Doctor In The Making

Mayi is gonna be on TV this saturday!
She co hosts Mustard TV (kid's show), shown on TV5 at 7am.

It was already past 11pm last Monday
and she was still in the office because of the shoot.
Since its Monday is her commute day,
I just can't let her take a cab and go home alone late in the evening.
So, I surprised her in her office,
bringing along a new set of flowers for her vase in the office.
I arrived in Shepherd's voice with Mayi still shooting the segment.
Man, she was so stunningly pretty
and exuding a lot of confidence and finesse!
Great job my dear.

Then it happened.
Right after the shoot, she was vomitting all over the girl's room.
My initial impression was she was just too stressed from the shoot,
plus the temperature in the set was way too hot because of the blaring lights.
Too bad for her first time.
So I fed her some ice chips which partially relieved her headache.

On our way home, she barfed again. I can't blame her,
the crazy taxi driver must've thought he was driving a roller coaster.

I tucked her in her bed, gave her a good night kiss
and I went back to my apartment.
It was 2am.

I was checking her from time to time the next day.
She didn't go to work because she had fever, and her head was throbbing.
She had a poor appetite and was very weak.
So I probably thought, there is an inflammation and infection.
I asked if she was feeling any pain in her abdomen,
but she consistently said no the whole day. So appendicitis was unlikely.
She reported another episode of vomitting
so I advised her to take in more fluids to replace what she lost.

I went to her house after class.
I gave her a dose of 'kisspirin' and 'yakapsule'. Haha.
We ate dinner and she did finish her meal albeit her poor apetite.
I thought she was gonna be ok.
Not until she threw up again, losing all that she ate for dinner.

I called my mom first to confirm if my impression was correct.
We both agreed it was acute gastroenteritis (a.k.a. the stomach flu).
From her diet history, apparently she got it from a reheated lasagna.
She told me if we want it to be confirmatory,
we had to do a fecalysis (stool exam).
But immediately, we need rehydration.
So I had no choice.
Replacement of fluids through other another route was necessary.
Poor baby, we have to do an intravenous insertion to make you well.
I asked permission from her parents to do it at their home
rather than spend thousands of pesos in the hospital.
And they both gave me the authority and the money to do it.
(Good shot didoy! Haha.)

Luckily, Ate Meyan, a close cousin of Mayi who is a nurse,
is staying at their house for the meantime while fixing her papers to U.K.
So together we bought all the stuff needed for the procedure:
1 liter D5NSS (5% dextrose in Normal Saline Solution)
1 liter D5NM (Balanced Maintenance Solution with 5% dextrose as follow up)
1 venoset
1 gauge 24 needle (we opted a pediatric needle to minimize the pain upon insertion)
1 Micropore tape (according to Tita Babylynne, it's micropone! Haha.)
cotton balls and alcohol

Mayi was obviously fearful with the needle.
She had a traumatic experience with it when she was a child.
I really tried hard to convince her to give her hand to me so we can begin. Haha.
I explained to her the need for the procedure,
and that I assured her she is gonna be fine.
We prepped her hand and everything was ready.
As the needle was smoothly inserted through her vein in the right hand,
we saw Mayi really crying her heart out.
I find it adorable and a little exaggerated. Haha.



We run the solution at 40 gtts (drops) per minute.
And to be followed up with the D5NM after. (nosebleed na ba? haha.)
I watched over her through the night and stayed with her the whole day today.
So I wasn't able to go to class.
I initially planned to do so this morning,
but seeing her in such condition melted my heart.
I said to myself, the point of studying to become a doctor is this;
to care for people and make them well with all that it takes,
especially the people close to your heart.

We completed the IV therapy and she was up and about again.
It's the sweetest thing.
To see her being weak and frail before
and back now to her usual bubbly self again.
No wonder doctors are inspired people.
What a noble purpose.

Thanks Mayi for inspiring me more to become a great doctor someday.
I'll take care of you my dear, I promise.


Didoy