Ibrahim A

About Ibrahim A

My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012. In April of that year we had to move from the city to the village, which was closer to a specialist hospital where he was about to start his treatment. The following years were tough for me as I had to move with him. I had just finished University and was hoping to stay in the city and try to get a good job. I had to abandon this dream and moved with him. My mother died in 2004 and my father was adamant that I alone can take care of him despite all pleas that others could give him the care.
Well, I moved in with him and he began his treatment, but 3 years down the line, his condition started to deteriorate as he couldn’t urinate and had to be fitted with
a catheter. At this time, I have enrolled for a post-graduate program at a nearby university. Then by mid-2015, he lost the ability to use his legs. According to the doctors, the cancer spread to his backbone. This was a particularly difficult period for me as I had to be with him 24 hours a day. I learned how to change his catheter every 3 days, put on his diapers, and change them after they got soiled. I still continued taking him to the hospital every 2 weeks to see his urology doctors. The financial strain on my family can only be imagined, as I couldn’t go out and get a good job. Rather, I had to depend on his pension- which was less than 200 dollars a month and 80% of it went to his treatment.
Anyway, my typical daily routine included waking up at 6 a.m and going to change his diapers, getting warm water to clean his body as he has lost the ability to use his hands and move his body. I then had to feed him and get him his drugs after which I put him to bed. By 11 or 12 noon I checked his diaper and provided him his meals and spent the rest of the day with him. The nights were sometimes hectic. When the pain set in, I laid on the bed with him and tried to soothe him. I was able to round up my post graduate program in August of 2017, and he died in September of same year. He wasn’t a perfect person, but was a good man and I miss him dearly. Continue to rest in peace Papa.
Ibrahim from Nigeria.

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