Merry Christmas

I started this blog because I wanted to have a venue where I could express my thoughts and ideas. It began with a heartbreak and then evolved into something more. I've made lots of friends through this blog which I will treasure for the rest of my life. Thank you fellow bloggers for making my online life interesting.

Special shoutouts to Mcvie, FreeLance, Wandering Polar Bear, Outednarnian, Jaybeecc, Datswhy, Misterhubs. Merry Christmas. I wish you well, guys.

This will be the last entry of TheLetterE.

Pico de Loro

Today, my friends and I went to Pico de Loro in order to celebrate our last day in Medicine Electives and the start of our 1-month Community Medicine rotation in Bulacan and Navotas. Here are some of the pictures I took using the Iphone.

Stylish Interiors

Great facade facing the beach

Infinity pools




Comfortable chairs!





Another look at the pool




Hallway leading to the lockers




Massage Area




Lobby




Nice fixture




Male locker room.. parang powder room hehehe





Some of my friends




Tired after an entire day of fun and sun!




My constant travel buddies!




Final shot before we departed for Manila

Friends

Carlo's dad suddenly passed away this afternoon. It felt weird. We were still texting each other about my Tagaytay trip. He was asking me if we could have coffee sometime, when suddenly I received a message from him saying that his father just died. I called him immediately and offered my sincere condolences to him and his family. I found myself wanting to be with him at this trying times but then tomorrow I start my duty in Bulacan, so I might just visit his dad's remains on Friday.

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Jon is figuring out how to court someone. I told him it's weird that he has to think about the how's and why's of courtship when he was so natural back then. Ayaw pa niyang magkuwento kung sino ang bago niyang prospect. Ayaw pakilatis sa akin? Hehehe. I told him that he should find out what his date's likes and dislikes as well as the things he does in his free time and start from there. I wish him luck.

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Joms just arrived from UK. It was nice to finally have a chat with him over coffee last week. I'm glad that he has already settled in and is ready to find a work. I hope he gets the one where his master's degree can be put to good use. Anyway, hopefully we could reschedule our movie plans next week when I get back from the province.

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Donald is thinking of quitting his job and moving to the US of A for better opportunities. Actually he has a very nice and stable job as a professor but office politics and lack of growth is pushing him to seek greener pasture somewhere else. If ever things push through, I'm gonna miss our conversations on each and other's lives.

That Scary Unexpected Incident

Today, I woke up rather late. I really planned to wake up early, hear mass, make my cardio report before MH and I watch Spring Awakening at RCBC. The thing is, I got up around 10 am and I wanted to sleep even more. Nevertheless, I pushed myself out of bed, do my daily routines and decided to just hear the 12nn mass at Greenbelt Chapel so that afterwards I could meet up with MH.

So I was at Seattle's Best Coffee, Greenbelt 3 around 11:30 am, multitasking: sipping my coffee while listening to my ipod while reading my cardio book and making my presentation. Out of nowhere I heard a bang. Deadma. That was then followed by several more shots. I wasn't bothered. I haven't heard gunfire before so I thought it was just some noise outside. Then a couple started running inside the store. There was fear in woman's face. She was talking to the security guard. I can barely hear them. The guard then locked all the doors. No one was leaving the place. The employees started huddling near the counter. Outside, other security guards started moving towards Greenbelt 1 and 5. I can see people running outside from the direction of GB1 and Gb5 towards GB3.

I got curious so I got up and asked the cashier what's happening. They informed me that there has been gunfight near Gb1 and 5. They initially informed us that several armed men robbed the Rolex store across GB1 and that they were now inside GB5. I can't help but panic. We were locked inside a store facing GB5, both corners made of glass enclosure. I don't know what to do. I quickly fixed my things. I was trembling that time. I'm scared that any moment now bullets might just coming flying through the glass walls.

I then stood near the door. All the time listening to conversations between the guard and some of the customers trapped inside. We heard sirens. There were still people moving from all directions going to GB3. The guard then opened the door and informed us that we can already go out but we must take extra care since the armed men are still inside GB5.

I quickly went inside GB3. Most of the people were huddled near the coffee exhibit near Linea Italia. The stores were closed that time though the employees were inside. Some were taking pictures of what was happening. I sat outside Sketchbooks. Earlier Jamie called me. He told me to stay calm and do not panic. I'd like to think that I wasn't panicking or if I did, I was channeling it through Twitter or Facebook. I didn't want to call my mom for she might just have a heart attack. The online connection was the only thing keeping me sane that time. (I am not that 'matapang'). And of course, prayers. I was updating my online accounts almost every minute. Most of them unverified. I was listening to the guards' conversations with the customers as well as personnels.

I stayed inside the mall for like 45 minutes. When I thought it was safe to go out, I went to Rennaisance Hotel. Initially I wanted to look for my aunt who's working there, but decided not to. I know my family too well. If I told her I'm there she'll panic, inform my mom, then my mom will panic. Anyway, I found a comfortable place near the stairs. MH texted me that he'll pick me up. I told him to avoid Gb1 area for safety reasons. Boy am I glad when I saw him. I held his hand tight. We eventually went to the Fort to have lunch. I never thought I was hungry until the food came. Everything tasted special that time. Hay. What a day. What a scary day. I hope this does not happen again.

Postscript: The Rolex store inside GB5 was the one robbed, not the one across GB1. One of the gunmen died during the shootout. Others escaped.

Why I Almost Gave Up

I just need to get this off my chest.

A month ago, I attended a meeting with the dean as well as the student council and organizations ng medicine. I was invited by the president so that the clerks will have a representative. The agenda that time was the forthcoming medicine week. Medicine week has always been a fun event dahil medyo laidback kami that time. Walang scheduled exams. Puro fun, fun, fun. Usually mga clerks hindi kasama since they are always busy with what they're doing sa hospital. Kapag wala namang pasok, most of my apartment-mates would just stay at home to catch up on precious sleep.

This year, the student council decided to include us in the activities. Ako naman e hindi nagoobject sa ganyang activities, lalo na nung inexplain ng president na this is for a united medicine. Kais nga nafefeel nila na naleleft out ang mga students once they reach 4th year. So there I was, listening to the rundown of activites ng biglang i-aanounce ng VP nila na may interbatch DANCE competition (empasis on the dance). May prize daw ito: trophy and 25,000 cash. Bongga di ba? So ang theme daw ay Michael Jackson songs. Nagpabunot sila ng song para daw fair. Ang nabunot ko e BEAT IT. Ang instructions that time was that 15 dancers ang minimum. Ako naman, agad text sa mga kabatchmates ko na dating member ng dance org ng med. Excited silang lahat. I also informed the group leaders ng batch namin kasi baka may other clerks na interested to dance on their freetime, sayang naman.

