On Mon, 11/7/11, Njeri Mbire wrote:
Maathai is driven to her final admission at Nairobi Hospital. She explains her diagnosis to doctors at the facility. Her condition has reached what doctors call Metastic level – that is has spread beyond the ovaries to other critical body organs including the liver and is spreading fast.
She is complaining of abdominal swelling, pain and abnormal bleeding. She is weak. The focused Nobel Peace Prize winner is admitted to Pioneer ward – a ward next to both the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Things are getting out of proportion. Top cancer surgeons have gathered to deal with the urgent case.
By default, she chooses not to get the pleasures of the posh North Wing like most of the privileged class would do. Former President Daniel arap Moi, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, President Mwai Kibaki, Makadara MP Michael Mbuvi among others have always enjoyed the Five Star medical treatments available in the North Wing.
Typical of Maathai, the fighter for the down-trodden, argues: “There are no five star patients and still wanted the company offered by a ward.”
After tests, doctors give her options to consider. 1) Surgery -- however that would mean doing away with several of her organs a list of which we choose not to publish for privacy reasons.
Of course any such action would be followed by chemotherapy and from her Cancer blood test - which doctors called “CA 125” it is clear any surgery would require a chemotherapy session every week.
Even then, “such treatment is only effective and sufficient for malignant tumors that are well-differentiated and confined to the ovary.” Her condition has even touched “the spleen and the lungs,” doctors tell her. (one of them was speaking)
Maathai asks: “So after the surgery what will be my quality of life?”
Doctors answer: “It depends on how your body reacts.” The doctors go ahead to explain how different people reacted to similar conditions.
“How long does it guarantee I will live?” she asks doctors, taking the off guard.
Later one of them reflects: “I was a little shocked because normally patients ask that before quality of life”
“Well, it guarantees an extension of life to about six months to five years,” doctors explains.
Then Maathai poses a question: “What if I don’t go that route of chemotherapy and surgery?”
“Well it will spread very fast and will arrest your key organs and that may cause death,” doctors explain, hoping she might reconsider the path she was now taking.
“Well instead of spending the rest of my six or five years postponing death and spending money and resources that would make my family happy, let me surrender to the creator,” Maathai says, according to two surgeons who were talking to her.
Attempts to make the option of surgery and chemotherapy fail and doctors give her a day to reconsider her decision.
Finally, as per Nairobi Hospital policy, doctors are forced to ask hard questions.
“When it spreads to the rest of your organs It may cause cardiac arrest (Read Heart Attack) can we install a cardiac warning bell,” doctors tell her.
“For what purpose is such a bell?” she asks.
“Well” one of the hospital administrators who attended the meeting says, “to help us resuscitate you in case something happens and probably rush you to HDU or ICU for attention.”
Our sources explain that Maathai sits on her pillow and with a firm but friendly (sic) look says: “If that happens, let it happen, don’t intervene.”
“Why?” they almost reacted (this is unprofessional).
She responds: “Because life is not about me only, it’s about many other people and I am still strong.”
As required by policy, they then ask her to tell her family to sign the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) forms clearing the hospital of any responsibility should the eventuality happen.
Again, she says she would put pen to paper, “without subjecting anyone to the decision about her.”
The decision she made shortly after 4 pm, just two days before she died.
....... (ends)
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