A Letter to Someone
December 2, 2007
Dear Miss Sakamoto,
More than a year ago, I assisted a delivery in this particular hospital where I am about to return for my internship tonight (10pm-6am shift). The birth opened my awareness to the great sacrifice that hails the coming of motherhood, especially having to witness the blood, screams and pain that came with it. I would be ashamed of my self if I,[READ MORE]
Amoy Pekpek
November 29, 2007
Lallaine and I boarded an air-conditioned bus on our way home after our 2-10PM duty last Wedenesday in San Fernando. It was nearing midnight and the bus was almost empty when Lallaine and I sat two seats away from the driver. Interestingly it was a lot warmer there and the television’s audio was… [READ MORE]
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
November 22, 2007
The diagnosis is Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rapid-onset disease that starts after a viral infection. Sometimes it is also triggered by vaccination and other autoimmune idiopathies. It is characterized by the demyelination of the peripheral nervous system that leads to motor paralysis. This was the first time I have encountered a patient with this disease. I was surprised by how fast it progresses. It was pretty painful when the young pediatrician explained to his parents how…[READ MORE]
Untitled number1
August 23, 2007
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Sleepless
July 19, 2007
When we met our CI he quickly mentioned his relief because we are all non graduates in our group. It turned out that he endured three consecutive hellish, sleepless nights wrestling against the Monday to Wednesday Group-who are all consisted of second courser with some are registered doctors and dentists.
What happened was that when he welcomed that group for their 10PM t0 6AM duty last Monday, he noticed that one of the girls was chewing a gum. So he told the girl that next time he won’t tolerate it. Since our CI was a freshly graduate, Batch 2006-he hasn’t got a Masteral yet, and was definitely younger than anyone in the group, the girl thought that she can pick on him. The girl answered back by saying, "Sir, what was the rationale behind that?" So he calmly expressed that that it is very much unethical if they would face other hospital personnel and the patients while chewing a gum. The girl retorted that she’ll just stop chewing it once she’s in front of them.
And our CI recounted the rest of his night’s misfortune of meeting our Group’s Monday to Wednesday counterpart (we are the Group 1 and they are the Group A). I wanted to ask why he didn’t give the girl an incidental report but our group has an agreement to not to meddle with other group’s and other school’s affairs inside the ward so I just exclaimed my disbelief by gasping "grabe naman yun." and by contorting my face to look that I am in disbelief and definitely appalled by the group’s insurmountable disrespect.
It must have been really hard for our CI. Actually I have never been really close with any second coursers, let alone those medical doctors and denstists. I’ve been hearing things about them from the other groups also. It was indeed brave for him to stand his ground against those huge (literally) people. And it wasn’t easy, imagine spending the whole night with them, boy, that’s suicide.
By the way, I only have one patient last night. I didn’t really plan to take him as my patient since I wanted to have an easier night but because of some complications I took him and gave two patients each to my groupmates who are assisting the easier patients.
My patient was freshly released from the ICU just an hour before our duty. He has a CHD (congenital heart defect) but when I asked the parents about this, I was surprised when I found out that they didn’t know that he has a heart problem since birth. All they know was that he had a palpitation and he must stay inside the hospital until he’s better.
The task of taking the vital signs every thirty minutes wasn’t that difficult at all. All I had to do was read the heart rate on his cardiac monitor every thirty minutes and the check the other Vital signs manually. What really made me toxic was his ECG, everytime he moves, the line of the ECG on the cardiac monitor changes. One time it even became a straight line and the heart rate changes from 59 per minute to 107 per minute in just a manner of second. The nurse laughed at me and explained that the wire might just have been moved as he changes his position. He instructed me to check for the Glasgo Coma Scale but I find this ridiculous since he was asleep and snoring and even flexes his arms whenever I put the BP cuff.
It was indeed a tiring night, I didn’t sleep at all and we were not allowed to go out to est. thank goodness we all brought our own snacks and sandwiches… and he sterilized milk definitely calmed down my tummy.
PS Our CI postponed our duty tonight since he has to attend a meeting tomorrow morning from 8 to 2.
Quoted
June 7, 2007
I attended the orientation for the coming Senior Nursing Students. We were refreshed and updated about the new and old policies… plus about the special areas like the Mental ward where we’ll be attending our internship. We spent our time from 8-11:30 listening to them… here’s some of the quotes.
A CI talking about the new policy where Students are not allowed anymore to enter the hospital without the CI;
So magkikita-kita tayo sa flag pole. Di nyo alam kung saan yun? Hanapin nyo lang yung watawat, andun yun.