So lumipas ang mga araw, all I know is that ok ang dance entry namin. Naka-18 nga sila na dancers e. Dumating ang September, Resident's Night preparations. Resident's Night naman is a contest for the house staff ng hospital. Every year they have a theme kung saan each department will prepare a 20 minute production. No clerks alllowed. Hanggang cheer lang kami and support.

Anyway, so one of the residents asked me if may clerks kayang interested kumanta or sumayaw, or do anything for the opening number para naman may participation kami since we're also part of the hospital. I immediately said yes knowing that there are a lot of us who are interested to perform lalo na't musicale ang theme nila ngayon.

Then the group who were assigned to dance sa contest suddenly texted me na they are backing out of the competition dahil may interested nga sumayaw, kaso hindi naman sila nakakapagmeet since hindi sila magkakapareho ng service and days-off. Ayaw naman nila i-compromise yung quality ng dance na gagawin nila just for the sake na may masali kami. I totally agreed with them. They asked a favor if I could explain na lang sa SC president since I am the counterpart sa clerks. The few people who were supposed to be part of the contest then expressed interest in joining the opening program. Siyempre, sinali ko sila. Hindi naman ako tumatanggi basta gusto.

The next day, I informed one of the student council members, PRO ata siya regarding the decision of the group. I explained to him what happened and it seemed to me na naintindihan niya where the clerks are coming from. Nagulat na lang ako nung hapon when I was called sa office by one of my classmates na nagalit daw yung consultant na head ng mga orgs dahil daw nagback-out kami sa contest para sumali sa Resident's night. Siyempre, pumunta ako agad doon sa SC para magexplain and iclear ang nangyari.

That afternoon, I met up with the SC president to explain to her mywhat happened. I was shocked na lang na they have a totally different version of the story. Turns out one of the members of the contest talked to her first before I did and medyo mali ang nasabi niya. Sabi niya: "XX hindi kami na makakasali sa contest dahil nagdecide ang batch namin na huwag na lang since hindi naman kami nakakapagpractice. Pero pwede ba namin gamitin yung room na nireserve mo sa amin para magpractice for Resident's Night?" Egad! Nanlumo ako! Maling-mali ang sinabi niya! Delicadeza lang naman dapat ang pairalin, di ba? bakit mo hihiramin ang room na nakareserve na for the practice sa contest na tinatanggihan mong salihan? So there. Diyaan nagstart ang gulo.

Turns out Ms. President went to the head of the organizations and informed him na hindi na sasali ang dancers namin. Of course the doctor asked kung bakit and ang nangyari, well, kinuwento niya ang sinabi sa kanya nung dancer. So galit na galit yung dr. at nagstart magthreaten na huwag kami bigyan ng room reservations for any activity. Then pinatawag ako. I tried to explain my version of the story pero the president was bent on having us join the activity. Tapos hindi niya talaga malet-go yung idea na sasaywa kami sa Resident's Night at hindi sa activity nila. She even kept on emphasizing na hidni kami supposedly kasama sa plano ng med week, pero pinilit nila kaming isama. pumayag ang dean. pumayag ang regent. Pumayag ang head ng orgs. Lahat nakahanda na for us, kailangan lang namin magshow-up at magpractice and eventually magperform.

So I said I'll try to talk to them again and I'll get back to her asap. I then talked to the org head, and said the ame thing. So ako naman, I told my clerkmates na kailangan sumali. Concern naman nila that time was how they are going to practice. Sabi ko excused naman from duty ang mga tao. Inform ko lang daw yung SC kung sino ang mga sasayaw para magawan ng excuse letter. Next question they threw at me was anong ibig sabihin ng excused. 1 is to 1 or 1 is to nada. What they meant was if excused kami today to practice do we have make up that one day some other time, or excused siya na walang kapalit na make-up days. I immediately clarified it with the SC. Naintindihan ko yung concern nila about make-ups. Yung iba kasi sa amin more than 10 make-ups na. E you are required to have less than 10 make-ups before the written exams sa December. So ayon, tinanong ko ang SC president. Ang reply niya was 1:1 pero try daw niyang kausapin ang mga authority baka magawan ng paraan kasi sasayaw naman kami e. So in short 1:1 siya. I told her that dahil siyan baka lalong walang sumayaw kasi, let's face it, extra curricular activity siya. At the end of the day, what counts is the grade that you got while you are at the hospital, and adding one make-up day to your list of make-ups is not a good idea.

In the end 8 lang out of 400+ clerks ang nagtext na sasali sila despite of teh consequences. I texted the names to the president. Hindi naman siya nagrereply.

Fast forward to yesterday, from duty ako. Supposedly hanggang 12 nn lang ako pero I stayed til 2 para naman makakinig ako sa reporting ng 1-2 pm. While I was at the conference, tumawag ang head ng mga orgs. Pumunta daw ako when I have time sa surgery office, kakausapin daw niya ako. So I excused myself para naman makausap ko siya.

When I went into the office, nandoon din yung dr. na in-charge sa amin sa clerkship. Pinaupo ako and kinausap ni doc in a stern manner. Simple lang naman ang sinabi niya: Let's get this over with. Sasayaw ba ang batch mo o hindi. Para matapos na. Kung hidni sila sasayaw, I'll just give the slot to one of the fraternities dahil gsutong gusto nila sumayaw. Kapag hidni nga lang kayo sasali, I'll make sure na yang Terps (org ng mga dancers sa med, wherein most of my dancer friends/clerkmates are members) na iyan e hindi mababan sa medicine. Second yang si MN (president ng Terps na kabatch ko) at yung iba pang members na hindi sila makakasayaw sa any activity sa med school. Tapos kayong mga clerks, hidni pwedeng sumali sa Resident's Night. Hindi kayo maeexcused from your post sa gabing iyon. Then the residents? Hindi sila pwedeng magpractice sa Medical Arts Building Penthouse for their performance. Bakit kasi sasayaw kayo doon, e inaalila lang kayo doon? Ano makukuha niyo doon? Of course I tried to explain the side of the clerks, pero hindi na siya open about it. Nasesense ko naman sa demeanor niya so I just said na I'll give him an answer before the day ends.

Paglabas ko ng office, nandoon na ang mga clerkmates ko and members of the present Terps. Inis sila with what's happening. The present Terps officers naman ay nag-aask ng help since nadamay sila sa gulong ito. So I decided to talk to the president ng SC once and for all.

I went to their office and I found her fixing some goodie bags. For souvenir ata siya by the looks of it.

Me: XX can I talk to you? Alam mo XX, this is not fun anymore. This medicine week. It's not fun anymore kasi naiipit kami. I know for a fact na what you gusy wanted was a great project. It's an ideal project. Pero, it's not realistic. Alam niyo naman yung schedule namin sa hospital..

