Ivana
THE OR is full as of the moment. Palagi naman, wala ng araw na walang OR. Pati Sundays, may OR parin. Hindi na natapos.
Dr. Ibarra started the procedure. Nanood lang muna ako. I've momorized all surgical instruments being used kaya alam ko ang pagkasunod sunod ng mga kailangan niya. Atleast iyun, sigurado ako na tama ang mga instrumento na binibigay ko. It's the brain we're dealing with and not the thoracic or abdominal area.
" I'll do the opening for biopsy." He said. Tumango naman ako.
" The patient will have another surgery depending on the patient's prognosis." He continued. After the patient was sedated, Dr. Ibarra started with the procedure.
I assisted him the way he usually wants his assistants to do it.
Magaling si Doc Ibarra. Dati naman na kase. Nong binata pa ito magaling na talaga siya. Lalo na ngayon na halos araw araw na niyang ginagawa ang ganitong operasyon.
" Doc vitals going down" Wika nung scrub nurse namin
" Inject some more" He was talking to the anethesiologist.
After a few minutes, the patients vital signs were stabilized.
The operation continued. Tinuturuan din niya ako habang ginagawa niya.
I listened carefully.
The operation lasted for almost four hours. Matagal pero buhay ang pasyente namin.
He did it well. Hanga ako kay Doc Ibarra dahil ang galing niya talaga.
" Next time you'll know what to do. Always remember that the brain is different from the abdomen. A single mistake will render your patient in critical condition." He explained while we were both scrubing out.
" By the way, you did well. Keep up the good work, Doctor" He smiled at me before leaving.
Napangiti naman ako ng patago.
Sumama ako sa patient sa recovery room. We usually monitor the patient after surgery, it's included in our tasks as interns. Buti nalang at stable naman iyung pasyente hanggang sa madala ko sa ICU para masmamonitor pa ng maayos. Doc Ibarra did the talking and explaining to the patient's significant others.
Alas singko na ng mapansin ko ang oras ko. Time to go home. We are allowed to go home on call. But since I have a patient in the ICU, hindi ako puwedeng umuwi. I need to be on call in case something happens. Madali namang tawagan si Doc Ibarra just in case may mangyari sa pasyente.
Saktong night shift naman si Chin ng dumaan ako sa nurses' station.
" Balita ko ikaw daw nag-asist kay Doc Ibarra kanina. Hanep bestpren, mabenta ka talaga kay Doc Ibarra" She said. Napangiti na lamang ako. I took the patient's chart and read Doc Ibarra's latest orders before he went home.
Wala namang bago. Just his usual orders. Memorize ko na mga post op orders ni Doc Ibarra. Noong nurse pa ako, palaging ako nagcacarry out mga orders niya.
Dumaan sa doctor's lounge si Jed pagkatapos ng surgery nila ni Doc Ja. It was successful. Ayun nga lang at for monitoring ang pasyente nila.
" Coffee Love" He gave me a cup of coffee he was holding.
" Kamusta OR mo?" Tanong ko
" Great. Ikaw lucky charm ko eh." He said. Lumapit na naman siya sa akin. He rested his head on my shoulder.
" Sakit ulit ba ulo mo" I asked again.
Tumango ito.
" A little bit." He just said. Inayos ko iyung posisyon niya para masahehin ang kaniyang sintido.
" You need to sleep. Kapag nastable na ang pasyente, take a nap. Kailangan mo ding magpahinga. Or I can inject some pain medications if you want. Tramadol?" I suggested. Napayakap siya sa akin.
" Ikaw lang Love. Just you. You are my pain medication. Ikaw ang pahinga ko. Mahal na mahal kita" Bulong niya. My heart beated fast. Ang sarap pakinggan. Kinikilig tuloy ako. Maya maya pa ay sumuka siya.
Mabilis akong kumuha ng tissue paper at iniabot sa kaniya.
Sinuka niya iyung kape na ininom niya kanina lang.
Mabilis kong kinuha iyung med box na palagi kong dala at kumuha ng IV cath para insertan siya. After my IV insertion, I injected Metoclopramide IV including Tramadol half ampule- slow IV push. After an hour, I felt him relaxing.
Sa Doctor's lounge na kami nagpahinga. I was reading some neuro cases while his head is rested on my lap as I was playing with hair.
