Beware of "Ndi Ekpere" a.k.a Intercessors; they almost broke my patient's marriage

It was Saturday, the rain which had blown her whistle and conjured and compelled all on foot to an aerobic exercise had stopped to usher in my index patient. The green empty card lying helplessly on my table introduced the couple before they sought my permission to ingloriously enter the consulting room.

The weak knock on the door suggested a female patient who walked in accompanied by her husband. My prying eyes scanned their countenances while we exchanged pleasantries. The man was semi-mute which made me fix my gaze on him, changing my lens power to a higher magnification to pick up every clue I need to make my diagnosis but no, he would not utter a word. Yet the expression on his bearless dark face was like a thesis waiting to be published. Even though the metal seats on which they sat were juxtaposed, they (couple) presented a concavo-concave position towards each other as though they intend to repel each other.

After extracting the basic information about the couple, I decided to be more friendly, so I asked with a smile, how may I help you? The woman threw out the complain like a hot tea in the mouth, "Dr. we have been trying but it's not entering" I smiled again to give them hope and rephrased her answer to a more palatable parlance and served it to her, cool. You mean you want to conceive? And she concurred both verbally and dramatically.

This couple have been blessed with a child just two years ago which raised my curiosity, so I asked, why do you think you have fertility issues? This singular question came like an invocation of the god, Hermes, the god of speech/language, which visited the husband and like Zacharaih, restored to him the power of speech. He broke his silence, interrupted the wife's perceived misrepresentation and concealment of the truth.

I'm not bothered, he said, his voice becoming deeper and more audible. My wife is the problem as he pointed at her with his index finger while oscillating them like the wave of a troubled sea. These words was like a hammer blow that drove the wife into herself, she tried to slow him down with a signal from her hand but it was like trying to stop the moving train. I want to do a test, he added. Too many assertions and requests, the ball was now in my court. I had to play it in the goal oriented direction, so I asked him directly, Oga! What really is the problem?

The moment of Truth had come when books are opened and everything done in the dark would be laid bare.
My wife went to a prayer house to ask for prayers for the fruit of the womb. The prophetess who laid hands on her, told her authoritatively that I, the husband, is the cause of her infertility because I have a Low Sperm Count.
After that encounter I have not known peace in my house. It is out of frustration that I followed her today to put an end to this madness...

This is a true story... The rest of the gist is mine.
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LAB INDICATES PREGNANCY BUT DR. SAYS OTHERWISE

It was like a game of puzzle. She had the letters P-R-E-G-N, she only needed the letters A,N,T to score 100 points to win her opponent but the gods weren't on her side. It was her last move and all that was left in her tray was N,O,T.

Azuka missed her menses for about two cycles with symptoms suggestive of pregnancy. She obtained a pregnancy test strip from a nearby patent medicine store, rushed into her rest room as though she was in a hurry to catch up with her flight. After struggling with her tight bum short which almost made her irrigate her limbs with hot tempered urine, she got a sample and quickly conducted the test.

While she waited for the result, she made herself a little more comfortable by deflating her gut. The resulting phonics is better imagined. Amidst the performance, she suddenly exclaimed,
Aaaaaaaaah! Obago!! Azuka, you are too much, she said to herself on sighting double lines on the strip. She then sprung up from the toilet seat to do the kerewa dance, out of excitement.

One week later, she visited a clinic on account of blood stain which she observed after cleaning herself up.

After an ultrasound scan investigation, the doctor informed her that there was no evidence of pregnancy.
To her disappointment, she turned round to confirm if she was really in the right place and when she turned to the doctor, her forehead furrowed, her pupils dilated and her voice echoed a masculine tone as she asked the doctor to repeat himself. He tried to calm her down but the more he tried, he met with stiffer resistance. There must be a mix-up somewhere, it's probably someone else's report because am double sure about being pregnant.
With these words, Azuka walked out of the doctor's office angrily to a medical laboratory for a repeat pregnancy test. The result was contrary to the doctor's opinion. Quack doctor, she said, I knew I was pregnant.

She decided to visit another health Care facility to book for Antenatal Care but the same issue reared its ugly head again. She wished the doctor would say something different/positive but he looked at her in the face and unequivocally told her that she wasn't pregnant. This time she was broken, speechless and confused. She bent over the table and sobbed...
Madam are you alright? Asked the doctor. How can I be alright when you people are against my pregnancy? I don't understand you madam, the doctor replied. As though she was recovering from her mishap, she narrated her experience to the doctor and ended her story with this question,
How possible is it that I missed my period and confirmed my pregnancy with a lab test even with a recent one yesterday and you still say am not pregnant? The doctor gave her these explanations. 👇

FALSE-POSITIVE B-HCG

B-HCG stands for beta human chorionic gonadotropins. It's a hormone produced by a placental precursor. It's this chemical that your test strip looks for in pregnancy test. When the strip says it's present (by showing two lines) in a person who actually is not pregnant it's referred to as false positive and can be seen in conditions like:


INTERFERING ANTIBODIES: two persons (antibodies) are needed to indicate the presence of B-HCG in the urine or blood. The capturing antibody catches and holds the B-HCG in place while the signalling antibody binds to the chemical and announces it's presence by showing double lines. In some individuals there's a special antibody called interfering antibody. It gives the signalling antibody the false impression that it has captured the chemical thereafter the signalling antibody announces without confirmation, resulting in false positive result.