Hindi na ako nakatapos kasi sumabat na siya.

XX: Kaya nga kinukuha ko ang names ninyo para magawan kayo ng excused letter e. Kahit nga ang Regent natin gusto kayo i-excused ng 7 days para lang makapagparticipate kayo. Alam mo nung summer pa lang, noong leadership training seminar pa lang namin, plinano na ito. Kasama sila dean, si Dr. X ng orgs sa pagplano. Sabi nga ni doc X, siya na bahala sa inyo e.

M: E wala naman nagconsult sa amin when you met. no one asked us kung ok lang ba sa amin na sumali. Kasi let's face it, hindi ako magpipilit ng something na ayaw gawin ng mga tao.

X: Hindi mo kasi sila minomotivate e.

M: (Siyempre nag-init ang ulo ko di ba?) Anong hindi minomotivate? E tinext ko nga mga groups para kung may interested na sumali e makasali sila. I even told them about the prize. Pero walang nagreply sa akin except for those who really wanted to dance. Tapos, hindi pa excused talaga ang mga tao, 1 is to 1 pa din. Paano sila maeenganyo sumali. And to tell you honestly, hindi ako naging presidente nung high school council as well as ng premed dahil hindi ako nagmomotivate. Hindi lang ako yung tipong namimilit sumali sa activity na ayaw naman nilang salihan. Kasi in the first place extra-curricular siya. That mean it's not part of the general curriculum of the school.

Sige, eto na lang ang tanong ko sayo. Is the activity a REQUIRED ACTIVITY or not.

X: It's implied (with matching taas ng eyebrows and kunot ng noo.. to think na 2nd year lang siya ha...)

M: (WTF is that??? My question was answerable with a Yes or No) I was just asking for a yes or no. Again. Is the activity a REQUIRED activity from the start or not? (I explained further, baka slow ang lola mo) Kasi if yes, e di no questions asked, sasali talaga kami, kahit mag-isa akong magperform sa stage.

X: (Poker face) It's implied.

M: (Gazillion degree rise in body temp sa galit) Bakit ba sobrang namamagnify ang hindi namin pagsali sa contest na ito, e kung titignan mo naman yung ibang events, may contestants kami?

X: E kasi sasayaw kayo sa Resident's Night pero dito hindi. Basically hidni ko na problem ito. It's between the clerks and Dr. X na

M: (Super nagtitimpi talaga ako para hindi sumigaw and all) Ganito na lang, since you kept on telling me about a United Medicine (although I never thought na divided kami until now), a One Med. Ganito na lang. Hindi kami sasali sa activity niyo. Hindi din kami sasali sa activity ng residents. Just let the Terps go. Wag niyo na silang idamay dito.

X: Ay kasalanan nila iyan. It's between them and Org head. Problem nila iyon (In a making-pacute-face way pa niya sinabi iyan)

M: (Init alao ang ulo) O sige ganito. One med tayo di ba? You kept on insisting that you want every one to be united. Nagyon, ang mga clerks naiipit. Ikaw, as president ng SC, ano ang matutulong mo sa amin? (Pang beauty contest question ito ha)

X: Ay hindi sa amin ang clerks. It's between you and Dr. X. Wala akong pakialam diyan...

M: (In my mind) Punyeta ka (Pardon the language, galit talaga ako), anong One Med, One Med ang pinagsasabi mo diyan, ngayong crunch time na iniiwan mo kami. Boba ka talaga, hindi ka marunong sumagot ng Q and A. No wonder na delay ka sa med.

X:.. (siyempre hindi pa siya tapos sumagot, may pahabol pa) Alam mo wala akong pakialam kung sumayaw kayo o hindi. Isang activity lang iyan sa med week, madami pa akong pinoproblema. Tignan mo ito (gesturing to her loot bags na ginagawa), madami akong ginagawa. Anong pakialam ko sa clerks. I could care less kung sumayaw kayo o hindi.

M: (Buti at magaling ako magpigil ng sarili, kundi najombag ko na siya right then and there) Yun naman pala e, wala ka naman palang pakialam sa mga clerk, so why are you making a big deal out of all this?

X: (blurted out) E sasayaw kayo sa Resident's Night e.

M: (Di ko kinaya. Nakakaloka ang Q&A namin) I'm not getting through to you ( Sabay walk-out)

Paglabas ko, nakausap ko ulit si Dr. X. Same tune, threat and all. I tried to explain again in behalf of the clerks, pero he's not listening. He even endorsed me to the Assistant Dean.

Dr. X: Dra. eto o head ng clerks, hindi daw sasali sa VARIETY SHOW. Ano ba gagawin natin? Sabi ko siya na magsabi sa Dean niyan personally kasi ako wala akong balak kausapin ang dean about it. E ano bang nakukuha nila sa Resident's Night? E inaalipin lang sila doon e?

Dra: E siyempre nabubura yung mga demerits nila kasi puro merit doon. Hala sige ikaw mag-explain kay dean.

(Sabay daan ng Doctor na in-charge sa clerks)

Dr.-in-charge: O Eugene, wala bang marunong kumanta sa inyo? O sumayaw? kahit Ano?

Dr. X: Just shows what kind of leader you are. 400+ kayo and hindi ka man lang makapaghanap ng magpeperform. Lagi na lang terps terps terps.

Right then and there gusto ko ng umiyak and magquit. Everyone was against us. Everyone in authority. Parang damned if you do, damned if you don't. All this time I was informed na DANCE CONTEST SIYA!!!!!!!! Tapos now VARIETY SHOW PALA SIYA?!!! Shit talaga!

I held myself together and went out of the office. Outside, some of my friends were waiting for an answer. I aired out my frustration and my decision. Sabi ko sa kanila, kailangan nating magperform. Kahit ano na. Variety show naman pala e. Some of my clerkmates are soooo angry. We decided to make one performance na lang for both activity. Hindi na kami susunod sa theme. Bahala na kung paano namin gagawin ang BEAT IT at Fame (dapat peperform namin sa opening night). Basta may maperform.

When I went back to the clerks room. I talked to all my co-clerks at medicine. That was around 4 pm. Dapat natutulog na niyan ako that time kasi from duty ako, but no. I needed to let everything out of my chest. I need them to understand why I said yes. They were all supportive naman. I even met with the different group leaders para maupdate sila. Basically gabi na ako nakauwi.

Sobra akong depressed yesterday. I was sooo disappointed with some of the people I look up to in medicine. Sobra. I was so angry din at the same time sa SC pres. Sa sobrang buwisit ko na lipasan na ako ng gutom (hindi pa ako ngalunch and dinner that time ha). Natulog na lang ako.


