SATURDAY 15TH December 2012.
It is nearly 10:30pm and I am forcing myself to stay awake!
Yesterday was extremely tiring and emotionally draining for me. I got up at 6:30am, groan, groan and  when Sallie arrived we jumped into Wamani's taxi and picked up Teacher George Byarugaba  on our way to Harriet's village. When we arrived all the family were sitting under a tree waiting for us.  Harriet's mum Alice Kyaligonza was dressed in a very smart Gomesi which is one of the traditional dresses here in Uganda, so I knew immediately that she and her husband Charles Mukuru had agrred that she have her tubes tied. Little Harriet greeted us witha really huge grin and Charles instructe his  eldest son, Linus to look after all the brothers and sisters including grandchild Ivan, the son of he eldest girl Joyce whom you read about in a previous posting...... Imagine Alice aged 35 and the mother of 10 plus one grandchild already...........She looked extremely apprehensive as we drove to the American funded private hospital at Kabalega. It didn't help that one piece of equipment  needed for the  Tubal Ligature was missing and we had to send Wamani in his taxi to Masindi general Hospital to borrow it......( it wasn't lost - just being used by the team of American doctors  who were In The field holding clinics in  some villages!) .
Eventually they called Alice in to prepare for the op and as I accompanied her, I discovered that she doesn't read or write so gave her consent with a cross. Husband Charles who was holding Baby Sandra (2 months old) was able to print his name. When they took her into theatre I went back to where Charles and George were sitting on the verandah and after a while when baby Sandra woke up andbegan crying I was left holding the baby! I tried to pacify her by walking up and down but  she  became desperate for a feed .... about 2 hours had gone by