My Experience (Living With Spina Bifida) I
In my last article, I wrote the “what spina bifida really is” series explaining the meaning and types of spina bifida. Today, I will be narrating to you my challenges and successes with spina bifida
According to my mom:
I was born on Tuesday 27th, April 1999 at a hospital in Lagos State. Immediately, I came out of my mom’s womb, it was discovered that I had an opening at my back where my spinal cord was not only visible but drawn
out of my spinal bones. The doctors saw it but my mother did not know my condition because she was yet to recover from the stress of delivery. It was later that my mother was told that I had a condition and it was diagnosed as Spina Bifida.
My mother was told to take me to Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where I was to have a corrective operation that will close the opened site at my back. The operation was delayed due to logistic problems ranging from bed space to availability of suitable blood. It was delayed for four months but cleaning of the site continued at the local clinic where my delivery took place.
Eventually, the operation was done and post operation treatment began. It was torturous. At times, no Doctor to attend to some issues because they are on strike. No nurse to perform her duty because the nurses had no axe to grind with Hospital Management or the supporting staff because they had one grievance or the other. The healing of the site was very slow due to both human and environmental factor. My mom and I spent four months on admission.
Then the time for Physiotherapy came. That was another ball game entirely. Few professional to a very large number of patients. At times you get to the clinic at 6am and you are number 200plus. At the end of the day it became ineffective.
Physiotherapy was done and when I grew a little older, I began going for therapies meant for strengthening and straightening my legs. When it was time for me to start schooling, I was enrolled into Kith and Kin International School.
