LamikayTy

At about this time last year I was stepping out of the house and carrying my ‘kaya’ to the hospital. I was looking forward to giving birth but I hoped that the proposed induction would not go ahead. My thoughts were of going into hospital, a painless delivery(Thank God, it was so) and coming back home with the baby. Little did I know that the process would not be that simple.

All hopes of being told to wait and forgo the induction dimmed when the Consultant promptly ordered me to a ward where I was to wait to be induced. I spent the whole day waiting for the doctors to come. No one turned up. Meanwhile I looked around the ward and discovered that I seemed to be the only ‘alakowe’ or the only alakowe who had not had a baby before. In my t-shirt and trousers I was definitely an oddity, I quickly sent home for an iro & buba and became part of the league.

I was woken up at almost mid-night by the doctor who had come to take my blood samples. I was shocked when I discovered that I had to provide a syringe and needle for him and also buy lab bottles. With no one about, he resorted to ‘begging’ on my behalf. I was of course to return them to the owners once any of my relatives came round.
Fast forward to day 2: I woke up bright and early, had a bath and donned my iro & buba and was moved via a wheelchair to the labor ward. Let me not bore you with the long details but suffice to say I had painless contractions and did not even realise at first that was what they were (my first time!). I was not to eat anything so I was quite tired but finally after spending a little under 24hours sequestered in the labour ward, I was delivered of a very healthy big girl.

The first inkling that anything was wrong (apart from the very painful process of being sewn up, which I discovered later was no better than if a carpentar or a tailor had done it) was that in trying to get me off the labour couch to a wheelchair to be taken to the ward, I fainted. All I remember was being told one minute to get up and the next waking up to resounding slaps by the attendant nurse and the loud prayers of my mother-in-law. I opened my eyes and wondered what the fuss was about, i was only sleeping I said until I realised that my last moment was spent trying to get off the couch.

Anyways, I got into bed but I was in such pain. I requested for pain killers and got a lovely supply that made me sleep. I had not seen my daughter but I was still in such pain when I got up that I refused to feed her. I complained but the doctors said they had given me the most powerful thing they could and the pain would soon ease off.

Getting back to the maternity ward later on, i discovered that of the 3 of us that had put to bed on the 5th I was the only one who could not walk around without almost bending over. It was torture but I had no idea what was wrong. I had a lovely bedside neighbour whose first were a set of twins and she had just been delivered of their ‘Idowu’. She was good company and a pro so I picked up a number of things from her.

I woke up on the morning of the 7th. My twin came to see me and bring me food and soon after my husband followed. Before he came, i had thanked my twin and suddenly started crying. I had no idea why. she was a bit worried but told me to buck up and all. It was a significant day as my brother-in-law was getting married so they (Tomi & Ibk) arranged to go back to the house together. Tomi was nearby and she wanted to go and change her clothes and Ibk suggested picking her up on his way out. However, I stubbornly refused and said I wanted to see what she was wearing to the wedding.

That stance saved my life.

In that space of time, I had ‘stubbornly’ insisted on going to the loo myself instead of calling for a bed pan. Slowly and gingerly I made my way down the ward and I made it. However as I bent over, I felt a sudden gush of blood and knew I was bleeding. I made it back to the ward and got into my bed and called a nurse. I told her I needed a doctor as I was bleeding. She looked this way and that , made a show of going somewhere but did not go far before coming back and telling me that she could not find one. It did not concern her that I was bleeding.

My sister returned shortly afterwards all decked up in her attire and a lovely gele to boot. I told her and she took my pulse and with a fierceness I had not seen before introduced herself as a Doctor and requested the nurse to get help. She went out of the room and quickly returned with a consultant who had been her teacher a few years back. She bumped into him just outside the ward. When he took my pulse and blood pressure, he ordered her to get a number of instruments,quickly removing her gele she rushed off. He cordoned off my bedside and I knew this was not quite right.

I started praying, my husband started singing. Even as I write, I cannot forget that day… my baby was crying and a nurse took her off to be fed.
My sister returned with more than instruments, she found the doctor in charge of me. He came but he made me realise that things had gone severely wrong. He wasnt calm, fidgety and sweaty and I knew I needed to pray harder.

We (my husband and I) decided not to spoil his brothers day by calling anyone close. The ceremony was just about to start. So we called a family friend, also at the wedding (but whose absence would not create such a a scene) and an older aunt. I also told Tomi to call my dad. I spoke with him alone. My mum was to travel that day and she was not to be told. My last phone call was to a woman I respect a lot, a widow but a Christian in every sense of the word. i asked Tomi to call asking for prayers. She called me and prayed with me. She is a nurse and she later told me she was scared.
Anyways, after persuading the anaesthetist that I needed to be taken to theatre immeditely even though I had just had my first meal in 3days, I was taken downstairs.

Before we left, my husband prayed and sang this song by Andrae Crouch – The blood of Jesus will never loose its power. It was the first time I had heard it and it made such an impression. I also asked Tomi to please get my baby’s ears pierced. I wanted to see the earrings when I got back. Odd request but without voicing my thoughts I was consciously stating that I would return to see her!

My last words where asking for reassurance from our family friend who was also a doctor (who had left the wedding) , ‘Its just a routine operation to stop the bleeding?’ I asked, and she said yes. The mask went over my face and I was out!

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