16 Oct Setback for Mamei Simbo

Billy Simbo, bishop of Sierra Leone Conference, sent this report about his wife, Mamei, who has been hospitalized for about six weeks in Abington, Pa.

As I write this today, we have experienced a setback in Mamei’s care and recovery.

On Wednesday, October 12, we were all excited and rejoicing as they moved Mamei from the Cardiac Surgical Unit to a new unit dubbed “The Penthouse” by the staff because it is in the newest building at the hospital and on the fifth floor. I had her settled in and stayed with her until after 10:00 Wednesday night.

But Thursday afternoon, she was having trouble breathing and they had to sedate her and put her back on the ventilator. She had a very high temperature. So Thursday night  they brought her back to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. She is currently under sedation and on the ventilator. She had dialysis done Friday morning and we are awaiting test results to see if there is an infection that is causing her high temperatures. She does have some kind of pneumonia that is causing a build-up in her lungs, so they have put her on massive doses of antibiotics again.

I have to be honest and admit that this is a setback and a disappointing one, because we had seen so much progress. But we will continue to trust and not give up.

Please pray and intercede for the current situation.

1. That she would be weaned off the ventilator and be able to breathe on her own again.
2. That they would find the cause of the high temperatures.
3. That the plan to insert the feeding tube directly into her stomach instead of down her throat would be followed. Mamei needs nourishment to rebuild her strength.