Indaba Kanembeza

IBHAYISIKOBHO endala yango-1944 ethi Arsenic and Old Lace yabonisa amadoda ambalwa asekhulile efa ubuthaphuthaphu ngemva kokuphuza iwayini elalifakwe i-arsenic. Le bhayisikobho iveza umbono ovamile wokuthi i-arsenic iwubuthi obusheshayo, obubulalayo. Empeleni, ukufa kwawo okusheshayo okwaboniswa kule bhayisikobho kwakungabangelwanga i-arsenic, kodwa kwakubangelwa i-strychnine ne-cyanide eyafakwa ewayinini.

“Ubuthi be-arsenic abusheshi ukubulala,” kubhala uDr. Robert E. Gallagher kuyi-New England Journal of Medicine. Nokho, unezela ngokuthi “ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba ubuthi be-arsenic obutholakala emanzini angcolile nasezimbonini, buchaya abantu ezifweni ezinhlobonhlobo, kuhlanganise umdlavuza wesikhumba, wesinye, wamaphaphu nowesibindi.”

Uma kubhekwa ukwaziswa okungenhla, kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani ezimweni ezivamile abezempilo bengeke bakucabangela ukusebenzisa i-arsenic njengendlela yokwelapha. Kodwa funda lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kwaseCanada ngokucophelela. Phawula ukuthi lapho kuhlongozwa ukumpompela igazi nokusetshenziswa kwe-arsenic njengezindlela zokwelapha, kwaphakama kanjani ukushayisana konembeza phakathi kwesiguli okuthiwa uDarlene, nodokotela baso, abahlengikazi nosokhemisi ababehilelekile. UDarlene uyilandisa ngale ndlela indaba yakhe.

“Ngo-May 1996, ngaba nezinkinga zokuvuvukala okubi, ukopha kwemithambo nokopha kwezinsini okungavamile. Udokotela wami oyisazi se-hematology, uDkt. John Matthews, eKingston, e-Ontario, wathola ukuthi le nkinga kwakuwuhlobo lomdlavuza olungavamile olubizwa ngokuthi i-acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Ngemva kochungechunge lokuhlola, oluhlanganisa ukuhlola umkantsha, uDkt. Matthews wangichazela ngendlela enozwela ukuthi iyini i-APL nokuthi le nkinga yelashwa kanjani. Indlela evamile yokuyelapha yayihlanganisa ukufaka igazi nokwelashwa ngamakhemikhali, kodwa unembeza wami oqeqeshwe yiBhayibheli wawungangivumeli ukuba ngimpontshelwe igazi.

“Kunokuba bachithe isikhathi esiyigugu bezama ukushintsha ingqondo yami, ngokuhlakanipha odokotela bacwaninga ukuze bathole enye indlela yokwelapha. Lokhu kwelashwa okushintshiwe kwakuhlanganisa ukusebenzisa izakhi zikavithamini A, kanye nokwelapha ngamakhemikhali okusesilinganisweni. Umdlavuza wegazi owawungiphethe wathi gozololo izinyanga ezintathu, kodwa wabuya ngolaka olukhulu. Ubuhlungu bekhanda, obabubangelwa ukuvuvukala kobuchopho, babungabekezeleleki. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umzimba wami wawusumelene nale ndlela yokwelapha. Kungaleso sikhathi-ke lapho udokotela asitshela khona ukuthi ngaphandle kokuba ngimpontshelwe igazi yayingekho enye indlela yokungelapha. Satshelwa ukuthi ngangizokufa esikhathini esingaphansi kwamasonto amabili.

“Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezalandela kwakuwubuxhamaxhama, kwenziwa ukuhlolwa kwegazi okwengeziwe, ukuvakashela ummeli mayelana nencwadi yefa, namalungiselelo omngcwabo. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi uDkt. Matthews wasitshela ngendlela yokwelapha engavamile esetshenziswa ngokuphumelelayo odokotela bezempilo eChina ukuze belaphe i-APL, okwakukhulunywe ngayo emaphephabhukwini ahlonishwayo esayensi anjenge-Blood ne-Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ngenkathi benza ucwaningo, lo dokotela nozakwabo babefunde kwelinye iphephabhuku lezokwelapha ukuthi ‘kungase kubamangaze abaningi ukwazi ukuthi i-arsenic trioxide iye yampontshelwa ngokuphumelelayo, yaba nobuthi obulinganiselwe, ukuze kwelashwe i-acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).’

