Day Ten (July 12, 2006)

This morning we searched for the patient that Elisabeth saved on Monday. Two days on TB meds and he is so much better. Today I received another name. A female patient sat down, looked at me and cried. She told the interpreter that I should be called, ‘Karabo’ which means ‘the answer’. It took me quite a while to settle her and the interpreter down. These are very spiritual people. I hope Masai and Guelph can be part of the answer for Lesotho.

Most of the patients I saw today were healthy on ARV’s and some have been on treatment since the start of the project in 2004. I was elated to here that Kaletra and ABC are now available at the clinic as second line regimens for patients who have failed their initial regimen. Bill Gates and Bill Clinton are doing miraculous things. Patients at Tsepong can now be kept alive for up to a decade. That is how long I believe we will need to support this clinic. These meds represent a huge win for the good guys in this war.

Mathebisang had the save of the day. I was seeing a 32 year old woman who is well on treatment. Mathebisang was working with me and saw this woman with her child in the hall. The child was left alone in the hallway which outraged Mathebisang who stood up and retrieved her from the hall, came back to the room and sat down with this little girl in her lap. The woman explained that the girl is her niece and usually cared for by the grandmother. Once you see the face of a child with PCP, you never forget it. We convinced the aunt to allow us to test her niece. She hesitated without the permission of the grandmother but we talked her into it. Her rapid HIV test came back positive and 2 hours later we treated this three year old for PCP pneumonia. She will feel so much better in 48 hours. Another one saved. I love Mathebesang too.