The Bearded Doctor by Michael McAlister Holmes

Author:Michael McAlister Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership

11.

THE POLICEMAN’S WIFE

The police sergeant brought his wife along to see me as he was worried about her; she had six children and the youngest was aged sixteen. She had not had a period for at least five or six years. She was a short woman, about 5ft 2in, and weighed about twelve stone.

They both complained that she had got very fat over the past three or four years. Her breasts were flabby after breastfeeding all her six children, each for fifteen months or more at a time. According to them, apart from being fat and having this enormous tummy, there was nothing else the matter.

Examination of her abdomen revealed a large void mass that extended from her ribcage to her pelvis. It was fluctuant and there were no foetal parts or movement felt or seen. On auscultation no foetal heart sounds were heard. Several experienced midwives and the Matron examined the woman and unanimously diagnosed a large cystic tumour or ovarian cyst.

The positive signs of pregnancy were excluded, namely the palpation of foetal parts, the palpation of foetal movement and hearing of the foetal heart. The common suggestive signs are enlargement of the breasts with secretion of milk, sickness, alteration in food likes and dislikes, increase in weight and swelling of the abdomen.

I made arrangements to do a laparotomy and explore and remove this large cystic tumour. On opening the abdominal cavity, I found a full-term pregnant uterus. Matron immediately summoned the midwife to get ready to receive the infant. The womb was opened and an infant was produced, but then to our surprise there was another one!

Twins! Both over 5lb and they both survived, were breastfed and supplemented: the sergeant was thrilled at the result of the operation.

Things can be difficult working in Africa, but also humbling.

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