Friends,
Yesterday I was a bit sad as I waited to hear the result of a biopsy performed in Guatemala city on my young patient, Feliza! I had heard from the doctors that they had narrowed the results to Lymphoma or Tuberculosis and Monday they would know. I was concerned that Lymphoma was a disease that would be difficult if not impossible to cure and I prayed that it would be Tuberculosis. Today I was informed that it was Peritoneal Tuberculosis. Although Tuberculosis is no longer epidemic here and more commonly it is found in the lung, we are increasingly diagnosing this disease in our clinic. The Clinic Maxeña Laboratory performs the diagnostic sputum slides for several government clinics in the area. Malnutricion increases the incidence of Tuberculosis. The good news is that Tuberculosis can be cured.
The Doctor told me, by telephone, that tomorrow they would consult a specialist of Infectious disease to determine the most appropiate treatment and a Health Center closer to her home. Feliza has been ill for over a year and the reality that her disease was diagnosed after many diagnostic tests, several medical consults, and a surgical biopsy, is a victory for us. We strongly believe that Health Care is a Human Right for all people and we are pleased that we are able to provide her with an opportunity to heal and eventually return to school with her friends. Her medical care now will be medicine provided by the Government Tuberculosis program and if need she will be admitted to the Government Tuberculosis Hospital about two hours from our mission. She is severely malnourshed from this chronic disease so we are ready to accompany her until she is well. Again I thank you for your prayers and your financial assistance to our mission clinic which makes possible such miracles.
