POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

I have been trying to write this story for the past two years to no avail. Even all my friends gave me different plots on my last birthday while watching a similar story on Africa Magic last year. So, I decided to write the story anyways at least to get it out of my system.

The story is entirely fictitious and bears no resemblance to anyone whether living or dead. Please read, learn and share, someone has to know that they are not alone in this!

"Why can't I just be happy?"

"Why am I so sad?"

"Why don't I want to have anything to do with this baby for God's sake", Bunmi asked herself for the umpteenth time. So, who would give her answers? No one. Absolutely no one. Even her husband, Soji, was clueless. Why was she even thinking that far? She was clueless as well.

Bunmi had always been a lively person, in fact always bubbly. There was no dull moment with her. She was always the life of the party. Without her in the room, everywhere could just have been grey. She was a people person. She was hardly ever angry.

Meeting Soji was a blessing to her. He was everything she ever wanted in a man. Not that she had a list of things she wanted anyway, but he was the closest thing to perfection that she had ever seen. When he asked her to marry him, her joy knew no bounds. It was a dream come true.

They had a fairy tale wedding in Lagos with all the "bling bling" about a year ago. They couldn't even wait to start a family. LOL. Having a cute little boy and a bouncing baby girl would be nice. Having twins would really be lovely. You would just do all the wahala at once. And God was just faithful! Imagine getting pregnant just three months after the wedding!

Oh! There was just so much to be done. What with baby shopping and all. She remembered having seen some cute baby websites, Facebook pages and Instagram and quickly logged in to get ideas on what she needed. Soji was a willing partner as well and cooperated very well. Not only did he give her  money for all she wanted, he also followed her on the shopping spree and helped design the baby's room.

So, where did all that joy go? She had every reason to be happy but she just could not reach within herself to get that happiness. She was so disinterested in everything around her, she lost appetite for food, she lost interest in having a shower or looking good. There was just this big black hole waiting to swallow her up and you know what, she did not mind entering it at all. Infact, that was the only thing that looked attractive to her.

Bunmi's mom had come to help out with the baby and wondered what was wrong with her daughter. She initially thought it was the stress of the pregnancy and delivery, But when Bunmi refused to feed the baby and screamed last night when the baby was crying for food, she knew that something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. She called Soji aside this morning before he left for work and said, "Soji, eti e meloo" (means hope you are alert to what I am about to say). "O dabi eni pe abinsinwin lo nse Bunmi. Eleyi ko kin se oju lasan😔" (means, it's like Bunmi has a form of mental illness associated with childbirth and I think it is caused by the enemies)

Soji was alarmed. What kind of talk is this one early in the morning. Oju lasan ko, oju lasan ni, he thought. Mothers and their need to pin everything on village people. He could not tell his mother in-law that he disagreed with her. He just nodded his head and agreed that something definitely was wrong with his wife. He made a mental note to call his brother who was a doctor once he left the house. He did not want Mama Bunmi hearing his conversation.

"Hello, Broda Tope", Soji greeted his brother. after some pleasantries, he gave a run-down of Bunmi's behaviour since the birth of their son. Tope was angry that it took his brother that long to identify the problem and to notify him. "It is postpartum blues", Tope said. You need to bring her to the hospital immediately. He went on to explain the condition to his brother fully and that Bunmi would need all the social support she could get. Soji promised to get Bunmi to the hospital immediately, He took a leave from work and went back home to pick his wife.

Bunmi was admitted in the hospital, evaluated and was managed with drugs and psychotherapy. she was discharged after two weeks and within one month, she was back to her normal self. She however continued therapy and has not had a relapse since then. 

On this special morning which was the first birthday celebration of their son, as Bunmi went about preparing for the party, dancing to the song on the speaker as she worked, Soji's heart filled with pride for the progress they had made in the last one year. with the corner of his eyes, he looked at his mother in-law and silently thanked her for identifying the problem and the support she gave them even though her she missed the cause of the problem😃 but abeg spare the woman, she had been so good to them.. His heart filled with pride as he moved towards Bunmi, hugged her tightly and gave her a warm kiss.

The End🙏

I hope to write a sequel soon discussing Postpartum psychosis and depression. i hope it will not take me another year though😆😃

All pictures from Google.

CHRONIC BACK BAIN

Public health is very vast and interesting. Everything is under its purview. Imagine being asked to discuss the health effects of laughter or even health effects of fuel scarcity, or effects of over-washing your hands😅😅😅😅😅😅😅. Very funny!!! On a more serious note, certain things that we take for granted usually have a lot of impact on our health.