A CI talking about the proper nursing paraphernalia;
Dalhin nyo yung complete paraphernalia nyo. Complete ha… Complete NURSING paraphernalia… hindi sex paraphernalia.
A CI talking about the No Smoking policy of the hospital in San Fernando City;
Ok namang manigarilyo, basta dun lang kayo sa labas… at puro hithit lang… walang buga.
A CI talking about the No Cellphone policy at the Mental Hospital;
Basta ilagay nyo lang sa bulsa nyo at ivibrate nyo lang. Uuuuyy gusto nila yun… naka on yung vibration (Biglang huminto tapos biglang dumale) Ay nagva-Vibrate. Sa bulsa ilalagay wag sa kung ano-anong butas.
The same CI talking about foods for the mental patient;
Alam nyo pwede nyo rin silang ipagbaon ng Zest O o Funchum. O kaya meron dun BJ. Gusto nila dun ng BJ. Ako nga eh gusto ko ng BJ. Kayo, gusto nyo ng BJ? As in Buko Juice….
My First Major Case
May 17, 2007
I was dismissed from my 6 AM- 2PM duty at the Pedia ward in a General Hospital at 12 as a consideration so I could still prepare for my Operating Room Duty in the Doctor’s Hospital where I met the dancing CI. Actually, although we had had a lot of experiences (at the medical mission and in different DRs) with surgeries, this was the first time that we’ll have a really legitimate OR experience. The last time we’re here, there was no scheduled operation so we just watched a movie at Mara’s house.
I was at the hospital as quarter to one, the morning shift were still there. To my dismay according to them they had 4 cases just that morning and there is only one left for the afternoon. The last time it was the other way around, we were the morning shift and they are for the afternoon. We didn’t have any case and all the operations were scheduled at the afternoon. I was not very optimistic that I’ll have a case that afternoon.
However, when my groupmates came, I was really surprised when Angelo said that I should have the case for today since I lost my notebook (where I listed my case numbers inm the last medical mission). Kawawa naman daw kasi ako (I am pitiful according to him.)
The case was Lap Chole (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy- removal of the gall bladder through a laparoscopic surgery). I took the case with Hanzel. I haven’t been in any major operation so I told him that I’ll just be a circulating nurse to acquaint me a little with the work and he can be the scrub. Both of us wore our respective mask and bonnet; however he scrubbed his hands from the elbows to the fingertips while I just did the normal handwashing. He wore the sterile OR gown while I remained in my clean scrub suit helping him not to touch any part the inside part of the gown. He helped the doctors wear their gowns while I stared… dumbly. Heck, I shouldn’t have switched work with him, I already know the steps. And a CD of the band Side A hummed with us. It was 2:30.
Laparoscopic surgery is virtually a bloodless surgery. The surgeon will just use a camera entered through a 12-millimeter-trocar (that acts as the portal) at the umbilicus. Another 12 mm trocar is inserted on the hole made at the Epigastric region while another two (5 mm trocars) were made on the sides. Istead of looking at the tummy, the surgeons look at the TV monitor in front do the surgery by manipulating the instruments. It is like a computer game with sterile joysticks.
While Hanzel was still dressing up, I saw the real circulating nurse cleaning the sleeping woman. She started with an alcohol at the umbilicus. She made sure that it was very clean. Then she brushed betadine at the girl’s abdomen to the groin and to her reproductive organ. She opened the vulva and also inserted the sponge and brushed it with betadine. It dawned to me later on that she did this so she can insert the folley catheter. I haven’t tried inserting any folley catheter so I took the chance to observe. She first looked for the urinary meatus. For a while I thought she was inserting it at the vagina because she seemed to be having a hard time putting it in and the hole looks a little bigger; however she successful in the end.
Then one by one they covered the girl with different assortment of linens until only the right side of the abdomen is visible. Everything is covered from head to foot.
The trocars were inserted at their respective places. They inflated the abdomen with Carbon dioxide. The inside was very visible, I saw the depositede fats that resemble the yellow part of balut with all the veins in it. The veins, the faschia, the liver are all clear, think you’re watching the National Geographic. I was asked to yhand them unsterile stuff like hot water (where they dip the camera to wash, or IV. I even had the chance to place the Naso Gastric Tube in the patient’s nose (since the anesthesiologist, the real circulating nurse who went somewhere, to eat I supposed, and I are the only unsterile people who can touch the unsterile face of the woman) while the operation is in the process.
They used different extra elongated instruments that are called as grasper, scissor, and many many many more.
