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Nosipho’s Story: From Weakness to Strength: a Journal of Love at Othandweni
Nosipho* is a woman in her late twenties/early thirties, but when she arrived in the Respite Unit she looked like she could have been 15. She was emaciated and incredibly underweight, positive for both HIV and TB, and had a very painful groin infection. This combination was a recipe for disaster and for the first month or so of her stay with us, she was often reluctant to get out of bed because the pain was so bad or because she simply felt too weak. When the infection was finally managed and she was ready to get out of bed, she had to use a wheelchair because her legs were no longer strong enough to support her skeletal frame.
For the next month she got out of bed every day and went over to the couches, where she would sit with the other patients and chat, knit, watch TV, etc. This camaraderie and sense of community was an incredible boost for Nosipho, and her mental health and outlook on life boomed. However, at the end of her second month with us, many of her friends were discharged and she suddenly felt very alone again. At this point the staff rallied around her and urged her to keep fighting and making progress. She took this support and love to heart and over the next month she fully committed herself to gruelling physical therapy in order to regain the strength in her legs. After about 3 and a half months of ups and downs, support and encouragement, hard work, and lots of determination, Nosipho was finally able to walk out of the Unit, a big smile on her face, ready to reclaim her life.
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