The topic "Chronic back pain" was inspired by my interaction with cloth-weavers some years ago. The head of a traditional Aso-Oke cloth factory complained that about 90% of his workers (who have been with him for over 10 years) suffer from back pain. Sometimes it is severe enough to limit their activities. I asked about their work tools and when I was shown, I understood the cause of the back pain. I asked the workers how they would feel if they had better chairs to work with or even if it would be better to just invent a machine to do the work. They just laughed and told me that following a study done by an occupational health physician in 2002, which revealed that 62% of the respondents had musculoskeletal problems (e.g back pain), the University of Ilorin produced and donated ergonomic chairs to them in 2012 but they refused to use it. They complained that it was not comfortable for them to work in. They also said that attempts by the State government to bring weaving machines were unsuccessful because they vehemently opposed the idea. They claimed it would make a lot of them jobless. They preferred to continue with their old ways and accepted the back pain as the price to pay for it.

How many more of us continue to do things to trigger or worsen the issue of back pain? 

WHAT IS BACK PAIN

Back pain is a very common condition though not usually taken seriously until it becomes very severe. they pain may be dull, throbbing, shooting, stabbing or sharp. The severity can be mild, moderate or severe. It may or may not be radiating and may be aggravated by certain actions such as lifting heavy objects, carry heavy load including children, bending down to sweep or pray, exercise and prolonged sitting or standing. The pain may be persistent or  transient with or without associated neurological symptoms such as numbness and tingling.

CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

Source: Google

• Muscle or ligament strain. Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments. If you're in poor physical condition, constant strain on your back can cause painful muscle spasms.
• Bulging or ruptured disks. Disks act as cushions between the bones (vertebrae) in your spine. The soft material inside a disk can bulge or rupture and press on a nerve. However, you can have a bulging or ruptured disk without back pain. Disk disease is often found incidentally when you have spine X-rays for some other reason.
• Arthritis. Osteoarthritis can affect the lower back. In some cases, arthritis in the spine can lead to a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord, a condition called spinal stenosis.
• Skeletal irregularities. A condition in which your spine curves to the side (scoliosis) also can lead to back pain, but generally not until middle age.

Source: Google

• Osteoporosis. Your spine's vertebrae can develop compression fractures if your bones become porous and brittle. 

Source: Google

• Spondylosis. This is a general term for age-related wear and tear of the spinal discs. Spondylosis is common and worsens with age. This condition is often used to describe degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) of the spine. Most people don't have symptoms, but some may experience pain or muscle spasms.

Source: Google

• Spondylolisthesis. A spinal disorder in which a bone (vertebra) slips forward onto the bone below it. Spondylolisthesis risk factors include sports that put stress on the bones in the lower back, such as gymnastics and football. Genetics may also put some people at increased risk.If the vertebra slips too far, it may press on nerves and cause severe back pain or nerve crowding that produces leg pain or numbness.

  

  Source: Google

• Cancer.  People with ovarian or colorectal cancer may have symptoms of back pain. There may also be back pain due to metastasis to the spine from prostate cancer and other cancers. 

        SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of back pain can include:

• Muscle ache
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Pain that radiates down your leg
• Pain that worsens with bending, lifting, standing or walking
• Pain that improves with reclining
• Loss of bowel and/or bladder control

    DIAGNOSIS

• X-ray. 
• MRI or CT scans. 
• Blood tests. 
• Bone scan. 
• Nerve studies. 

TREATMENT

1. MEDICATIONS: Such as Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, muscle relaxants, topical pain relievers, steroid injections etc.

2. HEALTH EDUCATION: 

-Do not lift heavy objects,

- Do not bend down 

- Always lie on your back on a hard surface such as orthopedic mattress or floor

-Change position often when standing or sitting for long

-You may need an ergonomic chair to sit at work

-consider career change if possible (😏 This may be impossible)

-Physical therapy and exercise also help a lot

3. SURGERY:Few people need surgery for back pain. 

Thanks very much for reading.

Abiola Olubiyi

DEPRESSION;LET'S TALK 2

Still on the depression topic. Here's another story from the depression support group. It's entirely fictional and bears no resemblance to any living or dead person.

"Hello everyone" said Dr Abraham, the founder of the support group. "I thank you all for sharing your stories tonight. I am amazed at how we have grown since this group began. We have learnt each other and we have made friends over the years with one another." He added.

"Our friendship and support has helped us to be compliant with our drugs and to live healthy. I will encourage you to continue in that spirit." "However, in this same group, we have a friend here who has not found a place among us yet. Today, it has to stop. That's why I am calling on you, Mr. Seun Oke, to come out and share your story with us. Let's all give him a round of applause as he talks to us" said the Doctor.

Seun got up reluctantly. Oooh! What is this one now. Why would this man put me in such a tight spot, he wondered. I didn't even want to join this group in the first place. All these people will be talking about themselves and be feeling as if they have experienced terrible situations. Are they not the ones responsible for their own misfortune? Shiiiooorrr! They should come and ask me. They don't know anything.

