Email received from Robert & Rose Gitau

For sometime now Rose has been having problems with most of her teeth. This seems to have started soon after she was persuaded by a dental student at Kijabe Hospital to have them scaled. We were having Robert's teeth washed and scaled. Rose's teeth were always nice and clean but she allowed herself to be washed just for extra precaution. But soon after that, all the teeth became very loose.

In November last year an x-ray showed that they had become detached from the gum and the dentist advised that we should have them all extracted under general anaesthesia in the hospital. He told us that it was going to cost us kshs 250,000 (US$3,000). We were not in a position to raise that money so we opted to have them removed one by one as the need arose.

On 21st January 2010 Rose had her last left lower molar tooth extracted and on 22nd January she had her opposite last right molar tooth removed. The dentist said that it was badly infected and even the x-rays showed the same.  Maybe she should have covered Rose with antibiotics but she did not. Soon after we came home there developed unbearable pain and much swelling. Our doctor here gave her Amoxil, Flagyl and pain killers. These helped until we went back to the dentist who said that the problem she had could easily kill her. Rose was therefore admitted to hospital and prepared for theatre.

All teeth now removed

The surgeon incised and drained the pus, but still insisted that all her teeth needed to be removed. We agreed and so on 2nd February at 6pm she was wheeled back to theatre at Nairobi Hospital. It took three hours operating for the surgeon to remove 16 of her teeth and to drain more pus and stitch the gum.

It has been a very nasty experience for us both physically and financially. Rose was in hospital for two weeks but has now been able to move into a guest house which minimises the cost but still allows her to visit the doctor.

God has given Robert extra strength to move around and get whatever was needed. Friends became very handy and we have sensed the presence of God in all this. One lesson I Rose have learnt is that the development of that abscess, although it could have been avoided, was still used by God to have His will be done. Those teeth needed to be extracted and it would have been even more traumatic and dangerous to have them extracted one by one. I really thank God that they are now out of my way. I can live on a lot of things which do not have to be chewed. 

Please continue to pray for Robert. He keeps too busy and his asthma is a big problem. We have managed to pay the hospital bill but we have not paid the doctors yet. We have also learned that there is no mountain too high that God cannot climb. Have faith in God.

Robert & Rose Gitau