I was reading page per page about Glioblastoma, it was the diagnosis of the patient we just operated on when my eyes settled on a very specific signs and symptoms
Frequent headaches and nausea/vomiting. Simple lang naman ang signs and symptoms, makikita mo din ito sa ibang sakit. Katulad ng Gastrointestinal diseases. Napapranoid lang siguro ako pero isang taon ng palaging sumasakit ang ulo ni Jed. He told me few hours ago that this is not the first time he vomitted. Nanghihina siya tuwing nasusuka o sumasakit ang ulo niya. He described the pain as piercing/stabbing pain. Too painful.
Nagbasa pa ako tungkol sa Glioblastoma at lahat ng mga nababasa ko ay pareho sa pinapakitang signs and symptoms ni Jed.
" I'm just being paranoid" I thought to my self. I'm in the stage of denial. Parang hindi ako doctor kung tutuusin dahil ayaw kong tanggapin ang mga nababasa ko.
UMAGA na ng magring iyung phone ko. Tinatawagan pala ako ni Chin. I looked at my side and saw no Jed. Nauna na itong nagising dahil alas quatro na ako ng madaling araw natulog. It's already 5:30 AM in the morning when I received a call from Chin.
" Doc mataas BP ng pasyente natin. 170/100. Okay naman ang oxygen level" May mga sinabi pang iba sa akin si Chin.
" Sige papunta na ako diyan." Wika ko. I took my doctor's coat and weng out to see the patient.
Nadatnan kong nagseseizure na iyung pasyente.
Chin gave the first dose of PRN diazepam when I entered the patient's room. Ilang minuto lamang ay tumigil na ang seizure ng pasyente. Nataranta tuloy iyung bantay ng pasyente kaya pinaliwanag ko ulit sa kanila kung bakit ba nagseizure iyung pasyente.
I made sure the patient is stable before updating Doc Ibarra about it. He told me that it's part of the disease entity. Gaya ng binasa ko kagabi.
After writing my doctor's order, I went back to the lounge to take a bath. Nadatnan ko si Jed na kausap iyung iba naming mga kagrupo. He was already prepared. Nakaligo na ito at lahat lahat.
" Love halika na dito. Let's eat" He called me. Lumapit ako sa kaniya para saluhan iyung iba naming mga kasamahan para kumain.
" Magvavacation leave daw si Doc Ibarra ng tatlong buwan" An intern said while we were eating.
" Ang tagal naman. Buti inapprove ng ospital. Paano na iyung anak ng senator? Ang balita ko hindi pa tapos iyung kaso niya" Wika naman nung isa.
" Kaya nga e. Sabi naman nila may pupunta daw dito galing ibang bansa para pumalit muna kay Doc Ibarra pansamantala" Said the other intern.
" Dating residente daw dito na consultant na ngayon" Another intern added
Napakunot noo ako.
" Ayun, si Doc Luigi Clyde Montenegro daw. Nabasa ko lang sa facebook page ng mga seniors. Resources" Pagmamayabang naman nung isa naming kasaman na intern din habang may binabasa sa phone niya. Dun niya nabasa iyung pangalan ni Doc Montenegro.
" Super galing daw niya na neurosurgeon sa States. Dun daw kase nag-aral para sa specialization niya." She happily shared to us. My world suddenly stopped for a moment upon hearing what she said. Napatingin ako kay Jed. Tahimik lang ito na kumakain. He knows everything. Alam niya lahat ng nangyari noon sa amin ni Luigi dahil kinwento ko sa kaniya.
" Single ba?" Tanong naman nung isa.
" Oo daw. Single and ready to miggle daw. Ayon sa source ko, wala raw girlfriend. At sure ako lalaki siya, hindi bisexual" Another intern said.
Accidente akong nabilaukan dahil sa sinabi niya. Bisexual. That's not possible. Kung bisexual man siya. I should have known it first hand long ago.
" I'm. Sorry napasabay lang ang paghinga sa paglunok" Pagdadahilan ko.
Nagpatuloy ang pagkuwentuhan ng mga kasamahan namin. I wasn't paying too much attention anymore because I was preoccupied by the earlier discussion.
NANG MATAPOS kaming kumain ay agad akong kinausap ni Jed.
" May dapat ba akong ipangamba, Love?" It was a direct question.
Umiling ako.
" Nagulat lang ako but that doesn't mean anything. I don't love him anymore. That, I am sure of" I smiled faintly. Iyun ang totoo. I am deeply in love with Jed.
He breathed in.
" Payakap nga ako" Wika niya. Lumapit ako sa kaniya at niyakap siya ng mahigpit.
" How are you feeling now?" I asked him.
" Just a little bit painful. Andito ka na eh. Kaya wala na iyung sakit" He muttered.
But still painful Jed. This is not Glioblastoma. What you're feeling is just your body's normal reaction to stress and work. I thought to myself.
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