Kaninang pagising ko, ayoko na lang pumasok. Gusto ko ng magquit ngpagiging president ng clerks. Ayoko na ng ganito. Yung tipong nahihirapan ka na ngang isingit ang pag-aaral sa duties dahil sa sobrang pagod tapos, ganyan pa ang mangyayari.

On my way to the hospital, naisip ko, what if I'm just an ordinary student? Wala akong ganitong problem. Papasok lang ako. Do my part sa hospital. Go home on time. Study. Probably date. O kaya mag gym. Then rest. But no. Andito ako, naiipit, nasisigawan, at nasasabihan ng "you don't motivate your groupmates... and what kind of leader are you.."

Then I got a vision of that bitch laughing out loud kasi nagquit ako. Siyet! I've got more leadership experience than this dumbass. Hindi ako magpapatalo sa kanya. Right then and there I decided to not give up and face all my responsibilities. Sabi nga nila, God does not give you challenges that he thinks you cannot handle. Isang malaking 'learning' experience lang ito. Hindi ako papatalo.

Heto. In the end, kinda felt better. Although wala pa kaming nagagawang number, at least ok na ako. Fighting mode na!

God help us all...Please =) (I wanna kick some ass!)

Mr. and Ms. Thomasian Doctors 2009

Every year, the UST Residents try to raise funds for the patients at the UST Clinical Division by holding a fundraising pageant between the clerks, interns and residents. This year, 2 of my clerkmates will be representing our batch in this event. The money that will be collected will be donated to the hospital for the use of our less fortunate kababayans.

Part of the winners will be through a contest on who gets the most monetary donations. So, if there's anyone who wants to donate under the name of our batchmates, feel free to leave a message at the comments section. Any amount will do =). Again, the money that will be collected will be donated to the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Fund of the UST Clinical Division.

Clk. Mike Medina



Clk. Golda Soler

Dermatology

After two weeks of gruelling fun at neurology and psychiatry, we found ourselves in the peaceful queendom (sic) of dermatology, where the residents and consultants are either beautiful or have blemish free skin. Hindi din kami toxic dito. Although we are required to be at the hospital at 7 am for the daily quiz, medyo light yung work. Puro outpatient lang kami, walang ward work, walang 'q'-ing of patients. We even have to time to go outside and have lunch without the risk of being given a demerit for being out-of-post/not-within-the-hospital-grounds. May free intralesional injections pa para sa mga taong katulad ko na hindi nabiyayaan ng kutis porselana hehehe. Anyway, here are some of our pictures during one of our lunchbreaks. This one's taken at Santorini's, a Korean restaurant owned by our Korean classmate's friend. Weird ang name no? Italian for a Korean Restaurant!

Tinie and Justine, our Korean classmate


Alain, my forever groupmate, who's expecting his 2nd baby come Novemeber was with us that day


Kitchie is my activist-doctor friend hehehe


The Lovers

Byron, Karla and Ruby

Today, biglang pumasok ang aming Korean friend na si Justine na nakalugay.

Justine's long wavy hair

Ayan napagtripan namin ang kanyang long, wavy hair. Ito ang kinalabasan:

Theresa, sporting a newly permed hairdo


At ito ang nangyayari kapag madami kang kaklaseng babaeng walang magawa:

Hahaha hindi man lang nagaya ang buhok ng F4 hahaha!

Ang Dalawang Patay sa Pagtatapos ng Hulyo

Sa pagtatapos ng rotation ko sa neurology and psychiatry, dalawa ang namatay. Isang pangulo na may malubhang karamdaman at isang pasyenteng masiglahin bago pa man maoperahan. Nakakalungkot isipin na minsan, si kamatayan dumadalaw sa mga sandaling hindi mo inaasahan.

Matagal ko ng alam na may sakit si Pres. Cory. Siguro naman lahat ng taong nakatira sa Pilipinas, alam ito. Sa totoo lang, simula ng narinig ko na siya ay may sakit, nabuo na sa aking isipan na siya'y di na magtatagal. Namatay din kasi ang kapatid ng lolo ko sa colon cancer. Ganoon ding ang butihin niyang may bahay makaraan ang ilang buwan. Alam kong medyo tagilid ang laban sa uri ng cancer na ito kahit na ba'y sabihin nating marami ng gamot at makabagong teknolohiyang naimbento sa paggamot dito. Alam ko ito dahil nasubukan na ng kamag-anak ko ang halos lahat ng gamutan, aprubado man o hindi. Pati mga trials nasalihan na ng lolo ko. Napadpad pa nga sila sa ibang bansa para magpagamot. In the end, namatay din siya. Sa makatuwid sure na ako na kahit anong oras maaring mamatay ni Cory. Oo si Cory. Ang pinakamamahal na presidente ng Pilipinas.

Wala akong alaala ng People Power. 2 years old pa lang ako ng mga panahong iyon. Ang alam ko lang atang gawin ng mga oras na iyon ay gumising, kumain at matulog. Sa aking paglaki, saka ko lang nalaman ang tungkol sa EDSA, sa Peaceful Revolution at nakilala si Cory.

Nakaukit na sa aking isipan ang mga katagang "The First Woman President of the Philippines and in Asia" kapag binibigkas ang pangalan niya. Dilaw ang kanyang paboritong kulay at may asawa siyang National Hero. Nang naglaon, saka ko na napahalagahan ang mga bagay na kanyang pinaglaban. Freedom of speech, human rights at ang konstitusyon. Ilan lang iyan sa mga bagay na naibahagi sa atin ng maybahay ni Ninoy. Marahil hindi ko ganap lubusang maisip ang kahalagahan nitong mga ito habang ako'y lumalaki ngunit ngayon, lalo na't nalalapit na ang halalan, ngayon ko nadadama ang importansya ng mga bagay na ibinahagi ni Cory sa atin. Kalayaang magsalita tungkol sa mga pangyayaring nais natin kilatisin. Kalayaan maipamahagi ang ating mga saloobin. Kalayaang humubog ng mga salita upang maipamahagi ang mga bagay na lumalaro sa ating isipan. Karapatang pantao. Karapatang maituring bilang tao. Konstitusyon.

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Si kuya, nakilala ko ng ako'y nagrotate sa Neurology. Nakakatuwa ang kuwento ni kuya kaya siya napasok sa ospital. Kasagsagan ng A(H1N1) noon sa ating bansa ng magkalagnat siya. Dinala siya ng kanyang mga kamag-anak sa isang pribadong ospital para masuri. Nang naroon sila, napagmasdan ng mg duktor na tila may kakaiba sa tindig ni kuya. Nagrequest sila ng CT scan thinking na baka may Parkinson's si kuya. Doon nila natagpuan ang isang tumor sa kanyang utak. Medyo malaki at natutulak na ang ibang parte ng utak. At that time, nalipat na si kuya sa aming institusyon.

