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Perfusionist | Cardiac surgery & patient education | Sharing the human side of heart surgery, perfusion and cardiac care in Africa | Open to collaboration, teaching and awareness work

30/08/2026

This Sunday, I’m taking a moment to look beyond the machines, the procedures, and the numbers, and remember the people at the heart of everything we do.

To those preparing for surgery this coming week: breathe, ask questions, and hold on to hope.

To those who had surgery this week: keep going. Every small step is progress.

And to every healthcare professional preparing for another week of serving others, thank you for showing up.

Behind every surgery is a human story.

And every story matters.

29/08/2026

To the person waiting for a new heart,

I know waiting can be one of the hardest parts of the journey.

You wake up each morning wondering if today will be the day.

The day the phone rings.

The day someone tells you, “We may have found a heart for you.”

And until that call comes, life can feel like it is standing still.

You may have days when you feel strong and hopeful.

And you may have other days when you are tired of being strong.

That is okay.

You don't have to be hopeful every minute of every day.

You are allowed to be afraid.

You are allowed to ask, “How much longer?”

You are allowed to have moments when you simply don't know how you are going to do this.

But please remember something:

You are still here.

Your heart may be struggling, but your story is not finished.

Somewhere, people are preparing, planning, checking, monitoring, and waiting with you. Doctors, nurses, transplant teams, perfusionists, families, and loved ones, all hoping that the right heart will come at the right time.

And when that moment comes, it won't simply be about receiving a new heart.

It will be about receiving another chance.

Another sunrise.

Another conversation with someone you love.

Another birthday.

Another walk outside.

Another meal around the table.

Another laugh that you thought you might never hear again.

So, while you wait, please don't measure your life only by the call you are waiting for.

There is still life in today.

There is still meaning in today.

There are still people who need your presence.

And there is still hope.

I cannot promise you when your call will come.

I cannot promise that the waiting will be easy.

But I can tell you this:

**You are not forgotten.**

Your life matters.

Your story matters.

And there are people hoping with you.

So take today one breath at a time.

Rest when you need to.

Cry when you need to.

Lean on the people who love you.

And when hope feels too heavy to carry by yourself, let someone carry it for you for a while.

Keep holding on.

Because sometimes, the most beautiful chapters of a life begin after the longest wait.

To every person waiting for a heart:

May you find strength for today, courage for tomorrow, and hope for the call you have been waiting for.

Keep waiting.

Keep believing.

Keep living.

Your story is still being written.

The African Perfusionist.

28/08/2026

Ever wondered where your blood goes after it leaves the heart?

Your blood is constantly moving between two major circuits:

Pulmonary circulation — taking blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Systemic circulation — delivering oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

But what happens when the heart needs to be stopped during open-heart surgery?

This is where the heart-lung machine comes in.

It temporarily takes over two very important jobs of the heart and lungs: circulating the blood and adding oxygen while removing carbon dioxide.

In this video, I break down the normal circulation of blood and then connect it to what happens during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Understanding the normal flow makes the work of the heart-lung machine much easier to understand.

Watch until the end.

27/08/2026

The question many heart surgery patients are afraid to ask: When can I be intimate again?

There are many conversations around recovery after open-heart surgery.

Walking.

Eating.

Taking medications.

Caring for the wound.

Getting stronger.

But there is one topic that is often left unspoken:

Sexual intimacy.

Many patients quietly wonder:

“Will s*x put too much strain on my heart?”

“Could I hurt my sternum?”

“What if I experience pain?”

“Is it safe for my heart?”

“Will my desire come back?”

And sometimes, the partner is just as worried.

The truth is that intimacy is also part of life after heart surgery.

After surgery, you may experience fatigue, anxiety, fear, changes in s*xual desire, or simply a lack of confidence in your body.

Some medications can also affect s*xual function.

And even when the heart is recovering well, the chest may still be healing.

If you had a sternotomy, certain movements or positions may put pressure or strain on the healing sternum.

So when can you resume s*xual activity?

There isn't one universal answer for everyone.

For many people recovering from uncomplicated cardiac surgery, s*xual activity can generally be resumed once they are medically stable and able to tolerate moderate physical activity without significant symptoms.

But the timing depends on the type of surgery, your recovery, your symptoms, and your surgical team's advice.

Don't be embarrassed to ask your cardiologist or surgeon.

You can simply say:

“Doctor, when is it safe for me to resume s*xual activity?”

That's a completely legitimate recovery question.

And remember, intimacy isn't only about physical recovery.

Sometimes the body is ready before the mind is.

You may be afraid.

Your partner may be afraid.

You may both need time to regain confidence.

Take it slowly. Communicate with each other. Stop if you experience chest pain, significant breathlessness, dizziness, palpitations, or other concerning symptoms, and seek medical advice when appropriate.

Heart surgery changes many things.

But recovery is also about finding your way back to the parts of life that matter to you , including closeness, affection, confidence, and intimacy.

There is no shame in asking the question.

Sometimes, the question patients are most afraid to ask is the one they most need answered.

26/08/2026

The sternal saw is one of the instruments that makes open-heart surgery possible.

