in risky behaviour, not knowing the consequences of their action? Further still, how many of us, take time to appreciate life? We take a lot for granted not knowing that yes, life is fickle, it could flicker off on us any time...

RIP my dear, and for the little child you left behind, may God watch over him.