Dito, may ilang pagsusuri pang ginawa upang mapagtanto kung anong klaseng tumor ang tumubo sa loob ng ulo ni kuya. In the end, napagdisisyunan ng mga doktor na ang definite treatment para kay kuya ay ang magpaopera.

Dito ko nakilala si kuya, noong mga panahong naghihintay na siya ng OR schedule. Matangkad si kuya, medyo mestisuhin. Kung hindi mo siya kilala, mapagkakamalan mo siyang isang guro sa isang unibersidad. Mahilig matulog si kuya. Kung hindi naman tulog, nakaupo siya sa kama at kinakausap ang kanyang anak na lalake o kaya ineentertain ang kanyang mga bisita. Sa sandaling nakasama ko siya sa ospital, masasabi kong mabait na tao siya. Masayahin. Madasalin. Medyo bugnutin nga lang paminsan-minsan. Ayaw magpacheck ng vital signs kapag natutulog. Medyo mainipin din. Gusto laging malaman kung kailan siya ooperahin.

Noong gabi bago ang kanyang operasyon, duty ako. As usual, every hou namin minomonitor ang mga pasyente. 'Q'-ing ang tawag namin dito. Kinukuha namin ang mga vital signs nila tulad ng blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature at GCS score. Naalala ko noong gabing iyon, hindi mapalagay si kuya. Nakaupo sa kama. Maya-maya nama'y nakahiga pero nakadilat ang mga mata. Nang usisain ko, sabi niya'y hindi siya makatulog, excited na daw siya na matapos ito ng makauwi na siya. Nakakatamad din kasi sa ward, walang TV at hindi niya makausap ang kanyang mga kaibigan.

Seven am ng umaga ang operasyon ni kuya. Sinundo siya ng operating room nurse mga quarter to seven. Ako ang huling kumuha ng vitals niya bago siya dalhin sa O.R. Masaya siya that day. Hindi naman daw siya kinakabahan ng kamustahin ko. Sabi ko pagdadasal ko siya na sana'y maging smooth sailing ang operasyon niya. Iyon ang huling beses na nakausap ko siya.

The next day nalaman ko na lang sa kaklase ko na may di kanais-nais na nangyari habang siya ay inooperahan. Hidni kinaya ng utak ni kuya ang operasyon. Sa mga huling oras nito, namaga ang brain niya, at hindi nila maisara ang skull. Nilagay si kuya sa ICU. Ayokong umakyat that time. Ayoko siyang makita. Ang description nila sa kanya is that lumobo ang mukha niya at may diaper-like cover lang siya sa utak dahil nagsweswell pa ito. Pinagdadasal namin that time na sana maging ok siya. Kailangan maging ok siya. Dahil waht are the chance na magiging ok siya? Malaki ayon sa libro. Ilang posyento lang ng pasyenteng inooperahan ng may ganoong kondisyon ang namamatay. Hindi kami makapaniwala na noong isang araw e kausap ko lang siya, ngayon nasa ICU na siya.

Nagtagal ng mga limang araw sa surgical ICU si kuya. Noong ikatlong araw niya doon, duty ulit ako. Naglakas loob akong pumasok sa ICU para makita siya. Totoo nga ang description ng kaklase ko sa kanya. nag-iba ang itsura niya. Magang-maga ang mukha, may tela na nagsisilbing takip ng utak niya. Nakahook siya sa mga machines. Hindi dumidilat. Pumapangit ang vital signs. That night nalungkot kami ng kaibigan ko. Ayaw namin siyang mamatay. Gusto namin siyang makausap, kamustahin sa kanyang pakiramdam. Sa mga oras na iyon, narealize namin na, sa mundo ng medisina, kahit ano maaaring mangyari. Hindi lahat ng procedures nagiging successful. Hindi lahat ng may slightly sakit gumagaling. Anytime, pwedeng lumala ang mga pasyente namin, gusto man namin o hindi.

Namatay si kuya makaraan ang ilang araw. Nabalitaan ko na lang sa facebook. Ayos no? Facebook na ang lugay para sa exchange of information. Nagpost ng status update ang isa sa mga kaibigan ko. Sad daw siya para kay kuya followed by dot dot dot. Tinawagan ko agad ang kagroup ko. Masama na ang kutob ko that time. Tinanong ko kung napano na si kuya. Wala na daw. Sumakabilang buhay si kuya around 8 am that day. In shock pa din ang family pero coping naman daw sila. Ang wife lang ang medyo nakakatakot. Sa buong stay ni kuya sa ICU, once lang siya pumasok sa loob para makita si kuya. Hindi daw niya kasi kayang makita ang itsura nitong ganoon.

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Noong namatay si Cory, nalungkot ako. Noong namatay si kuya, nalungkot din ako. I realized na when it comes to death, hindi ka ever magiging ready kahit gaano mo pa ito i-anticipate. Hindi mo kayang takasan ang lungkot at pagdadalamhati, matagal man o panandalian mo lang nakilala ang namatay.

Bukas ililibing na si Cory. Wala kaming pasok. Sabay nito ililibing ang huling yugto sa kasaysayan ng EDSA, ang mga alaala ng minsang pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino, mapaadministrason man o oposisyon, sa ngalan ng bayan, sa pamumuno ng isang simpleng maybahay.

Si kuya, malamang nakaburol somewhere malapit sa kanila. Sana'y nasa mas mabuti siyang lugar ngayon. Siguro magkasama sila ni Tita Cory, nanonood, nagbabantay. Naway nasa mabuti na silang kalagayan ngayon, walang sakit at masigla.

Virgin Labfest 5

Since ngayon lang ako nagkaroon gn oras para makapagblog, I'll just jot down some things about this year's Virgin Labfest. Actually, I went to Gibbs' Blog first to check if hindi pa tapos yung deadline sa contest, e I found out na matatapos na siya in a few minutes, so hindi na pwede humabol. Hehe, sayang. Hehe. As if naman mananalo ako. =)

Anyway, I was able to catch all of the plays they presented at this year's labfest. Kasama ko si MH na nanood. Nagenjoy naman siya.

As usual merong maganda at merong mas maganda. The best for me yung Isang Araw sa Karnabal. Wala lang, it helped siguro na inis na inis ako sa play that came before it, dahil napagod ako sa kuwento at sa mga characters, kaya by the time the it was about to start, ang baba na ng expectation and energy level ko. So when Skyx Labatilla and Paolo 'O Hara went on stage and started their repartee, I was surprisingly engrossed. Parang nabuhayan ako, at nagkalakas to sit through one more performance for the night. That was Friday.

