I caught a terrible strain of influenza last week which left me immobile for more than 3 days... My eyes hurt, just as my whole body screamed from terrible joint pains.... I don't get sick often but when I do, it feels debilitating.. I had no choice but to take a leave from work but I tried my best to stay away from my little girl as I didn't want her to catch anything.
Sad to say, she caught the flu bug as well. Come Saturday night, she started becoming feverish. She was still her usual self though, playful, vigorous, but I opted to stay up all night to monitor her temperature. I gave her sponge-baths every time her temperature would rise and thankfully enough, the fever was controlled. Little did I know the "eye of our storm" was just about to hit us.
Sunday morning, my little girl started regurgitating. Then her temperature started going up. As you all know, my kid is the ever-energetic, non-stop kind, so to see her slump so weakly on the couch with her droopy eyes & pitiful state was enough for me to decide to pack for the hospital. Before noon, we were already in the emergency room at the nearest hospital.
It was a Sunday so most doctors were off. Ching's (Cavite-based) pediatrician was luckily doing his rounds so he attended to Ching at the Emergency Room... They put an IV on her to avoid the possibility of dehydration and we decided to have her confined for close monitoring.
It was only Mommy who was assisting me the whole time since the nanny was on a day-off.. As evening approached, I sent my mom home so she could get enough rest. I took charge of watching over my baby alone, thinking I was in the hospital and nurses were aplenty to attend to me if something arises. I'm not sure if it was a gutsy wise move on my part. though at the back of my mind, I would have still opted to spare my mother from the stress I faced that night, but the idea of being able to rely on hospital staff is a definite no-no I learned the hard way. Or it can also be that it depends on the hospital where you're at..
Every 4 hours, a nurse would come to our room and monitor my child's temperature. What's weird though was that despite the paracetamol being injected in Ching's IV, my child's temperature wouldn't drop.. She kept on throwing up, her body still limp and weak.. At first, it was around 38.8, then it would go up to 39.5, sometimes even higher... I was advised to give my daughter frequent sponge-baths to help minimize the heat. I willingly obliged, but I was beginning to worry why things didn't seem to get better. The staff missed to explain to me the results of my daughter's CBC and urinalysis which I later learned yielded normal results. I had a Braun ear thermometer with me so I closely monitored my child's temperature on my own, knowing fully well that it was far more accurate than the local digital thermometer the staff used. I kept a mental note of the changes in her temperature. I said to myself, I ain't getting any sleep that night either. I didn't even feel hungry nor thirsty. All I could feel was stress creeping up my body.
An hour after midnight, my kid's temperature rose to 40 degrees. She was whimpering and mumbling incoherent things already. I was obviously in panic, crying yet continuously giving my child a sponge-bath to lessen her body heat. The nurse who took charge of putting paracetamol on my kid's IV came in a few minutes late after I confirmed Ching's temperature.. I was so upset, frustrated and helpless, I decided to demand seeing a doctor right away. I was clueless on why my child wasn't getting better. I obviously needed help from the staff, they saw me struggling on Ching's bed, drenched in tears but they chose to do only what they were instructed. I am just so thankful that Ching didn't have a convulsion, given the sudden rise in temperature. Hearing stories of kids who experienced convulsions scared me even more.
A few minutes later, this snotty E.R. doctor who was the very same one at the admitting area came to our room. To be more exact, she and another nurse assistant peeked at our door and talked to me while I wiped my daughter with the washcloth. The nurse supposedly told her I was thinking of transferring to another hospital given that I was already very upset. I then asked her what happened to the urinalysis and CBC tests done and why my child wasn't getting better despite the round-a-clock dose of paracetamol being administered to my child. It was a sound question that deserved some ample answers. I was really pondering on transferring my kid to another hospital the next day. This probably prodded the doctor to unwittingly stammer, "Ano po bang gusto nyong mangyari ngayon, Misis?" Her audacity was so ill-timed. She had spunk, I give her that, but she directed that ill-mannered spunk to the wrong person.
