Peter Byengoma

@patrickoyulu Wow OPP God is Great

I STEPPED ON A 'LANDMINE'. In Uganda, when someone wakes up with swollen legs or mysterious pain, explanations abound. In Buganda, they'd say, "Yalinye Etalo," meaning they stepped on something supernatural. Among the Alur, it's "Enyonu Tho," an ominous declaration that someone has "stepped on an illness." But in urban Ugandan English, the phrase is more evocative -“He stepped on a landmine.” Well, last week, I didn’t just step on one. I walked right into a whole field of them. And by some miracle, I lived to tell the tale. For three weeks, I had nagging lower back pain, the kind you chalk up to a bad chair or an overenthusiastic day at the gym. But then, on Wednesday, my right leg started swelling. At first, I brushed it off -fatigue, maybe? Nerve compression? So I did what any rational person would do: lay on my back and propped my legs up against the wall like a makeshift yoga guru. Except the swelling didn’t go away. Worse, I started feeling pain in my groin. Now, that’s the kind of pain you can’t unfeel. At 10:45 PM, my wife and I made the call -straight to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Emergency Room in New Brunswick, NJ. The moment the ER staff saw my leg, they didn’t waste time on small talk. "Suspected blood clot." Boom. Just like that, I had stepped on a landmine. Without wasting time, I was admitted and they ran an X-ray, ultrasound, and CTA scans of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis. You know how, in Kampala, traffic jams snake back from Nakawa to Jinja Road like an unholy mess? That was my blood flow -clogged with clots from my right leg all the way to my pelvis. Some were lounging in my iliac veins, waiting for the perfect moment to break free and wreak havoc. One wrong move and I could have had a pulmonary embolism -a clot shooting up to my lungs. The kind of thing that turns a regular day into an obituary. And you know what people would have said? "Eh! But he was fine just yesterday!" "I think he was bewitched." "Did he owe someone money in Kawempe Mbogo zone?" Sigh. There was no time to play games though. The vascular team at @RWJBarnabas decided: Thrombectomy. A delicate, urgent procedure where they go in and physically remove the clots -like carefully defusing live landmines. On Thursday evening, I signed the consent form. It felt like signing a death warrant, 🤪. By Friday morning, I posted a cryptic tweet -just in case it was my last. It read: "Delicate! But it’s got to be done. God is in control. #LetsDoThis." No one gave it much thought. Then, into the operating room I went. Two hours later, I woke up to the news: success. The clots -8 to 10 of them -had been removed. I even saw them. Thick, sinister, silent killers. Just chilling there, waiting for an opportunity to take me out. Had they dislodged and reached my lungs? Game over. Brain? Lights out. But by some divine orchestration, we caught them in time. If there’s anything this near-death encounter has taught me, it’s that landmines don’t announce themselves. One day, you’re fine. The next, you’re in the ER fighting for your life. The CDC estimates that 100,000 people die from blood clots every year in the U.S. The risk factors? Prolonged immobility, dehydration, smoking, obesity, surgery, genetics -you name it. Some of them are in our control. Others aren’t. But here’s what is in our control: ▪︎ Move more. If you sit for long hours, get up and stretch. ▪︎ Stay hydrated -your blood is like traffic, and dehydration is like closing lanes. ▪︎ Watch for signs: swelling, unexplained pain, shortness of breath. ▪︎ Get checked if something feels off. I got lucky. Many don’t. So, my friends, take this as a Public Health PSA with a side of wit. Check your body. Listen to the whispers before they turn into sirens. Because in life, the worst landmines are the ones you never see coming. I was discharged on Saturday evening. A special thank you to @RWJBarnabas Hospital New Brunswick, NJ Doctors and staff for saving my life. God Bless You!

I've heard the calls to shut down @VoaNews. I understand them, but I disagree with them. I think it's worth getting in, digging around, fixing what's wrong, bolstering what's good, & putting out an incredible product that fulfills its mission, broadcasting the American story across the globe, & spreading the ideals of freedom & liberty. Honest journalism can have a global impact.

@momocherise Come join Kampala Club.. 15 sports .. Networking.. Great ambiance

Guys, I have always wanted to join a Rotary Club but my hubby is against it. He says I can join any other Club but not Rotary. What could be the reason behind this?