Thursday, Boy Gel ang Gelpren ni Mommy was the one that sticked out in my mind. It was fun to see a production tackling homosexuality on a different light. For the past few years, most plays were about gays and their failed relationship or gays as superheroes. Buti ngayon merong play na nagprepresent ng conflict faced by some homosexual couples: parenthood. Kudos to the all-female ensemble for pulling off a great performance.

Doc Resurrecion: Gagamutin Ang Bayan, for me was the runaway winner in this year's Virgin Labfest. Yeah, kahit hindi ito contest. Maganda ang narrative, very precise ang execution ng mga actors and very griping yung manner ng pag-unfold ng events. I remember leaving the theater with a lingering emotion brought forth by the story. This happened on Wednesday

Tuesday night, Salise was one of MH's favorite play. Ako din. Tawa kami ng tawa dito. Tungkol ito sa laptop na nasalise.. sa soap opera writer at sa chupaan.. Hehe. I hope they do include this when they do a repeat performance next year.

Last but not the least, Ang Huling Lektyur ni Misis Reyes, which is part of the opening salvo at this year's labfest, was the only play wherein I can recall a character's line: "Dissonance". She reminds me of a mentor back in high school. The kind of teacher which can be easily distracted, often confused and sometimes a bit lost while delivering their lecture. She was a bundle of joy in front of the stage, brimming with energy and, well, dissonance. It was my favorite word for the week. Now, I can still hear her pronounce the word like a terrible tinitus. I love it. Hehe

Hopefully next year, I'll still have time to watch Virgin Labfest 6. More power to the organizers and the actors. Mabuhay ang Teatrong Pilipino.

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Some things I noticed during the entire run of the labfest:
1. "Putang ina" ang paboritong mura ng mga playwright.
2. Madaming nanonood ng libre.
3. Bawal mag-CR. Dahil baka pagbalik mo, may iba ng nakaupo sa kinauupuan mo before.
4. Walang whole night na gay-themed plays.

300. San Lazaro

This is my 300th entry and the longest I've ever done in several months. =)

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Ang San Lazaro Hospital ang isa sa pinakatanyag at kinatatakutang rotation sa buong clerkship. Madumi. Mabaho. Sangkatutak ang pasyente. Nakakahawang sakit. May nananakawan. May nararape. Iyan ang lagi naming naririnig sa mga upper batch. Natural, matatakot ka kapag narinig mo ang mga descriptions na iyon. So the day before my rotation sa San Lazaro, takot na takot na takot na takot na ako.

UST ang laging first sa duty pagdating sa San Lazaro. Sa unang araw nila inaannounce kung sino ang 24-hr duty sa araw na iyon. Alphabetical ang hati. That day, natatakot ako na baka alphabetical nga, pero sa dulo ang simula ng duty. Luckily, walang topak ang secretary that time, hindi ako nagduty that day. Siyempre takot pa din ako. Hindi pa ako nakakapag-insert ng IV sa buhay na tao. Sa dummy lang kami nagpractice dati. Hindi pa din ako nakapaglagay ng NGT tube, ng Foley Cath. Hindi pa din ako nakakapag-venipuncture sa live subject. I'm scared.

UST San Lazaro Group July 1-8, 2009

So there I was, sitting inside the room, waiting for the orientation to finish so that malalaman ko na ang aking duty. First day I was assigned sa adolescent ward. First and foremost, ang San Lazaro Hospital ay divided sa iba't-ibang pavillion. Ang Pavillion 2 and 8 which is the 4th fl. ay for pediatric patients. Sa 2 nilalagay ang mga batang nagkasakit dahil sa vectors (like dengue, leptospirosis, tetanus). Sa 8 naman nakalagay ang mga patients na hindi vector-borne ang sakit like diarrhea, pneumonia, etc.

Ang Pavillion 3 and 6 naman ang nasa 3rd floor. Adolescent ward ang 3. Dito nakapirmi ang mga pasyente na may edad 12 hangang 18 yrs. and 364 days old. Sa Pavillion 7 naman ang mga Philhealth patients. Ang Pavillion 4 and 6 naman ang nasa 2nd floor ng gusali. Nandirito ang mga Adult patients. Hiniwalay ang mga lalake sa babae. Sa Pavillion 4 ang mga babae habang sa 6 naman ang mga lalake.

Sa ground floor matatagpuan ang out patient department, emergency room, laboratories and offices. Nakaseparate naman ang Pavillion X, Bahay Lingap, H1N1 area at HL4. Out of the 4, sa Pavillion X lang kami may rotation. Dito nakalagay ang mga pasyente na may malubhang TB. Sa Bahay Lingap at HL4 naman ang HIV patients, depende sa condition nila. Bawal kami pumunta doon dahil mandate daw ng school namin iyon. Kung ako ang tatanungin, gusto ko sana may rotation doon. Bakit? Well, gusto ko makita yung mga cases na hindi mo naman makikita lagi. Sabi nga sa med school, patients are the best teachers in the world. Hindi mapapalitan ng mga libro ang mga actual patients. Paano kung may pumuntang pasyente sa akin in the future na may ganoong condition, paano ko agad maaalala na iyon pala yung sakit niya kung during training e hindi naman ako naexpose sa ganoon.

All smiles on my first day at San Lazaro

Anyway, so 1st day ko, sa adolescent ward ako na-assign. Ok naman, pagtapak namin sa 3rd floor, binati kami agad ng nurse on duty ng "..good morning doc, kayo duty dito today? Eto yung mga eextractan...", sabay abot ng isang box na punong-puno ng request at test tubes. Mga 40+ siguro yung laman nung box na iyon. Buti 4 kami that time, so we divided it equally among us. Unang extraction ko, nanginginig pa ang mga kamay ko. Siyempre poker face lang. May mga moments na namimiss ko ang vein, lalo sa sa mga patients na medyo horizontally challenged o kaya talagang walang visible na ugat. Pinagagana ko na lang ang aking imagination based sa previous course ko in anatomy. Kapag hindi ko pa rin nagawa, refer to co-clerk. Kapag hindi pa din namin magawa, refer to nurse or resident on duty, pero siyempre we try our best to get it at first try, alam naman naming masakit ang bawat tusok ng karayom e. At the end of the day, feeling ko pro na ako sa venipuncture.

Charting, one of our duties sa hospital. Rubi showing us how to do it properly.

