Peace in the Midst of Trouble Part 3

Going back to my first lab

I never thought I would return to the Philippine Children's Medical Center after almost eleven years.  This is where my first hands-on laboratory work began.  Along with some classmates in Medical Technology, we spent our year of internship here, gaining numerous experiences and memories.  I witnessed how this hospital cared for many sick children, most of whom suffered from severe and rare diseases, coming from distant provinces seeking treatment, as this facility could accommodate their special needs.

At the Pathologist Office after our last night (24-hour duty) in 2004

We are looking for a specialist pediatrician due to his weight conditions; this reminded me of this hospital. I am also aware of last year's news that the government is planning to shut down the facility, so I wondered if we can still go there. Thank God one of my classmates works in the laboratory and said that it is still operating. Her referral allowed us to find a pediatric specialist to consult about our baby's health. All pediatric specialty clinics are here, which is why it is very necessary for this hospital to continue and for the government to continually fund the facility. Many poor and sick children need the services of the hospital, and this time, we require the services offered here.

I don't know if I should be happy stepping my foot here in the hospital again.  Yes, I am happy to see our previous staff in the laboratory and to meet my classmate face to face after a year or more; I'm not really sure when our last meeting was.  But the very reason I am coming back is due to my baby's health concerns, which doesn't make me too excited on the other hand.

Eve my college classmate and works at PCMC Pathology Division

One of the positive aspects I see beyond my newborn's health condition is that he has reconnected me with my previous life .  I have a very different life now as a pastor's wife, a full-time mom, and a bakeshop owner.  I had somehow forgotten my other side: a medical professional.  It was because of EJ that I found a reason to reach out to my laboratory co-workers and contact my college friends, which I hadn't been doing.  He encouraged me to visit hospitals and laboratories, including the private lab where I used to work.  

We were at PCMC yesterday.  As we entered the hospital premises, I was happy to see the captions on the stage that had been set up. It was the MOA signing that officially awarded the land to PCMC. The event had just happened before we arrived.  We are assured now that the hospital will remain.  

While waiting for our doctor's appointment, we met another patient looking for the same doctor, and that's how we started our conversation.  Their story inspired me so much that my eyes became teary - I was just controlling myself not to cry.  As she told her story, I recognized the same feelings she described when first learning that her child was sick.  It's an unexplainable pain that parents endure when they see their child's health decline.  For others, it seems easy to tell us during this trying time that everything's going to be fine, without knowing how hard it is for us.  I can tell you that we feel bad whenever we hear unsolicited advice because we've already tried the best we know how.  Like her, we are consulting different pediatric specialists (not just one doctor), undergoing lab tests, traveling here and there, battling with our own weaknesses to stay strong and continue, all while facing the significant costs of trying to ensure our children are healthy.   I admire how this mom and her baby fight and conquer their own struggles while maintaining their hope.  They are also on a two-year journey, coming from Bohol.  Yes, we also come from a province and traveled far, but not as far as they did. Their situation is genuinely tougher compared to ours, yet they have managed to accept and face the challenges; so what reason do I have not to continue hoping? We've only just started our journey.  

Regarding EJ's health, he is doing well and gaining 100 grams a week now, and we hope that this trend will continue and increase.  This is a sign that he is starting to improve.  We are currently treating his anemia with the hope that his body will respond to the treatment.  We will return to PCMC after two months, praying for a miracle that he will be healed.