Reality Bites

Last night and for the very first time, I served my patients independently as the Ward Clerk-On-Duty (WCOD) at the newly established Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal.  While doing my chart rounds, I was approached by one of my patients, Mr. Blas, whose right eye was exenterated.  He asked me if I could give him a new prescription for him to continue his antibiotics.  I politely answered that I would check first the doctor’s orders (which apparently did not help me because the duration of drug use was not indicated) and ask any resident to "trodat" the prescription pad.  After counterchecking with the Nurse-On-Duty, I advised the patient to just wait for the doctor’s order the next morning for he may have been previously prescribed with enough antibiotics and that he may not need to buy more.  Then he asked me if I am from Bicol and replied no, from Bulacan instead.  He said that my Chinese features and the way I speak reminded him of a Bicolana.  And so, he started telling me his "hospital stay" stories from the time he was admitted in UST then to PGH.  From our long conversation, the highlight was that he is very grateful and respectful, ever since, to his doctors and medical students that he never failed to include them in his prayers and attendance to Eucharistic celebrations.  I was deeply touched by what he said that I almost dropped those tears from my eyes that I was holding on.  He memorized my name and told me that he would pray for my upcoming board exams.  Imagine, I haven’t done any procedure on him.  I just attended to his simple request and conversed with him for several minutes and I got that very special gift. 

This afternoon at the follow-up clinic of Ophtha, 3 out of 3 of my patients consistently called me "Doctora" which I have been wanting to hear for a long time.  This truly relieved my stress and energized my cells.  My last patient handed me a Halls lemon candy as a sign of gratitude.  In my mind, I said "This is what you call `good patient care.’"  But then I remembered Mr. Blas, my first patient who deeply touched my heart.

I hope many patients would be like Mr. Blas… very appreciative.  Thank you Lord for having patients like him for they are the ones to inspire more doctors.