2nd day ko, sa adult ward ako na-assign. As usual, puro skills kami, IV insertions, blood extractions at NGT placement. Unang NGT or nasogastric tube placement ko e sa isang TB meningitis patient na uncooperative. Since hindi siya nagfofollow ng commands, I had to think of a way on how to make the patient swallow para pumasok ng dire-direcho ang NGT. Solution? Water. I asked my co-clerk to place a few drops of water sa mouth ng pt. just enough to stimulate her to swallow. Few drops lang naman, hindi pwedeng madami at baka mag-aspirate. It worked naman. I was kinda apprehensive to try it at first kasi siyempre, sa UST laging assist lang kami or observe. At that moment I was doing the procedure on my own. After successfully placing the tube, I was beaming from ear to ear. Feeling ko doctor na ako. Hehe.

Rabies Isolation Room. Each floor has one of these. Scary no? Wala kaming rabies patients during our entire stay at San Lazaro. Walang ganito sa UST. Wala din atang ganito sa St. Lukes at Medical City.

3rd day I was assigned sa TB Ward. The dreaded Pavillion X. Actually, all the bad publicity ng San Lazaro stems from the fact na may narape na student doon years ago. UST Med student daw, assigned sa TB ward sa gabi, narape ng patient. Iyon ang kuwento. Totoo naman daw according to the consultants pero years back na iyon. Now, naassign ang mga girls doon pero hanggang day duty lang. Kapag gabi, laging lalake ang nakadestino doon. So kapag ikaw lang ang kaisa-isang lalake sa grupo niyo kapag night duty, huwag ka ng umasang malalagay ka pa sa adult or pedia or adolescent ward. Pavillion X ka na automatically.

Necessary na nakamask ka kapag nasa wards, especially Pavillion X. During lunchbreaks lang kami nagtatanggal ng mask while in the premises of the hospital. This was shot during one of those rare occassions hehe.

Unang araw ko sa Pavillion X, nakadouble ordinary mask ako coupled with an N95 mask. Ganoon ako kaparanoid. At the end of the day, I realized na useless din ito dahil sa dami ng active TB patients na pinauuwi namin at hindi inaadmit, you'll never know who among the people you meet in the street ang may active TB. Doon ko lang nalaman na mga may active TB lang at naghihingalo ang napapasok sa ward na iyon. Hindi porket aktibo ang sakit mo sa baga e automatically pasok ka na. Since libre naman ang gamot ng TB, ang mga hindi nangangailangan ng oxygen mask at medical supervision ay hindi inaadmit. Siguro more than 20 patients ang tinurndown namin from being admitted kasi pwede naman silang gamutin sa kani-kanilang bahay.

Ang Pavillion X ay may certain smell. Hindi ko madescribe, of all the things na hindi maayos sa Pavillion 10, ang smell ng lugar ang hindi ko maintindihan. Parang decaying matter na hindi ko maexplain ang amoy doon. May area na madidilim din kaya nakakatakot sa gabi. Iniisip ko lang na ganoon, hindi ko talaga alam kung paano sa TB ward sa gabi, dahil awa ng diyos, hindi ako na-aassign doon in my two days of night duty sa San Lazaro. Maybe effective ang 'The Secret', o kaya yung mga dasal ko. Hehehe.

Sa lahat ng ward, Pavillion X lang din ang nakikipagunahan sa pedia ng may pinakamadaming pasyente. Parang minuminuto may pasyenteng dadating para maiadmit. Dito mo din makikita kung gaano ka kulang sa facilities ang ospital. Tatluhan sa isang kama. Minsan kapag sinuswerte ka at may nadischarge, magiging dalawa na lang kayo sharing the same bed. Imagine yourself being sick and sharing the same bed with another sick person. Di ba diyahe? E yung patients doon wala namang choice.

4th day duty ako. Sa umaga TB ward ako. Pagdating ng lunch time, sa Pedia ward ako nilagay. Good luck sa akin. I hate sick kids. I hated them even more after that night. I think being a kid is the stupidest stage in a person's evolution into an adult. Bakit? Simple. Let's take IV insertion as an example. In an adult or adolsecent, kapag lalagyan mo ng IV iyan, iiyak, uungol, titingin sa side o kaya magwiwince in pain. Pero, hindi nila igagalaw ang kamay para hindi madislodge ang needle at hindi na maulit ang insertion, kasi nga masakit. Sa mga babies at bata, once tusukin mo, iiyak, uungol, titingin sa side, magwiwince in pain at, eto, iwawagayway ang arms. Nakakainis. Ang hirap pa naman makahanap ng ugat sa bata! Ang liliit nila and pwerless, pero kapag IV insertions, kailangan ng sangdamakmak na nursing aides para lang mahawakan sila ng mabuti at malagyan ng IV.

Ang hindi ko pa matake sa bata e yung kanilang pag-iyak. Parang walang ceiling volume ang mga ito. Palakas ng palakas. Para bang ito ang special powers nila para maward off ang mga tutusok sa kanila.

I remember my duty that night, talagang pagod na pagod ako. Hindi lang ako duty sa pedia, pati ER ako din. Pinagambulance pa kami ng isang pasyente para pumunta sa kabilang ospital para sa isang procedure. Sa 4th floor mga lampas 100 ang pasyente ko. Mag-isa akong clerk at isa din lang ang residente ko. sa 4 na kuwarto sa Pavillion 2 pa lang 60 plus na ang pasyente, 3 sa bawat kama. Ok lang naman siguro iyon, mga bata, wala pang arte sa katawan. Usually friends pa sila ng bedmate nila. Yung 2 ngang babae doon, pareho ng hairstyle kinaumagahan nung chincek ko sila. Hehe.

Tinie, Tere and I with some of our co-clerks from SLU (Baguio) and Fatima (Valenzuela)

Noong gabing iyon, ER din ako. Pinababa ako dahil ang daming pasyente sa ER, hindi kaya ng isa. On call ako that time sa pedia. Sa ER ko narealize na madami pa lang nakakagat ng ahas sa Manila. I mean, you'd think na sa probinsiya madaming ahas, pagdating sa city wala masyado unless nag-aalaga ka ng ahas. Pero, wow, as in mga 10 ata yung inadmit namin for 24-hr observation dahil sa snake bite. Most of them naglalakad sa kalsada ng matapakan nila yung ahas at kinagat sila. Madami ding pumupunta sa ER, duguan dahil kinagat ng aso. Meron ding kigata ng pusa at, well, daga.

Most of those na inadmit namin e mga dengue patients. Yung tipong nilagnat ng ilang araw tapos gumaling tapos biglang dinugo ang ilong o kaya sumakit ang tiyan at nagsuka, tapos mababa ang platelet. Meron ding nasa medyo delikadong stage ng dengue, yung may skin rashes tapos dinudugo ang ilong at gilagid.

