Sickle cell patient walks, 3 years after being bedridden

For over three years, 28-year-old Abiodun, a sickle cell anemia patient, was bedridden and in a state of despair. He thought of committing suicide a number of times. However, the Lagos–based man who recently had successful total hip and total knee replacement surgeries in Sokoto, could now walk after three years of being bedridden. “After […]

For over three years, 28-year-old Abiodun, a sickle cell anemia patient, was bedridden and in a state of despair. He thought of committing suicide a number of times.

However, the Lagos–based man who recently had successful total hip and total knee replacement surgeries in Sokoto, could now walk after three years of being bedridden.

“After my final paper in 2014, I went home to get ready to come back to school for my clearance and then go for NYSC mobilization,” said the Biological Science graduate of  Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago lwuoye.

“I started feeling pain in my right hip and I had to go for surgery. After the surgery I was able to walk till I fell. I was doing exercises, so I hit the floor with my knees, and some months after my leg started swelling.”

He narrated that he was taken to the hospital and the doctor inserted a syringe in the leg and found pus inside. He then referred him to the National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, Lagos. Pus drainage surgery was done for him there, and they put Plaster of Paris (POP) on his leg from the hip down.

He said it was after then that he was  bedridden: “I had been bedridden from that time till last year and I was doing physiotherapy. All the hospitals I went to in Lagos then said they couldn’t do knee surgery for me. 

“So I was hoping to raise money to go to India when  I read an article online, that  they successfully did knee surgery here in Sokoto.

“So from there, I started doing research about the doctors. That was how I got the contact for this hospital, the Bone and Joint Hospital Sokoto and called them. I spoke with the doctor concerning my case, he said I should come to Sokoto,” Abiodun said.

 He recalled: “I was on the bed and I couldn’t do anything for almost three years; I couldn’t walk. I was only able to move around with my wheel chair. Those times I was always wishing for death, because I felt so useless. I had to depend on people to do so many things.”

The  first born of four children and  the only one with sickle cell anemia, Abiodun, who has  two brothers and a sister, said: “Growing up was a lot challenging, as I experienced one crisis after the other. My mum will carry me on her back to go to the hospital. I was always missing classes when I was in school. But I was always coming top of my class in primary and secondary school.”

 He said but for God, he would have committed suicide as he made several attempts during his secondary school days and while bedridden.

“There was a day, I was in secondary school then, I mixed battery water  with garri and milk and I drank it . I slept hoping that the next day I would not wake up, but I woke up the next day, I wondered, why didn’t I die? I was supposed to have died.”

 Abiodun also disclosed that while he was bedridden, he took an overdose of drugs many times and did many other things to commit suicide but without success.

 He expressed joy over his improved condition and was full of gratitude to those who contributed to his treatment.

 “I have lots of friends in Nigeria and UK, who took it upon themselves to ensure that they helped create awareness and raised money for my treatment. Also, Flying Doctors flew me  from Lagos to Sokoto free of charge,” he said.

Abiodun said most of his family members were happy that he could walk again adding, “My dad felt good, but he expects more. He feels I can do better than this, even though they have been telling him that it is with time because all these things didn’t happen at once; that with time I would be able to do many things.”

 On his goal in life, he said: “I have thought about a lot. I won’t be able to do so much stressful job but I have always been a good writer. So I want to become a motivational writer; tell people about my story; tell all those people going through the same thing that there is hope, that they should not give up. If I can make it, they can also make it.”

Commenting on Abiodun’s condition, Dr Muhammad Oboirien, a  consultant Orthopaedics Surgeon who led the surgical procedures, said the patient came with all the joints in the lower limb joined, hence he could not stand erect or walk. 

“The muscles of the lower limb were also wasted (disused atrophy). The focus was to make the joint mobile hence he needed to have them replaced with artificial ones. The challenges were having to do the surgeries in terms of technicalities,” he said 

The surgeon added: “He has been able to walk with the aid of a walker after surgery and he requires long term physiotherapy to enable him walk properly and effectively.”