Beyond the Stethoscope

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Story of Sara

From House Maid To King’s Wife Episode One

Queen Amara got married to King Eze at the age of 20. When she was getting married, she thought she would conceive within the first month of her marriage. She thought it would be very easy for her to bear children because she was young and beautiful. Also, she is from a fertile family. There is no barren woman in her lineage. But after her marriage, she could not get pregnant. Many months passed and she did not conceive. She began to wonder if something was wrong with her or the king.

She thought the barrenness was temporary but 20 years have passed since she got married to King Eze, yet, she has no children. The king has been very patient, but they were both growing old. Amara knew that there is a problem. The king is now 55 years old and Amara is 40. They need a son that will replace the king when he dies. No matter how patient the king is, he cannot escape the reality that as the king of his town, he needs children or at least, one child.

“I need to give the king a child. At this point, I know that the king will soon start disturbing me. The man has been very patient. I feel like if I don’t give him a child soon, he may marry another woman. I don’t want to lose my position in this palace. I have to find a way and get pregnant. We have gone to many hospitals and the doctors said nothing is wrong with me and my husband. What then is stopping me from bearing children?” The queen asked herself. She was in her room weeping.

Soon, the king sent a maid to come and call queen Amara. She quickly wipped the tears in her eyes and followed the maid.

“I suspect that the king wants to talk to me about bearing children. I know he has been patient. I won’t blame him if he says he wants to marry another woman. He has tried but I will not allow that to happen. I will fight to maintain my position in this palace. I will remain the queen.” The queen said to herself as she followed the maid to the king’s chambers.

When she entered the king’s chambers, she looked at his face and saw that he is not looking happy at all.

“This one you called me this afternoon, is everything alright?” The queen asked.

“Everything is not alright. I want to tell you that I’m getting married to another woman. I need a child. I’m the king. If I can’t produce a prince that will take over from me, the kingship will move to another family and I don’t want this to happen. I have given you enough time. We have been married for 20 years. You will soon enter menopause and there are no signs of pregnancy. Please, I want you to know that I love you, but the painful truth is that I need a child urgently. I will look for a young woman and marry so that I will bear a heir for the throne. You will remain the first wife and the queen.” The king said.

“My king please give me more time. I promise, I will conceive and bear a child for you very soon. Remember we are in this together. I’m also concerned about the fact that we don’t have children. I’m praying to God to help me conceive. I know he will answer me very soon.” The queen said with tears in her eyes.

“There is no more time to waste. I have given you 20 years, and yet, not even one pregnancy. Haven’t I tried? I deserve to have my own children. I’m not going to delay the decision anymore. I will find a young woman to marry. Let me try another woman to see if I will have a child. I have delayed for too long. Please go back to your chambers, the decision has been taken and I just wanted to inform you out of love.” The king said. Queen Amara left the place with heartbreak and tears in her eyes. Though, she was weeping, she knew that her husband was right. She knew that the man has been patient. He has never disturbed her because of her barrenness. In fact, she regards her husband as a very kind man.

However, Amara was prepared to fight to retain her honour in the palace. She decided not to give up too easily.

“I have to find a way out of this problem. I have to find a way to give my husband a child. I must do it as fast as possible. There is not time to waste.” The queen tells her self. As soon as she got to her room, she called her most beautiful and most trusted maid. Her name is Oge. Oge has been loyal and a humble maid in the palace and the queen loves her. She decided that Oge should sleep with her husband, get pregnant and bear a child. Oge would then hand over the child to her.

“I want you to sleep with the king and get pregnant. You will give birth to the child and hand the baby over to me. I will present the child to the kingdom as my own. No one will know you are the one who gave birth to the child. This must be a secret. I will pay you N10 million and then you will disappear and relocate to another town after giving birth.” The queen said.

Oge was shocked to hear what the queen said.

“My queen, are you sure this is the right thing to do? How are you going to convince the king to sleep with me?” Oge asked.

“Leave that to me. Once you agree to do it, I will convince him. But first, you must promise me that you will keep this a secret. I will take you to our house in town. You will start living there. The king will be visiting you there to sleep with you until you get pregnant. When you get pregnant, you will live there until you give birth. After giving birth, you will hand over the baby to me and disappear. I will pay you N10 million. Can you do this for me?” The queen asked.

“Yes, I will do it. You have been good to me and this is an opportunity for me to pay you back for all the good things you have done for me. You are a good woman and I don’t want you to lose your position as the queen.” Oge said.

"Good! Thank you so much Oge. Now, get prepared. Wear your best clothes. I will give you money to buy attractive clothes. I will take you to our house in the town this evening. Then, I will bring the king in the night. You will stay in the bedroom and wait for him to come and sleep with you." The queen said.

Watch out for episode 2

Every morning, Sarah would wake up with a tightness in her chest and a pounding in her head. She had been dealing with high blood pressure for months, but lately, it seemed to be getting worse. Every day, she sent me a message: “It’s high again… I don’t know what to do anymore.”

I always replied calmly, reminding her of the steps to follow. “Make sure you’re taking your medication as prescribed I told her. “Limit the salt in your meals today. Take a walk. Breathe slowly. And try to rest your body needs peace just as much as medicine.”

At first, she doubted it would even help. The pressure on her heart and her mind felt like too much. But she trusted me and did what I said. She started her mornings with a glass of water and deep breathing. She reduced her salt, filled up on fruits and vegetables, and walked every evening as the sun set.

Then today, the message came, but this time it was different.

“Guess what?” she wrote. “It’s still high… but not as high as yesterday. I feel a little lighter. I think it’s helping.”

I smiled at my phone. “That’s how it starts,” I replied. “Little by little. Keep going. You’re getting better.”

And for the first time in a long while, Sarah believed it. Her blood pressure was coming down not overnight, but steadily. And with every small victory, she gained the confidence that she could reclaim her health one step at a time.

My Advice for Anyone Battling High Blood Pressure:
Remember, managing high blood pressure is a journey, not a sprint. Take each day one step at a time. Stay consistent with your medication, reduce salt and processed food, stay active, and most of all, find peace in your mind stress can raise your pressure as quickly as food does. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk about how you’re feeling. Small changes add up, and with time, your body will thank you. You are stronger than your numbers.

I am Claudette Ncho
I will be talking on this topic in the coming days ahead

ProBlogger World Health Organization (WHO) Health Health Department, KP

Every patient has a story.
Every nurse has a purpose.
And mine goes beyond the stethoscope.
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