Why am I even here. I'm not depressed. I am just sad and angry. And I just want to be left alone. He wished he could tell the doctor to mind his own business but he couldn't. Dr Abraham was just too nice. In fact he was his best friend in this whole planet. And it's only because of this reason that he would speak today.


" My name is Seun. I am 23 years old. I joined this group two years ago and I am not depressed. I am only here because all my life I have only known pain. It's has been my companion since forever and It's the only thing I know that can never forsake me.

"I am the first child of my parents. I have two other siblings. I am a sickle cell disease patient. It was diagnosed when I was only six months old. Apparently, my parents did not consider genotype when getting married. Who does that?! In this age and time. They just gave birth to me so that I can be suffering abi. I have never known what being healthy really means. I am always in and out of the hospital.

"Why me for God's sake? Why does it have to be me? Why do I have to suffer so much? There were times I have asked for death during my crises. As a child, I suffered Avascular Necrosis of the head of femur which means I have problems with my hip joint. The head of my left thigh bone is dead.  It needs to be replaced but since my parents cannot afford the surgery, I can barely walk. You can all see that I use crutches to aid my movement. 

"In the past few years, I have had multiple blood transfusions along with some terrible side effects. I don't go to school regularly because of the illness and I have repeated almost every class. I only just finished secondary school this year. I am not looking forward to going to the university because I can not study the course I love. I was told to choose a less stressful course. Imagine!!!

"Two months ago, on my way home from here, I suffered a stroke. How does that happen in someone my age? All because I am a sickler. I nearly died. I actually wish I had. At least I would rest from all these pains. I have no friend because no one wants to be with me. And since no one wants to be with me, I don't want to be with anyone either. I just want to be left alone. A lot of people say that I am withdrawn. Why won't I be? If they were in my shoes, they wouldn't do any better. There's nothing in my life worth celebrating and I don't see it getting any better.

"That's my story. I hope I can have my seat now".

One could hear a pin drop in the room. Some people were crying by the time he was done. Some bowed their heads and could not bear to look at him. Dr Abraham got up and spoke. His voice was gentle and reassuring. He said, " Now Seun, that is one hell of a story if you ask me". He cleared his throat and continued, " You can do either of two things in this situation. First, you can choose to focus on all the negativities in your life. Live in self pity and hopefully die one day soon or you can take charge of your life and have a positive impact on people. You can start a sickle cell foundation where you can educate people on Sickle cell disease. You can start a support group for those with the disease. You can help prevent the disease anyway you can. You will be more fulfilled doing that. Even if you die, I pray you don't, it will be a happy death."

"At this juncture, let's call it a day," said The doctor. "Let's not forget to talk about Depression, it helps. Till we meet again next week, stay blessed". "Goodnight doctor", everyone chorused and filed out of the room. Only Seun did not leave. He broke down in tears at the doctor's feet and said, "Thank you very much doctor. I choose to live positively hence forth. I will take your advice and positively impact people's lives."

Dr Abraham pulled him up and supported him as they walked outside. He looked up to the sky feeling very fulfilled. He loves helping people. And on days like this, he feels like a super hero.

I want to use this opportunity to encourage you all reading this to help people around you. I have already discussed the symptoms of Depression in the last episode. Let us encourage people to talk. A woman is suffering and we say she should not talk. A husband is depressed and because of stigmatisation, we say he should not tell anyone. All these have to stop. Depression is Real and only talking about it helps!!!

Thanks so much for your time. Special thanks to my daughter who helped me to edit this piece and my son who gave me some ideas. God bless you all.

DIABETES IN CHILDREN

Hello dears! How do you do? Hope today was not so stressful. May God continue to bless all our efforts with success. Amen.

I am here to continue with the series on #Diabetes. There are majorly two types of Diabetes viz the insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1)and the non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2) which was discussed in the last episode.

Today, I'm supposed to write another story which would convey my message on type 1 Diabetes but I couldn't brace my mind up enough to write it. Each time I try, I remember the cases that I have seen especially in children and I become emotional because of the effect of the disease on the children and their families. Therefore, it gives me no pleasure to write a sad story about children. 

In light of this, I just want explain in lay man's terms what type 1/ insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM) is. I hope you won't find it boring.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a type of disease in which the body's immune system attacks and renders useless an organ in the body called PANCREAS. The pancreas is an irreplaceable organ in the body whose cells produce a hormone called INSULIN. The work of insulin is to mop up all the food we eat especially the carbohydrates from the blood to the cells of the body.

I hope you know that all the food we eat will digest and be broken down into smaller substances before the body can use it. The only way for the body to either use or store the sugar broken down is if the insulin is working well. Otherwise there would be high level of blood sugar. Therefore, Insulin is a very important hormone.