“Manje kwase kufanele ngikhethe phakathi kwezinto ezimbili—ngilimaze unembeza wami futhi ngimpontshelwe igazi noma ngamukele le ndlela engaziwa yokwelashwa nge-arsenic. Ngakhetha indlela yokwelashwa nge-arsenic.a Angizange ngiqaphele ukuthi lokhu kwakuzobangela ukukhathazeka kukanembeza kodokotela, abahlengikazi, usokhemisi ngisho nezikhulu zasesibhedlela.

“Ekugcineni izikhulu zesibhedlela zaxoxa neziphathimandla ukuze ziqiniseke ukuthi zazingayisebenzisa yini i-arsenic trioxide ekwelapheni. Ngemva kwalokho zazingavuma ukuba ukwelapha okunjalo kuqhubeke. Ekuqaleni usokhemisi wayengabaza ukubambisana nale nqubo, njengoba ngobuqotho ayekungabaza ukuphepha kwayo. Kwadingeka ukuba odokotela bami, uDkt. Matthews noDkt. Galbraith, banikeze incazelo ekholisayo ebonisa ukuthi lokhu kwelapha kwakuzophumelela. Ekugcineni, sezinobufakazi obanele bezokwelapha mayelana nale nqubo, izikhulu zesibhedlela nosokhemisi zazimisela ukusebenza ngokubambisana.

“Usokhemisi wavuma ukuthaka i-arsenic futhi akhiphe amagciwane ukuze ilungele ukusetshenziswa ngokushesha. Kodwa manje unembeza wabahlengikazi wawungabavumeli ukuba balengise lesi sikhwama salo mkhiqizo oyimpikiswano engangizompontshelwa wona. Babemele kude njengoba odokotela belengisa izikhwama ezimbalwa zalo mkhiqizo. Abahlengikazi bangincenga ukuba ngamukele igazi. Babeqiniseka ukuthi ngangizofa, ngakho ngabancenga, ngibacela ukuba bahloniphe ukwenqaba kwami igazi ngenxa kanembeza. Ngababonga, ngabanga, futhi ngabacela ukuba bangaphatheki kabi. Sagcina ubudlelwano obuhle. Ukwelashwa nge-arsenic trioxide kwaqhubeka izinyanga eziyisithupha, futhi ngalulama kahle. Khona-ke odokotela bavuma ukuba ngelashelwe ekhaya.

“Kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba ngivakashelwe abeVictoria Order of Nurses, okuyinhlangano yezinkonzo zokunakekela abantu emakhaya. Yaphinde yaphakama futhi indaba kanembeza. Nabo ngokufanayo babenqikaza ukungifaka lolu ketshezi. Ngasizwa imihlangano, izincwadi nezihloko zezokwelapha ezivela emaphephabhukwini ezokwelapha ahlonishwayo. Ekugcineni abahlengikazi bavuma ukubambisana nami. Ngo-September 1997, ukwelashwa kwami kwaphela.

“Yebo, umdlavuza enginawo ungabuya noma nini. Udokotela uthi kunjengokungathi ngicushelwé ibhomu. Kodwa ngiye ngafunda ukuthola injabulo usuku ngalunye, angiyeki ukuya endaweni yami yokukhulekela futhi ngizigcina ngimatasa ekuhlanganyeleni nabanye ithemba elisekelwe eBhayibhelini lesikhathi lapho ‘engekho ohlala khona oyothi: “Ngiyagula.”’”—Isaya 33:24.

Ochwepheshe bezokwelapha banomthwalo wemfanelo onzima wokunikeza ukunakekela kwezempilo okuhle. Ngokuvamile bawuthatha njengobalulekile lo msebenzi futhi ngobuqotho belapha ngokwamakhono abo nolwazi abanalo okwamanje. Njengoba le ndaba ibonisa, odokotela, abahlengikazi nabanye ochwepheshe bezempilo bangafeza okuningi uma bezivumelanisa nezimo futhi beshesha ukusabela ezinkolelweni nakunembeza wesiguli esesikhulile esinolwazi.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

UDarlene Sheppard