When they have finally reached the gallbladder, the surgeon tear a hole in it and an exudate of purulence issued out. It was pearly to whitish, slimy liquid. While th3e surgeon was vacuuming the slime, my CI said, “ay parang sipon.” (It’s like a mucus.)
Then another doctor replied, his eyes naughtily twinkling, “hindi ah… para syang ano… ano…, “ (of course not, it is like a… a…) then he paused then grinned which is still discernible in spite of the mask, “ano parang… alam mo na kung ano.” (You know… you know what it is….)
Everybody laughed because everyone knows what the slimy, pearly, viscous, stuff was like. Then he added, “Basta tayo nagkakangitian na alam mo na yun.” (When we have finally smiled at each other, you already know what I mean.)
The Side A band incessantly rumbled in the background and the operation still go. The scrub nurse was really nice to teach us and the observers some of the equipment being used. I asked her a lot of times and she’s more than happy to reply. She looks like Dra. Peaches.
Although there were momentary episodes of jokes, none has really laughed out loud, the operating room seems like a sacred place… and nobody dared to ruin that atmosphere… although sometimes the scrub nurse or the anesthesiologist sang a line or two of the songs by Side A that is being played.
The operation has ended at exactly 6:45. The funny thing is, just as when the lights were turnede on, the mellow song of Side A was immediately replaced by the original version of Beyonce’s song…
The song was like… “Heyyyy love to love you baby.” Everyone noticed this and a really crispy set of guffaws erupted.
A Lot
May 14, 2007
As my father lead the whole family today to vote… we met a guy on the street and he exclaimed, “Ang dami nyan ah.”
(Hey, that’s a lot) And we all laughed. It was clear that man was not
pertaining on how many children my father has but on how much bribe he
got from each registered voter in my father’s family.
I received two envelops correspondingly from the two Mayoral
candidates here in our town… and I should say I voted for the higher
bidder… straight, complete with his name and his councilors.
However, the money was never the reason I voted that politician and
his men… I actually was planning to vote his party straight with or
without the bribe money. I want you to know that are family has never
been in a good vibes with our neighbors… although we do not openly
feud, we are currently under a cold war. Actually my little sister had
had an encounter with the father next door days ago, they had a word
fight which ended with my sister holding the water hosepipe and saying,
“Kung gusto mo isaksak ko ‘to sa baga mo.” (If you want, I can stab
this hose into your lungs.) Uhmmm and since they rub elbows with the
politician that I did not vote, I, or should I say the whole Acosta
clan, voted the other party indifferently.
But with regards to the provincial candidates, I tried my best to
scrutinize every single candidate (although I was never satisfactory
with my information about the board members aspirants).
I voted for the incumbent Governor and Congressman. The one I voted
for Governor has the most number of scholars, which I am included,
among the governors in the Philippines. In their administration, Bataan
was ranked sixth in the list of provinces that have managed their
budget most effectively (I saw it in the news last March). Plus they
were not seen in any TV Exposés for a variety of allegations, unlike
some….
For Senators… my sister and I asked Ate Krystell,
who is a History professor in UP Dil., for some advice. She recounted
her list and told us some national issues. She’s the reason why I
almost dropped Cayetano from my list, because of the dynasty issue,
(but I still have three more blanks so I wrote his name pa rin) and the reason I included Defensor.
For the partylist, uhmmm actually I was really thinking of voting
Kabataan or Ate Krystell’s AKBAYAN or Samahang Manggagawa… but in the
end I voted for BUTIL. Because my grandparents are farmers. And I
really think that more than the youth sector and the…uhm…whatever
AKBAYAN partylist is for, the Luzon Farmers needs a far greater voice
in the congress. For example, in Isabela, during good harvest seasons
an hectare of ricefield will fetch up to 120 thousand plus Pesos… but
this year, it rained in the middle of summer so the price dropped to
only 32 thousand plus an hectare. My grandmother tried to hoard their
product but when she found out that I was to undergo-but-not an appendectomy…
she sold some of the rice at a meager price (they didn’t know that an
appendectomy is one of the cheapest surgical operation in the planet).
And I feel a bit guilty about it.
In another light this election has been a great opportunity for our
whole family to bond. We went their together and we voted together. We
were really noisy and laughing and joking and taking pictures. This was
my first time I voted and it is indeed cool… plus this was the first
time this year that I again set my foot in PUP… not that I am too
excited to see it but I also miss my old friends who go there.
Chamitos by the way was dumbstruck when suddenly out of nowhere
somebody gave a smack on her cheek. When she looked closely she saw
that it was our neighbor’s daughter. Eeeeww talking about plastic.
PS I want to thank my sisters for giving me their shares… thanks.