5th day ko, from duty status, pedia pa din ako. Noong umaga, kinunan ko ng vital signs on my own ang lahat ng dengue patients ko. Pagkatapos, pagod na pagod na ako. 12 nn ang uwian and since dumating na ang mga kasama ko ng 9 am, tumunganga na lang ako. Pagdating ng 12 nn, umuwi lang ako para magbihis at umalis para manood ng Ice Age at Transformers with MH. Guess what happened. Tulog ako sa Ice Age. Tulog din ako sa Transformers. Hehehe. Enjoy pa din naman kahit ganoon, huwag lang ako tatanungin kung anong nangyari sa Ice Age dahil hindi ko talaga alam.

6th day sa Pedia pa din ako. Morning greeting namin e isang code. Tetanus patient. Declared dead after 20 minutes of CPR. I guess, one thing that contributed to it was the fact na wala kaming maayos na ambubag sa floor na iyon. Wala din defibrillator. Government hospital talaga ang dating, kung hindi sira, kulang sa gamit. May tatlong ambubag ang pedia ward, niiisa walang gumagana. Wala ding mahiraman sa ibang floor dahil, well, sira din sila. Ang kaisa-isang defibrillator na nakita ko sa ospital e yung nasa ER. Pero kahit iyon, hindi ko ever nakitang ginamit. Kahit may nagcode sa ER when I was there, hindi siya ever ginamit. Hindi ko alam kung hindi lang marunong gumamit iyong mga nandoon o kaya'y talagang sira lang siya. I'd like to think of the latter na lang. Minsan, naisip ko, sana may maospital na government official doon, tapos maadmit, at magcode, para marealize niya na sana noong healthy siya e naalala niyang lagyan ng maayos na gamit ang public hospital. Oh well, impossibleng may maospital na government official doon, dahil may pera naman sila para pumunta sa private hospital.

Anyway, 7th day ko was spent sa ER. Benign. As in hindi siya tulad ng ER duty sa gabi na tipong palengke sa dami ng pasyente. Since bukas ang OPD walang mga pumupunta sa ER ng umaga unless for admission. So there, sittting pretty kami. Share share sa pasyente kapag may dumating unlike kapag night duty share share ang mga pasyente sa nag-iisang clerk. Hehe.

8th and last day sa San Lazaro, I was assigned sa OPD. Patients galore. Ang pinakanagstick sa akin e yung dalawang magkapatid na nag-aaway ng biglang kagatin sila pareho ng alagang aso. Yung babae sa mukha kinagat, yung lalake sa arms. I think mas kumampi yung aso sa guy kasi yung sa babae mas grabe yung kagat niya e. When I first saw them akala ko e mag-asawa sila. Iyon pala magkapatid. Hehe.

That night I was assigned again sa ER. This time 2 kaming clerk. Pero kahit ganoon, umulan pa din ng pasyente. E nagkataong may sakit pa ang kasama ko sa duty. May times na natutulog siya habang nakaupo ng walang back rest. O di ba? May skill ang lola mo. I remember doc calling waking her up while we were putting IV on a kid na sobrang lakas. Kami pa ang nahiya kung gigisingin siya or not. In the end, we woke her up kasi, grabe, ang lakas pumiglas nung bata. Gusto ko na ngang i-body slam at dagan para lang tumahimik at maghold still ng malagyan na ng IV e hehehe.

The most challenging patient na lagyan ng IV arrived sa ER that night of all nights. 28 year old, cerebral palsy patient na mentally retarded at may diarrhea. Sobrang dehydrated niya kaya we opted to admit the patient. Noong lalagyan na ng IV, ginapos namin siya sa wheelchair, with matching hawak sa dalawang kamay, tig-isa kami ng aide. Pagtusok pa lang ng needle, ayun, kinalmot niya kami with his killer fingernails. Nasugat kami ni kuya at siyempre nadislodge ang needle. 2nd try, napaghandaan na namin ang kanyang naghahabaang kuko, at successfully namin siyang nalagyan ng IV. On the way up, nakagapos pa din siya. Pagdating sa adult ward, nagpumiglas ang patient, and out of the blue, nakawala sa pagkakagapos. Guess what he did. He pulled the IV from his hand. Ganoon siya kalakas. Blood spurted out of the wound, and hindi ako ready that time. Wala akong dalang cotton to apply to the area. Napatakbo pa ako sa nurse station to get one. By the time I went back, ayon, basa na ng dugo ang arm ng patient.

We were able to IV him again that night. This time, hinga na namin sa sa kama, nakagapos na ng mahigpit. We placed the IV in a way na babaliin muna niya ang arms niya bago niya ito mahatak. Hopefully, in place pa din siya as of this writing.

My last night at San Lazaro was kinda bittersweet. I realized na I enjoyed my stay there and I learned a lot. Ngayon addict na ako sa IV insertion at venipuncture. Pagbalik ko nga sa UST, parang vampire ako in lust for blood. I kept on looking at people's hands and arms looking for blood vessels, admiring those na magandang saksakan ng needle and wishing those who don't get admitted. Dito sa UST, interns ang gumagawa ng insertion sa, siguro mga internship pa bago ako makapagkabit ulit.

I also miss the 8 am call time and the 4 pm uwian on regular days. Back to 7 am na naman kami dito sa UST. Tapos 5 pm ang uwian kung walang errands. Hindi naman nasusunod ito palagi. Namimiss ko din yung mga residents na hindi kami sinisigawan at trinatrato kami bilang colleagues. Namimiss ko yung feeling na pag-uwi mo, pagod ka pero alam mong may importante kang ginawa that day unlike dito, halos uulanin ka sa paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. Pag-uwi mo pagod ka, pero hindi ka naman masaya dahil sa buong araw mo sa hospital nagrun ka lang ng errands, nasabon ng residente at gumawa ng paperwork again. Hindi ko naman nilalahat ang mga residents. Madami din namang mga mababait na nagtuturo sa amin, pero siyempre, nagstick pa din sa akin yung mga bad experience ko dito sa UST.

Right now, enjoy naman sa ENT. Light ang work. Nakakapanibago pero masaya naman. In the mababaw side of things, may aircon kami dito. Hehe. Naappreciate ko ang importance ng aircon after coming from San Lazaro. Ang sarap magwork sa malamig at well ventialted area hehe. Hindi malagkit ang feeling.

I guess it'll take some time bago ko maget over ang San Lazaro experience. Naweweirdohan nga sa amin ang mga naunang grupo sa amin na dumaan na sa San Lazaro. Kami lang daw ang bumalik sa UST ng masaya at namimiss yung lugar. I went there with the idea na hindi ko siya magugustuhan but I came home with the thought of going back there in the future.

The expression on Tinie's face says it all: We miss San Lazaro!