EXPIRED TEST KIT: every test kit has expiry date beyond which it's sensitivity and specificity is questionable. Hence an expired test strip would most likely give a false positive result.

CHEMICAL/BIOCHEMICAL: it is possible that she WAS pregnant but lost it before her presentation to the clinic. Sometimes pregnancies occur but for different reasons fail to continue. The HCG resulting from such pregnancies lingers for a while, up to a month, before it is completely removed from the blood. Therefore within this time pregnancy test would be positive.

CANCER: the tissues of pregnancy notably "the trophoblast" may under go abnormal development following chromosomal abberation resulting in Molar pregnancy, a condition referred to as "Gestational Trophoblastic Disease. This is a rich source of B-HCG which can be identified in pregnancy test.

PITUITARY HCG: the pituitary gland is an endocrine gland. It controls the reproductive system and in turn gets feedback regulation from same. When ovarian function declines significantly, feedback is lost and it produces significant amount in B-HCG. This is common above the age of 40 years.
This gland also produces other hormones that have similar structure with B-HCG viz, Follicle Stimulating Hormone,Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone which can give a false positive result.

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Witch's milk mismanagement in baby ends in hospital admission and surgery

Whatever you lack knowledge about has an edge over you, so they say. Sometimes our actions, inactions or inappropriate actions may become regrettable, especially when it generates ripple effect. So it was in this one month old baby.

It is not uncommon for mothers to find out suspicious appearances on babies during routine bathing.
 On this faithful day Ezinne called out to her mother-in-law to come and see for herself. I hope my eyes aren't deceiving me, she added, these breasts are getting bigger, while pointing at her baby's chest. Bibiana ochoro ikpù añra? ( Is Bibiana growing breast) Chineke! (God)  this one beats my imagination o!

Out of curiosity she compressed the right breast and exclaimed when she saw breastmilk flowing out. This is not normal, how can a new born lactate? Who does she want to breastfeed? They took their turn to empty both breasts and felt a little satisfied after the exercise. The following day, the breasts had become engorged and even bigger. Ezinne spent more of her time trying to decompress the breasts.
In the evening of that same day the right breast had become swollen, reddish and tender (painful to touch), baby developed high grade fever with restlessness. With these developments, mother wrapped up her baby and zoomed off to a drug dispenser who told her that her child has a "hormonal imbalance". Six injections were given to the baby instantly and some take home drugs.
After two days of nightmare, she then brought the child to the clinic. By then, the child had developed "Right Breast Mastitis and Abscess" which therefore prompted surgical incision and drainage.

Witch's milk/ Neonatal milk

During pregnancy certain hormones become elevated in the woman, including Prolactin and Growth hormone. These are transferred to the baby during breastfeeding. When significant, they stimulates transient breast development and lactation in both sexes.
Thyroid hormones which also peaks in babies after delivery (to help in temperature regulation) also contribute to this phenomenon referred to as Witch's milk.
The production of breastmilk may last up to two months before it resolves.
N:b it's a normal occurrence seen in some children.
It does not require any TEST or TREATMENT.
DO NOT COMPRESS THE BREAST OF AFFECTED CHILDREN.
The term "witch's milk"does not imply that the baby is a witch but from history it was thought that the breastmilk was a source of nourishment for witches.

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28 years old lady battles with her life after inserting drug into her vagina

Despite different Heath education on the dangers of self medication people still pay deaf ears to warnings from health experts.

In the wake of yesterday, a young lady name withheld, in the beautiful city of Owerri, Nigeria was rushed to a private clinic in an unconscious state.

Infirmation at our disposal has it that she opened an Ampiclox capsule and poured the powder into her vagina.
She did this following itching which she had two days proir to the incident.

After the drug application she felt an intense burning sensation and dizziness before she passed out.
She has been revived in the clinic thanks to the medical team on call.

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LEO'S BLOG: BREASFEEDING MALPRACTICE: Baby doesn't get filled ...

LEO'S BLOG: BREASFEEDING MALPRACTICE: Baby doesn't get filled ...: With zero enthusiasm and just to fulfill an unholy righteousness she sat down on the hard metal chair to listen to the day's talk. As ...