Chapter 2: The Test and the Wait
When I still hear say e like to dey drink tea, especially hot tea, my suspicion strong. To dey drink hot tea dey burn throat every time, e fit cause wahala for body later.
I even ask am, "Bros, you dey drink tea hot-hot?" E nod, say na im way. For Naija, some people sabi like their tea make e dey boil, no know say all those burn dey pile for body. Na all these small small habits dey join hand for trouble wey person no dey expect.
Cancer for throat dey common for people wey don old, but e no mean say young person no fit get am.
For this our side, e dey shock people say young person fit get cancer. But na truth. All these dey happen, sometimes e dey show for where you no expect. That one sef dey fear us doctors, because e fit be anybody.
"Make we do camera test for throat," I talk, quickly order the test.
I tell my team say, "No delay this one o. Quick-quick, arrange the test." Everybody move, as emergency demand sharp work. For here, if you slack, wahala fit increase.
Dem go use one long camera, pass am through your mouth, check wetin dey block throat reach your belle.
As we dey explain to am, Ifeanyi dey nod, but you go see say e dey fear small. Na normal. The kain test no be beans. Even the way e dey rub those white prayer beads—like say if e press am hard, God go answer sharp sharp.
The patient don already sabi say e need the test, so e prepare im mind. After e pay, e go ready for the procedure.
E carry small bag, arrange im phone, call im uncle say make e dey aware. The way e arrange imself show say e don ready for anything. For Naija hospital, you must get money ready before test go happen. E still beg God make everything soft.
Before the camera test, I tell am make e do chest X-ray and ECG, since e still dey cough small. I wan check say no be chest infection dey worry am.
For here, we dey like confirm say no be chest wahala join. Even small cough, na so we go check well, because you fit miss big thing if you no careful.
True true, chest X-ray show say small chest infection dey, but e no too serious. Dust and generator smoke no dey help at all—sometimes na only God dey protect person chest for this Lagos.
I look the result, sigh. "At least, no be pneumonia. But make we still dey look." Na so e be, chest infection plenty for our side.
Im ECG dey normal.
I smile small. "No wahala for heart, at least," I tell am. "You fit do the test, your heart dey okay." The relief show for im face, even if na small. For this kain test, heart must dey strong.
I tell the resident doctor, "For patient like this, you gats do ECG. Camera test get small risk. If patient get heart wahala, we dey fear say problem fit show." For Naija hospital, na so we dey teach—no textbook go prepare you for wetin you go see for night shift.
The resident nod, dey write notes. Na this kain thing we dey teach junior doctors. For Naija hospital, training dey inside work – dem go watch as you dey do, learn sharp-sharp. You go dey remind them: "Patient care first, details dey save life."