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HAD I KNOWN…
At the age of 17, Ama Serwaa had already had three abortions to the surprise of her siblings and class mates who were in the same school within the vicinity.
Ama, as she was affectionately called, was not bothered by this fact even though for many of her friends in the school it was not a palatable story to write home about. To the surprise of everyone, Ama kept boasting to some of her female colleagues who she described as “too green” when it comes to matured life in the world of sexy people of today.
Indeed, Ama’s behaviour was difficult to explain by anyone who was closely associated with her family, seeing that members of her family came from a disciplined christian background. One of her cousins, Yaa Mireku, born two years earlier than her, had lived with an uncle in a nearby town for about two years before coming back to join Ama Serwaa’s family and lived with them.
No-nonsense person
Ama Serwaa’s uncle was one Kwaku Gyasi, a no-nonsense person, who did not compromise on issues whenever it came to disciplining children. His total life as an adult had been characterised by honesty and rigid discipline. It, therefore, came as no surprise when Yaa Mireku ended up as a disciplined young lady in her community.
Yaa Mireku was the type of person who was very friendly to everyone in the community including all the young men but was very careful not to engage in any form of amorous relationship with them. Her father, the late Opanin Kuntor, had been very strict on her and warned her several times to keep away from men who might entice her with all kinds of gifts to misbehave in society.
Christian life
Opanin Kuntor was the type of person who did not joke with his christian life. Though very strict, he was very jovial with children and sometimes behaved as if Yaa Mireku was his age mate. Many people admired Opanin Kuntor for this. As a person, his policy was “Do not spare the rod to spoil the child, but show respect to him as if he is your co-equal”. This made him different from other adults who were over-strict but sometimes unreasonable with showing care of tenderness to children under their control.
Yaa Mireku proved to be a very good girl and was the talk of the town. It, therefore, came as no surprise when at the age of 24 her hand was asked in marriage to the admiration of all. The marriage ceremony took a traditional form and received blessings from a pastor of the Presbyterian Church attended by herself and her grandmother.
Black spot in the family
In contrast to Yaa Mireku who happened to be a very good girl, Ama Serwaa proved to be a black spot in the family and continued as usual with different men who came her way. For her, the most important thing in life was acquisition of assets and properties which, she believed, could make her happy to live a good life.
Ama’s behaviour, as unpleasant as it was to people, proved detestable to well-trained female colleagues in the town. What was more surprising was her readiness to fight any of her colleagues who offered to give her good advice on the need to change for the better, “Mind your own business; we are different and, therefore, have different interests and tastes,” Ama would warn them.
With time, she became known as “we have different tastes.” By this, she meant that, one man’s meat was another man’s poison. If this is the case, she thought, then there was no need to scold her.
Pleasant demeanour
Ama Serwaa’s grandfather was a pastor in the Pentecost Church whose pleasant demeanour appealed to anyone he came in contact with. The children who came to stay with him grew to be good ambassadors and of good character. Having stayed with this uncle for about half a year, Ama Serwaa could not cope with the discipline required of her and, therefore, falsified stories about this noble man who she even described one time as a rapist. Many people did not believe her but others felt that some categories of men, no matter their seemingly piety, could attempt such rape cases on young and beautiful women who could easily be described as “juicy sweet sixteen”.
One day, Ama Serwaa brought an unknown young man to her parents in the community and introduced him as someone she would want to marry. Her parents could not believe their eyes and advised her to wait for some time before getting into marriage, but more as they advised, little was Ama prepared to listen.
AIDS and COVID-19
At a point in time, Ama left her neighbourhood to live with this strange man in a nearby town. Six months after taking this decision, Ama Serwaa became pregnant and wanted to abort it again but, tried as she did, she could not abort it this time. Unknown to her, Ama Serwaa had started developing some complications in her body due to her past sexual life. It came as no surprise when the village was informed that she had contracted AIDS.
Diagnosis on her showed that apart from AIDS she had contracted the COVID-19 disease also. Obviously, this was equivalent to “Two troubles, one God”, an expression used by people to indicate a situation where one person experiences double agonies.
Death
Her relations did what they could to save her life but after nearly one year, having spent all they had, lost her to the icy-cold hands of death. In other words, death laid its icy hands on her.
Before her death, she confessed that she had lived a very bad life and pleaded for forgiveness by her family. Her disappointed family looked on helplessly as her condition worsened day by day. Her very last words she uttered just before her death were “Oh! Had I known is always at last”.
After her death, some members of her family came around to bury her in line with the demands of custom but other members, disappointed as they were, kept away from the funeral rites saying that “Na who cause am! It is Ama Serwaa herself who has caused her own death”.
What do you think about this?
