Balesin Series 1: Stay With Me

Chapter 2 - Heads or Tails

The body is a bundle of possibilities... Everytime we cut one open we're faced with a series of decisions. Some choices are made for you, but for the most part, surgery is a choose your own adventure.

Metro Medical Center:

Cea's

It is indeed a beautiful day!

I was able to deliver the good news to my patient's family which made them extremely relieved & happy, grabbed my lunch after that, and here I am now, full of energy getting ready for my rounds after waking up from a  15-minute powernap.

I was washing my face when I felt vibrations from my phone, kaya naman agad kong itinapat sa dryer ang kamay ko and immediately fished the phone out of my pocket as I pat dry my face using my right hand. Multi-tasking!

Mischiella Borromeo is calling.

“Hello Mischy, anong atin?” sabi ko pagkasagot ng tawag.

I placed the phone on loudspeaker mode para naman makapagbihis ako habang kausap ko siya.

“Cea, request for a consult.” she said.

“Sure tutal magra-rounds na rin naman ako, room number?” sagot ko habang isinusuot ang paborito kong cookie monster shirt.

“Suite 7, kay Camilla... I heard Dr. Villaroman transferred her to your service since nag-early out s'ya.” pag-imporma nya sa akin.

“Yes, I’m actually on my way up. I’ll just go & check yung for Cardio Clearance ko na post-op then I'll go there.” sabi ko naman sa kanya.

“Alright then! Pakibilis! Your little duckling misses you a lot, paakyat na din dito sina Clyde at Lou Rence.” utos nya pang minamadali ako, medyo nabigla naman ako nang madinig ko ang pangalan ng anesthesiologist at pediatrician.

"Yeah, sure! I miss her too! I'll be there in a jiffy.” Iyon lamang at pagkatapos ay ibinaba na nito ang tawag, balahura talaga!

Dr. Calliope Mischiella Anne Rodriguez-Borromeo is my friend & colleague she is a specialist in Obstetrics & Gynecology as well as Neonatal Surgery, at miyembro ng isa sa mga pinakamayamang angkan dito sa Pilipinas.

Lumabas na ako mula sa Doctor's Lounge ng 6th floor at mula doon ay naisipan kong mag hagdanan na lamang. Aba! I need exercise for my heart at para na rin magising ang mga happy hormones ko.

I arrived on the 12th floor where our state of the art world-class hospital suites are located.

As soon as the nurses saw me they greeted me and offered a cup of green smoothie which I gladly received while the head nurse handed me a digital chart of the patients needing consult for today including those endorsed by Dr. Villaroman.

“Dra. sila Dra. Miranda & Dr. Jose ang under mo indefinitely & will be following you around as well, suites 4 & 7 po yung assigned sa inyo dito Dra., and waiting na po sa inyo sila Dr. Consunji & Dra. Borromeo.”

"Alright, thank you ma'am!" sabi ko sa nurse, maya-maya'y binalingan ko naman iyong dalawang residents, "Ready na kayo ducklings?"

"Yes mama Dokie." magkapanabay namang sagot ng mga ito.

Suite 4

Kumatok muna iyong nurse sa pintuan ng kuwarto, at nang bumukas iyon, she announced that we're here for the rounds, inside the room are the parents, and the pediatrician, the patient we're about to see seems no where to be found, or that's what the kid would want it to look like as I'm seeing a little hand showing from behind Dr. Consunji's coat.