After the chest is prepared, the surgeon uses this powered saw to carefully divide the sternum and gain access to the heart.

It may look intense, but every movement is deliberate, controlled, and part of a carefully planned procedure.

Behind every open-heart surgery is a team, a technique, and countless safety checks.

25/08/2026

Sometimes, we talk so much about the patient that we forget about the person standing beside them.

The caregiver.

The person waiting outside the operating room.

The person learning medications, helping with meals, appointments, walking, bathing and recovery.

The person who says, “I’m okay,” even when they are scared too.

Heart surgery affects more than one person. The emotional weight can be heavy for caregivers, and sometimes they quietly carry it without anyone asking how they are doing.

So, to every caregiver walking this journey with someone you love:

You matter too.

It is okay to be tired.
It is okay to be afraid.
It is okay to ask for help.
And it is okay to take a moment to breathe.

You don't have to carry everything alone.

To the caregivers here, what is one thing you wish someone had told you before your loved one's surgery?

24/08/2026

MONDAY HEART QUESTIONS

“I’m having heart surgery this week, and I’m scared because I don't know what to expect.”

That was the question behind today's video.

And honestly, I understand why.

Sometimes, it isn't the surgery itself that creates the most fear.

It's the unknown.

What happens when I arrive at the hospital?
Who will I meet?
What will they do to me?
When will I go to the operating room?
What happens just before I fall asleep?

So in this new series of Monday Heart Questions, we're going to take these questions one step at a time.

No complicated medical language.

Just simple explanations of what patients and families can generally expect before, during and after heart surgery.

If you're preparing for surgery this week, take a deep breath.

You don't have to understand everything at once.

One step at a time. One question at a time.

📌 This is general education and not a substitute for instructions from your own surgical team. Your preparation may be different depending on your operation and hospital.

23/08/2026

A conversation, not a lesson

Today, I didn't want to teach.

I just wanted to talk.

To the person waiting for surgery.

To the person waiting for answers.

To the person learning to heal again.

To the family member quietly carrying the weight too.

This Sunday, I hope you remember one thing:

There is still hope.

Keep going. ❤️

22/08/2026

To the Person Waiting for Heart Surgery

Dear friend,

I don’t know your name.

I don’t know how long you have been waiting, how many times you have looked at the calendar, or how many nights you have gone to bed wondering what your life will look like after the operation.

But I want you to know something.

You are not alone.

I know waiting for heart surgery can feel frightening. There are moments when your mind probably runs ahead of you, imagining the operating room, the machines, the doctors, the anaesthesia, the recovery.

You may have questions you are afraid to ask.

You may feel strong in the morning and frightened at night.

You may even wonder, “What if something goes wrong?”

Those thoughts do not make you weak.

They make you human.

One day, you will be taken into that operating room.

There will be people around you whom you may have never met before. Each person will have a different responsibility, but they will all have the same goal:

To get you safely through.

You may not see everyone who is working for you.

You may never know the names of some of them.

But while you are asleep, there will be people watching your heart, your blood pressure, your oxygen levels, your blood flow, and so many other things, minute after minute.

And when your heart needs help, there will be someone there to help it.

So, for now, take it one day at a time.

Ask your questions.

Tell your loved ones that you love them.

Allow yourself to be afraid, but don't let fear convince you that you are already defeated.

Your diagnosis is part of your story.

It is not the whole story.

There is a day beyond the operation.

There is a morning when you will wake up and realize that you made it through.

There may be difficult days during recovery. There may be pain, tiredness, frustration, and moments when progress feels painfully slow.

But keep going.

Because somewhere ahead of you is a day when you will walk a little farther.

A day when you will take a deeper breath.

A day when you will laugh without thinking about your heart.

A day when you will look back and say,

"I was so scared… but I made it."

So, to the person waiting for heart surgery:

Breathe.

Hold on.

Trust your team.

Lean on the people who love you.

And remember that being afraid does not mean you are not brave.

Sometimes, courage is simply showing up, even when you are terrified.

Your heart has carried you this far.

Now let others help carry you the rest of the way.

With hope,

Someone who will be rooting for you from the other side of the operating room.

21/08/2026

I’ve seen moments in the operating room when everything suddenly changes.

A patient is bleeding heavily. Blood loss is increasing. The team is working quickly, but there comes a point when the next step depends on one thing: blood.

Sometimes, the only hope is getting fresh blood quickly.

Then the call goes out:

“We need blood.”

And when that blood finally arrives, you can feel the difference.

The patient gets the support they desperately need. The numbers begin to respond. The situation starts to stabilize.

And suddenly, the team has what it needs to keep fighting.

That is why blood is not just a donation to us.

It can be the difference between a critical moment and a second chance.

At the Tenwek Cardiothoracic Centre, we see how important a reliable blood supply is.

Cardiac surgery can require blood.

Emergencies can require blood.

Children can require blood. And sometimes, we simply need more than what is available.

Behind every unit of blood is a person who chose to help someone they may never meet.

You may never know their name.

You may never hear their story.

But your donation could be the reason they get to go home.

So if you are eligible to donate, please consider doing so.

🩸 Give blood.

❤️ Give hope.

🙏 Give someone another chance.

We really need blood.

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