It is unfortunate that a situation such as this should arise. Understandably, we can appreciate the concerns of the family members who were disappointed by Ama Serwaa’s deplorable behaviour, but should they pay her back in the same way as she proved to be stubborn when she was alive on this earth?
Don’t you think that it would have been good to forgive Serwaa and actively taken part in her funeral, seeing that she was one of them?
But can you also blame them for their behaviour and the pain they experienced in their hearts?
Your guess is as good as mine.
By Dr Amponsah-Bediako
The driver stopped the vehicle at the gate of the large, fenced property along the Nsawam Highway, and Kakraba stepped out to meet the several workers who had gathered to wait for him.
He greeted them and went straight to the point.
“Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you have almost completed the clearing of the land. I’m happy to report that we have concluded all arrangements with Nana Serebour, and construction of the palace will start in a few days.
“I will need you to go and level the ground, and then come back to start this project. Some workers from a construction company will come and join us.
“My plan is to build twenty houses in four months. Then we will do twenty more until we reach two hundred.
“I am relying on you to help me deliver good-quality work to satisfy our clients and, as I have already indicated to you, I will reward you for your work.”
After an hour’s discussion, he closed the meeting and moved to drive away. Wofa Yaw drew closer.
“Director, can you please spare me five minutes? I would like to discuss a small issue.”
“Why, Wofa Yaw? Your wife has threatened to leave you?”
“No, Director. My wife will never leave me. This concerns a young niece of mine.”
“I hope it’s something I can help with. Please sit in the car and let me hear you.”
“Boss, my niece, Beesiwa, is a polytechnic graduate, very beautiful and with very good character.
“Unfortunately, her parents virtually forced her into a relationship with an idiot based in the US, which affected her badly. She has now recovered from that experience and, Boss, I am respectfully asking if you would find a job for her.
“I promise you that you will never regret it.”
“Well, Wofa Yaw, let me meet her and speak with her. I may be able to help, maybe not in the way you expect, but let me meet her.
“I will not be back here for another week, but I will be at the office throughout next week. You can come with her.”
On Monday morning, Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa were seated at the office by nine o’clock. Three young ladies welcomed them warmly, offered them soft drinks and assured them that Kakraba would be there shortly.
They then returned to their desks and sat behind computers with large screens displaying various building designs.
Kakraba walked in and greeted them warmly. After chatting briefly with the three ladies, he ushered Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa into his office.
“Director, this is my niece, Beesiwa. I mentioned her to you when you came to Nsawam.”
“Yes, indeed. Madam Beesiwa, you are very beautiful, just as your uncle said. Wofa Yaw is my colleague.
“We have just started a building project that will take about three to four years. He mentioned that you have a small problem, so I said I would like to meet you and see how I can help.
“So, Beesiwa, please tell me a little about yourself.”
Beesiwa described her childhood, her school experience, her brief work at the bank and the nasty episode with Sammy Abrokwa, which shattered her peaceful life. She also explained how she had been recovering from the experience.
“I am really sorry to hear this,” Kakraba said. “Now, here is what we are going to do.
“We are a small but very busy company. The three ladies out there spend most of the day on site and come back to report on their work in the morning.
“I have three main projects. The big one is an estate project in Nsawam, where your uncle is one of my main colleagues. I need a personal assistant who can take care of my activities, especially when I am not in town.
“Now, we will have to start with trust. Based on what I know about Wofa Yaw, and based on what you yourself have told me, I think we can start on a sound basis.
“So, Wofa Yaw will take you to my home. You can move into one of the four guest rooms.”
“Sir, I have taken some computer lessons, and I have even done graphics and web design,” Beesiwa said.
“Fantastic! I will give you a good phone and a laptop. I will also arrange computer lessons for you.”
“Now, Wofa Yaw, take her home. My sister, Kuukuwa, will meet you and show you around, and then you can return to Koforidua.
“When would you like to start work?”
“Sir, I would like to start today, but I would need to go and bring my things.”
“No problem. Take a taxi to my house, meet my sister, and let me know what you decide.”
Later that day, Kakraba and the three ladies met with some bank officials to conclude the sale of the three buildings at Adabraka.
They closed at five-thirty and, after rewarding the ladies for their hard work, Kakraba got home just after dark.
He was surprised to find Kuukuwa and Beesiwa sitting at the table enjoying supper.
“What’s happening here?” he asked. “Beesiwa, I thought you would return to Koforidua.”
“She changed her mind,” Kuukuwa said. “We went to the mall and bought a few things for her. Then we came back to cook. She has made some nice changes to your bedroom and cooked a couple of interesting dishes. Sit down; we will serve you.”
“Well, I certainly can’t refuse that. It’s been a busy day.
“So, what’s the plan now? Will Beesiwa go to Koforidua tomorrow, gather her things together and come down?”
