LEO'S BLOG: PUZZLE OF SYPHILIS IN A THREE YEAR OLD

LEO'S BLOG: PUZZLE OF SYPHILIS IN A THREE YEAR OLD: Common things are common and vice versa . This slogan is an aid to making diagnoses in medicine but the challenge is when uncommon things da...

LEO'S BLOG: PUZZLE OF SYPHILIS IN A THREE YEAR OLD

LEO'S BLOG: PUZZLE OF SYPHILIS IN A THREE YEAR OLD: Common things are common and vice versa . This slogan is an aid to making diagnoses in medicine but the challenge is when uncommon things da...

PUZZLE OF SYPHILIS IN A THREE YEAR OLD

Common things are common and vice versa . This slogan is an aid to making diagnoses in medicine but the challenge is when uncommon things dare your medical prowess and sometimes leave you more confused than the patient. This was so in Daniel's case.

To be super-parents we need the eyes of an eagle, the team work of the 300 Spartans, the gentleness of the lamb and the wisdom of the serpent. Daniel is three years old and was brought to the clinic on account of recurrent fever and malaise. After a round of clerking the physician made a diagnosis of Poorly treated Malaria and commenced him on a more appropriate antimalaria medication.

After a week Daniel was brought back to the clinic with worse symptoms of generalised body rash and lympadenopathy (lymph node swelling) in addition to the earlier symptoms. At this juncture , the physician's tentacles were raised, at first he thought of measles but the more he dug into it, the more uncertain it became, he also thought of a possible HIV infection and lymphoma . On inspection of the patient, he found a wart-like growth on Daniel's scrotum which got him confused the more. He stood still for a while pondering over his findings, looking for a clue but his brain was blank and the mother kept asking him what the problem was with her son.

The patient was admitted and some investigations sent while palliative treatment was commenced but when the results were retrieved it wasn't any of the diagnosis he had in mind. Then he turned to the mother and asked her the million dollar question, the blow that broke the back of the camel, 'Madam, was there anytime within the past six weeks that your child had a rash on his penis'? Looking into his eyes as though he was a prophet with hope and confidence restored in her she gave him a nod and added that it didn't disturb her child but eventually resolved spontaneously with hich made her attach zero importance to it . He quickly pulled a leaf of investigation sheet lying like a comatosed patient and filled for VDRL test. The result came out positive but it did not go down well with Mrs. Gladys Oruada after the doctor explained the result to her and requested that she and her husband be tested as well.

It was the battle of Muzanga that evening when Mr. Uche Oruada returned from work, he received a cold welcome from his wife who was filled to the brim with suspicion and waiting in the bedroom to kick start the Amagedom. His confusion was interpreted as pretence. She unleashed hell on him that night, calling him a cheat, a womaniser, a wolf in sheep skin, a syphilis distributor, blablabla.... Mr. Uche had never seen his wife in this mood in the past eight years of their marriage, he was so disappointed but he managed to get a grip on his temper less he beat her blue black. The matter was laid to rest temporarily when the couple agreed to run the test but she refused to spend the night with her husband in her bedroom.

That night Mrs. Gladys after two hours of sleep walked up the stairs leading to her bedroom. She could hear loud moaning from that direction and as she drew closer the noise became louder. She opened the door and caught her husband ramming their house help, Ivie, from behind. Filled with rage, she picked up a wine bottle and flung it at them hoping to fracture their brainless skulls. The cracking sound woke her up and she realised it was just a dream and that she had smashed the flower vase in the sitting room against an aquarium.

No breakfast was served the next morning, both of them wearing long faces, no one uttered a word to the other, they just went their separate ways to the clinic to have the test done.
Life was no longer at ease for Mr. & Mrs. Oruada, their once peaceful home has become a theatre of war. Her husband started keeping late nights, the children, unhappy and miserable and the wife filled with bitterness and recked.
The doctor called the couple when the result was ready and both went with great expectations and anxiety . Mrs. Gladys was convinced within her that her husband would test positive but on the contrary, he didn't, neither was Mrs. Gladys positive to the test.
How then did Daniel get his Syphilis? Stay connected to find out in next episode. Let me know your thoughts in the comment box. Thank you so much for reading!

LEO'S BLOG: PREMATURE EJACULATION

LEO'S BLOG: PREMATURE EJACULATION: Roseline was the third daughter of Mr. Chukwuka, a man who all his life has been humiliated by the monster, poverty. His sweat stinks of ...

