E.R.

The long hours spent watching ER, Grey's Anatomy, Grubs, House and Private Practice has not prepared me for the drama that I witnessed at the ER aof the local hospital while waiting for Tatay's admission papers to be processed.

On queue were:
1) a middle aged man who cut his foot with a cane 'bolo'. He got countless local anesthesia shots and five stitches for it. The long cut was sewn close. It was fascinating, especially the efficiency that Dr. Parreño has executed the task. i should try that on cross stitch (hold the needle and thread by forceps).
2) a teenager who was reportedly punched on the head by her boss' brother. she complained of nausea and ringing in her ears. the evidence of the assault though was already invisible.
3) a barely month-old infant with difficulty breathing. The little thing was already pale and still back at the ER. So it came with a very little surprise minutes later when the young father came running and almost hysterical, cried out brokenly, "Doc, ang bata ko wala na gaginhawa"! He banged his fist on concrete hiding his tears behind dark glasses. Minutes later, the baby was already breathing but not without the help of a handpump operated by the young mom. When I was back home, my cousin volunteered the information that the baby was shuttled to a bigger hospital in the big city. Poor thing
4) a woman suffering from allergies which case I didn't get so involved in as I got busy quizzing his husband about the whereabouts of their eldest child, a classmate from grade school :)
well, as for our patient, dad had to endure three piercings (two on the left with the needle forced to get through an invisible barrier which required some twitching on the second-ooohhh...i actually cringed with imagined pain)before the IV needle got succesfully lodged at the back of his right palm