IDDM is the type that usually occurs in children though it can occur in adults as well. Thankfully, it occurs in only 5-10% of all Diabetes cases. There is no specific cause of this disease though some risk factors have been identified or implicated. The disease is not due to one's fault either by commission or omission.The risk factors are as follows.

- Family history: this is a strong factor as children whose parents or siblings have Diabetes tend to have the disease

- Exposure to some viruses like Epstein Barr virus, Coxsackie virus, Rubella or Cytomegalovirus may trigger the immune system to destroy the islet cells of the Pancreas.

- Drinking water that contains Nitrates

SYMPTOMS

- Frequent thirst and drinking of water

- Frequent urination

- Excessive Hunger

- Weight loss

- Tiredness

- Unusual behaviour in children

- Blurred vision

TREATMENT

There is no cure for this disease sadly, however it can be managed by injecting insulin at regular intervals as prescribed by doctors. There should also be blood sugar monitoring regularly.

COMPLICATIONS

IDDM affects nearly all organs in the body. It affects the heart, blood vessels, the nerves, the kidneys and the eyes. However, if the blood sugar is kept under control, the risk of complications is reduced. The complications include:

- Stroke

- Heart attack

- Coma from a condition called Diabetes Ketoacidosis

- High blood pressure

- Nerve damage

- Damage to eyes, kidneys and the feet

PREVENTION

This disease is not easy to prevent but early diagnosis and treatment goes a long way in preventing complications.

Thanks for reading.

References

www.webmd.com

www.mayoclinic.org

Photos from Google 

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS

Hi. I guess I'm back a very long break. Hope you are all good and I hope you were still visiting the blog even though there was no new post. Please be kind enough to broadcast or invite people to read stuffs here. Thanks. 

Last year, the WHO theme was on Halting the Rise of Diabetes. This was what inspired the story below. Thanks for reading! And I hope you share it too.

My name is Bukky, I love life. We can only live once. So, I believe one should live life to the fullest. I'm a beauty if you ask me. I have all my curves in the right places. When I was a bit younger than now (well, I'm not yet old, besides being old is a thing of the mind. Or what do you think?). After all, I'm just 38 years old. Anyway, as I was saying, when I was a bit younger, men would kill to have me. Which man would see this my body and not want me? Ehn? Except if no be woman born him or if blood no dey him body!!! Lol.

I eventually married the love of my life. Or so he was when I married him. He claimed to love me so much then. He used to do boyboy behind me o. So what's now his problem. Now that I have given birth to four kids, he's now Mr head-complainant. Heeeee, my husband can so complain. Ha! I think complaining is his talent. I hope none of my children take after him in that regard.

Hmmmm, if I'm drinking my Coke jejely, he will complain that I drink too much coke that it's not good for my body. If I'm eating my meals, he will complain that the size is too much. That I will die eating. That's why I don't like eating with him, he will be eating rubbish food like salad, vegetables and fruits and be saying that that's the best food. Abeg, na food be dat, when I no be goat. I go come dey chop grass always. No be something go kill person?! Abeg, abeg that fruits and vegetables no be for me o.

See, if my husband knows that he doesn't have enough money to feed me, let him say. Abi which one is it that some will not be able to eat what one wants. Does he want me to look like Those skinny people who cannot afford to eat three square meals a day? In fact those are the people that are sick. Hmmm. They are not pretty at all. Clothes will hang on their bodies like hanger or mannequin. Imagine!!! Hmmm. No be me! Please check me out. I've got all it takes. You need to see me in Iro and Buba. You go bow. Cash madam!

Abeg, let's leave that story for another day. I noticed some strange things happening to me recently. I hope it's not my stepmother that is at work ( you know she's a witch!). If she's the one, I will show her pepper. Hmmm. Now, I wake up about four times every night to urinate. During the day Nko, uncountable. My legs feel numb like blood is not flowing in it very well again. All those ones don't even bother me as much as this big sore on my left foot. It started as one tintinni wound o, see, now it's so big and it's not responding to the dressing the nurse next door is doing for me. What will I do now oooo. My husband says I should go to the hospital but is this the kind of thing that you take to the hospital? No be hospital matter jo! There's a hand at work and I must see to the end of this matter......

Three days later.......

Bukky was rushed unconscious into the emergency room at the hospital. She was diagnosed of Diabetes Mellitus. She had already developed a complication called Diabetic foot. The doctors would have to amputate her leg. What a pity!!

The story above, though fictitious depicts one of the various manifestions of Diabetes. Hopefully soon, I will tell another story of diabetes in children. Then I will discuss the issue of diabetes at length. 

Please note, all pictures were assessed from Google.

Thanks for reading. Please share on your social platforms. Thanks in anticipation. Ciao for now