PREMATURE EJACULATION

Roseline was the third daughter of Mr. Chukwuka, a man who all his life has been humiliated by the monster, poverty. His sweat stinks of suffering, his eyes sunken like a severely dehydrated child, the palms of his hands as hard as the petrous bone and as coarse as an emery sandpaper. A handshake with him gives his occupation away. Pray not to engage him in a fight for his hand is a deadly natural weapon. His wife will explain better. She gives him a considerable interpersonal distance whenever there is a quarrel and strategically positions herself beside the exit door with her left hand clasping the nob of the metal door opener for an easy escape should her husband make a move to touch her with his steel hand, while she runs her mouth like a tap.

Ijeoma, Chukwuka's wife, had known suffering all her life, moving from a poor background where her parents could hardly afford a square meal into the hands of her husband whose life have been recked by poverty . Her fair complexion had been concealed by the scourging sun to which she is constantly exposed while toiling to augment her husband's daily income. She couldn't join the women's wing in her church owing to the huge financial obligation and show of affluence which is common among the group. Her rivals nicknamed her Mrs. Job and when they're in their unholy company one would call out to her while another would reply, 'curse God and die' but like Mary, she treasured all insults in her heart. Despite the prevailing condition she raised her daughters in modesty and gave them formal education.
Roseline was beautiful, sexy, intelligent and innocent in her thoughts. She graciously completed her tertiary education as a biochemist from the Abia State University as the second best graduating student in her set. She was amongst the first batch of graduands to undergo the one year compulsory National Youth Service Corps Program (NYSC). She was posted to Lagos, Nigeria for the exercise.
Having obtained her first degree, she thought it was time to get married and wished she would find her Mr. Right in the orientation camp as it was common notion  among youth corpers. It was as though heaven answered her prayers when Stanley Ogbaegbe came her way. It was as if she had met an angel. He was nice to her and she loved him with her body, soul and heart as he was her first love. They hung out together, did everything in common. It was all gingles in her brain the very day Stanley proposed to her. She was so emotional that she allowed her vaginity to be stripped off her that same evening (was there any reason for her to withhold her body after the proposal?).
As days went by, she became more certain of spending her whole life with her lover, in fact, she couldn't wait for the service to be over. When it was time to fill personal data for The Certificate of Service, she threw away her surname and filled in Mrs. ROSELINE OGBAEGBE.
The service year had ended, Roseline and Stanley did not see each other at the passing out parade ground. She was actively involved in the parade but missed most of the marching steps and moves while trying to spot her lover in the crowd. Midway in the activity she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. She was confirmed pregnant. Uncertain how Stanley would react to this, she placed a call across to him but he kept turning the calls down. She eventually sent a text message across to him but his response was a shocker.
He has probably changed his phone number to prevent her from getting access to him. She has lost her dignity, her pride, her menstrual cycle, her certificate, her first love and is about to become a single parent . Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat in the bus conveying her back to her home town. She wished she had never met Stanley but more so, that she had not by her attitude ejaculated prematurely.
Thank you for reading!

LEO'S BLOG: ROMANCE WITH DEATH

LEO'S BLOG: ROMANCE WITH DEATH: The darkest cloud. Something more bitter than vinegar, an amargo. An amalgamation of eclipse of the sun and moon. A tale of agony and ang...

ROMANCE WITH DEATH

The darkest cloud. Something more bitter than vinegar, an amargo. An amalgamation of eclipse of the sun and moon. A tale of agony and anguish. The tears in his eyes weren't those of joy but those of a devastated man, a man whose essence of existence has been stolen. His life has become meaningless, so meaningless that Job's life became a luxury compared to his. The margins of his eyelids could not hold back his tears. His blood shoot eyes like crimson, traumatised by the tears, his nostrils in sympathy oozing out uncontrollable watery mucus. His heart beating in staccato and his weak and weary body left at the mercy of his comforters. He tried so much but failed to restrain himself from crying. His voice sounded like a cracked or broken record as he CRIED 'JULLIEEET IS GONE'

She was the apple of his eyes. His one and only love, his constant companion and advicer. They were compatible partners in crime,doing everything in harmony. Everyday Mr. Clement would thank God for his wife for she was a perfect soul mate. They  had been married for seven years and wished they would live together forever until this morning when the powerful cold hands of death snatched her away from her heartbroken and helpless husband.
Juliet had her first child in 2013 after which she endured secondary  infertility for three years. With the help of medical expertise she conceived a duplet which was delivered successfully. During her pregnancy, she developed Hypertension and was subsequently discharged home with some medications including antihypertensives after effective control of her blood pressure, postpartum (after delivery). She was also given a week appointment for checkup but both prescription and visit to the clinic was not adhered to. She probably thought all was well until the SILENT KILLER creeped in on her and closed the chapter of her life history, leaving behind her twin newborns and confused husband.
She was up almost through the night with the nursing experience, attending to both babies ;breastfeeding, changing diapers, trying to appease them equally as jealousy was expressed through crying from the one unattended to. All these activities went on while the August visitor was romancing her until about 5am when the symptoms of his presence were felt ; severe headache, palpitations and difficulty in breathing. She took her medication immediately but slumped 30 minutes later and that was it. She was rushed to the hospital with a pulseless, lifeless body but JULIET IS GONE!

