Ms Nakatogo,Mujjuzi’s care taker.

By Moses Muwulya,Communications Officer

“I know he will succumb to cancer given the stage, but at least you have helped him defeat the gross physical and emotional pain that had taken toll on him”  Pitiable words come from Mary Nakatogo after getting  oral morphine for her brother,Edward Mujjuzi.

The 29-year-old resident of  Mitemula,Mukungwe sub-county,Masaka District battles  advanced sarcoma cancer which had his face deformed.His right chick swelled and nearly doubles the size of his head.

At a moment, Mujjuzi is already in bed because the weather is too cold for him. He already told them not to call him in case he gets a visitor

But as Nakatogo sends her daughter to call him,the young girl,clad in flourish dress is hesitant to go. She reminds her mother of what Uncle Mujjuzi had said.

“Just tell him the visitor is from Kitovu Mobile where he gets palliative care.Once he hears that,he will not hesitate coming out,” Nakatogo tells her daughter.

As the daughter runs to the house,Nakatogo tells me Mujjuzi normally feels good having Kitovu Mobile health workers visiting him because they instill hope in  him.

“Its  you who bailed him out intense pain which had taken toll on him for almost a full year after his diagnosis. Maggots,blood had started coming out of his nose.But all this stopped after we were linked to Kitovu Mobile palliative care services in March this year,” shares Nakatogo.

And in minutes, Mujjuzi comes out of the house. With a bit of a smile,probably  to gesture the joy of seeing his of a comfortable night because he knew I had brought him oral morphine.

He has speaking difficulty but wants me to get his sincere gratitude. “Whenever you visit me,  I get  soothed physically and emotionally. It makes  me recognise that much as many of my relatives deserted me,God fills this gap with Kitovu Mobile family”

Getting a sigh of relief

Generally, when Nakatogo compares Mujjuzi’s situation before, she says her brother has seen some relief.Health workers at Mulago had an influx of patients and could accord them less attention.

She says this is not the case with Kitovu Mobile health workers. ‘At least they give you enough time examining you and counselling you”

This has also seen her grow into a fearless caretaker who was also roofed with emotional pain. “Seeing your loved one suffering with such pain makes you sick too,but I have had enough counselling to ward off this pain”

How it started.
Mujjuzi,who earned a living from  driving, had what started as itching gum.After a couple of months, he says, it started swelling. This forced him to seek  medical attention from Mulago National Referral Hospital as his sister narrates.

A biopsy was taken for a complete diagnosis. Results were out and they received the heartbreaking news that Mujjuzi sarcoma cancer.

They were shocked! Further shocked that it was in advanced stage,Nakatogo notes with a moody tone.

He had a minor operation of the swelling in February 2018,but this was vainly as the swelling got bigger and bigger covering the entire left chick.

Mujjuzi’s swelling got bigger and bigger,fetching him a lot of pain until when he chose to come back in Masaka.