Cromwell

For those of you who have read my earlier posts you remember Cromwell my Malawian running buddy who had a stroke at the age of 29 (see post May 30, 2005). A few months ago he left Lilongwe and moved to North to Kasungu to stay with his parents. I saw him before he left. He was both physicially and psychologically damaged. He is able to walk unassisted, but is still severly affected by the stroke and cannot use his left hand at all. He has had no physical improvement in the last many months, but I always lie and tell him he looks a bit better everytime he asks me what I think. Psychologically, well, he just seems sad.

This past weekend he came to Lilongwe for a doctor's visit and I stopped by to visit. I found him unchanged. We talked a bit and then he showed me his recent chest X-ray. It was an eerie sight. His heart fills about two-third of his chest cavity and has taken the shap of a large droopy "L". Apparently the problem is due to faulty valves; something that no one ever picked up - and even if they had, there is no heart surgeon in Malawi. So, over years and years of his heart trying to compensate for his poor valves, it has grown into an enormous disfigured muscle. I felt so sad sitting with him, looking through that window in his chest, realizing that nothing can done. Death is inevitable of course, but for him it will most likely come soon. I doubt he will reach the young life expectancy here of 37, he is 30 now.

I told him I was so sorry, he said in a sad resigned tone, "Don't worry about me, Joanne, that's part of life."