Nurse uncovers hidden illness

By MAJ Cameron Jamieson - Army News Edition 1284 – June 21, 2012

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Brave mum let condition go unchecked for her son’s sake

ARMY nurse Capt Kerry McKinnell uncovered a life-threatening illness in an Indonesian woman who put her son’s health ahead of her own when seeking medical treatment on the US Hospital Ship USNS Mercy.

The ship is in Indonesian waters off North Sulawesi for Pacific Partnership 2012, conducting humanitarian tasks and providing surgical support to locals who might otherwise have their medical conditions go untreated.

“The lady had a swollen belly, and everyone assumed that she was pregnant,” Capt McKinnell said.

“So I asked her when she was due. She told me she wasn’t pregnant, so I asked more questions and she revealed to me that she has had the condition for three years.”

The woman, Treis Kowaas, from the city of Manado, was escorting her 12-year-old stepson for cleft palate surgery.

“I asked her if she had been seen by our doctors at the surgery screening clinics, and she told me she had got half-way through the screening process but as the adult and pediatrics screenings were being conducted in two different areas she decided to put the needs of her son, Morgan, first.”

Ms Kowaas wanted Morgan to continue his schooling.

“Morgan said that if he didn’t get surgery now he wouldn’t go back to school,” Ms Kowaas said.

“He doesn’t want any more bullying.

But now because of this surgery he can enter middle-high school.

“I give thanks to almighty God that Morgan has been operated on by the surgeons.”

Capt McKinnell said Ms Kowaas was unable to have children and was also aware of the basics of her condition.

“She had seen a doctor in the past who had ordered scans and told her she had ovarian myeloma, but the surgery cost more than US$1000 and they didn’t have the money,” Capt McKinnell said.

“Since coming on board Mercy she hadn’t talked about herself; her only concern was for Morgan.”

Ms Kowaas’ condition was brought to the attention of doctors on board and a flurry of blood tests and a CT scan followed the next morning.

With the laboratory results and CT scans in, obstetrician and gynecological specialist, US Navy surgeon Leut-Cmdr Kaivon Arfaa, conferred with his peers to see what could be done for her.

The test results are concerning, but Leut-Cmdr Arfaa thinks Ms Kowaas can be successfully treated.

“The scans suggest she has a large borderline tumor. It may or may not be cancerous,” Leut-Cmdr Arfaa said.

“But it is operable. We have an Indonesian cancer specialist surgeon coming in a few days for the next leg of our trip and we anticipate that he will be able to operate on her and achieve a good outcome.”

Without treatment Ms Kowaas could only expect to live for three more years.

With the help of an interpreter, Leut-Cmdr Arfaa explained the results and the new diagnosis while taking care to emphasise that it was unlikely she had cancer.

Ms Kowaas took the news calmly and when Leut-Cmdr Arfaa finished she thanked the medical personnel for their help.