(E)e(R)ie feeling

alas! our third weeek of duty just ended, 3 minor cases, (1from QI and 2 from GABMMC) 22 more cases to go! AJA!

This week we were assigned to the ER (emergency room) but since PGMA proclaimed monday a holiday, we only had 4 days of s duty 2 days in the Medical Center Parañaque (a private hosital located in sucat Parañaque) and 2 in Gat. Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (situated in Tondo Manila). The first two days was ok though we didn’t do much, the usual get V/S, HGT, monitor patient and the like. I was actually kinda dissappointed not being able to do stuff that I saw from ER series. Two days after, me and my groupmates were assigned to GAT. Earlier that week, our friends told us about the difference of the ER in both hospitals, saying that the public hospital offered more action than the private one. True enough when we went there at 2 pm in the afternoon, I was surprised to see people gathered in the ER varying from the old to the young, from emergent to fast-paced patients. It was there that I experienced doing things that I haven’t done before, assisting in suturing a lacerated wound, taking vital signs of patients that almost crossed the line, giving a skin test to a 3year old child, removing an IV insertion from a  baby and seeing people coming from different places but with only one aim, to be healed or if not relieved from pain. I saw the difference between the two setting, how people are managed and how dissimilar they treat complaints. Before I took up this path I used to think that blood oozing out from someone’s wound would freak me out and eventually put off my consciousness, but when time came, I felt nothing, not a single sensation of vomiting. Its kinda weird though, if my mom was there, she would have passed out at the sight of a single drop of blood ( good thing I didn’t get that part of her genes).

At the end of 4 days I said to myself I feel much more fulfilled in the public hospital, having the opportunity to help all those people just by getting their vital signs, testing medicines to see if they have an allergy, admitting them in the ER and adding another less-pain-day to their life.  I saw how doctors would take care of patients even if they haven’t eaten lunch and even if they feel exhausted. How nurses in the ER can still smile at each other and joke at times when humor can be the only way to release themselves from too much stress. I see how much lucky I am to be able to see things around me, how I blessed I am to be in this position in life and how grateful I should be that I have never experienced being hospitalized.

Life, is like an ER. Sometimes it only takes a 5 minute sponge bath to lower a fever, sometimes you have to take medicines and at times, when fever cannot be controlled a person would expeirence greater complicatiions and if not given the right solution, that may actually cost his life. A simple fever gone worst. A simple problem not given an appropriate action would cause a great effect/damage to ones life.  My analogy isn’t “that” exact but if your smart you’ll get what I mean. I still have 1 month before the 1st semester of 3rd year ends and I am finally getting the answers that I seek to find reason behind every move, every breat, every step of this profession I chose to take and endure, even if it means straining and stressing the last single neuron in my brain.

face to face with Reality

Earlier this day I had my first hospital duty in an old building in Quezon city. An eye opening experience actually, that life is short.

>  3 in the morning I woke up and realized I was an hour early for my duty to wake up for my duty, due to my excitement maybe. At 4 I packed my things, at

> 5:30 I was running to get a jeepney ride at leon guinto street.

>5:45 I was walking along Adamson walk way, 1 minute later I was catching my breath inside the SV building.

>We left school at exactly 6am and we arrived there even before the out patient department was open to the public, the unit we were assigned to. Our clinical instructor toured us in the place before work starts, I was almost an abandoned place, the 2nd floor was like a mere building with nothing in it, its a shame that a big and nice place like that would only go into waste because the government does not have enough funds.

>The real “thing” started by 8:30 in the morning, we assisted the nurse in taking vital signs (the never ending BP, PR,RR and temp) before te patients go to the doctor and tell their reasons why they visited that day.

>at around 11:30 we had our early lunch break and rest (we were allowed to take a nap and roam the place).

>By 1:00pm we went down to the place and resumed our 3 hours left of duty.

While waiting for the OPD to resume their services, we stayed inside the ER and I noticed that the patient who was brought there earlier has stopped breathing, or so I thought. So I asked one of my group mates to look at the man since I have a bad sight, she said “humihinga pa” so I said ok, but still felt a little concerned. After 15 minutes our C.I checked on the man only to find out he has left the world. His heart officially stopped at 1:25pm. With no one beside him and only a bag full of his things,a red cap and a pair of slippers the thin man silently died, without any sign of agony or pain, only a face of grief left. We rendered our last care to the man, at first I was actually scared to touch him but then all the fear faded and was replaced with sympathy. At the end of his life, I did what I could to give him dignity.

Alam kong huli na pero, kahit sa huling saglit ng buhay niya, alam kong may nagawa ako para sa kanya, sana naramdaman niyang importante siya kahit huli na ang lahat.

Maigsi ang buhay, ngayong taon Ilang beses nang gustong iparating sakin yan ng realidad, masakit pag may mga taong nawala, lalo na kung naging parte sila ng buhay mo. Pero sa pagkawala nila, nakikita ng isang tao kung gaano siya kaswerte at kahit papano humihinga parin siya, binibigyan ng isa pang pagkakataon para makasama ang ibang tao sa paligid niya. Sana hindi na kelangan pang may lumisan para malaman ng tao kung gaano kasayang mabuhay para walang nasasayang na sandali.

This is just a taste of what my life would be years from now, and If someone asks if I still want to pursue this profession, the answer would be no other than an undoubtful YES.

Reality check: 7:42pm kelangan ko pang maglaba ng uniform para may masuot ako sa wednesday.