Bookish - Introducing Mazwi (3 of 10)
Mazwi.
As the child pictured above walked into my exam room, he proclaimed, “My name is Mazwi. I am four years old.”
“Well, my name is Dr. Ryan. Welcome to your exam room.”
I told Mazwi’s mother how impressed I was with the child’s friendliness.
“He can write his name, too,” the mother proudly reported. “He likes to write a lot.”
The interpreter had offered the child a stuffed bear, but the child had quickly exchanged it for a nearby book. The book is called “Cloth Ears” for you child lit aficionados.
Mazwi was turning the cardboard pages, making comments to his mother in Siswati.
Mazwi is in preschool, about to start kindergarten.
I handed him my favorite Paper-Mate pen (imported from Texas) and he began to produce letters (and other shapes resembling letters) all over the exam table paper.
When I hoisted him up and placed him atop his writings to have a look at him, he did not object.
Besides cavities (most kids here have ‘em) and a common HIV-related rash called “pruritic papular eruption” (jargon that basically means “itchy rash that we don't really understand”), he looked quite well.
On ARVs, his CD4 percentage has climbed from 8 to 28.
With careful ARV administration and clinical follow-up it should remain up at least until Mazwi finishes his third novel.
“Well, my name is Dr. Ryan. Welcome to your exam room.”
I told Mazwi’s mother how impressed I was with the child’s friendliness.
“He can write his name, too,” the mother proudly reported. “He likes to write a lot.”
The interpreter had offered the child a stuffed bear, but the child had quickly exchanged it for a nearby book. The book is called “Cloth Ears” for you child lit aficionados.
Mazwi was turning the cardboard pages, making comments to his mother in Siswati.
Mazwi is in preschool, about to start kindergarten.
I handed him my favorite Paper-Mate pen (imported from Texas) and he began to produce letters (and other shapes resembling letters) all over the exam table paper.
When I hoisted him up and placed him atop his writings to have a look at him, he did not object.
Besides cavities (most kids here have ‘em) and a common HIV-related rash called “pruritic papular eruption” (jargon that basically means “itchy rash that we don't really understand”), he looked quite well.
On ARVs, his CD4 percentage has climbed from 8 to 28.
With careful ARV administration and clinical follow-up it should remain up at least until Mazwi finishes his third novel.
Labels: Patient encounters
posted by Ryan @ 5:46 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Ryan, could you guys use more children's books at your clinic? -Michelle
PS Wade and I read you all the time. We send long-distance hugs from Cali to Swaziland.
Yes, we certainly could. Email me and let's discuss!
messageforryan@gmail.com
Cheers. -Ry
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