“No, I will stay here for a while,” Beesiwa replied. “Kuukuwa bought me the things I need, so I may go back next week. I’m ready to start work. What would you like me to start with?”
“Well, you can come to the office tomorrow morning, meet the three girls and get a feel for what we do.
“Since you are living here, at least for now, we can discuss the plans for the next few weeks.
“Sometimes there are gaps when I travel up north. You can take care of things from now. I think the girls would like having someone like you around.”
By Ekow de Heer
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A frequent question following breast surgery is whether human tissue possesses the regenerative capacity to restore an excised organ.
From a strict physiological standpoint, a completely removed breast cannot regrow. Unlike certain organisms that can regenerate complex limbs or organs, adult human tissues—particularly specialised glandular structures—lack the cellular machinery required to rebuild an entire organ after its total surgical removal.
Instead, the body heals the surgical site through processes such as scar tissue formation and re-epithelialisation rather than complete cellular regeneration.
What a mastectomy actually removes
To understand why natural tissue regeneration does not occur, it is important to examine the surgical scope of a mastectomy.
Depending on the type of procedure and the medical reason for surgery, a mastectomy may involve the removal of:
Glandular architecture: The milk-producing lobules and ducts that form the functional core of the mammary gland.
Adipose tissue: The fatty tissue that contributes to breast volume, projection and contour.
Other breast tissue: The extent of tissue removal varies according to the type of mastectomy and the need to achieve appropriate surgical clearance.
Because specialised breast structures are physically removed, the body does not rebuild a complete mammary gland. Instead, healing occurs through tissue repair and scar formation.
Distinguishing residual tissue from “regrowth”
Patients or observers may notice changes in the chest area after surgery, sometimes leading to misconceptions about tissue regeneration.
Skin- and nipple-sparing procedures
Modern breast surgery may preserve the outer skin envelope or, in selected cases, the nipple-areola complex. Small amounts of breast tissue may remain depending on the surgical technique. Any changes in remaining tissue due to hormonal fluctuations represent residual tissue responding to the body, rather than the regrowth of a completely removed breast.
Adipose accumulation
Weight gain after surgery can increase the amount of subcutaneous fat across the chest wall. However, this is part of general body fat distribution and does not represent the regeneration of a mammary gland.
Modern reconstructive pathways
Because a completely removed breast does not naturally regenerate, modern medicine offers reconstructive options aimed at restoring physical symmetry, contour and body image.
The two main approaches are implant-based reconstruction and autologous, or tissue-based, reconstruction.
Implant-based reconstruction
Implant-based reconstruction uses synthetic medical devices, typically filled with silicone gel or saline, to rebuild the breast mound following a mastectomy.
The two-stage process: This approach may begin with the placement of a temporary tissue expander to gradually create space and stretch the surrounding tissues. A later procedure may then be performed to place a permanent implant.
Recovery profile: Implant-based reconstruction generally involves a shorter initial surgery and recovery period compared with procedures that require tissue to be harvested from another part of the body.
Long-term considerations: Breast implants are not lifetime devices and require ongoing medical monitoring. Some patients may need additional procedures over time because of complications or changes in the implant or surrounding tissue.
Autologous or tissue-based reconstruction
Autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own living tissue to create a new breast mound. Tissue may be transferred from another part of the body, commonly the lower abdomen, using procedures such as a DIEP flap.
Natural look and feel: Because the reconstruction uses living tissue, it can provide a natural warmth, texture and softness. The tissue may also change with the patient’s body weight over time.
Long-term durability: Once healing is complete, autologous reconstruction can provide a long-lasting result without the need to replace an implant. However, some patients may still require further procedures.
Complex surgery: This option usually involves a longer operation and recovery period. In microsurgical procedures, surgeons may need to reconnect tiny blood vessels to establish blood flow to the transferred tissue.
Direct comparison
When choosing between these two reconstructive pathways, patients and their surgical teams must consider several physical, medical and lifestyle factors.
Surgical burden: Implant surgery is generally less invasive, while flap reconstruction involves surgery at both the chest and the donor site.
Foreign material versus native tissue: Implants involve the use of a medical device, while autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue.
Recovery: The recovery timelines and rehabilitation requirements differ significantly between the two procedures.
Recovery and physical rehabilitation
Recovering from breast reconstruction requires patience, careful pacing and, in some cases, structured physical rehabilitation.
Because implant-based and autologous tissue-flap procedures involve different surgical techniques, their healing timelines and physical therapy milestones can vary considerably.
Understanding these differences is important for patients considering reconstruction, as the choice involves more than restoring physical appearance. It also requires careful consideration of recovery, long-term monitoring, lifestyle and individual medical needs.
Part 2 will examine recovery timelines, physical therapy milestones and other factors patients should consider when choosing between reconstructive options.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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