What the hell?? For a person who has attained such a high level of education, this was truly unacceptable. She wasn't just snotty, she was inconsiderate and obviously lacking compassion. For all I know, she wasn't thinking right. To think she just stared at me while I fumbled on the weary child's body was unspeakable beyond terms. She could have thought of instructing her worthless assistant to help me with Ching as they saw me crying helplessly while I wiped my daughter's body with a sponge-cloth.. In the midst of all that trouble, I managed to control my temper, choosing not to stoop down to her level. I could have stuffed her with words that could have choked her. But I decided to just throw her a disgusting look and answered back in a firm low voice, "Gusto ko lang gumaling ang anak ko. Walang normal sa 40 degrees. Pasalamat ko hindi tumitirik ang mata ng anak ko. Ne hindi ko alam bakit sya nagkakaganito. Hindi po normal ang 40 degrees. Hindi ba? " I think what I said hit her hard. I knew it knocked her down with shame. She then excused herself and promised to relay the message to the pediatrician. After that, they left me on my own once again. As I stared at the door closing in on me, I wept in silence as I continued to tend to my little girl by myself.
I was crying as I hugged my child and promised she'd be okay, I whispered to her that Mommy will do everything to make her well again... That she'd be okay soon.. I continued to wipe Ching's limp body with the towel and I prayed even louder. Somehow, talking to God made me feel better. In my heart, I knew He was the only one with me. Time seemed so slow.. I would glimpse on the window every so often, wishing morning would come soon.
As the first rays of sun started creeping in, I finally began to relax... Ching's temperature slowly started to go down. I felt exhausted & famished from the night before. I didn't even realize I forgot to pee for nearly 24 hours straight. I didn't have a proper lunch nor dinner, not even water. That was how stressed I was.
Maybe God was heeding my prayers as help started to pour in, in the morning... My good friend Ate Adette Arbolante came to the hospital, complete with food & water for Ching and I. She knew from the night before that my daughter got admitted, she even planned to drop by that very same night. I have never been so touched with the gesture as this person came to my rescue just when I felt I had no strength left in me. She even prayed over my little girl's picture on the computer... I couldn't begin to describe how relieved I was having her around. She is after all a mother like me, with three kids of her own, and has experienced a vast share of motherly woes, maybe even more. Who else could relate to you than that who has been in similar situations? Her encouraging words were enough to put back the fight in me. She offered help than any person could possibly offer... She was my angel, an angel in more ways than one.
My mom, Jates & the nanny "Mama Ubi" came just an hour after, bringing with them more food and everything else I needed. At last, I got the assistance I wished for, and managed to have a decent meal in 24 hours. (I do not know what I'd do without my family).. My mom was just as worried with me as she was with Ching, she couldn't believe what transpired the night before. She was even regretting staying at home when she could have helped me with the kid but as I said, given another chance, I would still spare her from it.
Friends slowly started coming in.. My sister-in-law, Ate Tintin dropped by with a bag full of goodies for us, my mother-in-law Nanay Lut who would drop by from time to time, my best friend Yhen & her niece who despite the terrible heat headed down to the hospital, my "brother-from-another-mother" Marvin who has always been Ching's favorite "uncle", and of course, my cousins, Dr. Bong & Ate Evelyn, together with their kids, Shonleini & Kuya Lee Marv who came all the way from Tagaytay just to check on Chingching. Not to mention the outpour of messages and calls from friends who were all worried for us. I didn't know such concern could be of great help. At least it was, for me...
Ching's doctor came and explained to me the possible strain of influenza that had caused Ching's terrible fever. It was a viral thing that no antibiotics could heal. Judging from how he spoke, he understood my sentiments and later on admitted that the staff had been lax in tending to the patient,. Although I thought it best to put that aside as my daughter was finally recuperating. I'd rather not dwell on the negative. What happened to us back here was a plain eye-opener to some of the sad realities of life, and the good ones as well. It taught me to be stronger, and to rely on nobody else but myself, and to know how important it is to always maintain a sound mind in the middle of a dilemma. I learned that in a lot of ways, God indeed answers our prayers and sends us help through other people. That He never leaves us alone... It's only Him you could call on when you're at your lowest...
I know that motherhood has a lot more for me in the future, despite me wishing that we never have to go through that again. Hopefully, nothing as bad would happen... not to me, not to my family, nor anyone I know.
I'm just thankful my child is finally alright.. Had it been worse than that, I don't know what else I could have done..
Being a mother has been pushing me to have a stronger heart...
I'm guessing mine's on it's way to becoming that, not charmed as always, but learning, one day at a time. ..
