Chapter 1: Ifeanyi's Struggle Begins
Omo, make I tell you wetin my eyes see for emergency last night—this one no go ever commot for my head. The kind wahala wey jam me, e no dey give person warning at all. Patient no even last, e condition change like play, and as everything scatter, nothing fit bring am back again.
Omo, this one heavy for body. As I dey write this, na the sound of generator and distant mosque call dey mix for my ear—my mind still dey replay wetin happen. If to say I fit turn back hand of time, maybe e for different. Na so emergency be; you go dey look person dey breathe, next thing, everywhere go scatter. The kain wahala wey dey show for emergency no dey give anybody notice. Sometimes, na just to dey pray say you go get sense for that moment.
The patient na 29-year-old man, Ifeanyi. Na because say im throat dey worry am, na im bring am come hospital. For some months now, e don dey hard for am to swallow food. On top that one, small cough join, so e come decide say make e go see doctor.
Young guy, but e face don show say e dey go through plenty wahala. You sabi as person dey look when Lagos traffic don flog am—eyes red like person wey Lagos traffic flog, voice low as if e never chop since morning. As e sidon for the chair, you go know say hunger and worry dey hold am together. Even the way e dey clutch im nylon bag – e show say nobody dey follow am come, na only am waka come. You go pity am, the way e sidon, as if the chair dey swallow am whole.
Truth be say, before this one, e don already go one local health centre. The nurse for there collect im medical history and find out say for more than two months, e don dey get wahala to swallow. Whether na bread or na pap, to chop dey hard am small. The nurse tell am say make e go bigger hospital go check well, and warn am say make e dey careful about the possibility of cancer for inside throat.
The nurse sef reason with am small, dey use gentle voice. She say, "Oga Ifeanyi, no vex, but this kain wahala no be the type wey we dey manage for here. Na specialist fit help you. Make you no fear, but try reach bigger hospital on time. And abeg, dey careful – if dem mention cancer, no gree panic first." The way she take reason am, you go know say e pain her too. For Naija, sometimes na God hand we dey for health matter.
"Cancer? How that one wan take reach me? Nobody for my family get cancer before. And I still young now!" Ifeanyi no gree believe am.
He hissed small, rub neck. "Aunty nurse, abeg, that cancer talk no be for person like me. Na old people dey get all those big big sickness. I never even reach thirty, my people dey healthy, why me?" But the fear still show for corner of im eye, e just dey form strong.
This na classic case of progressive dysphagia, so person gats always shine eye for the chance say e fit be bad tumor for the throat. We dey call am progressive dysphagia—like say road dey block small small, till nothing fit pass.
As I dey think am, na so doctor sense dey raise alarm inside my head. Person wey dey get wahala to swallow, e dey go from small to big, na wahala be that. You no fit joke with am. You gats dey careful say e fit be tumor, especially as e dey get worse.
Reason am: the throat na just passage. Food must pass through am before e reach belle. If tumor begin grow for inside throat—especially the one wey go surround am—the place go narrow. As food dey pass, e go dey hard. First, to chop bread go hard, later, even to drink water fit become wahala…
Imagine say you dey try swallow akara, or even eba, e go stick. You go dey force am down with water. Before you know, even water go dey hook. Na so e dey start, small small, till everything jam.
"You gats go big hospital go do camera test for throat," the nurse tell am again and again.
She even talk am with hand for chest. "Oga, abeg, no waste time o. No be all sickness dem dey see for eye. Na inside body wey doctor fit use camera check. If you slack, e fit go worse. Abeg, find your way sharp sharp."
Ifeanyi fear catch am, so e prepare to go another hospital do better test. But the thing wey surprise be say, after some days, e begin feel small relief. Work sef dey worry am, so e just carry the matter for back of mind, forget am.
You know as e be, man go dey hustle, wahala fit dey but you go push am aside. Ifeanyi just tell himself say, "E go better, na small thing." Before you know, e get small relief, so e go back to work, dey struggle like every other Lagos boy.
E no remember again until one day, the swallowing wahala come worse and the cough come strong again, na im e rush go big hospital.
That day, e no fit even hide am again. E body don tire, e voice dey crack. As e waka enter hospital, e eye dey find help. You go see say, na only God e dey call for mind.
As e reach, na under my name e register. As I just hear say to swallow dey hard am, my mind stand—this one fit really be cancer for throat.
My spirit just catch, say, "No be small thing." Na instinct wey doctor dey get when wahala dey serious. E get some kind gist wey go make you pause, reset your mind. Na that kain tension dey room that time. Even the nurses, their face change.