@jjkariisa @KKariisa @kariisa_jamila Keep shinning my Peeps. Happy Anniversary JJ and Kin

Thank you so much, my lovely husband @KKariisa, for the 20 years of life together, love, and Allah's endless blessings. Am forever grateful for the gift of our children @kariisa_jamila and the boys and the love that surrounds us. Cheers to more! #Alhamdulillah #20thAnniversary

@KKariisa @nbstv @nextmediaug @nilepostnews Great Kin always good to be in your company and share ideas and experiences

Just wrapped up a productive meeting with our partners at VoA in Washington, DC! Excited to explore future collaborations on training, content creation, and joint projects. Together, we can drive innovation and create impactful initiatives. Looking forward to what’s next!

@nbstv Meantime its tax payers money we borrow to spend on them..

@nbstv Soon and very soon we will be like Palestine and Gaza pushed out of our own land

VIDEO: Hon Allan Ssewanyana says some refugees have more money than residents and that Landlords prefer them to the residents because they can afford their houses. #NBSUpdates #PlenaryUg #NBSParliamentLive

@nbstv parliamentwatch.ug/news-amp-updat….

@rkabushenga @qataharraymond @askimeze Good Going Ray — we had a fab week in Juba with you last week inspiring journalists# USAGM VOA Africa. All the best

This evening we bade farewell to @qataharraymond in style as you can see. He is off to Oxford. We are grateful to “Senior Management” for doing this. There also those of you who have walked this journey with Raymond, I thank you on his behalf. You know yourselves 📸 @askimeze

@byengomap Did you see this metric? VOA is doing quite surprisingly

@KKariisa @Peter_Mungoma @CapitalFMUganda @RAEventsKe @afromobileug @nbstv @KigoziJoe @nextradio_ug @nilepostnews Great collabo… looking forward to the show

Well in, @Peter_Mungoma, CEO @CapitalFMUganda, & @RAEventsKe on our incredible partnership towards the #BoyzIIMenInUganda concert! With @afromobileug & @nbstv on board, we're creating something extraordinary in a collabo that also coincides with @nbstv’s 15-year anniversary!

@NWSCMD @nwscug Mr MD no water in Lungujja Kitunzi 8 days and still counting .. No explanation no support no updates this is very frustrating as a customer

Dear friends: I thank you for supporting @nwscug service delivery efforts. The thrust of our strategic agenda is water for all in areas gazetted to us. We request for your diverse support. The E-billing system we introduced has superior advantages but needs more sensitization.

@nwscug @NWSCMD NWSC No water in Lungujja Kitunzi for 8 days .. no explanation no taking calls same answer “ we are fixing it”!! Feels like Obote 2 days yet harassing for payment

Katosi water works complete, project handed over to NWSC This morning, Katosi Drinking Water Treatment Plant contractors and consultants handed over the newly completed 240million litres per day capacity Plant to NWSC. #KatosiWaterWorks @NWSCMD

@AppleBBridget Uuhhaaa obayo mwana wa maawe

@arihokamara @JuliusKabug @AlfredKabuchu @harvest_hmc @vastakamara @DailyMonitor @newvisionwire @samuelsejjaaka @pbusharizi @skaheru @kasyate Long overdue!!!

.My father, Mr. Charles Kabuga spent more than 20 years working with cooperatives before stepping down as CEO of the Uganda Cooperatives Alliance in 1999. He was conferred the honorary title Clan Head of the #Cooperative #movement in #Uganda. This is his gift to the fraternity.

@byaruhj @raxioug Heard your interview on radio.. very nice insights

Back on the Saddle after a brief break! Ready to push.. push .. push

youtu.be/CoxoP5Opeg0 VOA Interview with H.E. President Museveni released on 03.03.2022 discussed Africa, Russia, Social Economics. Full interview on voanews.com

@asiimwe4justice Jackie please share contact reach me 0n 0753426999

My dad had as if a Malcolm X vibe…. Come attend dad’d book launch or buy his book (details coming soon). Come here the story of the man who taught me to love justice and appreciate mercy.

@asiimwe4justice @worship_harvest @JayRemoir @mosesmukisa Can't wait to get a copy. His life lessons are the warmest. Lots to learn from Uncle Ben

My dad has written his memoir. He tells of his childhood adventures, and falling in love with my mom. He tells of his drunken stupors that nearly destroyed his life. He tells of how God litaraly catapulted him - a most unlikely person, to be the prelate that he is today.