Tushemereirwe is a mother of 3 children in Uganda. About 5 years ago, she developed an itchy throat and a cough. She thought she had developed an allergy and started using tablets until these helped her no more. Her swelling was very small. In April 2019, she went to Kabale referral hospital and had a scan; she was informed that she had a goitre and needed surgery, but could not afford the surgery charges. She has decided to now come to Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice.
At Rushoroza, she presented with long-standing nodular neck swelling for over five years progressively increasing in size and if not treated through thyroidectomy, she could have airway obstruction, difficulty in swallowing which will prevent her from doing her normal duties. Further, she could develop thyrotoxicosis. Tushemereirwe does not sleep comfortably due to persistent coughing which sometimes leads to vomiting. She also eats and speaks with difficulty.
She owned a hair salon before and used to do hairdressing around her village but stopped later due to persistent coughing which would make her customers uncomfortable. Ultimately, she lost her customers in the long run. She currently does only casual duties around her home. Her husband died in 1999 and had not constructed a house for them, but Tushemereirwe has tried her best and constructed a 3-room semi-permanent house for her family.
Tushemereirwe says, “I am in severe pain due to persistent coughing, I can’t do any work comfortably. After the surgery, I will be able to do any income-generating activity and be able to take care of myself now that my children haven’t stabilized their income and are not able to offer support to me.”