GESTATIONAL HYPERTENSION (PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION) 

Let me start by saying that HYPERTENSIVE DISEASES IN PREGNANCY is no joker. It's one of the four major KILLERS of pregnant mothers. This condition in which a non hypertensive pregnant woman eventually developes hypertension in the second half of pregnancy MUST AS A MATTER OF NECESSITY BE MANAGED BY AN OBSTETRICIAN and every instruction strictly adhered to.
PIH usually resolves within two weeks postpartum but can predispose the patient to essential hypertension, hence the need for regular medical checkup.
Thank you for reading!

LEO'S BLOG: SLAPPED BY A GHOST!

LEO'S BLOG: SLAPPED BY A GHOST!: It was a cold night, the cloud was as dark as Diana and had assembled over us to graciously bless us with rain. I had finished two wraps o...

SLAPPED BY A GHOST!

It was a cold night, the cloud was as dark as Diana and had assembled over us to graciously bless us with rain. I had finished two wraps of fufu served with vegetable soup specially prepared by my beautiful wife. Such meals are usually suspicious as a request follows the delicacy at the end of the meal. Here she comes with the usual preamble, calling me pet names, sat on my laps, kissed me deeply and began to unbutton my shirt while curdling my hair. Suddenly there was a bang on the door with a feminine voice and a tone characterised by tension and confusion. I realised I was dreaming and jumped out of the bed as if I was pricked with a needle,my heart racing to escape a perceived danger while attempting to leave my sluggish body behind. I held my chest as though I was reciting my national anthem and as though to prevent my heart from leaving my body. It was the nurse on evening duty. She had come to announce an emergency case which had presented to the hospital. What's the case summary? I asked. I don't understand, she replied while scratching her hair and body. What don't you understand? I asked again. She stammered and answered, I heard he was slapped by a ghost! My thought drifted away momentarily as though a wave had blown across it to Umuahia, the capital city of Abia where sometime ago it was widely reported that ghosts slapped people to death in a popular brothel and not long after that a rumor went round that a sitting governor was also slapped by a ghost. My bizarre thoughts were aborted by a call from the nurse, the calibre of the voice this time, masculine. I looked at her just to see that her focus was below my belt, at a prominent figure which had responded to my romantic dream. I cleared my throat and urged her to go ahead while I pick some instruments. It took some effort to relax myself before proceeding to the emergency unit, to avoid further embarrassment. On getting to the emergency room, an elderly man with a unilateral dysmorphic face (hahaha, no offence, it means half part of his face was disfigured) as seen in the above picture, with drooling of saliva and dysphonia, altered consciousness and unable to raise the limbs of the affected side. His blood pressure was 220/150 mmHg with a high volume pulse.
His breakfast is a packet of cigarettes which he enjoys with whisky. He would go out of his way to make them readily available including borrowing. He owed Mr. Amanaha the sum of #5000 before his demise following a fatal motor accident. Adindu went outside the house to urinate at about 9.30pm that same night when he fell to the ground with above symptoms. They therefore concluded the late Mr. Amanaha attacked him on account of his indebtedness.

STROKE (CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT) 

When blood fails to get to some parts of the brain either due to blockage by a clot (thrombus) or due to rupture of fragile blood vessel (s) (hemorrhage), the nerves fail to function. This is known as stroke.
Risk Factors for stroke 
Modifiable factors

• Heavy Alcoholism
• Moderate/Severe Hypertension 
• Cigarette smoking 
• Uncontrolled Diabetes 
• Hyperlipidemia
• Polycythemia 
• Estrogen containing drugs

Non-Modifiable factors 

• Gender 
• Race
• Age
• Previous History
• Hereditary 
• High Fibrinogen

 The common signs and symptoms are contained in the history.
Prognosis

• 1/5 of affected persons die from it
• 4/5 of affected persons survive but 1/2 of these suffer physical disability 

Endeavor to check your blood pressure regularly if you are 40years and above. 
Thank you for reading!