Lyamuleme is a 65-year-old husband and father who cultivates beans and groundnuts in Uganda. He sometimes works as a casual laborer to supplement his farm income.
One year ago, Lyamuleme developed a swelling in his scrotum that continues to increase in size. He experiences occasional pain and a great deal of discomfort because of the swelling. As result, he is unable to walk long distances, and he has to wear larger trousers.
Lyamuleme has a hydrocele, a sac of watery fluid around one or both testicles that causes swelling in the scrotum or groin. The fluid comes from the abdomen and travels along the same paths that the testes follow when they descend into the scrotum before or shortly after birth. Hydroceles can occur at any age, and their cause is generally unknown.
At the start of 2016, Lyamuleme visited a health center and was advised to have surgery. He could not afford to pay for the procedure, as the swelling and his advancing age prevent him from working as much as he used to. On the advice of his younger brother (who underwent surgery funded by Watsi earlier this year), he came to Holy Family Virika Hospital to seek assistance for his condition.
For $215, Lyamuleme will undergo a hydrocele repair to decrease the scrotal swelling. The surgeon will make a small incision in his scrotum to remove the sac of fluid and then use stitches to close the path between the scrotum and abdomen so that no more fluid can accumulate. Funding also covers the cost of a two-week hospital stay and medicine to prevent infection.
“I feel uncomfortable because of my condition,” shares Lyamuleme. “After surgery, I hope to [feel comfortable again] and to continue working to produce food.”